Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby Trends.
Hi Bobby, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with music at the age of ten. That’s when I started collecting music because I knew I wanted to be a DJ. When my sister graduated from middle school she threw a party in our basement. We bought records that we played at the party, however, we ran out of music. One of the guys at the party was a DJ and he rocked the party. When I saw the attention he was getting especially from the ladies it inspired me. I knew at that moment I wanted to do that. At the age of 12, I found a way to hustle up some DJ equipment and started practicing. My grandfather was also a major influence. My grandfather introduced me to Hip-Hop music. Even though he didn’t speak English he loved hip-hop music. I remember hearing DJ Red Alert drops. I knew from then how I wanted a drop that people would remember me by. At 14 years old is when I DJ my first party. I quickly got popular in school for throwing house parties. I left home at the age of 18, and the street got a hold of me. I even stop DJing for a while. I was even homeless. But I eventually knew I turned everything around and
I was at work bored and I was online and came across an ad on Funk Flex saying you want to be in the music industry. I called and found out it was an internship. However, it still didn’t come easy. They gave me the run-around. Every time I would call no one was in the office that could help me. So one day I called and said I had a delivery for Funk Flex and they gave me the address. I popped up at the office and waited all day to finally meet the people in charge. I finally get the shot and they put me on the street team. My first gig was at the tunnel, however, it was crazy because no one spoke to me, but I got the internship.
I used my initial internship to gain an opportunity to work with DJ Cypher Sounds. I opened up for DJ Cypher Sounds every Saturday at the famous Club Speed. My contribution to Funk Flex’s mixtape distribution, at the time, leveraged me a full-time position with Hot 97. After two years of interning, I was finally starting to see the doors of elevation crack open. During this time, notable names such as Angie Martinez, DJ Clue, DJ KaySlay, and more were in heavy rotation at Hot 97. I had to find a way to stand out amongst my vetted peers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. So I got fired by funk flex company and started working with Dj Cypher. However, he played a role in me getting into the hot 97 building. It took me 2 years before I could even get into the Hot 97 building. When I finally did make it in I use to order sandwiches run errands etc. I interned a while before I even got time to get a real position. I opened up for Funk Flex for a year, before I started heading my own club, then I finally landed a residency at Club Envy. After that, I took off. In the beginning, Flex would kinda sneak and let me play on the radio, but one time I messed up and I was told I would never play on the radio, however, a year later Ebro offer me a position at the station.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In 2007, I started the Shake The Block brand. This movement was bigger than just a ban of DJs it’s a brand for the people. It started organically. The movement represents people’s passions and how they shake the block themselves. We expanded from a street movement to a clothing line, DJ coalition, and record label. I’ve always been the people DJ and that is what set me apart. The DJ team is now extended to Miami.
“First the block, then the city, then the world! How you shake the block?” is the unofficial motto of Bobby Trends company. The phrase reminds you to leave a lasting impression, one room at a time. A catchy phrase turned record label serves as a place to recognize musical stars on the rise. Shake The Block was responsible for giving the first big break to artists such as Dipset, Nicki Minaj, ASAP Rocky, and Fetty Wap. Appearances from Mariah Carey, Swizz Beats, Fat Joe, Serani, T.O.K, The Clipse, Meek Mills, DJ Khaled, French Montana and Miguel graced several Shake The Block stages. Bobby Trends toured with other respected acts such as Lil Kim, Busta Rhymes, Jeezy and T-Pain. S.T.B also worked with newer acts such as Gunna, A-Boogie, G HERBO, Pop Smoke, Tory Lanez, Trippy Red, DaBaby, and Post Malone.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
There are many things people don’t know about me I have a love for the fashion and arts industry. Shake The Block is not solely focused on music, but also on apparel. I had collaborations with Japanese clothing brands Sabit NYC, New Era Cap Co., and Takeover Apparel in the past. I will be bringing back official Shake The Block apparel soon. I was a graffiti artist when I was younger. My graffiti name was Trends One. When I first started Djing in clubs I didn’t have a name, because I started as a house DJ and when I started house DJs didn’t have fancy names. You just went by government name. When I started DJing for Funk Flex, his MC pressed me about not having a DJ name. Then when I started working with DJ Cypher I took him to my hood and everyone was calling me either Bobby or Trends. So He suggested I go by Bobby Trends. I didn’t like it at first, however, Mister c gave me advice, that you don’t have to like the name its what you do with it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djbobbytrends/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJBOBBYTRENDS?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4-vqE63UM8
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5HzCpU0vXoMjjpBE2ZqFt6?si=yswfI4HcTQOew9fj8dRcPw&nd=1
Image Credits:
Rich Molina
