SAN JOSE, CA — Being a DJ is no easy job.
In front of thousands of people, you have to craft a setlist that flows smoothly and effortlessly while maintaining the atmosphere, keeping the crowd engaged and vibing to the environment they crave.
The tough part is the perfection needed for it. You have to understand the moment while building the next one. One minor slip up can derail it all, killing the vibe and destroying all the work built toward that moment. You cannot afford it.
It’s quite the skill. Maybe that’s why Tommy Lloyd enjoys it.
“I can talk about that all day,” he said.
Leading Arizona in its quest of breaking its Final Four drought, Lloyd’s sidequest includes spinning it on the turntables in becoming a DJ.
He may not strike you as one you’d see mixing songs or making the beat drop, but Lloyd is quite the music lover. And this hobby he’s picked up has come with a masterful teacher, “one of the best DJs of all time” in Mix Master Mike.
“My sport is the art of turntables and hip hop. His sport is basketball. We just decided to collide into those two professions, and now we're here,” Mike told USA TODAY Sports. “It's just an amazing thing.”
It all starts with Lloyd being a big fan of the Beastie Boys, who toured with Mike, regarded as one of the greatest DJs to exist as a three-time world champion. Lloyd had seen him several times in-concert, and one day, decided he wanted to do more than listen to the music.
“He was just fascinated by the art. He's totally into music. He was, ‘yeah, I want to DJ with Mike,’” he said.
So, Mike invited him and his wife to his studio and decided to show Lloyd the ropes, which he said was “really cool to see them explain to you the process a little bit.” Since then, it’s been more than a DJ guru and student, but also a tight friendship between the two.
Mike also noticed how this fun side gig has helped Lloyd take his mind off the pressures of being a coach, a healthy balance when you can easily get consumed by work.
All the learning and training led to the Red-Blue Showcase ahead of the season. In addition to being the introduction of the 2025-26 season, afterward was an afterparty outside of the arena.
It was headlined by Mike, Shaquille O’Neal — aka DJ Diesel — and Lloyd.
Or, DJ Tomm-EE.
When he told the team about what he’d do, it seemed random. But also, not really.
“Honestly, kind of seems on brand,” said forward Tobe Awaka. “He's kind of a guy that likes to explore and do different things.”
So, how is DJ Tomm-EE?
“He did pretty good,” said guard Brayden Burries. “He got a little work to do, but he's pretty good.
“I think he's still growing,” Awaka said. “For a beginner, they were solid.”
“He’s getting a lot better,” Mike said. “He has an ear for music.”
So could you see Lloyd at EDC, the club or your next rave?
Don’t bet on it. Lloyd insists his DJ career is “more of a joke” than his next profession, but he may be selling himself short. Mike insists he’s better than he likely thinks he is. You just don’t show your team samples of your mixes for nothing.
Plus, there are plenty of parallels between DJing and coaching. Just like on the sidelines, Mike noted Lloyd doesn’t get rattled when he’s in the zone. Lloyd himself may not be serious, but Mike said he’ll teach him “as far as he wants to go,” fulfilling an actual dream for him.
“It's been a little bit of a — I guess — I don't know if a childhood fantasy, but probably a manhood fantasy for me that's come true,” Lloyd said. “It's been awesome to have that relationship.”
The relationship has allowed Mike to join the Wildcat family, DJing for them during ESPN’s “College GameDay” and joining in on this successful season. Mike also made arrangements with his schedule to make sure he’s in San Jose for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, hoping to see Arizona make the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
It’s a stage the Wildcats have been at several times before, but have yet to break through. Maybe getting a world class DJ on your side could be the secret sauce.
Mike knows plenty about winning. He’s done it on the global stage. Now inspired and bought into Lloyd’s pursuit of excellence, he hopes he can see his good friend create the perfect setlist that trades dropping the bass for cutting down the nets.
“Me and coach are really tight with the music and just the sport of it. I mean, coming from a three-time world champion, a championship team needs a soundtrack, especially a victory soundtrack,” Mike said. “Whatever we have our sight on, we just don't stop until we win at it.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tommy Lloyd crafting perfect mix for Arizona basketball — and as a DJ
