Chika Takai deejayed NBA All-Star Weekend not just for herself, but for her Asian community
- Victoria Hernandez
- Mar 3
- 8 min read
Chika Takai brings the energy everywhere she goes. After moving to Atlanta a decade ago from Japan, her career in the NBA started as a dancer for the Atlanta Hawks and now she is the official deejay for the team.
She just deejayed at her first NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles and was the first Asian woman to do so. Chika Takai got to experience the energy and excitement around All-Star Weekend previously when she was part of the festivities as a dancer, but this go-around held special meaning because of the bigger platform and the historic accomplishment.
Chika Takai handled the soundtrack for the Rising Stars competition at Intuit Dome. The event was on Friday before All-Star Saturday with the dunk contest and three-point competition, and the All-Star Game on Sunday. So it was the tip-off to set the tone for all the festivities. The deejay spun some of her favorite Atlanta anthems blended with some West Coast classics and she sprinkled in some pop for good measure. All while looking super fly in a Hawks-branded varsity jacket and her signature red lipstick.
There is much more ahead for Chika Takai as she bridges the gap between Japan and the United States through the crossover of basketball and music. The NBA continues to expand its international efforts. This season, there were preseason games in the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada and China and regular season matchups in Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom. Even the new NBA All-Star Game format celebrated its international players by putting them together on Team World. The past seven NBA MVPs have been international players. Even though she describes herself as a "triple minority," the deejay is perfectly positioned to carry the NBA torch like few others can.
Kick The Concrete spoke with Chika Takai about her experience deejaying at NBA All-Star, the fashion brand that is inspiring her (and us) right now and advice for the youth who want to do what she does!
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Kick The Concrete: What did it mean to you to be a deejay at your first NBA All-Star? It was your second time being there but your first as a deejay?
Chika Takai: Definitely, it’s an honor. I just had a great, great, great time as well, but at the same time, I felt so honored, one because I always appreciate what we do in Atlanta with the Hawks as well and to be able to represent the team. And then bring what we do in Atlanta to LA, which what we do is party here, right? So this is really exciting moment for me to even bring what we do here to LA.
But even for other reasons because this is, I was the first female Asian deejay to be selected for the All-Star, so this is something that and even from Japanese community standpoint, a lot of people from my community, they were like, "Oh my goodness, you were able to go and then do what you do? That is amazing." So I always wanted to be an example for people to be able to dream big or follow their passions. Even for me to be able to do that, being on the stage and do what I do, it was amazing feeling.
KTC: So beautiful to inspire your community and represent for Atlanta. So many layers to the meaning of it.
CT: Yes, so it’s not like my achievement or anything like that. More like, "Hey, guys, we can do this!" So I just wanted to encourage people by me being on the stage.
KTC: When you were there, did you have any fans come up to you to share words or any special moments?
CT: Yeah, definitely I did. So I had this cool jacket that represents the Hawks, so when people see me, they’re like, "Oh my goodness, you are from Atlanta? Oh, we’re gonna have a good time today." They already knew! They were like, "Okay! ATL? ATL deejay is here so it must be good!" But yes, actually my location was next to, they call it The Swell, which is a standing fan section, so their hypeness was another level. So definitely we had really good interactions with each other.
They’re like, "Oh my goodness, yes! Let’s go deejay!" I was like, "You guys are killing it!" So we definitely had a good exchange of energy. I was definitely able to see that and I felt it too. That section was perfect for me to even be able to do that.
KTC: I’m sure as a deejay you feed off their energy, too. It probably makes your job easier.
CT: Yes! And I sometimes say this, I’m not the deejay that’s actually doing surgery almost. I’m just joking about this, but I’m not just a music provider or something, I’m actually an entertainer, so I like to interact with the people. I like to dance with people and if I can say something on mic or something, that’s what I do, too. So from that standpoint, that was an amazing moment for sure.
KTC: You did deejay the Rising Stars competition. What did it mean to you to celebrate the upcoming talent in the NBA and be a part of that special moment for those players?
CT: I feel like upcoming athletes, they have different mentality, right? So they create different energy level as well and fans can actually feel that, too. So they kinda switch their gears to another level as well. Yeah, that was really beautiful to even see. I think Rising Stars was the kickoff of the three-days event. I would say All-Star Weekend starts from Thursday, I don’t know if they had something on Wednesday. But I think Thursday, the (NBA) Crossover, they started on Thursday, so I don’t know technically what’s the starting point. But game-wise, Friday was the starting point, so I wanted to make sure that we’re gonna have a great kickoff game. I think everybody from the entertainment teams, but also athletes, I think everybody had that type of mindset.
