Qool DJ Marv has been inspiring, enlightening and exciting music lovers and dancers for 25 years. He keeps a low profile on purpose because he prefers being heard and not seen. Although he has played for many famous people, he loves living a life where, once the party is over, he literally blends back in to a modest everyday life, recognized by no one...except those with discerning ears. Marv loves music. His pursuit to share his affinity for celebratory music that enlivens, emboldens and inspires is his motivation. His first goal when he began to DJ was to make a mixed cassette tape that would be enjoyed so much that people would copy it for their friends and encourage them to listen to it. Caring nothing about earning cash, at first, Marv just wanted to be heard and shared. Marv’s earnest approach to DJing included respecting the craft and developing his skill so that he would be heard and regarded as a 'real DJ' (based on old-school definitions: Seamless mixing of his great record/music collection, flow and ability to read crowds).

Marv's attention to performance detail combined with an open mind about including off-chart music in his repertoire caught the attention of a few major players in the music, fashion and television industry. In 1995, Terry Lewis (of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) gave Marv, who was employee of his Perspective Records label, the chance to play a warm up set at a venue called Tramps for the band Mint Condition. The owner of Tramps approached Marv about being the opening DJ for shows that featured 'urban' music and Marv got to open for artists ranging from Erykah Badu to George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic to the Fugees, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Chic, Rick James and Outkast.

Marv solidified his status as the in-house DJ for Tramps and that led to an opportunity to work on a legendary night that would introduce him to many elites in the entertainment industries. Prince had a show at Madison Square Garden and he'd set up an after party and jam session to take place at Tramps and Marv was there to keep the crowd happy while they waited a couple of hours for Prince to arrive. In the crowd was a vice-president at Viacom who connected with Marv, and soon, Marv was playing at events for MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon. 


Since Marv essentially leapfrogged the club scene and found favor in New York's special events industry, Marv never pursued gigs at large and popular clubs. Since Marv didn't feel good about being part of bottle service club scenes where people paid as much as they would to take a vacation, for one night out - Marv chose to play at modestly sized but beautifully intimate venues where he could include and play diverse sets of music that went way beyond the hits. from the mid to late 90s until present, Marv has had a presence at "those-who-know" hot spots like Bar Six (West Village), Ludlow Bar (Lower East Side), Izzy Bar (East Village), Table 50 (NoHo), APT & Soho House (Meatpacking District) and Red Rooster (Harlem). Marv's style and approach at all of those cool places continually created more opportunities, some of which got Marv to Hollywood and around the world.

A smart man (college degree from Emory in Atlanta and Master's degree from Columbia in New York), Marv realized that many entertainment industry people, with decision making power, preferred 'cooler' and less crowded places to hang because they could still communicate and do business. Those with that power also usually had an experience driven refined discernment regarding whom they perceived as gifted. Marv realized that in less hectic environments, he had more of a chance to be heard doing what he does best - bringing it all together. Bringing it all together, with a universal vibe and a smile as wide as the universe,

Marv became an attractive DJ to hire when organizations felt the need to "change it up." Marv's confidence is born out of an ear for good music, which includes more than popular music, so those who gave him a chance would get a nice dose of refreshing sounds along with the all time classics and contemporary hits. This approach, galvanized by great technical skills and greater personable skills, got Marv gigs with the NBA, Major League Baseball, NBC, Showtime and HBO.

Since 1998, Marv has done more than 50 events for HBO, in and outside of New York, for nearly every major series. The casts and crews of the Sopranos, Sex in the City, Oz, The Wire, Entourage, Treme, Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones have all enjoyed the Marv vibe. Marv has also done 7 of HBO's Emmy parties and 2 Golden Globe parties. Globally (remember Marv's original DJ quest, make a great mix?), Marv, starting in 1998, has been to Berlin, Manchester, London, Paris, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oslo, Barcelona, Dublin, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Moscow, Croatia, Acapulco, Jamaica and the Bahamas. All of this was possible because Marv's mixtapes got heard, loved, copied and spread throughout the world. Around the United States, Marv has played private events or nightclub venues in many of America's top cities including Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Charlotte and Atlanta.



Currently, Marv still DJs 4 times weekly in New York City, including twice a week at the exclusive Soho House. Marv also hosts a 2 hour radio show, every Wednesday night on Philadelphia's WURD. Marv welcomes anybody and everybody to download his mixes, medleys and compilations on his ad-free website djqoolmarvsounds.podomatic.com/.

For booking in New York or the U.S., contact Marvin Coleman at djqoolmarvsounds@buttamilk.com