DeeJay Nikki💋

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SPEAKER_03 0:00

Social media platforms. So basically I'm on IG, which is Instagram at DJ Nikki730. You can find me on Facebook at DJ Nikki Gilcrest. TikTok, I'm on DJ Nikki, Snapchat, DJ Nikki, YouTube, DJ Nikki, Lemonade, DJ Nikki. Pretty much I'm on all social media platforms, DJ Nikki straight a call.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Alright, so what I'm gonna do is we'll introduce you. So oh yo, what's up? What's good with everybody? You already know what time it is. This is your boy AD from Push Your Independent Radio, where we push independent talent to the next level. I'm your host AD. And today we got a special guest in the building. This next guest doesn't just spin records. She controls the energy, commands the room, and creates moments. Two-time award winner, DJ of the year. And let's make some noise for Miss DJ Nikki. So yeah, I'm not sure. So where I'm gonna go is so pretty much what has your vibe been like lately? What does life look like right now for you?

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Um, so for me, life is looking amazing. I'm blessed, grateful. I can't complain about anything that has been transpiring in my environment. My experiences, being out there with different promoters, different events, different crowds, and just having the experience with interacting with different people has been amazing. And I enjoy it because I am a people person. But other than that, you know, I've been very busy, booked and busy. And I just really just enjoy everything that I have been doing. I have been DJing for the last 23 years, but I have been in the go-go industry as the only female DJ holding it down for the last four years. And of course, my main base is Fast Eddie. Shout out to Lowe's, 100 proof. He is the one who actually put me on. If it was not for him, I don't know where I would be right now as far as the go-go industry. I did not think that this would turn out to be as big as it has been for me for the last four years. I am just grateful for just meeting everybody that's really in the go-go industry and for people who have actually, you know, booked me, reached out, the experiences with being all with all the different go-go bands at different events. And also, I do regular events as well: birthday parties, weddings, cookouts, anything you can name of, I do as well, because that's what I was doing from the beginning before I even even got into the go-go industry as a DJ. Pretty much the go-go industry thing just, for me, it just took a life of its own. I was not expecting it to be as big as it turned out to be. Like I said, you know, Lowe's, shout out to Lowe's. He gave me the opportunity, and I actually used one of his main DJs board on that night for like 20 minutes. And and it wasn't even my show, you know, it was a rare essence night because they were there every Friday at Fast Eddie's from since 2017. But I just went up there, you know. I just I went every Friday just to see Essence. And I was sitting there. He was like, You ready? And I'm like, huh, what do you mean about ready? I was in shock. So I went up there and did my thing, man. And shout out to DJ Chittones, man, to this day for even letting me use his board. And the crazy part about it, it wasn't my board. You know what I mean? And shout out to him, you know, because he actually gave me my props. He was like, oh my gosh, how long have you been doing this? And I told him, he was like, You are amazing because for someone who's never used someone else's board before and able to do what you just did was amazing. So shout off DJ Tones, man. Yes, that's where it all started.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

So I know, like, with with women out here in the industry, do you feel like even right now where you're at in your status, that is that people look at you a little different, or like are they more like helpful to the point like, hey, we want to put her on stuff, or do, or do you feel like you're getting the opportunities that you need, or or you still feel like you have to put in some more work than guys that DJ?

