It’s a typical Thursday
evening at Quinnipiac
University, and senior Carlos Lanese is preparing for his hip-hop radio show that airs from six o’clock to eight o’clock.
Lanese has been the DJ for the hip-hop show at WQAQ since his sophomore year, and he is the production manager and underground hip-hop manager for the school radio station.
“Being a production manager consists of creating sweeps, public service announcements, and station ID’s,” he said. “I basically work with everything you hear besides the music and DJ’s talking. The Underground Hip-Hop manager cards up the music and edits it for the sweepers and puts it in the rotation for the DJ’s to play.”
When asked about sweeps, Lanese responded, “Sweepers are mixes for WQAQ played in-between each song to make the two flow into each other.”
Being the DJ from six to eight pm once a week requires time and preparation. During the week Lanese prepares for the show by going on the Internet or reading magazines for new hip hop songs so his show is as up to date on hip hop as possible.
“I don’t have to search too much because I am involved normally. Hip-hop music is my personal hobby,” Lanese responded. “Since this is my third year being a DJ, I never get nervous before a show at all, but I used to.”
WQAQ is not the only Radio station he works for.
“I work at WZMX 93.7, a local hip-hop station,” Lanese said.
He is also working for a national college news program and is a Mass Communications major here at Quinnipiac.
If you or anyone you know is interested in being a DJ for WQAQ, they take applications at the beginning of each semester. The radio station is located on the top floor of the Student Center. Lanese pointed out although there are limited slots for DJ’s, they are always looking for people to work behind the music.