Today we’d like to introduce you to La Sliimsation, The DJ.
Hi La, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am originally from the Bronx, but relocated here to Atlanta in 2021 to pursue my initial career as a Homicide and Missing Persons Detective. Alongside of being a DJ, I am a mother of a wonderfully, whimsical 8 year old, a Mortuary Science student, an Author, a Semicolon survivor and Podcast host of a True Crime Podcast that is a branch of a Non-Profit Organization I will be launching soon. As a child, I always had an interest in many things that fueled my creativity such as drawing, fashion designing, writing, ice skating, singing, traveling, and music. A multi-cultured background as well as growing up in a very diverse neighborhood allowed me to explore that diversity even more and take it with me in my knowledge of other cultures opposite of mine. My passion had always been within Law & Justice, inspired by phenomenal people within that field such as: Nancy Grace, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Olivia Benson (Yes, I know she is just a fictional character) and a professor of mine in college. However, my passion in music began to grow when I was searching for other ways to cope with my depression, a battle I have fought since age 12. I loved tuning into 106.7 Lite FM during the holidays, Hot 97 for their reggae and dancehall segments on Sundays, La Mega 97.9, Michael Baisden on Kiss FM 98.7 on evening rides home in Elementary, getting through middle school mornings with Ed Lover’s morning show on Power 105.1, and Elvis Duran on Z100 in high school. However, as depression grew worse in Sophomore year of high school, I came to the realization that I needed a better outlet which led me to the late Jam Master Jay’s, Scratch DJ Academy in NoHo. I can say my greatest influences to take this route were DJ Platano Schwagg (who I discovered on Soundcloud), DJ Alex Sensation who is actually the inspiration to the suffix of my name “La Sliimsation”, Vashtie, who brings fun, and swag to DJing and Taja Barber (Filthyrichtaj) who was a classmate of mine and was kind enough to introduce me to Scratch DJ Academy. After completing my courses at Scratch DJ Academy, I went on to practicing at home on a desktop, and then throwing a few house parties after my parents purchased a Macbook pro and Numark Controller for me. Soon after, I played at school events, family parties and now, in Clubs and Private events. The near 10 year break I took from DJing resparked when I kept going back to listen to my old mixes and remembering how I was only a high school junior and senior staying up nightly to make at least 5 10-15 minute mixes and promoting them endlessly on my social media outlets and to friends. Networking and building relationships with fellow DJs in Atlanta that have grown into family also pushed me to revive this passion. This renewed spark that I vow to never let go of again as it gave me that necessary outlet I needed on a good or bad day and to connect with others who view music as the same. Currently, I am in Mortuary School set to graduate in May 2026. Losing my best friend and baby cousin had made that journey difficult, but even in their passings, some songs remind me of them and bring life into their spirit that I know are still with me and motivating me to get it done; turning the grief I carry for them into a gift of support for someone else who may be going through the same. Music is something I believe truly brings people together even if there is a cultural barrier. Years ago, people would stay within their cultural cohort and not really branch out to discover other music. Now, we have more people appreciating diversity and cultural diffusion. A perfect example is moving here, expecting to only hear Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B however, some clubs and lounges actually play Hispanic/Latino hits even if it is a crowd that may not understand the lyrics, the still vibe out to it. I hope to one day DJ for my favorite artists like Tyler The Creator, a homage event to Aaliyah or an event for Bachata lovers in Atlanta but also grow as a DJ and host my own events that uplift that diversity within music as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every passion is going to come with its set of challenges. I am a firm believer that what is meant for you, will come to you but not at an easy pace. Not every goal has to come with a brick wall of resilience, but it definitely requires hard work to climb up the mountain of success towards it. Initially, it was difficult as a teenager putting myself out there and trying to pick up gigs at clubs and local establishments due to my age. I also tended to sell myself short when it came to the amount to be paid, where a lot of times I would play for free instead of taking account of costs for travel, equipment and labor. Since I got back into DJing, the challenges have grown to really proving myself and my talent as a DJ. I observed in this field, or at least in Atlanta, it is a cut throat game of “Who you know” rather than “What you know” and often having to be your own team to keep your integrity and growth in the same boat but also remaining humble above it all. I admit, I was rusty for 6 months as I had to relearn a lot of what I used to know, get acclimated to new boards (that are way advanced from the Numark mixtrack I was used to), being stern about what I am worth to avoid being lowballed, keeping up with content to build a portfolio, reaching out to establishments on my own and being open and receptive to constructive criticism and feedback. There were many who supported me greatly as I grew back into it, but I have to give the biggest shoutout to a close friend of mine who is also a DJ as well, DJ Wyld. We’re both Bronx transplants in Atlanta and he was the one who came to most of my gigs, gave me his hard drive to download music and drops, lended me his board on occasions that I played somewhere that did not have one, given me constructive and creative feedback, vouched for me, motivated me and still to this day readily by his phone when I have a tech mishap any time or hour of the day. I grew up on morals of a quote stated by Jimmy Durante, “Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down.” and seeing my bro Wyld do that for me, emphasized that even more. I always say, I am not a perfect DJ, I am not the “best” DJ, but I am surely a phenomenal, creative and humble one. There’s always room for improvement, no matter how great you are at a skill and if it is your passion, you will always discover something new within it. At first. the road was discouraging but I remain hopeful and persevering as I know this walking paradox will always have more in store.