Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yosif Santiago. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Yosif, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve been attending local anime conventions and events for the past few years, I would say as early as 2013-2014.
Going to these events I would always see people dressed up in costumes as different characters and thought it was a little strange but I was also curious as well. I started my first cosplay in 2016. I wanted to do something that was meaningful to me and after attending Ultra Music Festival I knew exactly which cosplay I would do. I’ve always had a love for music and used to DJ back in my highschool days. Seeing my favorite DJ/producer deadmau5 live at Ultra gave me the inspiration to cosplay as him. I searched all over the internet for instructions on how to make your own deadmau5 helmet but came up short so instead I decided to buy my first one. After seeing how people would respond to seeing me cosplay as deadmau5 I knew this is what I wanted to do as my permanent cosplay.

As the years went on I looked into making my own helment as well which I did around 2018. Attrending more events I was able to enter cosplay competitions and even be a judge for some. Another hobby I wanted to get back into was DJing, I bought a laptop and DJ controller with some money I saved up and started randomly DJing at some of the events I was attending knowing that it was a risk (I was doing this without permission). I was noticed by a local DJ named Frezno at Supercon and he gave me an opportunity to DJ at his local rave event called Pub Dubz in Fort Lauderdale. That is where things really took off, I was given more opportunites to perform at other events such as the Anime Night event at Flynn’s Arcade in Margate. The more shows I was doing the more exposure I was getting, I performed for multiple venus from 2022 to 2024, including Lost City Brewing, Otakufest, Tenthlevel Tavern, Mizucon, Tribe Tea Lounge, and Revolution for Kirbiicon. It came full circle when I was asked to officially perform for Supercon. It was super humbling to be performing at the first con that changed my life.

I was DJing all this time while still cosplaying as deadmau5, I was doing this as a tribute for inspiring me and to seperate myself from other DJs. It became my signature look however I did want to have my own identity as a performer and I started doing more shows without the helmet towards the end of the year along with experimenting with different genres of edm. Developing my own sound is what lead to me producing and also taking my music path in a more professional level. I see DJing and cosplay much more seriously now than when I first started and while I still find it fun I know it can be something that will be a career for me as well.

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 loved music even as a child and in highschool I would DJ at house parties. I did this for about 4 years but had to stop during college. I recently got back into DJing around early 2022 and in the course of 2 years have been able to perform at more shows than the entire time was I was DJing during highschool. I consider myself a multigenere DJ I was do different styles of electronic dance music. Everything from house to drum and bass, I’ve even done sets with hip hop and rock records. On thing that sets me apart from other DJs is that I am able to adapt quickly and am very detail oriented. I’m also one of the few DJs within my circle that can spin vinyl which is rare as most DJs today use digital players. Being part of the Pub Dubz collective I was given many opportunites to perform at many different events one of the biggest and most proud of was Kirbiicon at Revolution. I always wanted to peform at that venue and was given the chance in 2024, it was easily the biggest crowd I performed for up to that point. Going into the new year I don’t see myself slowing down anytime soon. As I stated before I will be producing my own music as well and will be taking this into my shows. Those attending my sets can expect even more from me as I branch out into different styles of music and I continue to create my own space within the rave community in South Florida.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Working as a DJ for as long as I have there’s alot that I’ve learned these are some pieces of advice I can offer:

BE PATIENT, it can take time to acheive a goal, especially if it is a big one.
Work on your skills and bettering yourself, practice makes perfect.
Don’t be afraid to fail it is all part of the learning process, learn from it.
Do research, don’t assume you know everything and don’t be afraid to ask someone for help.
Pride is not your friend.
Be open minded and willing to work with others even if you don’t fully agree with them on something.
Take as many opportunites as you can, exposure is good.
BE HUMBLE, don’t act self entitled no one wants to work with someone like that.
NETWORK, put yourself out there and talk to everyone and anyone.
Become familiar with social media and use it to your advantage, it can be a very powerful tool to grow your brand/image.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

One thing that I have noticed in the rave scene here is that there is alot of unrecognized local talent. Luckliy events like Pub Dubz helps give those locals a platform to show case their talents, however more needs to be done.
Many large clubs in south FL don’t promote locals because they do not have a large enough social media presence despite them having the talent. I feel that clubs should at least host an event to allow locals a chance to perform or at the very least have a period of open decks so that anyone that wants to perform can. Some small clubs and events do this and it works out really well. Even for me, I was noticed when I was performing during an open decks session at a local record store Technique Records.
Another issue I have noticed is that there is not enough promotion during some events and also some events are not willing to pay DJs which I feel is not right. DJs work hard to come up with their sets and they also provide the vibe for the venue they should be paid accordinly for the work they do. If a DJ is performing for the first time at an event/venue then I can undertand being hesitent to pay them but if they are being asked to perform mulitple times they need to be paid.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/bmxer_yoshi
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmxer_yoshi/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosif-santiago-660213135/
• Twitter: bmxer_yoshi
• Soundcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/bmxer_yoshi/

Image Credits

Photos provided by:
@hyrule_video
@ciocanu_props
@jmpixels305
@dapperarts
@mediawithjairo
@ava.the_doll