Riz Rollins

Riz Rollins, also known as DJ Riz, is a disc jockey in Seattle. He is known as a radio personality on KEXP-FM and for presenting his radio show there, "Expansions".[1]

Riz Rollins
Born1953-54[1]
OccupationDisc jockey[1]
Years active1980–present[1]
Known forExpansions show on KEXP-FM[1]

Riz is a prominent gay and black public figure in LGBT culture in Seattle.[2] He is known for deejaying at gay venues including Pony and Cuff Complex.[1]

Rollins grew up in Chicago.[1] His mother took him to his first music concert, where performers Dionne Warwick, Gene Chandler and The Temptations influenced his perspective.[1] He sang in the Operation Breadbasket choir.[3] He regularly heard Reverend Jesse Jackson preach.[3] Upon hearing the James Brown song, "Cold Sweat", he felt that it described his life as a poor black youth.[3] He lived in Chicago till age 25.[3] He studied religion and psychology in college.[3]

In a 1992 article, a reviewer of radio shows on KCMU-FM (now KEXP-FM) said that Rollins was one of the people who defined the culture of the station.[4][5]

In the 1990s when Rollins began deejaying in Seattle, he played artists including Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, The Pharcyde, and De La Soul.[2] When Seattle Art Museum profiled Rollins in 2018, he cited Kerry James Marshall as an inspiration.[6] In a profile of the black arts scene in Seattle, Rollins commented that it is more vibrant than many people are aware.[7] Rollins likes Espresso Vivace.[3]

References
  1. Brodeur, Nicole (17 February 2013). "Riz Rollins does not take requests". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  2. Mudede, Charles (20 June 2018). "How DJ Riz Rollins Changed Seattle". The Stranger. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  3. Uitti, Jake (28 May 2015). "City Superheroes: KEXP's luminous Riz Rollins". crosscut.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  4. Hirshberg, G (25 November 1992). "CURSE on KCMU radio: Has the UW's alternative music station really sold out?". Seattle Weekly. pp. 31–33.
  5. Winter, Dana (2020). "A Word From Our Listeners: How Program Change Rocked KCMU". ScholarWorks. Seattle University. Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  6. Rollins, Riz (4 May 2018). "My Favorite Things: DJ Riz Rollins on Kerry James Marshall". YouTube. Seattle Art Museum. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  7. Romano, Tricia (1 August 2014). "Sci-Fi Beats With a Pacific Flavor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
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