By Laura Ferreiro
Campus DJ champions Bentley Montes & Yung Elvis
The bass is pumping, the lights are pulsing, the dance floor is hopping – what more could you ask for? How about knowing that it’s more than just an incredible DJ dance party – it’s also about naming the top college DJs in the country while supporting a great cause.
Campus DJ’s second annual College DJ Championships took place on June 18 at the Avalon Hollywood, where 12 regional finalists from across the country battled it out to be named the best college DJ in the U.S.
After a sweaty night of spinning tunes for a packed house, a panel of renowned judges including Lupe Fiasco, MAKJ, Jayceeoh, and last year’s Campus DJ champion, Flaxo, crowned a new champion: DJ duo Bentley Montes & Yung Elvis from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
“I saw a lot of DJs tonight really stick to what they love, and that’s all I can say for us,” said Montes.
“Everything we do we put our hard work, sweat, tears and blood into this,” added Yung Elvis.
Not only did Bentley Montes & Yung Elvis bring the crowd to a fever pitch with their blistering tunes, but they were also spinning for a great cause. Music for Good partnered with Campus DJ and Chegg on Spinning for a Cause, in which Chegg presented a generous cash donation to the charity of the winning DJs’ choice.
Montes and Yung Elvis chose to donate to the pediatric skin cancer department at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA – a cause that’s extremely important to them. “We wanted to contribute to this cause as it is the closest thing to our hearts,” said Montes. “A few months ago our good friend Lizzie lost a friend to skin cancer. She, along with our organization the EDMC (EDM Club) of UCLA, began a fundraiser to contribute to the research of pediatric skin cancer at Mattel Children’s hospital. The show, we called Message in a Melody, featured Kastle as a headliner, and raised nearly $5,000.”
Montes and Yung Elvis were thrilled to be able to give an additional donation to the Mattel Children’s Hospital through Spinning for a Cause.
Montes and Yung Elvis were up against some stiff competition, including DJ Lick (Colgate U), DJ Munition (ASU), Halogen (Georgia State U), Atomika (NC State), Vonzie (NYU), DJ Adam Treblig (SFSU), Moneta (UT Austin), Jeff Molner (FIU – Miami), Norvege (Columbia College), DJ +One (Michigan State), and Sokko & Lyons (U of Oregon).
After a heated contest, they won a $10,000 grand prize from Monster Energy and Campus DJ, free burritos for a year from Chipotle, and a prize package from lifestyle audio company SOL REPUBLIC.
The night also featured special guest sets from LA favorites gLAdiator, world-renowned turntablist Jayceeoh, and Goshfather & Jinco.
Check out some of the highlights of the night below.
Stay tuned for updates about the next Campus DJ and Spinning for a Cause competition!