Galveston, Texas native Roger Hayes, known to the culture as DJ Chops, has been immersed in music his entire life. His journey started in school and church choirs, and by high school he’d found his calling behind the turntables. His early slow-jam mixtapes, the Sumthin You Smash To series, built his reputation and sparked a deeper passion for writing and producing.
After a short run as a rapper, Chops sharpened his focus on DJing and songwriting. In the early 2000s he co-founded Southstar Entertainment, a music and video production company, along with Southstar DJs, a network of mobile DJs that helped make him one of the most in-demand DJs in the Houston/Galveston area.
In the 2010s, Chops was a staple of “Swagga Thursdays” at Bikini Beach, one of Houston’s top clubs, where he shared the stage with Bun B, Wale, Trina, Juvenile, Gorilla Zoe, Maino, Lil Flip, Z-Ro, Trae, Pretty Ricky, and countless independent artists. He also served as a guest host of Street Flava, the Houston-based TV show spotlighting the week’s top 10 music videos.
Today, Chops channels his experience into songwriting and artist management. He has collaborated with Grammy-nominated producers D.Bottz and Chris & Dria Thornton (The Frontrunners), along with Mousequake and rising talents OnlyHeaven, T-Dash, Emani Sings, Reggie Jams, and Bri Will. He also develops his own roster of artists: Canda’ce, Jeabriie Rielle, and Nicole Lundy.
As Co-Founder and CEO of Houston-based Southstar Music Group, DJ Chops is gearing up to release a compilation project showcasing the songwriting and production of his team and collaborators, continuing his mission of creating great music with a wide range of artists.