SPEAKER_03 4:29

To be honest, I'm just myself. I don't really have to put in anything, to be honest. It's like me, my personality, and how I'm very professional and how I interact with people speaks for itself. You know, I've never had to come across in a situation to where they were like, oh no, you're not good enough or you're not working hard enough or you haven't proven yourself. No, it was just like, you know, shout out to Lowe's once once again. It's like he just he already knew my energy as just a person within myself. You know what I mean? And he just gave me that shot. And the type of guy Los is, he just, he's fair, he's loyal. So he likes to give everyone a shot. You know what I mean? So even when I started getting booked at these events and the go-go events, it wasn't like, oh my gosh, you gotta prove yourself. You know what I mean? That type of vibe from any of these promoters. You know what I mean? They just booked me and I just did my thing. And at the end of the day, I'm just worried about if they're satisfied and then the crowd's satisfied. But my main concern is, you know, the promoters and, you know, the venues and all that, as long as they're satisfied and then the crowd is satisfied, I'm cool with that. So I've never really got any bad feedback as far as like I had to work harder or it was just horrible, or you you just don't know what you're doing. Every event I have ever done, I have, man, I'm trying to tell you, I have turned it out like it was, like I was just sitting at home somewhere, just doing my thing. And the amount of achieves achievement that I have done with these events, I'm just proud of myself. And, you know, my husband always tells me, he'd be like, you need to really just wear that badge sometimes. Like you need to just pat yourself on the back. It's okay. Like, and that's that was really if anything, that was really hard for me to even to accept and to acknowledge within myself. You know what I mean? Because every time I do a show or an event, I'm always nervous. Sorry, but yes, I I yes, I get very nervous. I I get really, really nervous. Every single event that I do, or anyone that books me, I get really, really nervous. I'm like, I'm like on a thousand, and I never understood that. And if you ever hear like Michael Jackson or Chris Brown, they always say, Man, before I get on that stage, I'd be so nervous, or my anxiety just be on like a thousand. And I and I never understood it until I actually felt that. And I I understand it. And the crazy part about it, what it's all about is you don't want nothing to go wrong. You want everything to be perfect. You want everything to go right. That's where the anxiety comes from. You know what I mean? And you just don't know what you're gonna run into when you get to that establishment, the venue, stadium, event. You you just don't know what's gonna happen. So that's where all that anxiety comes into play. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Yeah, because uh as being a drummer, sometimes at at at events, people like, yo, you you you really you really did your thing. But I'm I'm nervous too. And people like, why are you nervous? I say, you know, you you just want to do your best and you don't want nobody to have that look like you know the sit down look. And so it's like, you know, people ask like, hey, like, you know, you ain't gotta be nervous, just do your thing. But it's it's like I understand it because, you know, you wanna when you have a brand and and people respect what you're doing, you want to go out there and and give your give your best because you don't want that moment to be like, yeah, they gave their best, but you know, they missed they didn't they didn't do this part. So um so like with you with you doing all this that you're doing, do you ever like take moments to just sit back and reflect on the accomplishments and where you at now?

SPEAKER_03 8:29

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Now that is one thing I definitely do. I definitely go back and I research and watch. Where, you know, I'll tweak if I have to tweak, or I'll look back and be like, yeah, I could have did that a little different, or yeah, I did kind of mess up right there a little bit, or whatever. But the thing that gets me is people really don't even realize, like, there's been times that I've been at an event and like I might have messed up somewhere on a mix or something, but you would never know. I would never know, but I know myself, but nobody come back like, oh man, you just this and that and the third. But there was one experience that I did did it Encore Lounge one time. Now, this was a humble event because one of the DJs couldn't make it. So they called me, and I had just got off work and everything. Mind you, I worked for UPS 24 years, y'all. So I just got off of work. I was already tired. So I was like, okay, I'll go ahead and do it because this, you know, shout out to uh DJ Jigga Man. You know, it's one of the dudes, and he getting your call and couldn't do it. So I was like, all right, bet. And Encore is like maybe 25 minutes from my house anyway. So that wasn't far. I went in the joint, did it, but there was a moment in one of my mixes that I was kind of messing up a little bit, like my blending was just off. And the only reason why I was off like that was because I was tired. I was literally tired, you know, standing on my feet, you know, sorting packages for like four hours and then coming in here and standing for another four hours. You know what I mean? Trying to transition in fast like that. So there are moments where I do catch myself. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 10:18

So with so we're gonna talk about women because they're you know, a lot of women trying to get a a break out here, and some of them feel like they're they're not getting where they they need to get because either being a woman or they have to go through so much more than a than men in some instances. So I would like to ask, like, what advice would you give the indie artist woman that's out here that's trying to uh uh get a name for herself that might feel like every you know that the man is getting the head and you know they they gotta you know struggle to get to where they they gotta be at. So what advice like would you would you give uh like some female artist that came up to you and it's like how how are you doing it?

