"I've always been a hip-hop kid. Two turntables and a mixer for my tenth birthday — that was it for me."
— DJ Cassidy, CAS '03
About DJ
Cassidy Durango Milton Willy Podell — known professionally as DJ Cassidy — is an American DJ and record producer who graduated from NYU's College of Arts & Science with a degree in sociology in 2003. He began his undergraduate studies at George Washington University before transferring to NYU, all while building a career that would make him one of the most sought-after DJs in the world. Discovered by Sean Combs while working a GQ party at Manhattan's Lotus club, Cassidy went on to perform at some of the most watched events in American life: the 2008 wedding of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the 2001 wedding of Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd, Grammy parties, and MTV Video Music Awards. As of 2011, Forbes reported he was performing 200 gigs a year — sometimes earning $100,000 a night. Cassidy's career extended far beyond celebrity weddings. After performing at the opening party for Oprah Winfrey's girls' school in South Africa in 2009, Winfrey recommended him to the Obama White House. He went on to DJ President Obama's first inauguration ball, the president's 50th birthday party, Michelle Obama's 50th birthday party, and the 2012 Democratic National Convention. He performed again at the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden and, in August 2024, provided the music for each state during the roll call of delegations at the Democratic National Convention — a nationally televised moment. His debut album, Paradise Royale, captures the architecture of 1978–1982 dance music, drawing on the same session musicians who defined that era.
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