Since the mid-1980s, DJ Jesse De La Pena has stacked the turntables with a mix that’s pretty wide ranging. He spins hip hop to house, Johnny Cash to the Clash, and classical to classic rock. He showed off some of his stuff all hour long. Beyond his creative blends and great taste, De La Pena stands out for the length of time he’s been on the scene. He shares highlights from his DJ history. He joined “Eight Forty-Eight” for our weekly series, A Spinning Summer.

De La Pena hosts his weekly program every Wednesday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. at SmoothBeats.com. He also spins Sunday nights at Crocodile in Wicker Park.

DJ Jesse De La Pena’s mini-set:
Imos Marad performing “Don’t Play Dat”
Sade performing “Love is Stronger Than Pride” (Paul Nice remix)
The Cure performing “Close to Me”
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble performing “Party Started”
Brassroots performing “Seven Nation Army”

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