SPEAKER_03 11:00

Oh man. So I would basically tell them though, keep number one thing is to keep doing you, keep being yourself. Don't go out here and try to be something that you're not. Definitely don't do that. Even if you get a no or a turn down, keep on pushing. Branding, promoting, all of that is like 90% of who you are. That's number one with anything that you do. The branding, you have to get out here and you have to network. You have to reach out to people. It takes time to knock down them doors, believe it or not. But at the same time, it's not about what you know, it's about who you know. And you have to be at the right place at the right time for that moment to even present itself. You know what I mean? And relationships too with who you are networking with is very, very important because you never know where that can take you. Again, it's it's been shown for me that because I already had a relationship and and real cool, you know, relationship with Los and supporting him in all his events since 2017 at Fast Eddies, like I said, it's all about who you know. And that moment presents itself and this whole time that I'm going out to these go-go's and supporting different people and just having a good time. Nobody knew I was a DJ. Nobody knew. That's the crazy part about it. Ain't nobody know. You don't know unless you speak it. Like, hey, you could just be in a random conversation. I tell people that all the time. You could just be talking to somebody. Don't be afraid to say, hey, you know, I do nails. Hey, I do hair. Hey, I'm a tattoo artist, you know. Hey, I sing, hey, I got some music on the side. Don't be afraid to speak up about your talents and what you do. There's nothing wrong with that. And when it is being presented, you just never know who it's gonna fall into and what lap it's gonna sit in and what it might do. You know, and it's just like these artists out here, and and I'm gonna say it just like that. I have a full DMV artist crate in my DJ equipment, okay? And every time I'm doing anything, I I don't care, even if I'm on TikTok, anything, it don't matter. I'm always mixing DMV artist music into my repertoire because here in the D MV, these DMV artists do not get recognized enough. That's just what I have experienced because I am a DJ and being out here in these different events, they're not being recognized enough. So when these artists that I have relationships with and built relationships with over the years because I'm in the go-go industry, guess what happens? They inbox me, they email me their music because they know I'm gonna play it. That's that's one thing about me as a female DJ that I am different from a lot of people that I know as far as DJs. I will play DMV artist music with no hesitation. You don't have to pay me, you don't have to tip me, you don't have to do anything. Prime example, Ziggy Brown. Shout out to Ziggy Brown. He's an artist that has come to support me at every single bounce speed go go event, every second Saturday at Fast Studies. I did not know that he is a host, I did not know that he was a rap artist until one day he had a conversation with me. And ever since we had that conversation, I bought his album off iTunes. I sure did. Bought it, and every time T.O.B. before they will come on their set and they played second, I will always rock his music. People need to understand that you need to support and play other people's artists' music, whether you're from Chicago, whether you're from New York, whether you're from down south somewhere. It's very important. And that is what makes DJ Nikki.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

I I like that. And you're not the first person who said that. I believe the same thing as even doing independent radio shows and and all that and interviews. I feel like you should push your own first. Then you go outside and you push everybody else. Cause even with these interviews, I realize hey, there's a lot of awesome people in the D that you know, you like that people don't either push or they're not may not be in the upper airline of people in the in the D. So it's like, oh, we don't we don't push it. But like I'm one of them type people too. If you got it, I'm gonna push it. I realize that even doing shows and and things like that, that sometimes it's not about what we like. So it might be a song that you push that somebody might be like, you might say, I don't know. Somebody listen to it, they get you know a couple of a couple of uh likes and stuff, and then they they put it in rotation. And I just feel like that in the in the DNV we should support more of the what we do. I I get a lot of the that's why I don't I don't support the D and V because they don't do whatever like it's uh it's not always about that. Sometimes they they we all need the help and the support and it you know, and for you to uh push the music, I commend that because a lot of people are not doing it. Um Let's Tech Nation gave me an opportunity to be like, hey, I give you two shows and give you a couple slots, and I was like, I appreciate it, cuz I had music just like you do. And I'm like, you know, people like man, I I've been uh I'm like, why are you sitting on your music? And the and the first thing I I hear is because I don't know if it's gonna get played. And they sent it to me like and I'm like, this needs to be need to get played. And they like, well, you know, I don't know. So I I I same thing with me. I might send it to a show that happens on probably like uh Monday to Tuesday where they they uh highlight new artists and and some of the guys they'd be like, yo, this this music is fire. I'm like, thanks. I just w wanna know like what because I I've had this talk with with with DM D M V, what is it that we could do better to to help our own?

