DJ Hustla rezzed on the scene in December of 2010 and has
been spinning across the grid at numerous venues since.
He entertains at
weddings receptions, rezzday celebrations, house parties and private functions
with a growing fan base. DJ Hustla’s genre of music covers a wide range and he
adapts his set list for any theme or occasion. That is what makes him one of
the hottest DJs on the grid.
We here at The SL
Enquirer are excited to be one of the places he will be featured every Thursday
from 4-6pm SLT at Lanai Beach.
SLE sat down with DJ Hustla for a one on one so you can
learn more about the man behind some of the best parties in Second Life.
Lanai:
Hi DJ Hustla, it is a pleasure to sit down with you and get to know you better.
Welcome to the SL Enquirer family, I cannot wait to see the energy you bring to
our venue.
DJ Hustla: Thank you Lanai, I'm very excited to be a part
of the SL Enquirer family, such a great product you put out, I'm very pleased
to be chosen for this opportunity. I look forward to bringing my energy to your
venue and of course a rocking good time.
Lanai: Sweet I’m sure you will bring it. One thing I
love about Second Life is it’s a global community and everyone has a unique
story. Where you from and what are brought you to Second Life?
DJ Hustla: I am from Florida and despite it being a great
place to retire, there is not a lot to do here at least not in my area, so I
started looking online for 3d virtual worlds as a way to meet people and see
what it was all about. I joined in 2008 as ImaHustla85 Denimore but when I
first opened up secondlife (at the time I didnt know about 3rd party
viewers) I was just a white cloud puff floating around this spaceship asking in
chat “where do I get a body?'' I then realized that my computer wasn't strong
enough to handle SL so I uninstalled and two years later got a new computer and
found another virtual world called Kaneva after being bored by that I reinstalled
SL , found out about 3rd party viewers such as phoenix and came back
to SL.
Lanai:lol
yes, we are all familiar with that ungodly white cloud look. I’m glad you
decided to give Second Life another shot. I’m always interested in what inspires the
unique names I see here in Second Life.
According to urban dictionary, a hustla is “someone skilled at turning a
profit no matter what the enterprise.” Is this accurate?
DJ Hustla: Well Lanai, like they say “You can't put it on
the internet if it's not true.” My screenname
actually was inspired by Cassidy's song Im a Hustla which came on after about
10 minutes of me sitting there thinking “What screenname should I use?”. Seemed
catchy enough at the time, so that's what I went with, I now wish I tried
Hustla instead of ImaHustla, as it's always being shortened to Ima which is not
what I'm promoting.
Lanai:
And you let it be known not to call you
Ima lol. So, what inspired you to be a Second Life DJ?
DJ Hustla: Good question. I started out hosting in Second
Life and did that for two years and was always working hard, I have a bachelors
degree in communications so I love to talk. One day I was complaining to a
friend about how hard I was working hosting while my DJ went afk and said
nothing on air or local and still had twice as much as me in tips. My very good
friend Kaveri Darkfold aka DJ Darkfold whom hired me at my very first hosting
gig at The Myth showed me how to get Sams and taught me how to DJ and I just
ran with it. I love music and I love
that I get to bring my musical love to others in second life. Being a 28 year
old classic rock DJ surprises many when they find out my age and how passionate
I am about my music, really brings a smile to my face when they tell me I know
my music as good as anybody who lived through the 60's and 70's.
Lanai:
Nice I’m working towards my BS in Communication now. I agree it is very
important to have a well rounded level of communication skills and knowledge
about the music you play. That’s two great things to have in SL, if you are a
DJ. Can you describe your style and what
separates you from other DJs in Second Life?
DJ Hustla: That's a good question. I hosted for two years
as I said, and I had three keys to successful hosting and I tried to translate
that to when I'm on air as a DJ. Mind you these three keys are copyrighted, I'm
just kidding of course, but key 1 is self deprecation, key 2 is fake cockiness
and key 3 is corniness. I am very much a
funny person and when I get on air I'm not afraid to have fun, I'm definitely
corny and people seem to enjoy my sense of humor. Should I ever be on stage
without a hostess, I'll break out a valley girl voice and dictionary and fake
host for myself. Just gotta have fun up there and when I'm on air, my big rule
is “This set isn't about me; it's about you, the vip's.” I want people walking
away and being able to say “That was really fun and the music was great.” Vip's
to me are the king and queen and you need to make them happy.
Lanai:
I love your key concepts. lol Your words ring true about making people feel
special and just having a good time. Humor is definitely important when it
comes to dealing with a plethora of personalities here. I’m sure with all the
events and parties you have hosted, you’ve seen some pretty interesting things.
