Today we’d like to introduce you to DJ Waters.
Thanks for sharing your story with us DJ. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is DJ Waters, aka DJDJ, and I am a creative entrepreneur. What I do is simple – deejay & curate interactive event experiences. I was born in Philadelphia, PA to two of the dopest parents I could ask for. My mother’s side of the family is from the islands (Dominica) and my father’s side of the family is from Philadelphia. Lived in West Philly for the early part of childhood, my parents took me out of the “hood”, relocating our family to Cherry Hill, NJ. Going from West Philadelphia to Cherry Hill is a complete 360. I always felt like I never really fit in growing up because people in Cherry Hill would look at me like “ go back to the hood” and when I would go back to visit Philly people would give me the “ go back to jersey” (yes kids are mean as shit growing up). This experience shaped a lot of who I am today. I got to see first hand how people from two different geographic locations “moved” so I was forced to learn how to “move” in any situation while still being myself.
Growing up I traveled a lot. During these travels to past the time my mother got me, my first CD player. That’s is when I first fell in love with music. Since I traveled a lot. I knew what music was popping/popular everywhere. Fast forward to some time in middle school, our family got our first computer. I downloaded Limewire ( software used to download any song in the world) and started making CD’s for myself. Word caught on it school so I turned it into a business. I would have my peers give me a list of song, I would download them, put them on a CD, then charge them a price. This was my first taste at entrepreneurship as well as studying music.
Without the passion and true love I had for music and entrepreneurship at such a young age, I wouldn’t be the DJ I am today.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been far from a smooth road but its MY road so I wouldn’t have it any other way. Being a DJ and an entrepreneur, I’ve never had a mentor or and “OG” during these processes. Everything that I’ve built, had been through my nonstop perseverance to better myself. Leon Xavier is one of the first people who took the time to teach me everything he knew about being a deejay.
The hardest part about being a creative entrepreneur is finding that balance between having time to create as well as handle the business stuff. An example is when I first started I didn’t have any money of my own or even know what an investor was. I found myself pulling a lot of all nighters because I was broke. I would have to make time to create a party flyer ( because I couldn’t afford a graphic designer) as well as prepare my music for the party. A lot of time I would want to spend practicing would be sacrificed to handle the ‘business’ side of things. I couldn’t sacrifice my practice time so most of the time I would sacrifice sleep.
Being so young and so passionate about my craft at the time, I didn’t even realize I was doing it. People ask me all the time if it was worth it; without hesitation, the answer is always yes.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a creative entrepreneur, specializing in deejaying and event curation. Now to be completely transparent, the term ‘entrepreneur’ gets thrown around a lot and in some cases in watered down. I call myself a creative entrepreneur because I haven’t had a 9-5 in a year, supporting myself / business solely off my creative ideas ( deejaying and events ). My music collective is entitled ” Thursday Night Groove” where we produce original music, curate experiences, and deejay events What I’m most proud of about our team are the organic atmosphere we create. None of our events/music is forced.
Before I started with music I was heavy into fashion design. Wise Guy is a lifestyle brand powered by art, music, social awareness to bring people together, while also giving them a platform to shine. The company was founded by the talented Terohn Hyatt. That man is crazy he is truly a wizard with the computer he can do anything. I am a partner in the company. Three years we did about a seven to ten city tour from here to Cali and back. Booking a DJ in every city was hard to do at that time so I took the initiative and DJ’ed the tour. That’s when I started to entertain the idea of taking Djing seriously.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The local music community means EVERYTHING to me. I truly am moved by this energy, and this community gives me so much energy. Growing my generation was taught “ go to college and be a slave to ‘corporate America’ for the rest of your life or you will never be successful in life”. It’s truly inspiring to see the people around me, our community, chasing their dreams and turning them into reality. I feed off of that energy. It is amazing to be around these people watching them spearhead changes in today’s society.
I travel to Atlanta a few times over the years, and every time I spin there its nothing but love. Atlanta is a special city as well because they support black business HEAVY – most places don’t do that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopwiseguy.omc/events
- Phone: 6096802065
- Email: djwaters@shopwiseguy.com
- Instagram: @itsdjdj
- Twitter: @itsdjdj
Image Credit:
@dom.ransom
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