RaaShaun Casey (born September 3, 1977), known professionally as DJ Envy, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record producer, and radio personality.[1][2] He is one of the three hosts of the syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club, alongside Charlamagne tha God, on Power 105.1.
Education
Casey graduated from Hampton University in 1999 with a degree in business management.[3]
A native of Queens, New York City, DJ Envy, then called DJ Shrimp, was tutored and mentored by neighborhood acquaintance DJ Clue,[4] who introduced him to the mixtape circuit in the mid-1990s. DJ Clue took him under his wing to assist in his success as a disc jockey. By the early 2000s, he was hosting commercials and exclusives for other established artists that include Hahflamez, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and The Lox. He then was signed to DJ Clue's record label Desert Storm. In 2003, he released his debut studio album entitled The Desert Storm Mixtape: Blok Party, Vol. 1.
DJ Envy began mixing once a month for Hot 97 show, "Takin' it to the Streets", hosted by Angie Martinez from 12 am to 4 am, but later filled in when Martinez became pregnant.[5] He then co-hosted Hot 97's morning show with Miss Jones from 6 am to 10 am daily. His run on the morning show ended in July 2008 when Miss Jones moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DJ Envy spun on his own mix shows on Hot 97 called "The People's Mix" on Saturdays from 12 pm to 2 pm and "The People's Choice Hit List" on Sundays from 5 pm to 8 pm. He had a segment on Hot 97 titled "New at 2", where he played the newest hits from 2 pm to 2:30 pm. He previously hosted his own midday show on Power 105, before joining Charlamagne tha God and Angela Yee as co-hosts of The Breakfast Club.[6] He currently hosts a weekly show on Sirius XM Radio's Hip-Hop Nation.[6]
DJ Envy has made appearances on Juelz Santana's and Lloyd Banks's music video "Beamer Benz or Bentley" and various television shows, such as 106 & Park, Entourage, and Tha Corner, which he hosts on the Music Choice channel.[5] He was featured in the 2006 film Blood of a Champion, credited as Shadow's enemy friend.[11] He also appeared in documentary, The Raw Report: Gucci Mane.[12] On March 21, 2010, DJ Envy took over as VJ of MTV2's Sucker Free Countdown.
In early 2015, DJ Envy released single "Still A Fan", featuring recording artist, songwriter, and producer "Rico Love." In early 2017, DJ Envy and his wife, Gia Casey, began hosting a podcast named The Casey Crew that "explores the good, bad, ugly, and beauty of relationships and family".[13][14]
DJ Envy and his wife, Gia Casey, released a book, titled Real Life, Real Love: Life Lessons on Joy, Pain, and the Magic That Holds Us Together on April 19, 2022[15]
A car enthusiast, DJ Envy is the founder and curator of the Drive your Dreams Car Showauto show, which was first held on November 3, 2018, at Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. The second annual event took place on September 7, 2019, at the same venue. Both were sponsored by Lincoln Tech.[16] After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled events in 2020, the show returned in 2021, traveling to Atlantic City, New Jersey, Atlanta, Georgia, and Detroit, Michigan. Approximately 5,000 people showed up at the TCF Center to witness luxurious cars, souped-up cars, and designer cars owned by celebrities and Detroit residents.
Prior to naming the show the Drive your Dreams Car Show, DJ Envy dubbed his car show as "Carchella".[17] Following a legal notice from Coachella threatening a lawsuit, and a preliminary injunction and restraining order approved by the presiding judge, DJ Envy ceased using the name "Charchella" and reintroduced his car show under its name.[18]
"I try to take the car shows to markets I'm already successful in, so we started in the New York/New Jersey area, then we went out to Atlanta, we went to Atlantic City, Philly. … Now we're in Detroit, and next month (December 2021) is a holiday show in Miami, Florida". Autos owned by other celebrities are also featured in the exhibition, including cars courtesy of 50 Cent, Fabolous, Icewear Vezzo, 42 Dugg, and Detroit's Royce da 5'9" and Richard Wershe Jr.(White Boy Rick).[19]
Awards and recognition
On January 24, 2020, Mayor Marty Small of Atlantic City, New Jersey, officially declared January 23 as "Breakfast Club Day" in Atlantic City.[20] DJ Envy was separately presented with an official Key to the City of Atlantic City for his "outstanding efforts to market and promote Atlantic City."[20]
In October 2023, the US District Attorney's office in New Jersey filed a criminal fraud complaint against Cesar Pina, a business associate of DJ Envy.[22] The charging document makes reference to a 'radio personality' connected to the criminal enterprise that helped garner publicity for Pina to a broader audience.
A civil suit has also been filed against DJ Envy in connection to the real estate operations associated with 'Flipping NJ', Flip2Dao and other commercial ventures involving Cesar Pina.[23]
^Hyman, Vicki. "DJ Envy's Kinnelon mansion on market for $2M, bedazzled bathroom and all", NJ Advance Medis for NJ.com, March 16, 2016, updated January 26, 2019. Accessed February 19, 2020. "Nationally syndicated hip-hop DJ RaaShaun Casey, who goes by DJ Envy on Power 105.1 FM's morning show The Breakfast Club and also hosts a Sirius XM show, is looking to leave his lavish Colonial on seven gated acres in Kinnelon."
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