American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
No one knows that better than Johnathan Sinclair, aka DJ Jon Blak, who is the Jets’ official DJ.
Advertisement
Sinclair became the Jets stadium DJ in 2017 after the Jets hired him to curate pregame warmups and in-game music during games at MetLife Stadium. In 2019, Sinclair became the Jets’ DJ during practices after the team reached out.
“What set me apart, it was just the ability to fuse stadium rock anthems with hip-hop beats, track beats and mesh the two together because that goes a long way to setting the vibe at the stadium,” Sinclair told the Daily News. “Music is the lowest common denominator, so whatever everybody knows, that’s what we kind of lean towards and play because you want to make it like a party atmosphere.”
Advertisement
Before he became a DJ, Sinclair’s goal was to work in television. A Brooklyn native, Sinclair went to school at Fairleigh Dickinson, which coincidentally enough has a branch right across the street from the Jets facility in Florham Park. Sinclair majored in communications with a minor in television production.
DJ Jon Blak at MetLife Stadium for the New York Jets. (Courtesy New York Jets)
“My first job was at the BBC right out of school in production, I produced documentaries, so that was my main job for six or seven years and then the D.J. bug hit me and that was it.”
After not touching a turntable for three years because he was learning from legendary producer Just Blaze and his brother DJ Poun, Sinclair started DJing in clubs in New York City in his 20s as he began a residence at the 40/40 Club, which was owned by Jay-Z’s and Beyonce. That’s when Sinclair started to learn the art of knowing how to rock a club.
“Out here, it is go, we’re on go,” Sinclair said about the difference between DJing in a club compared to a practice or a game. “It is almost like you’re working out and doing a hard workout.
“You might want to listen to some R&B, you might mix it up, but the main part is, you’re lining up against another person that can do exactly what you’re doing or can stop you from doing what you’re doing and you have to be in the right mind frame to knock his block off. If it’s your teammate or whatever, but you’re standing from your goal, he’s in your way and both of you guys are exerting a lot of energy, you want that music to match that.
DJ Jon Blak at MetLife Stadium (Courtesy New York Jets)
“You want that music to have a high level of energy. So that’s the difference between the club and the field where the club, you can play R&B slow it down, you can mix it up. Whereas on the field, it is go. It is violence from the start to the end.”
Each day during Jets practices, Sinclair uses a Pioneer DJ controller for the audio and the speakers. He has eight speakers, four bass and tops that the Jets interns wheel out before practice. From there, Sinclair has his case with his music and begins playing his music.
“I love music,” Jets safety Tony Adams said. “When I hear the music, the head starts going, the energy starts flowing, I’m just ready.
Advertisement
“Anything he plays, I’m vibing to.”
Unlike some DJs, Sinclair plays a wide variety of music. From DMX to Jay-Z to U.G.K., T.I. Outkast, Boosie, Too Short, E-40, Mac Dre, you name it, Sinclair plays it during practices. When he first started DJing during practices, Sinclair didn’t get a lot of requests from players, but now he usually receives them daily.
The Pinstripe Express Weekly The Daily News sports editors handpick the week’s best Yankees stories from our award-winning columnists and beat writers. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
“It starts with camp and the players are the new A&Rs, they’re the ones that are like you have to play the new Lil Uzi [Vert], Gunna, whatever the artist is at that time,” Sinclair said. “They’re the ones that kind of dictate and as a DJ, we just go in and figure out the best songs.”
Even quarterback Aaron Rodgers has his favorite types of artists that get him pumped up for practice as he listens to 2Pac, Warren G, The Notorious B.I.G. and Warren G.
“They kind of hip me to it that he’s a 90s fan,” Sinclair said about Rodgers. “I get it, especially college in your formative years, that news resonates because no matter what, no matter what, certain music is timeless.
“Certain artists are timeless. Whether it be the east coast, west coast, down south, or whatever region, certain artists are timeless. I play everything from every region on that field. It doesn’t matter, especially if it’s hip-hop, that’s what we get down with.”
Advertisement
One person that doesn’t make any requests is Jets coach Robert Saleh. He has known Sinclair since he became the Jets coach in 2021.
While other coaches on the team may have some requests occasionally, Saleh only has one request for Sinclair’s music each day.
“A lot of the players will go talk to him, it’s their music,” Saleh told the Daily News. “I just want them to go have fun with. It serves a couple of purposes. But as long as we keep it clean for the fans, I’m good.”