LADIES' NIGHT

Beer in hand, the woman makes her way down the hallway to the turntable setup in the back room while male onlookers turn not-so-subtly to admire the view. Headphones strategically placed over her platinum 'do, she cues up her first track, a scorching remix of Pitbull's "Bojangles" that quickly turns quizzical stares into satisfying grins. For the next two hours, DJ Lady Tribe holds the floor like a senator delivering a filibuster, dropping hip-hop anthems and old-school hits with a vivaciousness matched only by the people dancing in front of her.

Before the rise of the superstar DJ toward the turn of the millennium, glitz and glam behind the turntables were usually reserved for theatrical performers such as Boy George. Most DJs floated from the studio to the club in jeans and screen-printed T-shirts. And although a handful of women broke through, they were unquestionably in the minority.

But now, with a resurgent underground scene and a MySpace-fueled explosion in digital DJ bar culture, more and more women are putting the needle on the record, and they aren't just flaunting their skills.

"There's a healthy scene here in Los Angeles," says Rap, who along with the likes of Sandra Collins and Reid Speed emigrated to L.A. and have capitalized on the opportunities here. "If a promoter can have someone that looks good and can do damage on the decks, he'll book that person every time. If you're comfortable with it, I see nothing wrong with embracing your looks. Go for it! Use everything you have in your weaponry."

In Hollywood, where a killer haircut and the right connections can get a less talented foot in the door, there's sturdy competition for the best nights at the best locations. Women have found themselves with a number of options: establishing female DJ collectives, promoting women's-only nights, or simply brandishing that weaponry and accentuating their good looks.