We were lucky to catch up with Kaleb Metaferia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kaleb, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents were really influential in me pursuing my passion for a career. Both my parents are professors, so naturally they wanted me to focus on school and get a degree. However my Mom told me whatever I wanted to do as a career, as long as I put all my effort into it and be the best I can be, she would support me. My parents didn’t really know what a DJ did, but they saw I was passionate and strategic about it and supported it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve always been into music growing up, but it was when I was in college that I realized I wanted to be a DJ. I remember going to college parties and hearing the DJs play records and noticing the crowd reaction. I thought it was so cool that someone could conduct people’s emotions like that. I would try to guess which song the DJ was going to play next. One time at a house party, I somehow ended up playing songs off iTunes and really caught the thrill of DJing a party. I told a friend about it the next day and he said, “you know people do that for a living right?” I never thought about DJing seriously before that, but that was the moment a “lighting bulb” went off in my head and I was hooked. About a year or so later, my cousins surprised me on my birthday with money for two turntables and a mixer, and the rest is history.

I Dj anything from clubs, private events, weddings, concerts, etc. I founded Everything Nice, a party based in DC that is also a monthly playlist, alongside my friend DJ Bo.

I’m most proud that I have been successful while staying true to myself and not trying to be like anyone else. I have been blessed to be apart of some really great parties around the world, and I think people enjoy my sets because they can be unpredictable, fun, nostalgic, and genre bending.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The freedom to express myself through music and also being able to be my own boss is a very rewarding feeling. Also knowing that there’s a chance someone will hear my set and enjoy it so much that they intentionally follow where I DJ and become a supporter. It’s truly special when you’re able to connect with someone forever through your art and creativity.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The pandemic was a tough time for DJs, as most of the venues we would frequently work at were shut down for over a year. I had to pivot to DJing online, first with IG and then twitch. It was a weird and depressing switch at first but it also was satisfying to play whatever I wanted and really fall back in love with music. Not just what people like, but what I like. I really feel like during those lockdown months I became a better DJ.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.djkmeta.com
• Instagram: @djkmeta
• Other: www.soundcloud.com/djkmeta www.everythingnicedc.com

Image Credits
@Akil_Ransome @KubiKowboy @africanist @toinejameson