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Stop thinking about me.

SPEAKER_03 18:28

Stop just focusing me, me, me, me, me, me, and start focusing more on one, let's get let's get this together. Like, let's get together and make something out of this amazing talent that we all have in the DMV area. That is the problem with the DMV area. The DMV area is so oversaturated, be real with you. It's very oversaturated. And the problem with the DMV is that everybody wants to be number one in the DMV. That is the problem. And when you're constantly trying to be the number one and not looking at it as we're all one together, you're not gonna you're not gonna make it far. And the problem with the DMV too is that when people are trying to get up out of here and doing their own thing, like break making music like we were just talking about, they start looking at them differently when they do make it. And while A and I'll say it again, he will always be a prime example of that. And it's sad that whenever you do make it out of the DMV like that, it just seemed like they just don't want to mess with you. Like they just give you a cold shoulder. And it shouldn't be that way, you know. You should be supportive, like, hey, we've seen this brother come out of PG County who went to Largo High School, rapper got talent, got signed Rick Ross and just did his thing, and still coming back to the community when he does, and he gives back to the community, which he does with the kids and youth and all that stuff, and he puts on amazing shows, he gets he gets criticized for it. You know? And it's sad, and that is the problem with this area. It it's it's really sad. It's like for some reason or another, people from the DMV don't want to see others level up. It's like they just want them to stay in one spot and when they make it up it becomes a huge problem. Then they start gatekeeping you because you went outside of the box when they didn't want you to go outside of the box in the first place. And it it's just sad. It it's truly sad. So it's like, you know, again, when it comes to like these DJs in this area and things of that nature, shout out to all DJs, salute to all DJs, because all DJs are different, you know what I mean? But it's like, come on, man, like you can't sit here and dog a DJ because they're way up here and you're like down here, but they don't want you to be up here. They want the other DJ to be up here, but they don't want this DJ to be up here because they want that DJ.

SPEAKER_04 21:24

It it's it's it's it's it's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 21:26

It it is crazy to me with this being such a male-dominant category, I'ma say. I'm not even gonna say career, I'm gonna say category because at the end of the day, that's what they're doing. They're just making this a small category. They're putting people in these boxes as DJs, right? And they're not acknowledging other great DJs. I had this conversation the other. Day. People need to understand if you're not the one behind that board, you are not the one getting all this music every day. You're not the one supplying the equipment. You're not the one moving this crowd. You're not the one trying to please everybody, trying to make everybody happy with these events. You're not the one getting the phone calls. You're not the one out here burning your gas. You're not the one out here traveling, doing this, doing that as a DJ. Okay. And then you've got these outside people who want to put these political critiques and opinions about, oh, who's the greatest and who ain't the greatest and who does this and who doesn't do that? And who are you? You know what I mean? Who are you? So that part of this DJ stuff, it's like sometimes you just need to just close your mouth. Close your mouth. Sometimes. Some people just sometimes need to do that. And another issue that I had with the DMV as far as the DJs in general that I have noticed is that one DJ will be like, oh, well, you don't scratch, that's a problem. Or you don't hit this button when you're supposed to, that's a problem. Or you don't have this type of board, that's a problem. Like who are you? Like who are you? Every DJ is different. Every DJ is different with their styles. Every DJ have different boards. Am I not correct on that? So what does it matter to you if a person has a pioneer supposed to a ring? Who are you to say that a DJ has one of them small, tiny DJ boards compared to this big, giant, humongous board that you're carrying in the case? What I have learned is that it's not the size of the board and what type of board you had. It's the DJ behind that board.

SPEAKER_02 24:08

Right.

SPEAKER_03 24:09

And that's what makes me. I don't care around them big boards. I I used to, oh my gosh, when I first started, I was like, oh my God, I have to have leave one of those. But because of what I do and I move it around so much, I have the DJ, DJ uh Jazzy Jeff board, the one he made.

SPEAKER_02 24:29

Right.

SPEAKER_03 24:30

The gold and black one, right?

