We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kid Mix. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kid below.

Kid, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

In high school, my friend David came to my house to spend the night. He noticed I had two turntables, a mixer and giant speakers in my bedroom. He asked, “Do you DJ?” I explained that I loved hip-hop and break dancing. One thing led to another, my father was a musician as a hobby, so I had this equipment, but I never really did anything outside of my bedroom.

He replied, “I am on student council. We should DJ the high school dances. It pays $50. We can split the money.” About a week later was our freshmen homecoming dance, and they already had a DJ. David went up to the guy and said, “I bet you $20 that my friend is a better DJ than you.”

Like a scene from the movie Juice, I found myself in a DJ battle. The guy could scratch. He was good. He was really good, but I had an unfair advantage. Jazzy Jeff had just released a record with a new scratch called the Transformer Scratch.

True to my nature, I locked myself in my bedroom until I could do the scratch. I was the only DJ for about a year in my area that could do the Transformer Scratch. Anyways, when it was my turn to scratch the record playing was fading out. I only had like 3 seconds to do something. He planned it that way. I found a horn stab on a record and did the Transformer Scratch without a beat. The crowd went crazy. My competitor literally snatched the headphones off of my head and said, “You are not going to beat me on my own equipment. This is a dance, not a DJ battle.” He played music for the rest of the night, but I was the DJ for just about every party for the next 4 years. Every high school dance, every house party and every community event I was the go to DJ.

Kid, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While DJing dances in high school was so much fun, I just remember thinking that if I did this more often, I could make some more money.

Eventually, I got my big break at Pebblewood Country Club. Pebblewood hosted the only teen dance in my area. Every Sunday night from 7 to 11 pm, hundreds of teens would show up and show out. The DJ they had was really cool and he played cool music. One night I went up to him and said, “I DJ too. I really like the records you play. Where do you get them?” He said, “I go to Chicago every week to a few record stores. You should come with me this week.” I did and we became friends.

About a month later he said, “Anytime you wanna mix in the club, you can. I can’t pay you. They only pay me $80, but you can get some exposure.” I did, and he let me do two 30 minute sets. It was so much fun. I never got paid, but he eventually moved on to another gig, and I was tapped to take over.

About a month after I took over, a newly formed radio station opened up in my area. One of their DJs came to the club, and he asked me to do mixes for the new radio station. I did. In fact, I still make mixes for that radio station.

Shortly after that, a high school kid came up to me and said, “Hey, I am a DJ. I like the records you play…” We became friends. He eventually moved into radio. Every station he went to he would bring me along. He had me on 8 radio stations at the same time. At one point I was providing about 20 hours of programming for these stations and DJing in their cities. It was so much fun.

I built a recording studio to record these mixes. Eventually, I opened the studio to the public and helped local artists.

One day I thought, “I help these guys make music, maybe I can make my own music.” I did.

Sometimes I look back on my journey and think how blessed I am. I get to play and make music. I love it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I made 10 songs. I was asked to DJ a festival. I did an entire set with only my music. The crowd seemed to like my music more than the other songs played at the festival. I didn’t tell anyone it was my music. I just DJed like I always did, except it was just my songs.

After the I finished my set, the other DJs complimented me on my blends, scratches, transitions and music selections. I was technically the O.G. DJ, so they all knew me as a DJ, but they did not realize that I was producing songs too.

I just thanked them for kind words. I never told them that I played only my music.

I don’t know why, but that’s what I did.

It was rewarding knowing that the crowd liked my music, and the DJs didn’t notice. They thought I was just DJing like normal.

To me, that was awesome.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Follow them on socials. Like and subscribe. Play their songs. Add them to playlists. Go to their shows. Buy their merch.

As a DJ, I am always hurt when a promoter books a big name DJ from out of town for a gig. Hire me. (Don’t worry I am pretty booked.)

If you are willing to pay them, then pay a local artist.

Don’t pay for a reprint of Van Gogh, when you can buy an original artist that lives down the street from you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://djkidmix.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djkidmix3000/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djkidmix2017/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kid-mix-279648230/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/djkidmix3000
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfocgyZUM682wRCUXDo37CA
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PaiYc8vCXtUTH2fjq6pUe