Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Deion. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Deion with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I believe I got my work ethic from my family . They all hard workers , from my cousins ,uncles, aunts, brother, mother, and my grandparents. They all showed me what hard work and consistency gets you when you have a goal . I would give my mother more credit on influencing my drive to always do my best. She always made sure when she do something its the best but always know that there is room for improvement to get better at something. My grandfather is another big influence because he showed and told me how he always never doubted him self of getting what he want and to always keep on striving for what you want .
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am Deion . I dj here in South Florida but mainly in the Wynwood, Miami location. I first started of as a student by always being around my brother at a young age and he use to dj in the house with his friends. So before he had money for equipment , he use to dj on this software for the computer and I was just observing everything and learning all the fundamentals about dj-ing. My brother and his friends use to be in a dj group and they called themselves “Firestorm” . They were known locally in the South Florida scene around Cutler Bay, Kendall , Homestead, and Coral Gables. So having them around when I was young definitely inspire me and always have a love for Djing. I would also say Black Chiney which is another group of djs inspire me as well. They were and still the remix kings . Once I got into high school, everything changed where I will be home making mixes for friends to play in their car. A lot of people use to come to my house to get new music. This was before the streaming services. So hearing new music and having new music was different. So one day I remember coming up with the idea of making mixes and I download a software called adobe audition . With that software I was making my mixes with that before I had proper dj equipment. Once I got the equipment I was able to do weddings, birthday parties, baby showers and etc, I feel most excited about is the new opportunities that I never expect. Personally I take every opportunity to dj or any person I meet and make it the best I can because it can lead to other opportunites. I officially have a new residency at Red Rooster Overtown in the pool hall. I dj there every Friday night and it’s a RnB party mixed with everything else. I also have a collab sponsership with trendhim the brand. Which is also a new experience for me. It is my first time doing something with a brand.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three most important qualities that were impactful to me is networking, marketing, researching. I say networking would be the most important out of the three because, when you network it makes opportunities and also it help you build a relationship with others . Whether it’s in your field or it’s somebody that do something completely different, I feel like making connections with others will take you further than just having talent. Its like the saying ” it’s not what you know, it’s who you know “. Marketing is second on my list because its how you present yourself to the world and also to your audience. In this entertainment industry its so many different ways . Like as a dj , you can be a wedding dj, club dj, mobile dj, stream dj, concert/festival dj, or specific genre dj. In every lane there is a process from starting the bottom where you have no clients to having plenty. Most people think marketing is about your logo and what its on. That’s what I thought it was at first when I first started to take things serious with dj-ing. Presenting yourself and aligning your self with what you really want is what marketing is about. Last on my list will be researching. Whether its researching a genre , a party, a promoter and the work they done, or even new dj software and equipment. I feel like there is always a opportunity to learn . It also helps with the previous two I mentioned because it can give me knowledge on something that me and somebody can agree on and have a better understanding on a topic . It also ties with marketing because I can learn something that I didn’t know before and apply it and try something new to capture a different demographic of people.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I can’t really name just one person . I would say its a lot of individuals who gave me advice, help me with equipment, introduce me to people, teach me how to market my self, introduce me to people and etc. So the first person who definitely help me overcome challenges would have to be my older brother. He taught me everything about dj-ing especially being creative. I would also say another person who taught me about the industry would be Brandon Lee who is a member of Black Chiney Sound who is also a Dj. He was there for the early stages of my career. Next it would be Silent Addy for teaching me about marketing. Definitely learned a lot from him . Its a lot more djs or promoters like Dj Sinister, Dj Worm , Dr. Esan, BlinkdaLink, Keith B, Flygerian, Aya , Blaq Pages, Rozay, the Link Upp ,Hybrid, both Keem and Scotch from Eccentrix sound, DJ Nicco, Sage Ent, Spinser Tracy , Jumbee , Kamari , Disco Neil, Vicky, Radiance productions, DJ Puffy , Jus-jay , Don Hot , Dutty Dex, Gio, Jeanie , Slim City, Its so many people I can still mention more but I truly appreciate everybody who gave me advice or just told me the things to be successful or always kept me thinking positive.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Deiondadj
- Twitter: Deion_mvo
- Youtube: Deiondadj
- SoundCloud: Deiondadj
Image Credits
Keith B Starboy.Uk Dafeteransmedia
