We were lucky to catch up with Dewayne Taplin Jr recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dewayne , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I have definitely been able to make a full-time living from my creative and entertainment life and I am still aiming towards the “Full-Time” being more of a success.
The journey has been a long one and started around the age of 19. While in Highschool, living in Waldorf MD, my parents ended up getting a divorce. That was a toll on me for sure. As a young African-American boy I got mixed up in some wrong decisions that could have gotten me in the wrong place.
Seeing how I did not like the results of my actions I chose to go a different route with my passions in life. With dance I created a Hip Hop dance team towards the end of my Sophomore year. Hip Hop changed my life. After I graduated highschool I moved to San Antonio Texas. There I fell in love with everything Hip Hop had to offer even more. Representing the 5 elements (DJing, MCing, Graffiti, Bboying, and Knowledge) I started to pursue all of those art forms more seriously. My first dance crew, Unifyd Soul, became more than just a crew, they became family. My brother AJ introduced me more into the DJ and MCing scene, my homie Ninja introduced me deeper into the dance battle and choreo scene, I started creating beats more, and art has always been a part of my life so that was a no brainer.
I wasn’t fed the information nor handed the success book to make it as far as I have but I am more than grateful for the helping hands that have pushed me towards the direction I’m headed along my journey.
I don’t think the process needed to be sped up at all. Gawd, the Gawdess, and the Universe showed me life experiences in order to have a “Why” for what I do. I believe the timing has been proper the whole way, even through the “wrong” decisions made, I know I am where I should be currently. I don’t come from rich family so having a financial stability to achieve this lifestyle/career choice has been a challenging one, but I wouldn’t change it one bit.
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?
For those who don’t know me, I go by many names haha. From DJ Flavah, Flavah, my brand FlavahLand, my social network of FlavahTv, and my street name that has basically become my real name; Koolaid.
As mentioned prior I got into my industry from the love of the streets and Hip Hop. The world of freedom from political struggles. It’s about Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect.
The services I can provide from my business/brand is a wide variety.
I do photography, Digital illustrations, Photo Edits, Photo Manipulations, DJing, Dance (Teach/Choreography/ Movement Director) create beats, and do videography.
What sets me a part from the rest is my upbringing in Hip Hop and the street scene. Where things are more raw and authentic. My style of all my art forms comes from there.
What I am most proud of overall is how far I have come within what I do. Again it is not easy and is a much more challenging route than your normal 9-5 job. That is not taking away from those who choose that path in life because that path is not an easy on either. But not knowing where your next check or job is going to come from until you can successfully make it a consistent movement is very taxing on your life.
What if love to share with anyone looking to take this path In life or for anyone finding themselves at a standstill, DO NOT GIVE UP. You wouldn’t have come across this path in life if it wasn’t meant for you to walk down, you just have to remember you’re walking a different path than others. It will get better, it will become easier, and you will find your love for it every single time.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Around 2018 I had to make a hard pivot in what I was doing. I had just come off of a performing tour and was looking to really advance my life. What I realized at that point in time In my life is that I had not gained the knowledge needed to make that happen within the fields I was pursuing and looking to advance. I had to put everything on hold. From dancing, battling, DJing, etc.
I decided to go back to school in order to learn what I was needing because those around me did not have the information. It wasn’t their fault, I was just in a different field and career choice than they were. That definitely took a toll on my soul though. Making the sacrifice to not do what I love to do full time in order to make it happen later down the rode was a hard lesson to learn. Unfortunately, around 2021, due to certain circumstances, I did not finish school but I can say I learned what was needed. Once that happened I woke up one day and told myself “it’s time to get back to it” and have been going strong ever since then.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When it comes to my career there are a ton of rejections that the rest of the viewers from the outside looking in do not see, it can be rough.
From dance auditions, to music making, to original artwork there are a lot of eyes that look the other way or you get a lot of “Keep working, you’ll make it soon but you aren’t for us” comments. The fact that I am still aiming and not letting those statements and moments in time defeat me nor define who I am showcases the determination I continue to give myself. Gawd, the Gawdess, and the Universe aren’t done with me yet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Flavahland.com
- Instagram: @Official_FlavahTv
- Youtube: FlavahTv
- Soundcloud: DjFlavah
Image Credits
The credit for the last black and white photo is- Seng the Diablo Artist