SPEAKER_02 24:32

Right.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

That's the one I carry around. I don't have no big giant rain or anything like that. Because when I go to these different establishments, they'd be like tiny areas. You know what I mean? I'm like, I can't fit this big rain, you know, board in here. Right. But because I have that advantage, because I'm smart like that, my board fits anywhere. And even when I go team up with other DJs and they got these huge boards and they're looking at me, and I got this little small little toy, and then they think about it, they'd be like, oh wow, that's actually smart. That's different. And it's not about the board, man. It's all about what you can do with that board.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

So I have a question for you because I've heard a lot of DJs, even like a couple years ago, they would get mad at DJs because it's and I know this is a new era because they had the boards back then. And now I heard DJs was like, well, you're not really a real DJ if you come out there with just your map. And I'm like, what's the difference? So help me understand that part of it. Because I I I've I've I've heard that from DJs, like, hey, if if you don't have all the all the bells and whistles, you know, like back in the in the 80s, 90s, then if you're doing it using a Mac and just showing up with your Mac, then that's not really true DJ.

SPEAKER_03 25:58

No, that's not true because nowadays in this generation, it's all up, it's all Serato. It's not the vinyl and all that stuff like that, unless you go like to New York or something like that. You know what I mean? If you're doing like one of them DJ battle real DJ battle, and I'm talking about scratching with the vinyl and everything like that, then yeah, cool. But today's society, the way things are mapped out now, mm-mm. No, no, no, no. Because there's DJs that have been around for decades who started out with vinyl and they are using what we use now. So that is not true. And then there's a lot of DJs too that were doing the vinyl back then. That's why they buy the rings because the rings have that vinyl feel.

SPEAKER_02 26:46

Right.

SPEAKER_03 26:46

Rain board. It has that vinyl feel. You ever seen them boards where you're playing the music and the um toggle is just moving and circling? That is the vinyl, basically. It's like it's still giving you that feel, that look, and things of that nature. Now, if you want to go out here and spend like two, three grand on that type of board just because you want that feel, be my guest of honor. I'm hey, I'm not mad at you. You know what I mean? So, but for me, like a board like that, that stays home. A board like that. That I'm not carrying that thing around. That stays at home for me to practice, have fun along the line, and just do my thing. But like I said, hmm, look, I'm proud of my little toy. I've been feeling it. I be tearing them up.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Mm-mm.

SPEAKER_03 27:28

I be tearing them up with that little thing. You hear me?

SPEAKER_00 27:31

So, what's your practice? What what is a uh a day in practice, your your practice technique looks like?

SPEAKER_03 27:38

To be honest, and I'm I'm gonna keep it real with you, I don't practice.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 27:43

I don't I don't practice. I I can do this stuff in my head. I don't have to practice. Now, the only time I really like pull my board out or something like that is if like I got time and I want to like go live or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 27:53

Right.

SPEAKER_03 27:54

Um I used to go live a lot on TikTok. So a lot of that was practice to me too. You know what I mean? Like if I just want to do something like that. But as far as me turning it on and all that other stuff, the only time I really mess with that stuff is if like if I'm downloading downloading new music, updating all my software on my laptops, making sure everything is still working and nothing's tweaking, making sure all my boards are working good. I always carry around two laptops, two sets of headphones, my hard drive, and I carry two boards with me.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 28:24

So I have backups everywhere and everything is updated. Everything. I update everything every week. So that's pretty much that is my practice right there. I just make sure everything's updated. I keep up with the music because I listen to music seven days a week, 247, seven days a week. I go to sleep listening to music. So that's for but as far as me practicing, I don't practice.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

Good.

SPEAKER_03 28:46

I really don't.

SPEAKER_00 28:48

Yeah, because I I I've listened to some of the stuff you did, and I'm like, man, she she she's amazing out here. And you know, I hope that a lot of people, you know, get on board and be like, hey, you know, because I look at as being a poster myself and putting stuff out there that makes me think sometimes that when you post, like even where you at what you're doing. I'm like, she's doing a lot in the area. She has shows, she got stuff coming up, and I'm looking, I'm like, it's it's five, six people that that like the page or like the post. And I and sometimes I ask myself like are the people out there like really supporting like they should, or or is it a trolling thing, or is it like, you know, I'm gonna just see what she's doing. So I could I make a copy off what she's doing, but you know, what you're doing is something that I I feel like nobody can copy. They they might they might try to think they they can, but they they don't. So like when you see that even on social media, how does that like make you feel? Does it bother you or does it just be like, I'm just I'm just gonna keep moving how I move?

