Some artists choose to express themselves with music, but with Devon James, the music chose him.

It started with his grandfather, a tuba player for Dixieland Jazz bands that performed for the Ed Sullivan Show and Carnegie Hall. The family line continued with his father who manages and performs with foundational Jamaican ska group The Skatalites. As a teenager, James jumped on stage with his dad's band, playing guitar to crowds of thousands at festivals across Europe. Back home in Boston and still underage, he'd sneak into clubs by carrying the rock steady DJ's gear. Countless nights spent studying his moves in the booth taught James how to use turntables, and soon enough, he was throwing wild college house parties of his own.