This week, we had a chance to sit down with Orlando’s very own DJ Xclusive City and ask him a couple questions. Here is what he had to say:
So how did this all start? Was it planned?
DJ Xclusive City: The funny thing is, I can’t really tell you the exact day that I was like, “I wanna be a DJ.” As a Haitian-Americn kid growing up in Providence, Rhode Island wasn’t always easy. Both of my parents migrated from Haiti to the US and really had to struggle to provide for five children while working multiple jobs. Although I’m very grateful for all of their sacrifices, we never had everything that most kids had like Jordans and name brand clothes. It really made me appreciate the little things that we did have and for me that was music. I remember every day just sitting by the radio waiting until my favorite songs came on so I could record them. Around that time I was like 12 years old when I started making mixtapes for my classmates, with a CD burner and old hip-hop records I would borrow from my pops and my uncles. Once I got to high school, I made a name for myself selling my mixtape CDs around my neighborhood, local stores, and barbershops. To be honest, none of this was even planned for me. People would just always want whatever music I had, so I would burn CDs and people would ask me for them. The whole time little did I know, that would ultimately be when I started my career in not only DJing parties or clubs but also a career in doing radio as well.
Which is the best part of being a DJ?
DJ Xclusive City: I would say the best part of being a DJ is probably the energy. I genuinely love seeing the joy and vibes that music brings to people when I play. I feel like everyone is born with a gift that they give back to other people. My gift is music.
Tell us what you most remember of your career as a DJ?
DJ Xclusive City: Probably my first gig at a nightclub when I first moved to Orlando, FL. I was working at a local barber shop at the time, when a good friend of mine had a performance coming up with her rap group and they needed a DJ that night so they could perform but, they never told me a specific time to get there and set up. So, I got to the club with my equipment around 9:45 PM and some manager was yelling at me telling me to hurry up and set up, so I’m thinking I was late so I set up as fast as could. Once I was done he told me to start playing music which at that point, I was confused but I started playing music anyway. Next thing I know, they started letting people in the club and before I knew it the club was starting to get packed. It’s now maybe 11:30 PM and my friend who initially invited me to DJ for her group performance comes up to me and says “I didn’t even know you were here, so we did the show without you.” It turns out that not only did I miss the whole show but it was upstairs as well and I was in a whole different part of the club which was getting ready to open up for customers (Laughs). Long story short, I ended up with a gig that I wasn’t even booked for or expecting and the owner of the nightclub and the promoters loved the way I played that night, so they ended up booking me as a resident DJ. That’s when I started to get my name out there and caught the attention of other promoters in Orlando, as well as promoters in different cities. I ultimately started getting booked in the biggest nightclubs which led me to landing a job as a DJ and Radio Personality on 104.5 The Beat (WTKS) and iHeartRadio for the past few years.
Has COVID19 affected your tour dates?
DJ Xclusive City: Definitely. This whole COVID-19 pandemic has slowed up a lot of tour dates and opportunities for me. I said it before and I’ll say it again… The coronavirus pandemic has been by far one of my greatest challenges. Not only is there no foreseeable ending in sight but it has literally forced us DJs into a challenging space. I mean, all the clubs and venues are shut down, which basically slows down the money we use to pay all our bills and how we make our living. It could be worse I guess… a lot of us DJs are using Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitch and Mixcloud to live stream our DJ sets which could hopefully lead to some sort of revenue or a way for us to monetize that experience. I really feel bad for the DJs who can’t pay their bills and are currently struggling to find a way.
What else do you do day by day?
DJ Xclusive City: My day to day pretty much fluctuates to say the least. I’m still on the radio doing the 12 O’ Clock Lunch Mix on 104.5 The Beat (WTKS) and iHeartRadio weekdays at noon as well as my live mix show Sunday VIBEZ every Sunday from 10PM-12AM. I also have a super secret project I’ve been working on as a producer with some up and coming artists but I can’t tell you about that yet because it’s top secret shhh (Laughs).
Wow, That’s incredible. Thanks for the interview. Would you like to say anything else?
DJ Xclusive City: I just want to say thank you for reaching out and taking the time out to do this interview. I really do appreciate it. And you know I gotta thank God, my family, and all my day one supporters for always supporting me. Thank you for helping me chase my dreams. Without you, it wouldn’t even be possible. Let’s keep winning together!
Learn more about DJ Xclusive City by visiting his Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Official Website.