SPEAKER_03 29:57

So again, like we were talking about before as far as like the DMV, somebody's gonna copy something at the end of the day. Somebody's gonna try to copy something, but I it it does kind of bother me because it's like I sit here and I do all this work, I'm creative, and I stay in my own lane with it, and I'm not copying nobody else, I'm just doing me. And it just amazes me how when people come behind me, and I've seen, I've I've actually seen some things to where like, wow, they actually starting to do this now. I ain't never seen nobody do that, but now of a sudden they doing it now. And prime example, so like when I be taking photos and things of that nature, there is a stamp that I do in my photos. A lot of times I'll hold my headphones and you know, things like that, of that that's my stamp. That's just me, that's my stamp. And one time I was scrolling and I happened to see a DJ and they did the exact same thing, but just they did it in a different environment, of course, different clothes, but now they have taken that and now they have it on every single flyer or picture or whatever they're doing, and I'm just like, okay. Then I ended up seeing someone else do the same kind of thing, and I'm just like, wow. It just amazes me how some people they don't know how to be themselves. And it's sad, it's it's really sad. And I just look at it like, okay, they're one or two things. They're either it's it, you know, they're inspired, they're motivated, or they're envy, jealousy, and they wanna be me so bad, so they just take it and copy and paste, copy and paste. But you know, I can't I can't I can't stop that. You know what I mean? It's it's gonna happen. It's just like with my DJing, you know. They're gonna copy. Somebody's gonna copy somewhere, and I can't stop that. It's nothing I can do about it. But I look at it too, it's like, okay, I have I really am I'm really out here inspiring people. You know what I mean? And bringing them out of their shell. They may have been shy about things of that nature. I have came across a couple of DJs that I know are sincere and I know they're not just saying it just to be saying it. And I I've had a couple of them come to me say, Man, you're dope, man. Like for real, like you have really motivated me, you've really inspired me to push my stuff as a DJ as well. And I love your style, I love what you do. You know, I get a lot of that too. But best believe I know people are watching. Yeah, I know I know they're watching because it shows and a lot of my events, and a lot of people will pop out there and be like, Yeah, man, I've been watching you, and man, you just be all over the place. And I a lot of times I don't even know who these people are. So I know they're watching, you know what I mean? So it's expected. One girl said that she remembered me from like 10 years ago, and I'm like, what do you mean 10 years ago? She was like, girl, yeah, she said, I've been watching you this whole time, and she's like, I'm just so proud of you, girl. You doing your thing. Like, you out here holding it for the women, and you keep doing your thing. I've been watching you just all over the place.

SPEAKER_04 33:51

And I'm like, okay.

SPEAKER_02 33:58

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

Um I wanna also ask you about just to think about it, like, how did it feel for you to be the two-time DJ of the year? What did that moment feel like for you?

SPEAKER_03 34:17

It felt like a dream, I'm not gonna lie to you. Remember the movie Selena?

SPEAKER_00 34:24

That that's that's one of my favorite movies. Hate the end. Hate the end though, but I like the movie.

SPEAKER_03 34:28

Yeah. So remember when J Lo, you know, was sitting in the awards, and they were waiting for the name to be called. And remember she closed her eyes?

SPEAKER_02 34:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:45

And she was up on the roof, the memory of her being a child. And then when they said her name, she just she just lost it.

SPEAKER_02 34:53

Right.

SPEAKER_03 34:54

That's how I felt every single time when my name got called. Every single time. I just felt like I was in a dream. It it just wasn't real, but it was real. And it just felt so good to even get recognized, just to be recognized. You know, I was just happy to even be nominated. You know what I mean? If anything, if I would have won or not, I I was just grateful to just be nominated. And for me, that just shows that I'm appreciated out here and that people are watching, you know. And you know, I have four daughters and one grandson. And the crazy part about it, they were there for me at the awards, and they can actually look up and see their mom, a woman in a male-dominant scenery here, job, and just killing it. And it and it they're just so proud of me, and I'm proud of myself. So I'm gonna just take this journey and keep on riding it till God says, Hey, you know, you've done your purpose in the world.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

So to get to the process, what did it take that like the people that your fans didn't they they don't see?

