Today we’d like to introduce you to DJisLORD.
DJisLORD, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been djing for 25 plus years. I’m an 80s baby, I grew up in the 90s during the gang injunction days in Echo Park, Ca. Echo Park is a little suburb city five minutes away from downtown LA right off the 101 Hollywood Freeway. This is during the Pre-gentrification era. Echo Park back then was a place you drove through you did not drive to. My DJ career began during my early teens but even as a prepubescent kid I always had a connection to music and an extreme obsession for our culture, the DJ culture.
What started just as a hobby, practicing in my bedroom from perfecting beat matching to blends, scratching, and juggling on vinyl. This was my way of hanging out with my older cousins, the local homeboys, and girls from the neighborhood that were gangbangers and taggers. They taught me music and my appreciation for old p funk records that helped and shaped my ear to recognize old funk records being sampled by G Funk modern day Gangsta Rap and Westcoast Hip Hop, specifically LA hip hop.
For example, I learned that Dr. Dre ‘s ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang’ sampled Leon Haywood’s ‘I Want’ a Do Something Freaky to You’! I was a liner note junkie. I always read the liner notes to seek out the producer’s samples and find ways to incorporate those original samples to the popular songs during my transitions as I would play a gig and educate the listener.
I marveled at the record artwork in both the 12-inch records & the CDs as well. I spent endless hours reading crowds and analyzing music to better understand which part of the song evokes the best emotions. When you listen to me spin records, it’s not only therapy for the soul, but I want you to dance and have a good time. I’ve always said the DJ should always take you away from your concerns not be the concern of the evening or at the event.
As a poor kid living in LA, you didn’t have many options. At the time you lived that gangster thug life, flipping cars, fixed them, resold them, dealing drugs, or you became a DJ. I was no mechanic, and my cousins forbade me to join the gang. They were like you’re too smart for this life, and you have a talent for playing music and bringing joy to people with your talents. At least get paid to do what you love to do!! We will even help you! So henceforth I became a DJ and for what it’s worth I got popular with a lot of girls, so that was a plus lol.
I started rocking local house parties at first, school dances, college formals, Filipino Festivals, proms, Etc. My DJ career evolved to playing at local nights clubs all over LA and California. I picked up any gig, anytime, anywhere, and everywhere. I’ve rocked weddings, Bar Mitzvah’s, 18 years old cotillions, quinceñeras, private events, and corporate events. I wasn’t picky, to me honestly, a paying gig was a still a paying gig to help support my family and my entrepreneurial dreams.
It’s 2019, and I’m still doing what I love to do, and I have been blessed to be able to travel to various locations around the state, the country, and even DJed internationally and shared my craft in places like Japan, Italy, and Spain just to name a few places. I’ve been also privileged to DJ with my Hip Hop group Honor Flow Productions. You can catch me on all Social Media Platforms @DJISLORD on Facebook, Twitter, And IG. I don’t do SNAP that doing TOO MUCH!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Like all Journey’s there are rough roads, minor setbacks, and life-changing events. Through those trials and tribulations, you learn to endure and overcome.
In our business when it rains, it pours. You can be booking constantly or not all and have a drought. It really all depends on your work ethic, your ability to take criticism and convert it into something positive. What separates me from the rest is, I refuse to be complacent and feel comfortable.
I lose my edge and my hunger to be better, stronger, and faster. I challenge myself every day to be a better human being and DJ than I was yesterday. Stay humble that is very important. Be filled with gratitude and learn to be teachable you don’t know everything.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
My mobile DJ company is Honor Flow Productions. We specialize in private events from weddings, formals, school dances, corporate events, and club events. We provide a DJ and MC service incomparable to most. Bar none we are the best there is, the best there was, and the best that ever will be!
We work diligently and meticulously with our clientele to provide a service that brings their ideal event into full fruition and manifestation. We look at every detail from the music selection of the event, lighting, crowd participation, reading the crowd, and overall crowd control.
What were you like growing up?
Times were tough as a kid, So our entertainment options were very limited. It helped I grew in a household filled love and family, so we always found ways to stay entertained with each other. Honestly, I was an introverted-extroverted type kid. Some days I was the life of the party.
Other days I was the voice of reason. I was always cracking jokes with my friends and keeping the good vibes going. I had a switch, and I knew when to turn it on and off. I was carefree happy go lucky chubby Filipino American kid that loved Tommy’s Chili Cheeseburgers and Chile Cheese Fries.
I love playing sports and watching the Lakers, hanging with my closest friends and family members. I love playing video games even though I couldn’t afford to buy them so we always rented games from the local blockbuster or I would get hand me downs. I enjoyed reading comic books, graphic novels, and books. Most importantly music played a huge factor in my household. My parents would always have music playing.
Everything revolved around music. If I’m in the shower, cleaning my house, working out, working on a project, fixing a car, or just hanging out, I would always have music playing even to this day. Next, to music, I am a huge Pro Wrestling fan.
I think If I didn’t pursue DJing as my career. I would tried to become a WWE and/or New Japan Pro Wrestling star lol. I was very hyper, eccentric, and loud as a kid but as I grew older, I became more calm, cool, and collected. I have my moments, it solely depends who is around me. I feed off and read people’s vibes lol.
Contact Info:
- Address: 100 N Brand Blvd Ste 218 Glendale, Ca 92103
- Website: www.honorflowproductions.com
- Phone: 2136310547
- Email: djislord@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djislord/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJisLORD
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJISLORD?lang=en
Image Credit:
Genevieve Munroe
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
