May 12, 2021

Meet Ralph Russell | DJ, Producer, Event Curator

Local Stories

We’re so pumped about our conversation with Ralph Russell. Ralph is a DJ, Producer, Event Curator and is also a content partner. Content partners help Voyage in so many ways from spreading the word about the work that we do, sponsoring our mission and collaborating with us on content like this. Check out our conversation with Ralph below.

Ralph, it’s been too long since we last connected. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with our community again. Some readers might have missed our prior conversations, so maybe you can kick things off for us with a quick intro?
I am a professional DJ and music producer from Atlanta, GA. I provide DJ services mainly for skating rinks in the Atlanta metro area. I also do house parties, radio station hosting, and club events. I have experience in curating my own events, and developing my own merch line for my DJ business “DJ 23 Merch”. In addition, I produce beats and specialize in Artist development/marketing. I’ve worked with many local Atlanta artists, including, DJ Spinz, Luh Dino, Epic, Quez4real, Mi$take, and many more.

When did you start DJaying?
I started DJaying at the age of 10. The summer of 2010, before I went to middle school, I would go to the skating rink teen club every weekend. When I went inside, I would see the DJ playing music in the booth. I instantly gravitated towards the DJ, paying attention to the music he played throughout the night and how he controlled the crowd. I grew an interest for the craft of DJaying from watching other DJs at the rink. Near the end of that summer, I asked my dad to buy me a turntable and other equipment so I could get started. He didn’t believe I would take it seriously but he went ahead and purchased my first set of equipment (CD player, Speaker, Mic, and headphones). From that day, I would study different DJ techniques and practice everyday until my skills were where they needed to be. Once I perfected my skills, I started promoting myself as a Mobile DJ and started to get booked for local events.

How has the music industry changed since COVID-19 started? How have you adjusted to those changes?
The music industry has changed drastically since COVID-19 started at the beginning of 2020. Unfortunately, many artists lost money from not being able to perform at live shows, or go on the road to interact with their fans. Artists had to develop new ways to connect with their audience, by doing livestream concerts on Social media. This was one of the new experiences fans had to adjust too, because the atmosphere of the online concerts wasn’t the same as a live performance.

In addition, DJ’s and other music creatives took a hit in earning revenues because all venues, clubs, bars, and event halls were closed due to COVID-19. I personally experienced a rough period of not having any bookings, and it was rough. I thought I would never bounce back to having a constant flow of business. I adjusted to the situation by hosting my own live mixshows on Instagram/Facebook. I took donations during my Live mixshows and that was how I earned money on the side until society opened back up. Also, I started charging artists to host mixtapes if they needed a platform to promote their music.

When did you start producing beats?
I started producing beats in 2017; my senior year of high school. I was inspired to start by watching other producers at my school make beats. Producers like KapYourNamesOnTheBeat & Narquise, were my biggest influences because I saw the success, they had getting placements and collaborating with major artists.

When I graduated high school and went off to college, I took a break from producing beats. Due to marching band, I didn’t have time to continue working on beats. In May 2020, I started back producing and perfecting my sound once COVID-19 hit the country. During the lockdown, I worked on improving myself each day and I began to get placements with my friends who were rappers and other local artists. As the year progressed, I saw the major improvement in my production. I decided to curate my own producer album featuring the artists I was working with during the lockdown. I was able to release my debut project “Leaue of My Own” in October 2020. This project is just the beginning of my producer discography.

Can you describe the process of putting together your first producer project?
I enjoyed putting the “League of My Own” project together. The producer tape only took me 2-3 months to finalize. During the process, I was still learning the business side of producing and how to go about releasing the songs at the best quality. I took notes from some of the most successful producer projects ever released, analyzing the steps they took to create a “timeless” masterpiece and how they marketed it to their audience. I was responsible for funding all of the promotion and marketing that went into the project. I also funded the video shoots for three songs off of the project “Headlight (feat. Epic)”, “All In (feat. Jaypopi)”, and “Peak (feat. Epic)”. The other artists who were on the project helped promote it as well.

I also went on social media to find the best graphic designers who could create the perfect cover artwork and bring my vision to life. I was able to create high quality production with the help of DJ Spinz, Mikewitdamac, EasyMoneyCaleb, Epic, and the Tunefreak Recording Studio. After releasing my first project, along with the videos, I was ecstatic that the project was being received so well by my peers. I was surprised by how many people were actually listening. To increase my catalogue, I dropped a “League of My Own” Deluxe tape with more songs and other artists, which released New Year’s Day, January 1, 2021.

What other artists or producers would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Artists that I would like to work with in the future are Future, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, Key Glock & Gunna … (just to name a few).

Producers that I want to collaborate with include Metro Boomin, Sonny Digital, Zaytoven, Chi & Section 8, Mike Dean, PyrexWhippa, and Tay Keith.

What upcoming plans/projects do you have for 2021?
I plan to host/DJ at more club events and other venues in the local Atlanta area. I am also working on putting together another producer project, “League of My Own 2”. This next project will have more local artists and maybe some major artist appearances as well. In addition, I have more collaborative projects with local artists coming out soon, expanding their audience reach and showcasing their talents along with my production. I will continue to network with people in the music industry and connect with musical creatives/artists who are serious about having successful careers.

Thank you so much again for sharing all of this with us. Before we go, can you share with our readers how they can connect with you, learn more or show support?
Instagram @dj23_live Twitter @DJ23_LIVE
Soundcloud.com/dj23_live
Website: dj23atl.com
Booking: dj23atl@gmail.com