Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany McKinney.
Brittany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Music has always been a part of my life since I was young, my big sis introduced me to the 90s music and that increased my curiosity of all music. I knew all the 90s classics by the age of 10. I was also an athlete so that kept me occupied. I never took music and DJ’ing seriously until 2015. Something in my mind just clicked. It’s like I knew I had other talents outside of basketball. At that time, basketball was done for me. I had just wrapped up my 2nd year in college hooping and I knew I was done. I had to explore my talents of music. It was all or nothing. The last year before I graduated college, I took my college refund and bought my first DJ controller, the mix-track pro 3, Apple MacBook, two KRK speakers, interface, and microphone to record my drops. I didn’t know where to start with this music thing but everything just felt right. That year I DJ’d my first event for my sis Zhane birthday party and I had no clue how to DJ but I made it happen by practicing and asking other djs for advice lol. I spent most of 2016 practicing, didn’t see the point of DJing til I got better but honestly spinning in front of people was the best practice ever.
In 2017, I kicked off the year DJ’ing in two scenes in a TV series called The Quad on BET. I was still learning but I felt good about mastering the craft of DJ’ing. I still didn’t have any other gigs but a couple of months later after the taping, I gained a partnership with Macy’s where I was DJ’ing twice a month for them then came the outside events like baby showers, weddings, creative events, bars, corporate events, and hookah lounges. It felt good knowing people wanted me to DJ their special events because just months before that, nobody was checking for me. That truly humbled me. In between that time, I was really vibing with so many producers which lead me into aspirations of producing music. A-Major, Euwei, Moran Tha Man, TLontheBeat and more.
They gave me tips on software to use and even collaborated with me. Now I am producing music on my own. Today, I am an on-air personality and mix-show DJ on Iheartradio’s 96.7 the beat ATL. Honestly, I never thought about doing radio till I met Moran which is now my family for life. He introduced me to radio and believed in me. I met him at a 2000s party I was DJ’ing at where he literally watched my set and vibed with me heavy the whole set. I didn’t know what he did or even who he was but something told me he was a genuine person. We stayed in contact, then one day he reached out to interview me with the legendary DJ Scream which was my first professional interview. I shadowed Moran for a year and gained experience that way. The rest is history, now I am a part of Twenty Infinity/Hoodrich.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t always been smooth. I had people tell me no, even when I first started DJ’ing it was a struggle to work with people who didn’t see my value when it came to my rate. I pushed very hard for the rate I have now, and I still have people who reach out knowing they can’t pay me what I am worth, As a woman, its always challenges working in a male dominant environment but I have always stayed true to myself and I always will. It’s not always about money, I have to sit out gigs due to budgeting and it’s okay because it’s about the experience with me. I’ve done a lot of things free or low cost but as time progresses it gets old and you have to demand more sometimes.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with DJ Beelax – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in blending in multiple genres and creating certain sounds to blend. Producing music helps me with creating dope sounds to mix with at my gigs. I am most proud of my ability blend in music and creating a total different sound from an acapella over an instrumental. My favorite music to blend is early 2000s and today’s hiphop.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to get a placement for a tour with an artist I believe in. That’s the goal, also traveling the world showcasing my sounds to people of all walks of life. I plan to inspire and get people thinking. In the meantime, you can catch me in the city DJ’ing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.djbeelax@gmail.com
- Instagram: djbeelax
Image Credit:
Jaylon Smith, Oso Visions, and Chuck Rare
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