Hip-Hop Wired: Because of you?
DJ CEO: Right, but at the time I didn’t think so. If I like something, I buy it and I wear it. It’s as simple as that.
Hip-Hop Wired: Have you always had this strong sense of style?
DJ CEO: No, at least not intentionally. I guess I’ve always been stylish, but I’ve never paid attention to the fact that I was being stylish. I just like to wear things that I like. I never looked at it like this is fashionable or this is something that other people like.
Hip-Hop Wired: When did you decide to make your personal style a big part of your branding as a DJ?
DJ CEO: What happened was, I had a partner that I used to DJ with. This is before I jumped into it 100%. I was working in TV as a producer and he was a banker. We would DJ after work events and he would always show up in a suit. Since I worked behind the scenes in TV, I was dressed but still casual. One day I decided that from now on when we go out and DJ, I’m going to change how I dress because he couldn’t change how he dressed. So that’s how I started being more sophisticated in my look so we could look more like a team. I noticed people started paying attention to it and then I became cognizant of what I was wearing and how it affected my business as a DJ.
Hip-Hop Wired: How has NYC influenced your fashion?
DJ CEO: Actually, it hasn’t. My fashion has gone further and further away from New York. I’m Brooklyn-bred but going to Howard University was one of the best decisions of my life. It made me who I am today.
Hip-Hop Wired: In what way?
DJ CEO: If I didn’t go to Howard, I would not have become as cultivated as I am now. Going to Howard just opened my eyes to everything. Prior to Howard, I thought all Black people were the same. I grew up in Brooklyn in the 80’s and 90’s. My dad was a blue-collar worker; my mom was secretary; my best friend’s dad was an assistant principal; my other best friend’s dad was a bus driver… There was no real diversity. So when I got to Howard, I saw all these different backgrounds, even their taste in music and how they dressed. My college experience really diversified my view of the world in general, not just Black people. DC is a completely different world than New York. It challenged me socially. That’s why I say it’s the best decision I ever made.
