Meet David J. Franco | Entrepreneur, Music Producer/Vocalist, Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with David J. Franco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David J., what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Music and art in general are a way for me to freely express myself. At 6 years old I was writing songs, rapping and making beats from whatever object I could find. As I grew older, I discovered different genres of music, and I’ve always been intrigued, especially with how the hip-hop genre was originally created for. It was intended to draw teenagers out of gang life, drugs and violence by a huge community of people that believed in self-expression. Although the concept of my music brand is a bit different from that, I still want to bring something to the table – I want to open up the door for a new type of sound where you don’t have to follow all the rules of music. I will always be an advocate of creative freedom and expression – making music based on your creative flow and expression and not necessarily following the typical structure. Freedom – that’s what DJF Beatz is all about. As for graphic design, I started back when I was 16 years old. I had an online business where I created virtual products, and I slowly mastered programs like Photoshop. Fast forward to my college years; I ended up going to school for Graphic Design and founded my brand “DJF Graphix” in 2018.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
DJF Beatz started off as a way to share my instrumentals with the world. What sets me apart from others is that I don’t necessarily follow the typical rules of music; I’m more interested in practicing freedom of expression and creativity in music. It was not easy to get to where I’m at now, it took years of practice – started when I was 6 years old, and during my teenage years I took up on singing and guitar lessons. During my early 20’s I became more confident and performed in front of an audience. Then I stepped back from it for some time and learned how to make beats in about a year or so, bought some equipment and started recording some friends who were singers, and I slowly transitioned into a music producer. Of course, there were challenges along the way. I had stage fright and was camera shy. The most efficient way to overcome this is to just do it. Don’t think about messing up or looking like a fool in front of people, just focus on what you have to do. As for my DJF Graphix brand, it also took some time to develop these skills, I had an online business at 16 where I learned how to use Photoshop, then I attended art/design school for 4 years. I think what’s overall challenging for me is to juggle between DJF Graphix and DJF Beatz, but what helps for now is to take a break between the two.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would have to say Wynwood, it’s been one of the best spots in list for a while now. Cool spot to take pictures at with the graffiti and art murals. There’s tons of restaurants and bars to choose from. I would take them to Coyo Taco if they’re into Mexican food or Dukunoo if they like Jamaican food. There’s also plenty of night clubs to choose from if they’re into that. Taking an Uber or Lyft would be a good idea as the traffic is heavy and parking is hard to find. I would also take them to Ocean Drive, and Las Olas. We would just enjoy the beach and the awesome ocean view, ride bikes across the city, work out and do calisthenics with my boy Swiss da Body, and of course get something to eat, there’s a ton of restaurants to choose from
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Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to send a shout-out to my parents, without their sacrifices I wouldn’t be here. Shout-out to my “2-Way” team – who helped me bring my vision to life. Shout-out to everyone who has supported DJF Beatz and has never left since day one.

Website: www.djfbeatz.com and www.djfgraphix.com

Instagram: itsdjfbeatz

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHk_t1Kmkx7Jn0TKHjwDbvg