What’s better than Lanai’s Traffic Jam? A Lanai’s Traffic Jam Mix!! Every weekday from 5pm to 6pm, legendary DJ, James Coles jumps on the ones and twos to being you a fresh mix to get you through the early evening traffic! Hear all of the traffic jam mixes here!
DJ James Coles is a prominent, veteran DJ, radio personality, and producer who has been a cornerstone of Hawaii’s nightlife and radio waves since 1982. Based in Honolulu, he is widely recognized as a pioneer of hip-hop and house music in Hawaii, possessing one of the most distinctive and enduring voices in local broadcasting.
Born in San Francisco, Coles moved to Hawaii at the age of 13. His early exposure to nightlife came from his father, who owned one of San Francisco’s largest gay nightclubs, O and Harry—an environment that introduced him to professional DJs and dual turntables. He fell in love with hip-hop during a vacation to Hawaii when his father dropped him and his sister off at a teen party, where he first heard DJ Tony Makao mixing the Fatback Band’s “King Tim III”. He initially began his musical hustle by recording his favorite songs onto cassettes and selling them for $10 each. He graduated from Honolulu’s President William McKinley High School in 1985.
Coles has maintained a multi-decade career across major radio networks, live venues, and cruise lines:
- Radio Identity: He was considered a “king” of the mix on I-94 FM, where he served as both Music Director and Program Director in the 1991–1998 era. He has also worked as a mixer or producer for prominent local stations like iHeartMedia, Power 104.3, Salem Media, and 94.7 KUMU.
- Nightclubs & Production: He was the DJ and Music Director at the legendary Maharaja NightClub (1989–1996) and opened his own venue, The Mixx NightClub, before turning 30. Though The Mixx was highly successful, he lost the business in the late 1990s when the building was demolished for the Victoria Ward complex expansion.
- Musical Achievements: In 1984, he hosted the first remix/mix show in Hawaii. He is one of the few local DJs to have a remix pressed on vinyl on the renowned MIXX-IT Records label, and he has DJed internationally and on cruise ships.
A major pillar of Coles’ legacy is his dedication to empowering youth. He founded Musical Youth of Hawaii, a free, non-profit after-school DJ program hosted at the Kalihi YMCA. Through this outreach, he has spent decades teaching teens the technical art of DJing, music production, event promotion, and business realities. Many of his high school students successfully transitioned onto real radio stations and remain active in the music industry today.
Coles remains highly active in the Hawaii music scene. He continues to host open-format events, old-school themed parties (such as the Decades Day Drinkin Pool Party), and local vinyl nights throughout Oahu, remaining a passionate advocate for Hawaii’s underground and hip-hop history. Hear his mixes every weekday on 94.7 KUMU from 5pm to 6pm during Lanai’s Traffic Jam Mix.