Meet DJ Kevin | DJ / Remixer / Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with DJ Kevin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi DJ Kevin, what do you attribute your success to?
In this industry there are so many driving factors behind what I’ve accomplished so far, however the one that stands out the most to me right now is to never stop learning. Knowledge is power and in an industry that is constantly evolving, especially now with social media trends, new technology, new ways to stream and listen to music. its important to me to understand how all of this works as it changes. I’m the type of person as well to always learn from my peers, whether it be from someone who’s been in the game much longer than me or someone who is new and brings a fresh idea to the game. The possibilities are endless when you’re open to always learn from your peers. As cliche as it sounds its fact, I’ll always be a student of the game.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My name is DJ Kevin, I’m a DJ, remixer, producer, business owner, photographer, videographer, graphic designer and everything in between. I think that’s what sets me apart from others, the versatility, I started with a love for music and it’s just grown into a powerhouse of talents that I wake up every day thinking Im blessed to be able to do 24/7.

Getting to this took some time, but we’re still at the beginning I’d say. Professionally being a DJ its been about 4 years, however I’ve been a DJ through-out high school, playing all-ages, house parties, sweet 16s, weddings, basically how every DJ starts their journey. Back then it was just an interest in music, the industry and a curiosity of what would happen if I mixed two records together. It got a little tough around my university years solely because I was focused on getting into a different career, a typical 9 to 5 job with benefits, regular salary so music took a backseat. However I didn’t end up finishing at university, what I was doing just didn’t feel right. I actually ended up getting a job during university at a company I would’ve ended up working at after I graduated and absolutely hated it. At the same time I was still playing parties here and there but wasn’t too serious about it (big mistake). I wasn’t aware at the time but a lot of bigger DJ’s were starting to pay attention to me coming up and wanted to give me a chance in what some may call the “big leagues”, playing larger parties, travelling, just doing a lot more in the industry. One day I got the call to play a particular event with an iconic DJ here in Toronto, from there the bookings just kept coming in. Eventually I had to decide whether I wanted to finish school or turn music into a full-time career. As you can see what my choice ended up being.

To some, that might be an easy choice to just leave school and pursue music however in a Caribbean house-hold it’s not that easy, had to prove myself in the industry and at home. Within the industry it was here’s this 21 year old who’s sharing a stage with DJs and Artists who’ve been doing this for 20+ years, with that came a lot of animosity from others but I always say you can’t hold back greatness.

The best thing about this industry is you learn so much, a few that stand out right now are understand that what’s for you is for you and there’s nothing anyone can do to take that away, so if something doesn’t work out the way it should usually its for a much bigger reason you might not even see at that given moment. And secondly, enjoy the journey to the fullest. At the end of the day this is just music, we’re here to make other people happy, so we have to be happy doing it, can’t take too many things too seriously.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m from Toronto so it’s a very diverse city. Definitely would start off at Tim Hortons, that’s a must no matter where you’re from. From there head right downtown and visit the city’s hot spots, CN Tower, Ripley’s etc. Considering we’re a very sports-driven city as well you could definitely throw checking out a Raptors game on the itinerary. Food wise the options are endless, for anyone from out of town I’d say check out Distillery District, it’s an area with all kinds of restaurants and bars. There’s tons of food spots, I’ll just name out a few that come to mind, Harbour 60, Lavelle, La Carnita, El Catrin, Sugo, Nome Izakya and local Caribbean places, Island Mix, Zen Restaurant, Tropical Nights. I like food, can you tell? A few other spots people love to check out is Niagara Falls (although it’s a 2 hour drive from Toronto), Yorkdale Mall, Wonderland. Depending on the season there’ll be drive-in’s movie theatres, as well as drive-in event venues. And lastly, the best place to check out is a DJ Kevin event here in Toronto, had to do a quick plug.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Firstly I want to shout out the people at Shoutout Miami for featuring me on this, excited to be apart of the discussion! Second I need to shoutout everyone who stays supporting me and my brand, you know who you are, thank you! We might run out of space if I start listing off people who’ve been apart of this journey, teamwork makes the dream work.

Website: www.djkevinmusic.com

Instagram: @djkevintoronto

Twitter: @_djkevintoronto

Facebook: djkevinto

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOk5E_32Cj-qWQW08f4_bA

Image Credits
@rymedia @nsr.jpg @morgansophiaphotography