We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DJ Beauty and the Beatz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
DJ Beauty and the Beatz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
Oh, absolutely! I’ve been making a living from DJing ever since I was 8 years old so it’s been my whole life. This whole journey started thanks to my supportive parents, who are entrepreneurs themselves. They’ve always taught me that I have everything I need within myself to make it. They believed in my talent and pushed me to pursue my passion for music, which I got from my dad.
When I was just a little kid, I’d listen to the radio and shout out song suggestions to the DJ, thinking about how the tracks could match up based on their beats per minute and vibes. My mom caught on to my interest and suggested I should try DJing myself. I was six then and thought it was the best idea ever. I bugged my parents so much about it that they finally got me a set of turntables and put on YouTube tutorials for me to learn from. I practiced day in, day out in our garage, especially during my parents’ garage sales. It wasn’t long before I became the little neighborhood favorite.
My mom came up with DJ Beauty and the Beatz, and even made business cards for me. My first paid gig was at my own school, where I earned $250 for just 45 minutes! That day I knew for sure this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Since then, I’ve accomplished so much, and it’s still surreal that I get to live off my passion for music. I mean, it never feels like work. The best part is that I get to be a part of people’s happiest and most memorable moments. That’s everything to me.
I went from school events to corporate marketing installation events for Amazon, Sony, Target, McDonald’s, Lexus, Toyota, and so many more. DJing has even afforded me opportunities in television and ad campaigns. My birthday party was featured on MTV’s My Super Sweet Sixteen, and I’ve done ads for Smithsonian Museums, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Lufthansa Airlines.
Early on, my parents helped me to create vision boards. They’d ask me who I wanted to DJ for and they would put the names and companies on a board. I’ll never forget when I got that email from The White House requesting my presence. Yes, The White House was on my vision board. I DJ’d for the Obamas twice!
Looking back, I think everything unfolded just as it should have. I learned so much from each step of my journey, guided by my parents and fueled by my love for music. I wouldn’t want to rush any part of this amazing ride!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m DJ Beauty and the Beatz. At just 22 years old, I have over 15 years of professional experience. I started DJing as a child, driven by a pure love for music and an early realization that I could read and respond to the energy of a crowd. My journey into DJing began at six, supported and inspired by my entrepreneurial parents, who believed in harnessing personal passions into a career. They encouraged me to learn and grow as an entrepreneur myself.
I specialize in a vibrant mix of genres including house, hip hop, afro beats, R&B, top 40’s, and Latin fusion. My services are tailored to a wide range of events like corporate activations, sporting events, experiential marketing events, concerts, and festivals. What sets me apart is my ability to read the room—keeping everyone on the dance floor. My freestyle mixing and seamless blending is what I consider my superpowers.
Clients hire me to help create unforgettable moments and exhilarating atmospheres through music. Whether it’s a corporate activation with hundreds of people needing some energetic vibes, or a festival where thousands of attendees want to dance non-stop, I curate soundscapes that elevate experiences and bring people together.
I am super proud that Michelle Obama leaned down to my height at 13 years old, held my hand and said, “I’m so proud you.” I’m also proud that Will Smith stopped an interview on the red carpet just to come dance and sing along with me at a Sony movie premier when I was 14, but my proudest accomplishments are the connections I create with everyday people through music when they are enjoying my vibes and showing love and appreciation. It’s more than just playing tracks; it’s about creating a shared experience, an escape, or even a memory that will last a lifetime.
I love getting to know the people and brands that support me by either hiring me or coming to my shows. To potential clients and “cousins” (that’s I call social media followers and fans because they are like family), I want you to know that with DJ Beauty and the Beatz, you’re not just getting a DJ, you’re inviting a vibe creator who is dedicated to making your event spectacular. I bring not only my deep expertise and passion but also a commitment to making your event as unique and memorable as possible.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
This is a pretty funny story. Several years back, I was invited to perform for a celebration by the great grand-daughter of a Tuskegee Airmen. If you are not familiar, The Tuskegee Airmen was a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. My team always has a list of questions they ask prior to booking an event, one of which is “What type of music would you like played at your event?”. The buyer answered, “90s music”.
I diligently prepped my playlist for the show. Upon arrival, I set up, conducted a sound check, and went back stage as the host and comedian welcomed guests. After everyone took their seats, the host introduced me and the curtains opened.
I was killing it!… So I thought. I heard crickets. I looked out at the crowd but was blinded by the stage lights. No applause and no dancing. This was new for me. I signaled to the tech team to close the curtains. I was terrified. The host walked over to me and asked if I was ok. Embarrassed, I told him that this had never happened before and I didn’t understand why there was no crowd reaction. He replied, you are not playing music that they could enjoy. Shocked, I said “the buyers asked for 90s music!” He laughed and said, “These folks are here to celebrate The Tuskegee Airmen. THEY ARE IN THEIR 90s!”
This was the biggest misunderstanding of my career to date. I wanted to to cry. However, I didn’t. These people paid me good money to give them a show and I was going to make sure they got a show. I went back out, got on the mic, and said, “I heard you guys are not feeling me. I’m gonna give you something you can feel! Give me a song thats gonna get you dancing”.
Someone shouted “Nate King Cole!” I was shook but I was determined to make it happen. I asked the host to buy me some time with his jokes. I Youtubed music from that error, dowloaded them, added them to my Serato, and I gave them what they wanted. It was so cool and heart warming to see all of those seniors cuttin’ a rug. We had a blast.
Afterward, the buyers, the host, and some of the audience members wanted to take photos. To my surprise they were lined up. That’s always an indicator of a job well done. I was proud that I made it work but I was more proud that I stood in the face of what looked like defeat and committed to standing in greatness.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
1. The Bible This helps me to stay grounded, put things into perspective, and be grateful.
2. The Game of Life and How To Play It (by Florence Scovel Shinn)
This book about how we receive back what we put into the world through our beliefs, actions, energy, and attitudes
3. The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck (by Mark Manson)
This books helps us to understand that there are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter while creating better experiences for ourselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: DJBeautyandtheBeatz.com
- Instagram: @DJBeautyandtheBeatz.com