James Kennedy is the resident DJ of “Vanderpump Rules” and a one-man quote machine. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve certainly heard the insult “You’re a worm with a mustache” —?that’s a DJ James Kennedy original.
This summer, the star of Bravo’s Emmy-nominated reality show made a cameo in the music video for the remix of “Escape (The Pi?a Colada Song)” with social media personality Jax (no, not that Jax) in partnership with Malibu Rum.
As filming for “Vanderpump Rules” season 11 picks back up, we caught up with Kennedy to ask him about his pool party must-haves, his most recent impulse buy and what he calls “the James Bond of ladders.”
?Pi?a coladas are having a moment, and Kennedy has gotten in on the revival of the ’70s fern bar staple, appearing in the video for the remix of “Escape (The Pi?a Colada Song)” with social media star Jax. “This kit from Sourced Craft Cocktails has everything you need to make them from scratch,” Kennedy says.
If you want to up your at-home pi?a colada game, serve it in a hollowed-out pineapple for a major wow factor. This pineapple coring tool, which is one of our favorites, allows you to cut perfect pineapple rings or chunks, leaving the exterior of the fruit intact so you can use it as a drinking or serving vessel.
“Everyone needs a good cooler for the summer,” Kennedy says. He’s a fan of Igloo’s Retro line because “they’re big enough so you can fit everything you need inside but are still portable and easy to take with you.” Coolers also make excellent gifts, as our favorite new gift guide curator, Mr. Kennedy, demonstrated with his next summertime recommendation!
? Related: The best beach coolers in 2023, tested by editors
Kennedy, who prides himself on being an excellent gift giver (“I’ve always been pretty good at gifts and surprises. It’s, like, a talent of mine.”), has a genius idea for giving a gift to the person who has everything —?in his case, Lisa Vanderpump. We asked what he would bring if LVP invited him to a pool party at her Beverly Hills estate, Villa Rosa. “Because she has everything already, I would bring her puppies a bunch of stuff! So, I would bring doggy treats and fancy water for them to drink, and I would bring it all in a pink cooler to match Villa Rosa’s aesthetic.”
Kennedy says he always totes his JBL portable speaker around with him, “In case I want to play music for everyone. It’s small but loud and can really get a party going.” He also frequently gives the portable speakers as gifts. “I always like giving speakers out for quick gifts because you’re giving them the gift of being able to play music everywhere.” See? We told you he was great at gift ideas!
? Related: The best portable Bluetooth speakers of 2023, tested by editors
Kennedy’s image-obsessed co-star, Tom Sandoval, famously described his “tanning strategy” to GQ, so we asked Kennedy if he has a similar “sun care strategy” for days spent DJing by the pool. “There’s nothing more important than SPF,” he says. “Vacation is one of my favorite brands —?it’s not greasy or sticky, and it stays on my skin all day.”
Before applying sunscreen, Kennedy uses Naturopathica’s light exfoliator on his face. “For sun care, I’m pretty basic.?I exfoliate every day, and then I use SPF 30 for my face. I’m half Greek, so I get tanned very quick.”
When it comes to after-sun care, Kennedy is an aloe vera guy: “A hundred percent aloe vera gel,” he says, is his go-to for making sure his skin is hydrated after days in the sun.
? Related: The 14 best water-resistant sunscreens, according to experts
When you need a break from the sun, an umbrella can provide crucial shade. “These are my favorite umbrellas for the pool or beach,” Kennedy says. “They’re super cool-looking and provide some much-needed shade in the LA heat.”
? Related: The best patio umbrellas in 2023, according to experts
Since Kennedy is a self-professed great giver of gifts, we asked what he would bring to a Palm Springs pool party hosted by his co-stars Scheana Shay and Lala Kent, who own homes next door to each other in the desert community. “You know what? Because I’m so much fun, I would find an inflatable slide that their little girls could put halfway through so they could slide on over to each other’s gardens.”
? Related: 20 best pool floats to carry you through summer
An eye-popping hose is another one of Kennedy's pool party must-haves: “You gotta have that hose ready to go in case you gotta squirt anyone, you know?! I mean, I was jumping off my roof yesterday at my pool party, so that was pretty fun. If you can jump off the roof into the pool, I mean, be safe and try to be careful, but yeah, I would encourage it.”
When asked about his most recent impulse buy, Kennedy confesses that he splurged on a new pair of kicks. “I’ve been trying not to spend money on shoes. Before the pandemic, I used to buy shoes all the time and had a quite cool collection, but then after the pandemic, I stopped caring so much about shoes. But I passed these in the mall the other day and they were so fire, I had to pick them up. They’re baby blue like my eyes.”
Kennedy is definitely known for his style, favoring eye-catching colors and prints. “How do you not have a good time in a shirt like this?” Kennedy says of Malibu’s collaboration with designer Kenny Flowers. “I got to rock it on set during the music video production —?wearing it with the top four buttons open, obviously.” Obviously.
“I recently bought a house, so I’ve been doing a lot of housework,” Kennedy says. “I had to buy a freaking ladder off Amazon the other day! And of course, I get, like, the James Bond of ladders. It’s opening like a telescope on me, it’s very cool. It’s the most expensive ladder they’ve got on there,” Kennedy says, adding, "Well, how do you think I got up on the roof? It was with that dang ladder!”
