Music is an integral part of sporting events. Football has marching bands, ballparks have walk-out theme songs, and most other sports blare hype music, filling the air during breaks in the action. However, the newest trend in athletics entertainment and fan engagement blends the human element with the latest music technology. It brings DJs out of the nightclubs and into the arenas and stadiums.
Marcus Carr, known as DJ Kujho, has become Mississippi State’s resident DJ in athletics over the last year, starting during basketball season. Carr’s energy-boosting beats created a vibrant vibe for State fans in the Hump. The right song at the right time can give the players and fans the “oomph” they need to push through or relish in momentum.
“I remember the night State hosted a top-five Tennessee team,” shared Carr. “I noticed Josh Hubbard and Cameron Matthews reacting to the artist NBA Youngboy during pregame warmups. When the time was right in the second half, I cranked it up again, and the players got hyped!”
Mississippi State would upset Tennessee that night with 77-72; some would say it was thanks to the engaging environment.
A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Carr was on a typical corporate career trajectory until an unexpected opportunity provided a different path.
“It was June 25, 2009. The day ‘The Kind of Pop Michael Jackson’ passed away,” shared Carr. “I made some mixes from Jackson’s catalog for my friend and mentor to DJ an event. The crowd was too young to know Micheal Jackson, but the mix was a hit. My friend and mentor was moving and told me I should take up his gigs, and DJ Kujho was born.”
Carr has been rocking parties nationwide as a professional DJ ever since. Carr has worked in places like Washington D.C., New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Miami and has even been a DJ for comedian and actor Kevin Hart. Carr has been a professional DJ for the last 15 years and has been trying to break into athletics for fourteen years. Carr admits his dream started coming truen when he wrote it down.
“I finally wrote it down saying I want to DJ athletics, then the ball started rolling, and God started making a way,” says Carr.
Carr’s first opportunity at an athletic event came from his hometown of Hattiesburg for a basketball game at the University of Southern Miss in February of 2023. When State’s Assistant Athletic Director for Fan Engagement, Spencer McAnally, started looking for a DJ to improve State’s gameday atmosphere, Carr was the only name he had on the list.
“I was at a Beyonce concert with my family in New Orleans when I got the call from McAnally,” shared Carr. “After a short conversation, I was on board!”
With basketball season over, you can find DJ Kujho on Saturdays inside Davis Wade Stadium. Carr’s mission is to generate energy inside the stadium at home games in the student section to keep the good vibes alive.
“I want to play the right song at the right time,” Carr said. “My priority is making sure the players are hyped. My second is the fanbase because if the players are playing well, the fans will also be hyped. When you’re at 5%, how can I get you to 10%? That’s my goal.”
And, if you’re wondering where the name DJ Kujho came from, Carr thanks his first-ever gig back in 2009 for that.
“My first ever gig was a welcome back party hosted by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority In. at USM,” shared Carr. “When I was a freshman, pledging, they told me my pledge name would be Kujho. So, during my first year, everybody called me Kujho. When I became a DJ, they called me DJ Kujho, and it just stuck.”