SPEAKER_03 36:28

Say that one more time.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

So what is it what did it take you to get to where you are to that point, even to win the awards that you know, that like sometimes people don't see like the other side of it.

SPEAKER_03 36:43

Um you mean just me not being a DJ, just being myself or Yeah. Um, well, it it's always been in me. It's always been there. A husband always said that because he was the DJ first before I was the DJ. And I I'm more of the hype girl, like the party girl. Like I said, I just love the environment of being in a club. I love the lights, I love the sounds. My God, I used to go clubbing 24-7, seven days a week. I just stayed in the club. And I love music. I'm very music inclined. I grew up on 80s rock music, believe it or not. I didn't first hear go-go until what I was in like middle school. So my first go-go band I ever heard was Northeast Groovers. I'm originally from Annapolis, Maryland, but I grew up in this area all my life, but I have moved in between in different areas. So, with that being said, my number one passion that a lot of people don't know, and they're starting to realize it now, modeling. I've always wanted to be a model. And I used to go to like rehearsals and I used to go to auditions and all kinds of stuff. It was like, oh, you got the look, but you're just too short. So back then it was like the, you know, Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, you know, you had to be, you know, a runway, a certain look, size, and all of that. Then also, I always wanted to be a sports commentator. So I always wanted to be on radio. So a lot of people don't know it. I'm big on poetry as well. I'm very outspoken, I'm very artistic, you know, and I love to dance. That's another thing. I love to dance. So all of that in that, and I love sports, and I play sports as well. So all of that that I have going on, and I'm a tomboy at heart, okay? All of that right there, every single thing that I have named is all embedded in all my daughters. They all have a piece of something at each age range. Like, wow, I used to do that. Wow, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. It's crazy. It's like looking at myself at different ages. You know what I mean? And that is a lot of things that a lot of people who don't know me don't know. They don't know a lot of that. They just be like, oh, it's Nikki. Oh, I love your energy. Da-da-da-da. But when they get to talking to me and being around me and things of that nature, they're like, oh my God, I did not know. That's the thing. A lot of people don't know. But the people who do know know. But they're getting the DJ Nikki side now, but they already know who I am. It's always like birth, sight, bite, birth.

SPEAKER_00 39:35

Yeah, I I I I like I like that uh because I have a I have a 15-year-old daughter and I and I look at her every time and uh she plays violin. So it was like one day I was playing and she's like, Oh, I want to get in the market bag, because you know, when you play drums, I was like, I was kind of touched, I was almost to the tip. But I was like, you know, I still I see me doing what I'm doing now uh for her to want to get into the music and do it like you know, I like I told her. Like that's that's what your money is. So I do it to work. So your your money. You know, we're doing doing the thing I think. So that's also uh the the women you y'all make y'all make the you know the sacrifices. I guess how does that look in in in where you're at now by you have to make these sacrifices of going out and DJing and and everything doing then you get the like the I know you get the support, but like how does that look for you? You have you have daughters, you have grandkids and and all and all that.

SPEAKER_03 41:14

Um, it's it's I'm just I'm just I'm just motivated. And you know, like my daughters told me the other day, she was they were like, Mom, you wear a lot of hats. You really do. And they always say that I appreciate you. And they love what I'm doing. And they're watching. They're watching, trust me, they're watching me. My daughter told me the other day, my 20-year-old actually, she's like, I'm I'm gonna be wearing some of your clothes. I said, huh? She's like, be prepared. I'm taking your clothes. I said, What do you mean? Because I just love your clothes, I love your style, I just love everything about you, mom. I just love I'm taking your clothes. Like, girl. Oh my gosh, it just amazes me. It really does. And I just love it. I I truly love it because I know when it's all said and done, I know one of them is gonna want to be a DJ. I already know it. And that's gonna be my 20-year-old because she is nothing but another split image of me, but just at a younger age. And yeah, she's a tomboy, and she loves media, and she loves playing her PlayStation. You know, she's all on, you know, YouTube and all that stuff like that. And she really, really, believe it or not, she doesn't really acknowledge it much that she got it from her mama, but a lot of her music that she listens to in her playlist, get it from her mama.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:47

