We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Angel Cook. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Angel below.
Angel, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism comes from years of trial an error and realizing that even when we think we’ve failed at something, we didn’t really fail because we always learn. The only way to fail is by giving up. With that being the case, I feel a sense of fearlessness going into any situation. My mind is like, what’s the worst that can happen? I’ll learn something?
By the time I moved to NY I had already experienced so much in my life. I was fearless and maybe even a little delusional. I knew that for the most part, I was in control of my own destiny. I could manifest most things into my future. Knowing this makes me optimistic. So I moved from Las Vegas to New York with no hesitation or negative thoughts. I knew I would do well cause I had to know that I would. Once I got to NY I attracted everything I needed to get by within the first week. With the help of a good friend of course. All these things made me realize that being and staying optimistic was important.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Right now, I’m a full time open format DJ & aspiring producer. My main focus is expanding my brand and always polishing my craft as a DJ.
The thing that I love the most about my career is that I work for myself and have the power to create my own vision. I have total control over what I put out into the world and I get to express myself through music.
I throw an event called “Body Language.” It’s an open format party with a focus on R&B. I’ve taken it from Brooklyn to Chicago and LA. I plan to expand and bring the event to more spaces. I also curate a playlist entitled Body Language that’s available on Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One of the most important things that has helped me in my journey is my knowledge of music. I come from a family that is heavily into music starting with my dad who is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Because of him, my mom and brothers, I have knowledge of so many different genres of music also from so many different eras.
Two other qualities that have helped me throughout my journey are my strength and my confidence.
The advice I would give is to always be a student of your craft and to be confident in whatever it is you choose to do.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
My number one obstacle is honestly myself. Sometimes it can be challenging when you turn a hobby into a job because at times it can take the fun out of it. Also, I’ve been doing it for about 10 years now and at times I get that burnout feeling. I use to feel guilty about having that feeling until I realized that it’s a normal feeling to have.
In the past I would try to push past those feelings but it would always come back. This feeling would also disrupt my creative process. I found that taking an actual break and getting back to some of the things I use to do before I became a DJ made me feel renewed & refreshed.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @DJ9AM
- Twitter: @DJ9AM
- Youtube: DJ9AM
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/DJ9AM
