DJs create thundering interactions sometimes both visually as well as auditorily with their audiences.
Looking behind the DJ booth you see a man who walked the same halls as hundreds of students at Archbishop Riordan High School.
These halls, where students stress over exams, but are excited for their futures meant something different for this boy. He was bound to be a DJ.
Grayson Salomon ’22 was a model student at Riordan from 2018- 2022. He was involved in many areas around campus including, DJ Club, The Crusader, LIFE.Team, and freshmen baseball. He was also the Co-Editor in Chief his junior alongside his peer, Jordan Maralit ’21.
Grayson Salomon ’22 practices his DJ skills in the main courtyard of his alma mater.
His senior year he was selected to be Editor in Chief while also juggling the LIFE Team. Now, he is a well-known DJ based in Los Angeles. It was Riordan’s DJ Club and supportive community that helped spark and strengthen his interest in music.
The Crusader newspaper adviser, Susan Sutton, MJE, is not surprised by Salomon’s shift to music or his success.
“Music and journalism are very similar. They both involve communication, creativity, and provide a public service,” she said.
Sutton added, “Over the past 10 years, we’ve had many students involved in the school newspaper or magazine and in the DJ Club. From Angelina Ning ’23 who started The Shield magazine while also being in the DJ Club to Vincent Douglas ’25, aka DJ Lō, who was our Religion Editor, the list of talented individuals who excel in both areas is remarkable.”
Salomon’s love for DJing began freshman year and grew after attending Rolling Loud Bay Area in 2018.
Inspired by Travis Scott’s DJ, Chase B, he began practicing during COVID, starting on an iPad before upgrading to professional equipment. After sharing mixes on SoundCloud, he began performing live once events reopened.
His first major gigs included DJing Riordan’s First Dance since before COVID in 2021 and an underground rap show in San Francisco in 2022, where support from friends and fellow Riordan alumni helped launch his career, especially his good friend, Kevin Carranceja ’21, a talented R&B artist also known as Karri.
The former editor-in-chief still reads The Crusader.
Salomon described himself as an open-format DJ, focusing on hip-hop, R&B, and Bay Area music.
One of the most memorable moments of his career was headlining a packed club in San Francisco in 2023.
Another highlight came when he and Karri opened for Drake at Wireless Festival in London.
“When we walked off, I knew all my hard work had paid off and history was made,” said Solomon.
Karri said, “It was a great moment, from knowing Gray (Salomon) since we were in middle school to living out our dreams together on the stage.”
Salomon credits Riordan for teaching him confidence, community, and versatility.
His advice is to “take risks, stay disciplined, and believe in yourself while being a good person and walking in God’s image because doing good will always return back to you.”
