Interface ListCellRenderer<E>

 class MyCellRenderer extends JLabel implements ListCellRenderer<Object> {
     public MyCellRenderer() {
         setOpaque(true);
     }

     public Component getListCellRendererComponent(JList<?> list,
                                                   Object value,
                                                   int index,
                                                   boolean isSelected,
                                                   boolean cellHasFocus) {

         setText(value.toString());

         Color background;
         Color foreground;

         // check if this cell represents the current DnD drop location
         JList.DropLocation dropLocation = list.getDropLocation();
         if (dropLocation != null
                 && !dropLocation.isInsert()
                 && dropLocation.getIndex() == index) {

             background = Color.BLUE;
             foreground = Color.WHITE;

         // check if this cell is selected
         } else if (isSelected) {
             background = Color.RED;
             foreground = Color.WHITE;

         // unselected, and not the DnD drop location
         } else {
             background = Color.WHITE;
             foreground = Color.BLACK;
         };

         setBackground(background);
         setForeground(foreground);

         return this;
     }
 }