He goes by the name of DJ Young Music and with good reason. Since the age of 16 he’s been a regular on tour with four time Grammy Award nominee Ginuwine. He’s a fixture on Internet radio. He peeked at number three on Indie Artist music haven Media Base and was a featured guest deejay on Diddy’s REVOLT TV in 2014. That activity undoubtedly led to him inking a worldwide film, music & soundtrack deal with N.S.U.C. Entertainment Group/ Entertainment One Distribution and is naturally, the Youngest artist ever to do so.
His list of accomplishments read like the well thought out manuscript of a music savant, destined for a takeover from the seat of his budding DYMG independent label empire. Yet and still, this Washington DC area native has maintained status as an honor roll student in his final year of high school.
At the tender age of 18 years Young, his story has just begun to unfold and if his lead single “Right Here” (ft. Da-Rai and Frank Benz), is any indication of what is to come, DJ Young Music is the type of talent we won’t mind growing old with.
Since signing the deal with E-One things have been moving pretty fast for you with “Right Here” and Something For The Streets 2. 250,000 downloads later, did you expect the kind of response you’ve received and what are your immediate plans for DYMG?
DJ Young Music: Yeah, it’s been pretty overwhelming. I think people can relate to it because it’s based on a true story. It’s about everybody taking people’s chicks when they’re not being treated right and the whole song is about how it would go down if I was to take somebody’s chick, Frank was to take somebody’s chick and Da-Rai was to take somebody’s chick. When “Right Here” came together, the way it was created, it was an automatic hit. As soon as I heard it I knew it was a hit. So when we got to that point, it was a go. Before I put it on Something For The Streets, I was letting DJs hear it and everybody was saying it was a hit. Frank knew it, Da-Rai knew it and I knew it, so there was nothing else to do but to push the song.
As for my label, we got Frank Benz hit single, “Not Around” and Da-Rai’s#### single “Wait” coming soon off of the DYMG compilation album. In addition to that, everybody is working on a solo project and it’s not just Frank and Da-Rai. We have other artists that we’re working with across the country that are making hits. Dallas, Chicago, California – DYMG is not just your local label. We’re taking this thing worldwide. I’ve been looking at some kids oversees in Taiwan, and some other countries, so we don’t want to limit ourselves to the United States.
Was the buzz around “Right Here” in the DMV at all responsible for the guest deejay shifts you’ve picked up at WPGC Radio?
DJ Young Music: I wouldn’t say that song is responsible for that relationship at all, because I was already making moves and recognized in the DMV. When you look at the age category, it’s Young Music and nobody else. Therefore, it was destined to happen. As for the relationship with WPCG 95.5, I started working with DJ Flex, living legend himself, who works [at the station]. When I was 11 and 12, I was doing parties with Flex and then I became Ginuwine’s Tour DJ. So over time I was adding stuff to my catalogue. But Tony Redz was really the one who pushed to get Young Music on the radio with a mix show. He felt like it would open doors because it had never been seen or done before.
Have you experienced any jealousy or envy from your peers, or older cats in the game because of the way you’ve gone about your business? If so, how do you deal with it?
DJ Young Music: I think with a lot of people that are older, it’s just different to them. When you see someone young that’s shaking things up, maybe it puts them on their heels a little bit. But I haven’t really experienced any jealousy or backlash for what I’m doing. If anything, it’s support. I just keep pushing forward and never listen to anybody’s opinion. That’s what I’ve always done and that’s what’s gotten me to the point I’m at right now. I just always listen to myself before anyone else.
Tell me about your role on the “Should Could Dream Tour” and what it’s been like to touch so many students (390,000), given the fact you are a graduating senior.
“The Should Could Dream Tour” is a 30 city school tour and it basically goes into schools and tells the kids, “You should have done this… You could have done this…” That’s why it’s called the Should Could Dream Tour. The opportunity was presented to me by Tony Redz and Dwayne Myko and the tour is sponsored by REVOLT TV and WPGC 95.5 and when Young Music joined the tour it gave me an opportunity to talk to the kids and it also gave the kids an opportunity to know my life story, to know that anything is possible, at any age. They see me at 18 and only a few years older than the majority of them and they realize that if they focus, they can become something.
I understand you have a fetish for fashion, but heard your shoe game is absolutely SICK! Do you have any plans to share or showcase that scope of your brand with your fans?
DJ Young Music: Oh, you already know! The shoe game is crazy!! I really focused on shoes coming up because you saw people like Chris Brown, Nelly, Jermaine Dupri… that was like one of the highlights of my life, looking at Bow Wow, all your celebrities always had the new J’s or the new Versace’s, the new Gucci’s. That was one of the things I really keyed in on. Young Music will be coming out with a new clothing line and I figured why not remodel it to show the new Young Music. The old clothing line was the old Young Music. With the new line, I’m thinking apparel, shoes – I just want to take this thing to a whole new level. Why not?
Now you might see me in loafers, a suit, a whole lot of stuff that most 18-year-olds don’t wear. This is a whole new Young Music. The old Young Music was just that deejay. But this new Young Music is your Diddy, your Jay-Z. It’s a more bossed up look. It’s a more next level type of look… not just your average teen.
Connect with DJ Young Music
Instagram: @djyoungmusic1
www.facebook.com/djyoungmusic1