As I perused through the ‘gram I stumbled upon a page… thanks to you dear algorithms! Anywho, weeks later I was sitting on my stoop and noticed a familiar face walking towards me. A group of folks were headed indoors, as a unit, to keep sane from the newest way of life we like to call, COVID-19. They began to spark convo with me by addressing my hoodie which I might add is dope as fuck. Anyway, as time went on I finally spilled the beans on my more than usual and acceptable manners of stalked interactions, thanks to the new culture of social media! Deana Sophia was not only a fellow influencer but a friggin’ neighbor! Go figure. She’s truly on the right path and over the last few months I grew interest in finding out how to tweak the brain of this influencer to assist a reader or two on following their dreams. Your welcome world, your welcome!
1. What or who inspires your music?
I really love the different sounds of underground music so there isn't anyone in particular that really moves me, it's just the genre in general. If I had to pick a producer whose sound I love, I would have to pick
Maceo Plex.
2. When getting into something new, for you it was modeling and then recently real estate, what is your thought process following “I want to pursue this.”?
Throughout my life I have always followed my passions. When I was younger I always wanted to model, so I kind of went for it and ended up doing some cool things. After a few years of modeling, I realized that it wasn't really for me, and shortly after I got interested in deejaying. I was already super into the music so I thought it would be something cool to try as a hobby. I guess my mindset is just to do whatever it is that you feel like exploring. Even if you don't succeed in it at least you tried to do it and learned something from it.
3. Let’s talk about fashion. What dictates your style?
When it comes to fashion I definitely could use some help. My friends who know me know that my wardrobe revolves around comfort. As nice as it is to dress sexy once in a while most of the time I like to hide behind my clothes.
4. Do you think there are certain elements of your personal style that have roots in the culture around your music?
Music has definitely changed the way I dress a bit. In the underground world, women are a bit ashamed for being "too sexy" or "too pretty" so since I started I have definitely toned it down with more t-shirts and not as many tight clothing. But honestly, the older I get the more I love it because who doesn't like to feel comfortable?
5. During quarantine, I saw a few DJs had turned to live-streaming their sets on sites like Twitch. Was this something you considered?
I did go live on Instagram a couple times during quarantine, and it was cool but it's definitely nothing like playing an actual show and feeling the energy of the crowd. During quarantine, I actually took some time off from making mixes and focusing on booking shows to get more involved in real estate.
6. How else was your life in terms of what you do affected by COVID?
COVID-19 affected me pretty hard like most people. Being a DJ and relying on travel and packed night clubs definitely made me think a bit more about the future. Hence why I decided to get my real estate license. At the time I was already working for a real estate company as an executive assistant so I knew I had an interest in the field.
7. Did you take that time to learn any new skills?
Yes, I did take the time to learn something new. I spent time taking classes to be able to get my real estate license. I also switched jobs and joined Compass Real Estate.
8. Do you have any advice for anyone who's following a path like yours? Whether it’s hopping countries, making music, or branching out into new ventures?
My advice is to anyone and everyone is to enjoy what you're doing regardless of the money. I think it's so important to follow your passions and to grow as a person. Life is too short to not be doing what you want.
Curator: @allisonbelladonna
Author: @instead.world
