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When new editions of hip-hop magazines hit the shelves on Tuesdays in the ‘90s, you could count on Herm Guzman to be there, ready to read them front to back.
Herm, who you might better know as DJ Herm, has long loved music — his late mom was in a band, always had music playing in the house and kept a collection of records.
“I couldn’t escape music even if I wanted to,” Herm says. “It took a while for me to appreciate my mom’s music because I wanted to listen to whatever was fresh and new, but now I love it. Hip-hop was my introduction to everything else because my favorite artists were sampling rock groups, funk groups, soul groups. I’m still that guy who is digging for new music and searching for new music.”
While Herm’s first love was hip-hop, he loves any genre — and not in the same way I could tell you I love all music. When he says it, he means it thoroughly and thoughtfully. He understands music, he respects music. His appreciation for music is palpable.
“I find inspiration from everything — from sitting (in a cafe) and listening to the music playing and needing to Shazam it, to watching other DJs play songs and knowing I need to start digging deeper,” Herm says. “I just came back from Jamaica. I’ve known reggae and dub music and I thought I knew a lot, but I just knew surface level. Ever since I came back, I’ve been discovering all of it. I like still being able to discover new music even at my age.”
Herm started to DJ after he read an article that featured Prince Po of Organized Konfusion. While reporting the story, the interviewer saw a Technics SL-1200 turntable and commented, “You must be a DJ.”
“He was like, ‘Oh no, but any reputable musician has a Technics SL-1200,’” Herm recounts. “So I bought one. And as a DJ, you need two turntables, so I saved up and bought another one.”
Herm learned to DJ from a friend who went by the name DJ Freeze. He was younger than Herm, playing night clubs at only 15 years old.
“Freeze basically taught me the basics because we didn’t have YouTube or instructional videos. Back then, we had to be hands on, beat match by ear. It took a lot of creativity and will to make it happen,” Herm says. “It took a long time for me to even call myself a DJ because at the time I was just playing records. I didn’t feel confident enough in mixing two records together so I refused to call myself a DJ. A doctor can’t call themselves a doctor until they have a degree. I respect the history and culture (of music and DJing) so much that it took a few years for me to be able to say, ‘OK, now I will accept the title.’”
Herm has now been a DJ for the last three decades. He’s been doing it full-time since 2011, after he was laid off from a corporate job he had worked for about 17 years.
“I had been DJing concurrently with that and (being laid off) was kind of a blessing in disguise,” Herm says. “I would probably still be at that job. I probably wouldn’t think I could DJ full-time. I’m not a big name, but I’m proudly local.”
Most of the time, Herm is a DJ at corporate events and weddings. But his artistic release happens at Passport, a global music dance party that began in 2020.
“There are only so many times I can play the ‘Cupid Shuffle,’” Herm jokes. “Passport is where I can play what I want to play — and people gravitate to it. I’m very big on the blending of cultures. My goal with Passport was to play different music that doesn’t get played often here — and blend it so it feels natural and not forced.”
Passport happens once a month — usually the third Thursday of the month, with the next party 8-11 p.m. Sept. 17 — at Zerai’s International Bar, 2725 E. Broadway Blvd. near Zemam’s Ethiopian Cuisine inside Z-Street. The cover is $10. Herm spins everything from Ethiopian funk to African disco to Latin music and more.
“I’ve DJ’d in town for years. I did University of Arizona football games, a lot of clubs and all these corporate events and I was just getting old and starting to age out of the club scene,” Herm says. “I was also leaving at 3 in the morning. After midnight, everyone was kind of drunk. At a certain point, everyone wanted to hear the same Drake song, the same Bad Bunny song. There’s nothing wrong with that — I like all music, even popular music — but I wanted to play the music I wanted to play.”
He thought Passport would be a small thing. He envisioned it as an intimate dance party, inspired by a 20-person gathering he once saw in a small bar in Tokyo.
Herm was the DJ at the wedding of Luke Gebremariam, who is the son of Z-Street founder Amanuel Gebremariam. When Herm went to the now-closed Zemam’s location on Speedway to pick up the deposit for the wedding, he saw the courtyard and pitched the idea of Passport.
As it turns out, Luke had actually thought of hosting a similar party.
“He said, ‘What about a Friday or Saturday night? That’s when we’re busier,’” Herm says. “I told Luke, ‘That’s why I want to do it on a Thursday. On a Friday or Saturday, you’re already busy. You already have people waiting for a table. If I can bring 20-30 people in on a Thursday night who wouldn’t normally be here, that’s what I want to do.’”
About 15 people showed up to the first Passport in January 2020. More people showed up to the second one and even more to the third. Then the pandemic put Passport on hiatus.
“After COVID, one month was busy. The next month was busier. The next month was even busier,” Herm says. “It got to the point where people were dancing outside in the parking lot because the courtyard was too small to contain everyone.”
As fate would have it, that’s also the time when the Speedway location closed, moving Passport to Z-Street’s current — and larger — location on Broadway. Herm was sure Passport would have a lot of rebuilding to do — people were used to the old location, how would they know about the Broadway spot?
“I couldn’t have been more wrong. The first night was busier than we had ever been. Here I am going into this wanting an intimate party and it grew way beyond that,” Herm says. “We average 280-300 people now. I was going in thinking I’m lucky to get 30. I’ve never changed the vibe of the music and I’m very fortunate and very grateful that people have gravitated naturally to this party.”
When Herm started Passport, he hoped it would continue as long as it has — and he was OK if it stayed small. He’s grateful for Luke, who allows him the creative freedom to play whatever he wants, and he knows Passport wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t held at Z-Street.
“I try very hard to consider my parties to be more of a sacred space versus a place to be seen and dress up,” Herm says.
Over the years, Passport has built a loyal following of fans who Herm calls “globetrotters.”
“There are certain songs that I play on a regular basis, not every month but every 2-3 months, and the regulars have caught on. They get so excited and they do the same dance and movements. It’s beautiful when first-timers are there and they’re like, ‘Whoa, what was that?'” Herm says. “There are times when I have a guest DJ and it’s really cool to see the party from afar. I’m very proud of this baby, to be a fly on the wall and watch. When I get home afterwards and think back on it, I’m very proud of myself. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.”
🌍 Passport typically takes place on the third Thursday of each month at Z-Street, 2725 E. Broadway Blvd. The next party is slated for 8-11 p.m. Sept. 17. Follow DJ Herm on Instagram for more information. 🌎
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