Hip-Hop Wired: Talk to us about your personal brand.
DJ CEO: The DJ CEO brand is a combination of performance and style. Just someone who prides himself on being the best at everything. Like, as a DJ I work hard to be the best DJ I can be—period. I’m always working on improving my techniques, always working on improving song selection and finding new music. I’m always working on that.
Hip-Hop Wired: Does that same drive apply to how you approach your personal style?
I study and master my craft, and when it comes to style, it’s the same way. I always want to look clean and fresh. I always want people to acknowledge my style, because I think image isn’t everything, but it’s a huge part of what you do as a person—as a product. I am a product. I sell a product, so how I look is major. I don’t ever want to be caught out there looking crazy. There’s gonna be a certain point where you’re gonna catch me in the streets all rag tag and not looking put together.
Hip-Hop Wired: How would you describe your style?
DJ CEO: That’s a difficult question to answer: I think anybody who answers it quickly and easily is being contrived. I would say a lot of influences for my style are European-based, as far as fit is concerned. Very slim and very close cut.
Hip-Hop Wired: Is that because of your build?
DJ CEO: Definitely, because a slim cut mends to my build; so my style is very European influenced and very vintage too.
Hip-Hop Wired: What was your style like in grade school?
DJ CEO: My mom always laughs when I tell this story. Remember the movie Mo’ Money with Damon and Marlon Wayans? Well, I grew up in Brooklyn and in school you kind of just dressed how kids dressed at the time. Like, I had a high top fade, had a leather bomber jacket… But I remember seeing Mo’ Money, and I loved how Damon used to wear these baseball caps with a leather front and a strap in the back and he would wear it with a button up shirt, a tie, and jeans. At the time I’d never seen that before in my neighborhood but I liked it. I didn’t know how to tie a tie, so my mom bought me a clip on tie with a button up, and I would wear jeans and a baseball cap. I wasn’t paying attention to it then but my mom was telling me right after that other kids in my class started doing the same thing.
