DJ Bobby Trends is shaking up the NY Club scene with his Hot 97 fam. This Big Dawg Pitbull DJ runs with some of the best, studying under the legendary Funkmaster Flex and Cipha Sounds. When he’s not on airwaves or bringing people to their feet he’s running his TrendsLife promotion company bringing out the hottest celebs and party goers. This master of the mix sat down with HipHopWired to tell us how he got his start, how we landed his dream job and when you can catch him on your television set.
Origin: Newark, New Jersey
Current Location: New York, NY
HipHopWired: Tell me how you got started DJing.
Bobby Trends: It started out as a hobby. My sister had a house party when she was in the 8th grade. I was 10-years-old and she trusted my musical advice so we went to the record store to buy some records. The party started and people were like you only have 6 records and we were playing them on a record player. This guy was there, his name was Bass and he said that you guys need a DJ. The only DJ I knew was Jam Master Jay and I said, “How do you get a DJ?” He said, “Listen I DJ I’m gonna bring something over.” So he brought a big speaker and a tape deck and he just played a cassette of his mixes. Then I started to watch him and started to collect records…the first turn table I bought was off getting money here and there. The second one I traded a butterfly knife and two bicycle tires for it. So that’s how that started.
HipHopWired: *Laughs* So your friend really inspired you to get started and get going with it.
BobbyTrends: Yeah.
HipHopWired: Okay so tell me how you went from being a 10-year-old boy watching someone else DJ to working with Cipha Sounds and Funk Flex.
BobbyTrends: What happened was there was a time in my life where I was really in the street and up to no good and not paying attention to music because I was in another state of mind. I kind of got tired of the street thing and I decided to go back to school for computers but the school thing wasn’t working out with me either. I did that for a year and then I went and got a job fixing computers six months later. When I was fixing computers I’d get my work done and then I’d just be on Hip-Hop websites and I found Funk Master Flex’s website. There was a section that said, “Do you want to be in the music business?” I called and it was for an internship. I interned with Flex for six months, three of them he never spoke to me because his team was so big. The internship was tearing my pockets apart so I asked them if I could get paid and they let me drive the street team van. I did that for six months but then I got fired.
Then I met Cipha. I knew he was going to be at Club Speed on Saturday night and at the end of the night I asked him if he needed help bringing his crates upstairs. So I helped him and I was doing it just to be friendly. Then I came back the next week and did it again and he asked me to come every Saturday and help me. I started to run with him and my we were at some party and my friend said, “Cipha why don’t you let Trends get on em?” and he didn’t know that I DJed. So he said, “Why didn’t you tell me…I need an opener.” So then he started bringing me to the radio station and Flex remembered me….
HipHopWired: So Cipha really put you on to Hot 97?
BobbyTrends: Cipha really helped me out a lot. He taught me a lot about the business, I used to be with him in the studio all the time. He started bringing me up and Flex started paying attention. He actually offered me a job doing his street mixtapes, distributing them and I was still doing my computer job. I slept in my car most of the time…I mean I still do it. *Laughs* He matched my pay and I worked in his office. So I asked him if I could start opening for him and I told him I wanted a real job at the radio station and he supplied those things for me. I guess he saw something in me, I guess he saw my hustle…
HipHopWired: Well you’re definitely hustling if you’re sleepin in the car. *Laughs*
BobbyTrends: Yeah you see me right? *Laughs* At that point opening for Flex gave me a push and people started to hear me DJ at bigger clubs. Flex would say, you go DJ at 10 p.m. when noone’s there and then when I get there I play all the hits until I get tired and you can take over. So I couldn’t play any of the hits but that made me strong and made me clever and taught me how to combat any DJ that would try to play against me. I rock with the best, I played after Funk Flex, Kid Capri, I played after SMS, I handle my business. Then one day someone said to me “Why aren’t you on the radio?” and I said,” You know what, why aren’t I on the radio?” I’m used to hustling for what I have around me…I was around it.
My advice to anyone trying to get into the business is to be around it. I willed it, everything I will I get. Some people look at me and say you only got on the radio because of Flex, no if that were true I would’ve been on there a long time ago. It’s not that easy. The station called me to offer me employment but when I called Flex to thank him, he didn’t know anything about it. I’m sure the affiliation helped but I can’t say it wasn’t my hustle either.
HipHopWired: Right. So tell me more about your slot on Hot 97…what time are you on?
BobbyTrends: I’m on every Friday and Sunday. Fridays I’m on at midnight to 2 a.m. It was just a regular mix show but now it’s a live broadcast from the club.
HipHopWired: What club do you spin at?
BobbyTrends: Club Imperial. It’s amazing. My opening night I brought Swizz Beatz through, the second night was Fat Joe’s album release party. Swizz came back the second night and brought Jay-Z through. I’ve had so many different artists there that I can’t list them all. My Sunday slot is 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and I fill in for Flex when he goes away.
HipHopWired: Okay, so tell me more about how you got started with the Big Dawg Pitbull DJs Collective.
BobbyTrends: That’s a DJ group that Flex started. It started with Flex, Big Cat, Cipha Sounds…those are the three originals. When I was inducted it was Flex, Mr. C, Cipha Sounds…they added myself, Bobby Conyers and Jazzy Joyce on the same day. DJ Khaled was already on…Tim Westwood from London. We just added 7 new guys in New York that are not on the radio.
HipHopWired: Okay so is there anything else you’re working on?
BobbyTrends: Well I was so instrumental in helping Flex with his car show empire and I’ve since then fallen back from it but I still help him as much as I can. Since I do he invited me to be a part of his reality show on MTV2. It’s called Full Throttle and it starts in March or April. So far I’ve been in 2 episodes with Fabolous and Mike Epps…we’re actually filming later with 50 Cent. It’s coming so watch out for that in April. I also do TrendsLife, that’s my promotion company. I just started another company called Sky Life Tours and that’s a concert company. I’m starting with mini concerts, my first event is coming up February 24, a concert with Nicki Minaj in New York City. Small concerts but they’re gonna turn into big ones.
HipHopWired: Okay so do you have any last words? Any shoutouts?
BobbyTrends: Check out DJBobbyTrends.com…the block is the movement.
HipHopWired: Do you want to leave any contact info or a twitter page?
BobbyTrends: @DJBobbyTrends or hit me on DJBobbyTrends.com under contact info, I usually respond pretty fast.
