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very Saturday night in Orlando, Tavern on the Lake is home to one of Orlando’s most diverse and well traveled Dj’s we’ve had the pleasure to groove too. DJ M Squared mixes with the creativity, ingenuity and skill of a seasoned 5 star chef with all the freshest ingredients. He is definitely what we need to consume to grow big & strong!
How long have you been a DJ? How did you become interested in it? I’ve been DJ’ for 10yrs now. I always had a passion for music. I used to listed to DJ Nasty & Prostyle and got really excited by their mixes on the radio. I said to myself “how can I do that?” I didn’t know what to do with myself. I started with cassette tapes & worked my way up from there. I’m originally from Brooklyn NY but have been raised in Orlando since 1990. What is your favorite music to spin? Crowd to spin for? All genres are my favorite. I like to be diverse. I prefer music with soul. House, Hip Hop, Rock, anything that a person can identify & connect with soulfully. My favorite crowd is a diverse crowd that is open to all genres of music. I like to give the crowd the escape that they are looking for. I want to be their leader on the best musical journey I can give them. Where has DJ’ing taken you in the world? Any favorite places? I have been very fortunate in traveling in the
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world with my Dj’ing, New Orleans, Paris France, Miami Fl, Houston TX, Washington DC, Iowa City IA. I just came back from the Red Bull Thre3Style SXSW edition in Austin, TX. That was an incredible experience. But Paris was my favorite, Paris was incredible. I may not have spoken French, but the great thing about music is it’s the universal language. Anyone can speak it. A classic question, any preference – electronic forms of music to spin or vinyl? I like to try to keep it traditional, 2 turns tables & mixer, but I do use Serato with my Mac laptop as a “record crate” to pull my mixes from. It allows me to have a wider base to choose from. It opens up my selection. I can reach broader audiences. So I have no real preference. I like both. It allows me to have a wider base to choose from. It opens up my selection. I can reach broader audiences. Do you believe vinyl will become extinct? No actually, I believe there has been a spike in vinyl sales in the last couple of years. People are rediscovering the warmth & depth of vinyl sound that you just can’t get with analog/digital sound. How do you keep yourself fresh to compete with the large market you’re in? I try to stay true to my own style. I listen to what’s playing, and travel to see what people respond to. I try to go out often to different events to see what’s out there. I ask myself what do I see as missing &
what people/crowd is missing. What are the crowds responding too. I study the greats. I study the people that inspire me to see what they are doing & apply it to my own style and that helps me a lot. Do you have any special preparations for an event? I try to get to the venue an hour before my set to feel out the crowd & the environment. I like to get myself mentally prepared for it during that time also. See what the environment is responding to. What do you have in your car to listen to? Or on your IPod/MP3? A lot of older stuff, a lot of Motown, 90’s, I’m a big fan of Gamble & Huff, Holland Dozier, Phil Spector.
more countries around the world. Be more global with my talent. Just basically building the M-Squared brand. Shout outs? -Shout out to Marlon Holloway, Lechon Kirb, Lyvwyr, Leroge, Amartre, Madd Illz, Soul Kamotion crew, Christina Clark, Aaron Arnold, Tek the Intern, and all my supporters! Contact Info: www.twitter.com/djmsquared facebook.com/pages/dj-m-squared djmsquared.com djsquarred.tumbler.com = blog
In your opinion – do you think Orlando has a good scene, opportunities for DJ’s? It’s a great place for a DJ to grow. It’s a great market for that. This is where I grew & am still growing. What would you recommend to up & coming DJ’s? Just focus on your craft. Always work on getting better. DJ Jazzy Jeff said “don’t be afraid to push the envelope.” He was one of my biggest idols as a kid. I got to spend time with him when I went to Paris. Meeting and talking with him was life changing for me. Where can Orlando go to hear you spin? You can hear me on Tavern on Lake every Sunday night at “Sunday Night Live” with Soul Kamotion & CeCe Teneal. Every Thursday night @ 11pm I spin “Street Noize” on WPRK 91.5 FM. I have a new live mix due to be posted on face book & you tube, which is my debut set from LIV “Miami Dirty Hairy” in Miami FL. I also currently working on an album titled “Open Format” due to be released later on this year. It’s going to feature local & national artists such as Madd Illz from Orlando & Leroge from Kansas City who’s a soul artist. What do you see yourself doing in 5yrs? I like to take it one day at a time. I see myself growing as a producer & a DJ. I want to reach out to WWW.FLYERPROMONOW.COM
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