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a DJ, I can go anywhere. Thanks to my diverse background, neighborhood and open mind in creative culture, I love most music. I specialize in Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B, Bachata, Merengue/Tipico, Mambo, Salsa, Dembow, Reggaeton, Pop, Rock, Soul, Oldies, Dancehall, Reggae, Soca, Jazz and Gospel. There’s no limit to where I can go, and even if the crowd may seem opposite of a genre, I would still take the risk and try and see. Looking at me, maybe you would not expect my music taste and assume opposite of what I listen to. My top 3 rappers male and female: Tyler The Creator, Jay-Z and A Boogie; Lil Kim, Latto and Left-Eye (interesting how my favorite rappers have the same first initial as me); Singers: Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, Jhene Aiko, Baby Rose, Brent Faiyaz and Giveon. I love pretending that I am in a studio when listening to a drill rapper, but I also love the feeling that Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante and Nat King Cole give me when I play their music. My son is named after Antony Santos who is my favorite Bachata singer. I enjoyed growing up in a neighborhood where parties were split with “Bronx Wining” to Nawlage or wining to an Aidonia song. I could listen to Christmas music in July, and put on Larry June on a cold night driving through NYC. My original DJ name “Morena Sliim” is a variation of my nickname, “Sliim” where Morena describes someone of a darker complexion in Hispanic/Latino culture. It’s pretty common to be defined as a feature but more than often it is a term of endearment. “La Sliimsation” is added as inspiration from one of my favorite DJ’s, DJ Alex Sensation. However, living in Atlanta, I allow people to cut it to “Sliimsation the DJ” or just “DJ Sliim” as they probably have difficulty pronouncing the first two but formally, I include both in introduction as that is my brand after all. Most people define me by my accent or my background but I always remember to smile and be pleasant to others which stands out most above everything as I have been told. Being able to smile and be complimented on my energy from those I interact with is the biggest accomplishment as it signifies that no matter the struggle behind, or the blur ahead, I am still able to be kind and respectful to others. Alongside of never giving up no matter how many closed doors I may have had shut in my face, no matter how many times “no” or “nevermind” was placed in my hand, and even when the journey came without a bridge to cross, I still took that plunge of faith and risk to get across to the other side and keep going. My ability to go anywhere and not stay boxed in separates me most from others. I never allowed myself to stay in a box when younger, in fact, my 6th grade art teacher described me as “Whimsical” because of it; My close friend described me as a “Walking paradox” (Also a TTC lyric) because of it as well. I believe in creating your own identity to be the best you can be and not be molded into the shadow of another. Sometimes the shock factor holds a competition between people unable to believe I am pursuing a career as a Mortician or Coroner and that I am a DJ. The shock factor keeps the ignited flame under me to keep soaring higher and higher like a hot air balloon, except I will only keep going up and enjoying the view below of how far I have come.
What does success mean to you?
I believe success is the will to give something you are truly passionate about, your all. This means creating a plan or going in head first. Willing to take the risks but in a wise manner. Going after that goal because you truly want to and not to suit someone else or walk in someone else’s shadow. Not giving up even if the weight of the world is holding you down with the largest anchor. Being your loudest cheerleader, your brightest light, and strongest superhero throughout the journey itself. Being realistic with yourself that success does not come overnight, but procrastination and doubt will stretch it over decades. Being humble throughout the process, and patient to progress but open to change as you can not achieve success through building with the same materials that give you a place of comfort. As much as this may sound unbelievable, failure can also be success. The perfect example of this is entering a competition, giving it your all, and not winning first place but still having a humble spirit to congratulate the victorious champ, being proud that you even did it, and learning from it on how to do better next time. You would much rather live with a regret than a what if. A regret will give you the satisfaction of doing what may have been and probably lead you to learning from it and not repeating the same mistake and doing better next time instead of living life wondering how the journey would have turned out if you had taken that chance to fulfill that passion, that leading light inside of you. Success can come in big, small, simple and complex situations. March 20, 2024 I did not think I would make it another year, yet I stand here today feeling successful that I overcame that battle. I hope to inspire many with the same or similar testimony.
Contact Info:
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sliimanthaoro
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sliim.oro/ and https://Instagram.com/lasliimsation_dj
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sliim-Oro/author/B08BTRJPL5
Image Credits
Professional Photography Credits:
(Red background photos) : Ba$H Bottega, @Bashbottega/@Bashbenzo
(Black Jacket Photo): @ATLPics
