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Published on July 29th, 2015 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

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Who Is: DJ Young Music

djyoungmusicAt the age of 18, most teens are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their life, but Brandywine, Maryland native DJ Young Music has been living his dream for quite some time. At 12 years old DJ Young Music decided he wanted to be a producer/DJ and emptied his piggy bank to purchase Technics SL-1200 turntables. By the time he was 16, the fearless pubescent DJ was touring the country showcasing his talent as one of the hottest up-and-coming deejays. DJ Young Music is now considered by many to be a triple threat deejay/songwriter/ producer.

His popular mixtape Something For The Streets 2 that introduced his debut single, “Right Here,” has amassed more than 250,000 downloads on a worldwide platform, that regularly services the hottest mixtapes in the universe.

What is the significance of your name and how did you get that name?

I got my name because coming up they made me play old music to learn on and I said, “I don’t wanna play that. I wanna play young music.” So that’s where Young Music came from, because I play young music for young crowds.

Describe your style

My style is a classic mixture of deejaying with scratching and blending, but with a younger mixtape, DJ Drama or DJ Scream sound. It’s not your regular, traditional DJ sound. I would say it’s more of a concert sound.

What age were you, and what was the first record you started scratching and mixing on the turntables?

I was 10 or 11 and the first record I was scratching was Biggie Smalls “Big Poppa.”

How does it feel to be only 18 years old and the youngest artist ever to do ink a worldwide distribution deal in music and film with a major label, E One, and the youngest ever, live official weekly guest DJ on one of the hottest powerhouse stations in the DMV, WPGCFM 95.5?

It feels no different from the next guy. Age is nothing but a number. I still gotta put in the footwork the same as another artist and every other label or anybody else. That’s just another piece of bread for my basket. I’m on the same level as anyone else. It’s just the age.

Being the youngest on PGC, they give me the feeling like I had the juice. It’s like, nobody can take it from you. So you feel like the man. It’s not that many times at all when an 18 year old makes it on one station, but for me to make it on three? Oh yeah, it’s a major feeling like, “You the man. You the big dog!

You are a pretty diverse DJ, describe the music scene in your neck of the woods?

For the most part it’s the same stuff they listen to in Atlanta. It’s not much difference in the DMV because everybody listens to the same music.

What was it like taking over Sirius XM’s “Morning Show” with DJ Sway?

First of all, Sway is a real humble, real cool dude and when you meet someone like that with major status and they’re not arrogant and they’re down to earth, it’s a good feeling. It’s a good feeling to work with someone with that type of power and they’re humble. So of course, it was one of those life changing things, where if you ever get that type of power and get in that position, you can be humble and show love. http://swaysuniverse.com/dj-young-music-takes-over-sway-in-the-morning-turntables

At the young age of 16, you were named official national tour DJ for 4-time Grammy Award nominee, R&B singer, Ginuwine. How is it to work live sets with some of today’s biggest stars?

Well, coming up that was one of the things I always dreamed of when I was six or seven. Actually, I wouldn’t even say “dream,” because I talked everything into existence. I said what I was going to do and when you look back, everything I said I was going to do, I did it. It’s one of those things that shows you, when you put your mind to it and put in the right amount of work, whatever you say out of your mouth, with the right work ethic, it’ll come true.

How do you juggle your day between music and maintaining your role as an honor student?

When you first start off at anything it can be challenging. But when you do something over time like I’ve done, it all becomes a part of your daily life. Even with school, once you figure out the formula to complete everything, it works out. I could be taking a test two weeks in advance to beat the other side of the week in order to do what I do and not get behind and travel the world. So everything is complete when I get back. It’s always about being ahead of the game and being four, five steps ahead of the next person.

Tell us about your single, “Right Here” (ft. Frank Benz and Da-Rai) and where fans can find it?

We dropped that single originally on the DJ Young Music mixtape “Something For The Streets” and when I dropped it on there, it was basically to give the streets something from Young Music, that I was feeling. So when I put it on there I was just trying to see how people felt about it and that was the number one track on the tape. It was also the most downloaded track, the most played, the number one stolen, ripped, most listened to (over 250,000 downloads)… so that single really opened a lot of doors. The eOne deal, which was already in place, sped up. Everything did. It really shows my skills and how I’m rolling, because if somebody ain’t treatin’ his girl right, we might take her!

Who and what are your influences?

My number one influence is of course, always going to be Diddy. Then you got Ginuwine. He gave me my first shot. And of course, music producer, Kevin “Khao” Cates out of Atlanta, GA. That’s one of the people that made me really want to become a deejay, because at first I wanted to be a music producer. At a young age he told me that I had to learn my beat counts. So I had to deejay. With that being said, I became a deejay and over time I got really good at it and that’s how Young Music became Young Music.

What artists are you listening to right now?

I’m listening to that classic stuff. We makin’ hits over here. I’m listening to that Marvin Gaye. You might catch me listening to the Temptations, Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5. Occasionally you might catch me listening to Meek Mill or something, but for the most part, I feel like you have to listen to the classics to get a hit.. that kind of music when they were making real records.

Who would you like to work with in the future?

Besides your current rappers of today like Meek Mill and 2Chains, we’re thinking global. I’m thinking Quincy Jones, the Roots, you know? Real music. Music that matters. Not just hip hop artists, but people that have been in the game for a very long time and made classic hits and bangers.

What would be the steps you would take as a DJ to break an artist in your area?

First of all we’re going to the hood. That’s the first thing we’re doing. We’re running around the streets and promoting that, because if the streets don’t know you, it doesn’t make a difference if your song is on the radio. That’s the first thing we always do. We hit the streets and make sure the face goes with the song and the people in the hood know you.

What’s coming up on your calendar that you’re excited about?

Well, we rocked the Chris Brown X Tour in June. Ya’ boy was entered into the Ultimate Mad DJ competition in Atlanta, so I’ll be traveling there to compete for the final spot at the 107.9 20th Birthday Bash. And we’ve just been doing a lot of running. I’ve got some top flight secret information that I can’t speak on, but a little bit down the line we’ve got some exciting events and promotional opportunities.

 



About the Author

Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.


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