You’ve got to set realistic goals. You can’t say I’m going to start DJing tomorrow and then I’m gonna be on MTV the next day. But you have to set realistic goals, have a plan and stick to it – and understand that there are going to be a lot of rough times in life and things may not go as planned. You might be in a situation one day where the club owner won’t pay you or the mic shorts out or people start acting crazy because the power cuts off and the first person they blame is the DJ. You want to be real, real aggressive and go hard for your goals, stay on the path. And be around people who are doing it. Go around the best. Don’t go around the worst. Try to study the best of the best and know what you’re doing.
A lot of people get into this thing like a hobby. Once you make it a life –it’s not a 9 to 5, it’s a 12 to 12 – you are that every day. It’s not like I go in on the radio and then I get off and I’m not the same dude. Or I do a party and then it’s like, man, I’m done. It’s still going on – every second.
When you’re on air, how much control do you have over your playlist?
The playlist – I do what I’m told. Whatever the radio lineup is, that’s what it is. I don’t change it up. We have the mix shows at night, we can have fun there, but that’s at the DJs discretion. My main thing is just getting the music out. The radio does a real good job of determining the hit records, whatever the hit records due to the research and the request. The music department does a real excellent job – Tap Money and the whole music department - it’s a trip because 9 times out of ten, I’ll be playing a record and then 2 songs later someone will request that record, so it’s what the people want.
What’s a typical shift like?
It’s a lot of fun. My show especially, I try to make it as much fun for the listener and for me as possible. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I got MCs battling live on the radio for a real dope prize – they actually come to the radio station and get it in and the people decide who wins. You can see it on YouTube, MySpace, on 102 Jamz.com – it’s like a real cool thing. I’ve got Exotic Wednesdays, exotic entertainments comes through and they entertain the people from 10pm on – you never know what you’re going to get on that station much less on my show because I try to take it to another level every night.
In summer we do the Middle East Car Shows and go out to every city and every town in our listening area from here to VA and highlight the hottest cars in the city. It’s totally free, you can come out and display your car and people can come out and vote on the car. My show is about as much fun and as much empowerment for my area and this region.
Any other advice for aspiring DJs about getting started, practice, and so on?
All day every day. Practice your skills. You cannot do this for money. DJ is a craft and a lifestyle? You can DJ a party for money but you can’t live it for paper. You have to be willing to do this for free and you can’t give up or get discourage. You have to stay strong if you’re really trying to make it. Your mind and confidence level has to be at an all time high. And persistence.
So you have a label as well?
Yeah, Othaz Records.
Who do you work with on the label?
On the label I got a lot of artists I work with. We put out the record by Ricco Barrino I’m Rich and the Bubblegum record. I got videos online, I got a two new artist coming up plus a young group by the name of the 336 Boyz – they’ve got a song called Mickey Ds going crazy on the YouTube and on MySpace and we’re gonna get ready to break that. Also OShabazz and Juliani.
A slew of artists - R&B singers, producers – we’ve got so many talented people here in North Carolina and have always had them.
Just to give you the definition of Othaz – you know you’ve got black, white, Hispanic and then you got an “other” on the race on applications, and I’ve always filled out the “other” box. Then when I got into corporate America and understanding how the break down the demographics of what a white male or black female should listen to or like. I always felt like if you’re an “other” than that’s what it is. As a label I can put out any music I want because I’m an “other.”
Also, I’m working with the kids from Peace in the Middle East – that’s really major, major, major. I’ve got SO.U.L. Purpose – real good friend of mine, known him for years – and also Noose, an up and coming rapper out of Jersey whose a real phenomenal street influenced rapper.
Learn more about the Peace in the Middle East project in Part 2 of the Waleed Coyote.
