Meet Natasha Hamilton of DJ Freckled Gyal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Hamilton.

Natasha, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Really, I grew up as an only child in a small town called Moreno Valley, and I think that makes up a large part of my identity. My parents pretty much got me anything that I asked for. For real—there isn’t any gaming console I didn’t get and there isn’t any piece of clothing I felt that I missed out on; however, there was only one thing I was told I couldn’t get, and that was a sibling.

I used to daydream about silly hypotheticals with my nonexistent brother or sister. Arguments about whose turn it was to do the dishes, sharing clothes, running errands together, going to school together, falling asleep in each other’s rooms.

Had I any siblings, I don’t think I would have been so drawn to storytelling. Whether it was through writing or sounds, I always felt the need to articulate myself, to analogue a feeling or situation, to flow into infinite storytelling. I remember around the age of ten or eleven, I’d been sitting legs-crossed underneath my desk one afternoon, free-writing a story about a little girl whose only friend was her shadow. I remember writing so fast and finally pausing, thinking, my life is similar to this writing process: deciding what is next. Writing since I was four, creative articulation has always been my passion, and I always knew that I was the author of my own story—my life! So therefore the source of manifesting through ideal concepts and affirmations was rather simple to me.

My mother had affirmed I’d become a DJ just like my dad. My dad’s been DJ’ing for as long I can remember. I used to think he was so inconsiderate for DJ’ing such loud music at night, especially since the neighbors had called the cops a few times before and I had to be up for school five times a week. Mixing music accidentally became my passion one day as I was creating a playlist for myself. I didn’t like the pauses between the songs and would always prepare pencils for drum tappings to properly transition.

A year after graduating high school, I decided to move to LA. I promoted myself as a DJ and got lots of successful bookings; however, people kept asking me to model for them. At first, I was shy to it. I’d been used to being looked at with either admiration or general confusion by people. I was the ginger haired black girl with freckles and weird clothes. But one day I decided I would not mind being photographed. Eventually, I befriended casting directors and photographers who insisted that I give modeling a try. My photos and work ethic became so respected that people started to ask what my rates were before they asked if I were available.

Growing up in a city I felt was limiting and uninspiring, I visited Los Angeles often to remind myself that there is more out there for me. There are other cities and people that support and offer opportunities for artists such as myself. A vast majority of the people around me accepted their lives as they were and idolized people who went after their dreams. It made me uncomfortable. I am someone who is always craving more. All it takes is trust in one’s self, passion, and consistency.

Now, here I am: a model, DJ, producer, and writer. My jobs are my hobbies, my hobbies are my jobs. I am exactly who I wanted to be as a child. I will always be grateful.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I struggled with wanting to be understood through my art. I struggled deciding what it is that I wanted, and when I discovered what it was that I wanted, I struggled with the prerequisites that came with my desires. Being stuck in the unknown—the interlude to my manifestations—was extremely frustrating, like trying to see in the dark. I struggled sharing my emotions with people and felt generally disconnected from everyone around me. I struggled with my self-esteem. Patience, trust, meditation, and self-awareness saved me.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My stage name is DJ Freckled Gyal. Whether I am mixing, improvising a beat on my SP404SX or performing a song, that is what I am known as. Expect incense to be burning and a disco ball to be spinning.

If it is unrelated to music, I go by my real name, Natasha. I’m also known for minimal acting in short films and music videos, modeling for magazines, commercials, and ads. I specialize in storytelling, so anything that allows me to do so is special to me. I am not a published author yet but I will be soon!

Although I can see myself in everyone, I can also see what makes me apart from everyone. I think the way I go about my storytelling is unique. The universe I live in contains a language only I can speak. I also think there are few freckled black girls with red hair who skateboard, write, produce, curate, DJ, and model all in one. I knew what set me apart from the people in my city was how simple it was for me to go after what I wanted. All of the questions pertaining what I had to do to get to where I’m at always leave me speechless, especially because I feel I have barely scratched the surface to what I want to be doing. I simply went after what I felt I wanted for myself. There are no excuses to not living a life that is yours.

One day I dropped out of school, quit my job, and decided to be quiet and indulge into a spiritual trip for a few months. My parents, my friends, and my peers all wondered what I was doing; how could I just throw away what was seemingly keeping me stable? Easy, because I realized that they weren’t. I felt I was going mad attending a school I didn’t care about, going to a retail job every week and trying my hardest to stretch the little amounts that I was earning. After those few months of rest, meditation, trips and realizations, I had a vision in my head of how I wanted my life to be, and I planned to take action the very next day. That night, I packed up my things and left. What is there to wait around for? I am authentically and unapologetically myself!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career this far has to be seeing my face on a billboard and on a few traveling trucks. Words cannot explain the joy I felt.

Being able to treat myself to a personal vacation with money I earned was another proud moment. I worked for it and I earned it. The possibilities are endless.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Instagram.com/freckled.gyal
• Twitter: twitter.com/melaninspots
• Other: soundcloud.com/djfreckledgyal

Image Credit:
Brandon J, Derrick Broaster, Jay Will

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