Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dj Pocket. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
DJ, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
In order to keep my creativity alive there are multiple things I do. For starters, I make sure I keep positivity around me at all times. From family and friends to the music I listen to and the content I consume, for the most part (besides the news and some social media posts I may come across) I keep it positive, educational and just things that make me happy overall. Happiness is everything to me!
Also, I try not to stress too much. For the most part of my life, I have been able to keep stress to a minimum. I have learned not to stress over things I cannot control and take control of the things I can control. For the things I cannot control, I make adjustments and things for the most part work out how they should. Stress causes so many health issues that it’s not worth it to stress over things out of my control.
Also, in order to stay creative, I exploring new music from a variety of genres that I haven’t explored before. There only 12 notes, but so much music has been made, that I can always find inspiration in music that I have never heard before. Reading is another way I find inspiration. It may be a book or audio book, an article online, magazine or even some social media posts can spark creativity. There are so many resources and outlets to pull from if I’m feeling uninspired.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I guess we need to go back to the beginning… I was born in Baltimore, MD and at very young age I was introduced to music through church and also in school. I always paid attention to the singers and musicians in church and always participated in music class in elementary school. Around 5th grade I started taking drum lessons from a musician at my church and also joined the orchestra in school. I quickly learned the drums wasn’t what I wanted to play, but being young I had the opportunity to try a lot of different instruments from the drums to cello and piano.
I also can’t forget that music was always being played in my house as well. My father was playing music and also my older sister. Fast forward to middle school and one day my sister dedicated a song to me on the radio! It was a highlight in my life and from that moment, because of how it made me feel, I decided I wanted to be a DJ and radio personality. I actively started pursuing being a DJ. I eventually destroyed my father’s record player, trying to imitate radio DJ’s and I believe my parents saw the passion I had for the art.
My sister would take me to hip-hop concerts (before there was an age limit) and the skating ring and I would stand on the side of the stage watching the DJ the majority of the night. Fast forward a couple years, about 7th or 8th grade, and I told my parents I wanted 2 turntables and a mixer. They eventually bought them for me for Christmas and that’s how it all started! By high school I was DJ’ing house parties in Baltimore on a regular basis and eventually I was spinning in clubs before I was 18 year old.
I also started to establish relationships with movers and shakers in the local scene while in high school and was the DJ for a couple rap groups. It felt great to be the DJ for Twice as Nice, the 1st rap/dance group to win amateur night at the Apollo! I didn’t realize how big of a deal that was at the time, but it opened many doors for me. I then went to college at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) for music and was introduced to music production and engineering. I Met a lot of great people along the way, plus the knowledge I retained and relationships I built in college helped me get my foot into the music industry.
I started producing music and engineering in college and music production became my new found love! I put DJ’ing on the back burner and learned to produce and record songs. Being that my major was based on the music industry, I was introduced to music conferences and started to meet music executives and also professional music artists. From my childhood to college experiences, I was able to create a lane for myself as a music producer and engineer. I have produced songs and recorded a variety of artists that range from Count Bass D and MF DOOM, to Snoop Dogg, Wise Intelligent, MC Shan, Young Buck, J-Live and many more. Give Thanks!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The 1st thing is I have always been a loyal and down to earth person. I was very approachable and free spirited which allowed me in a lot of doors. I was a genuine person and didn’t try to be anyone but me. I was always my authentic self! I believe this was the most important thing that put me in the places, studios and circles I have been fortunate enough to be in.
2nd, I always knew my strengths and weaknesses and was able to play to my strengths and know when to fall back and observe. I don’t overplay my hand. If anything, I will down play a tad bit and at the same time make sure my skills shine through.
3rd quality that I believe is really #1, I have always been a student of the game and I continue to learn, practice constantly, experiment and grow! Constant elevation is imperative in this industry because it is always changing. It’s important to keep studying and stay up with the times in order to not get left behind.
As far as developing and improving your skillset, I keep this quote in my mind at all times… “Repetition is the Father of Learning.” In order to improve you have to do a lot of reps. It’s like a gym junkie, what do they do… a lot of reps! What is the result?… muscle growth. Same goes for your mind which is a muscle, you have to read and feed your mind to be more knowledgeable. Same for your craft… you gotta put in reps and do it day in and day out. The only thing you can do is get better if you stay consistent!
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was believe in me and supported my dreams in anyway they could. They allowed me the space to explore and become my own person and the I needed support they were there for me. They purchased my 1st pair of turntables that allowed me to make thousands of dollars as a teenager. I wouldn’t be surprised if I made 5 figures while in Baltimore off of music.
I wasn’t in it for the money, but I did do well from house parties and proms, to wedding receptions and even spinning at adult clubs when I was underage. And I wasn’t cheap! LOL I had mentor name Scottie B that taught me my worth early on. Shout out to Scottie B! My parents bought me instruments and paid for music classes, would drive me to DJ gigs weekly until I was old enough to drive and I never ever remember them ever telling me that I can’t do something that wasn’t going to hurt me physically. As I look back and reflect, at an early age, they gave me all the tools I needed to succeed! I’m so grateful for my family!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.djpocket.com (Under Construction)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djpocket/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djpocket
- Twitter: https://x.com/TheRealDJPocket
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SERIOUSKNOCK
Image Credits
All Album Artwork and Logos created by: Toni Delano p/k/a/ Wolf for Kyro Ink. https://www.instagram.com/kyroink/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