What is your most memorable moment here in Second Life?
DJ Hustla: Oh, so many choices, what set that always
stands out to me is when I was doing a set this past new year's eve at a club
and song after song everyone kept yelling “tune” and gesturing after every song
I played. They were really digging the music but 1 hour into the set my tip jar
was still empty, they kept tryin to get me to strip down to a thong and I said
no, then finally said get my tip jar to 1k and i'll DJ in a thong the rest of
the set. I swear to you, it took less than 30 seconds and 3 tips and I was at
1k. I was left in nothing but a thong and scratching my head “What were they
really there for?”
Lanai:
Hahaha to funny. I think people just
like to have fun in unique ways. We are all beautiful. The woman are all
perfectly sculpted and the men are all chisel chested in SL so being in a thong just added to the
visual entertainment. People choose things that they love to do and it becomes
part of their virtual world lifestyle.
Have you DJ’d in real life? If so, what
are the similarities and difference between rl and SL entertaining? Which do
you prefer?
DJ Hustla: I've been in a DJ studio and voiced while in
college as I was a Communications major and we had a field trip to the school's
radio station. My experience there was short lived as we just tested stuff out
and I don't think we were even on air, but the big difference is the amount of
buttons, controls, switches, it can be overwhelming. It's a huge station,
compared to Djing in second life with just a mouse and Sams, getting songs and
dragging them where they need to go. I prefer Djing in SL because I get to see
the reactions in local chat and get IM's telling me they're enjoying it and how
they've not had this much fun in a while. Whereas you don't get that instant
reaction on air in real life radio, so you immediately know if you sink or swim
here and I think that's really cool.
Lanai:
Cool perspective of both sides of DJing. You have to love what you do to do it
well and your reputation precedes you. What is the most rewarding thing for you
as a virtual world DJ?
DJ Hustla: I could say it's the tips, as I use the money
to convert it to USD to take care of my ill family member here in real life,
but honestly it's when I get those IM's from someone who tells me “DJ Hustla, I
was having a crappy day and didn't think it would get better, thanks for helping
me forget about it and have a great time.” Just being able to make someone
happy and give the crowd a good time is what it's all about for me. It really
enforces what my standard/motto is, the VIPS' are king and queen and it's my
job to rock them and entertain them.
Lanai:
Well you are doing a great job of it. Being here for 4 years, I bet you have a
substantial playlist. What genre would you say is the most requested by your
followers?
DJ Hustla: Seeing as I DJ at Blackhearts, Muddy's, Wet
Willies, Big Daddy's, Hard Rock Live and also Black Horse Country, the genre
most requested is classic rock, a lot of the clubs I work at are genre specific
so when I'm there I follow the genre, but definitely classic rock. In regards
to most requested out of genre, would definitely be rap/hip hop.
Lanai:
I really like hip hop, Pop and party
music. So I like to be front and center requesting songs and overwhelming the
DJ lol. Some people might find it hard to DJ in SL but you make it look so
easy. What advice would you give new DJS about the most important things needed
to be successful here in Second Life?
DJ Hustla: For me it's all about being myself, I don't
mind looking silly or like a goofball, I'm all about having fun and giving
others a great time. The most important thing is to be yourself, of course you
need to be able to be comfortable speaking on microphone. I found a note card I
made from my first shift where I had written down exactly what I was going to
say to open with and I laughed as I used that about two times and then have
been free-styling it since than. For me you can't plan things, if you do than
you could be limiting yourself, but for new DJ's the biggest thing is be
comfortable talking on microphone, it was what I was most warned about. I went
from reading off a note card to doing a fake British accent impersonating
mission impossible “DJ Hustla your mission should you choose to accept it is to
follow that amazing set before you. Do you accept this mission?” To breaking
out a valley girl voice when I don't have a host. Be comfortable and not
planned, people will react to it a lot more.
Lanai:
I think you have a great attitude. That is exactly what Second Life needs. Some
people here take themselves to seriously and forget to laugh and have fun.
Before I free you from this interrogation session…How can venues contact and
book you for events? What is your fee?
DJ Hustla: Venues can contact me by messaging ImaHustla
Resident and sending a note card (in case IM's are capped) or emailing me ImaHustlaResident@Gmail.com. My
fee is 500 L per hour + tips although if it is a regular gig or they are tight on funds I am always
willing to negotiate on price and help people out. I do this for fun and at the
end of the day I'm getting paid to play music that I'm enjoying as well.
Lanai:
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I look forward to partying
with you at The SL Enquirer.
Join his group:
Hustla’s Homies
Check out DJ Hustla’s
Event Schedule
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJHustla
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SLDJHustla
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