KTC: You set the tone for everything. That’s awesome!
CT: Yes!
KTC: I know T.I. is your favorite and he just released “Let Em Know.” What did you think of that song?
CT: Oh my goodness, yes. Oh! Loved it! Loved it, loved it. I love it so much that I played that song as the first song when the players came out. So I’m like okay, King's back. Now I think T.I. is getting ready to kinda go another level. I believe he actually released two new songs like two days ago or something. There’s something with 50 Cent in there.
KTC: They’re beefing now, I guess!
CT: Well, I still love 50 Cent, too! So…
KTC: Me too! I can’t pick a side in this one.
CT: But yes, I love T.I. so when he released that album, “King,” that’s when I was like okay, I have to move to Atlanta or I just need to check out what they’re doing.
KTC: What was it like seeing Jalen Johnson make his first NBA All-Star appearance representing the Hawks as well?
CT: That was really exciting! I’m really, really happy for him. This is from what I know, but I’m sure he worked so hard to get to that stage and this is also great for the city. So I’m so happy that he was able to represent and then go to this world stage and (Team Stars) won and that’s amazing.
KTC: Yeah, it was like a perfect journey. Not only did he go, he won! That’s so special.
You mentioned the jacket that you wore and I know you love fashion. What is inspiring you right now, are there trends or brands? What are you excited about in the fashion world?
CT: Pro Standard, that’s the name of the brand that I sometimes work with them. They are making the coolest jackets for sure. That Pro Standard jacket, actually I was just creating this content earlier today, but yes, I had five jackets, five different jackets from Pro Standard, and that’s what I was doing before the game, before this trip. Five jackets from them and then I was like okay, this is my starting five, but I have to pick just one because I cannot take five of them!
KTC: ‘Cause they’re big jackets, too!
CT: It is! It is a very nice jacket, but it’s thick. So yeah, I needed to pick one from them and that’s what I wore for the actual game. But yeah, that’s definitely one of my favorites from all the NBA gear that I have. And I dance a lot while I deejay. So I sweat a lot, too. But even from that, I still need to wear those jackets! *laughs
KTC: Yeah, you still need to look good! It’s fashion!
CT: Yes! Yes! A little fun note, I have this like big fan underneath of my deejay booth so I don’t sweat too much.
KTC: So you don’t pass out.
CT: Right! With those jackets.
KTC: That’s a good hack! A good tip.
CT: Yep, a little fun fact.
KTC: I got to see their merch at the Super Bowl and at NBA Crossover and Pro Standard had the best merch. They had these leather moto jackets. They’re killing it.
CT: Killing it. They have these big patches all over the sleeves or on the back and front. So yeah, whenever you want to represent your team or your city or something, yeah, they are good ones.
KTC: I know that you really do want to put on from the next generation and little girls from Japan, you want to inspire them. What would your words of advice be for girls who want to be like you when they grow up?
CT: The advice I would say, experience is everything. So if you have a little interest or if you have a little dream about something or even a big dream about something, you just have to get in or you just have to go and actually see it. That’s what I really believe in advice to those little girls and little boys for the next generation.
Actually now, I have this business that I actually bring experience to different culture or different world and I work with Japan a lot now. They are really trying to make a lot of activations there, too, from an NBA standpoint. So bring this US experience or NBA experiences to Japan, that’s even going back to my belief, I feel like they need to experience it. They need to see it if they can not come to the States. So that's something that I'm really passionate about, making sure that those people can experience it and even make their journey a little bit easier. If they are a little bit afraid of doing big jump, which is let's say moving to another country or something like that, if they can taste it even a little bit, they can actually see it that okay, this might be something that I want to do, so let me actually pursue or let me figure out how I can get to that point.
Even from an NBA standpoint, it's becoming really more international. So I think that's one thing that is great about it. Even this All-Star Weekend, we had this K-pop boys group Cortis was performing. And wherever Cortis go, everything is sold out! It might not be everything sold out, but that brings different kind of range of crowd and that is beautiful! Somebody who really didn't know about basketball, but let's say if there's some other things that pulled them, that's the whole experience.
KTC: Getting them connected to music and culture.
CT: Mm-hmm. So I think that's a great, great, move and I'm happy to be able to be here as an international person. I sometimes describe myself, it's like a triple minority. So, I'm a female, I'm an Asian and then I'm an immigrant, too. So for me to be able to represent that community and then do what I do and be able to be on the stage and All-Star is world level, so I'm very, very happy to be able to do that and then also I'd also love to encourage and just not inspire people, more like, "Hey, look at me! You can do it, too!"
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