A lot of it. Like a lot. I'm talking about like Eric B, Rock Kim, Runde MC, EPMD, Red Man, Method Man, Nas, all of that. She, huh, let me tell you, get it from her mama. Because one day she was like, Ma, I need you to share your rap list. I said, for what? She's like, Don't be gatekeeping, don't be gatekeeping. She said, What if I need to DJ one day? I said, Okay, boom. When she said that, she's watching. She's watching. Y'all.

SPEAKER_00 43:22

And the thing is with with the with these kids now even with mine, because I was listening to some stuff she was listening to. And I said, You don't listen to none of y'all's music now? She said, no, she she listened to stuff back 2099, 2000, 05, 2010. I'm like, I said, you know, I was like, hey, she's like, Well, I don't like this music now. I was like, okay. I said, long you as long as you you cool with it, but I was I was kind of like shocked. I was like, okay, well they no, they they come into their own. And so really, really disappeared at like how how kids. Just pay attention to what we're doing and like want to do uh what we're doing and we'll act uh like how do you how did you get to where you are and all that stuff. So it's good that you got your kids and they they they want to emulate what you're what you're doing. I know one time uh on on your page you was talking about your lock journey.

SPEAKER_04 44:21

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 44:22

So is that is that part of like does it have anything to do with like with your DJing, with your journey of DJing or or or where where where are we at with that?

SPEAKER_03 44:34

No, that actually has nothing to do with DJing. The lock journey actually is something that I had really did a spiritual findings on that within myself because I was always trying to figure it out sometimes. I was like, nah, I don't want to do it. But then I was like, yeah, I want to do it. Then I used to get like a lot of bad feedback about nah you you shouldn't do it because your hair is so pretty, your texture's nice, it's not gonna lock, and you grow your hair in different ways, and I don't think it's gonna fit you, and all this other stuff. And I said, you know what? One day I just put my foot down and I did a serious, serious, serious prayer about it, and I disciplined myself. I said, you know what, I'm gonna do it. And I never forget it. I did it January of 2024, and I do not regret it at all. I do not regret it because my lock journey has been very emotional. I have learned a lot of things about myself with my lock journey, and I have learned to embrace my African American side because I am biracial. And I grew up in the suburbs in the white area. My dad is white, my mom is African American, and I used to get teased a lot growing up. So I never got to embrace my beauty of my hair. You know what I mean? In a way to where I'm not being teased. So starting at like age 20 is when I had so many different hairstyles all the way up to now that I have tried, I have done, I have experienced from colors to individual braids to twists to cornrows to flattering my hair. I even had a mohawk at one point. Like I cut my hair off twice short, like Jada Pickett. I mean, I have been there done that. So when I put my foot down with this right here, and it feels good to let somebody else take care of my hair and wash my hair and treat it like it's just a beautiful thing because it is. And I literally told my my therapist that I'm gonna go ahead and make a book and put every single hairstyle, color, a huge journey of everything that I've ever gone through before I even decided to make my lock journey. I'm gonna make a book and it's gonna be nothing but pictures. Because I have so many of them, so many of them. So people can actually understand and feel where I'm coming from with this.

SPEAKER_00 47:25

Yeah, I like that. Uh I'm I miss mine when I had mine as as well. I I was growing up for about four, four to five years, life, life changing, and you know, had cut them off, but you know, kind of wish I can go back to that. And but just continue to to to embrace the process because my mine were it took long because I had straight hair and then I had 50 different textures of hair, but like I embraced the pro the process and uh really as you said learned a lot about myself as well. So I'm about to hit you with a couple of rapid fires and then then we're gonna we're gonna close out.

SPEAKER_02 48:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:13

So what would be your dream venue to DJ at?

SPEAKER_03 48:18

Oh man, my dream ven Oh man. Woo! Ooh, that's a good one. Um I would I would definitely love to, oh man, I I definitely, oh man. I think my biggest, biggest, biggest would be an NFL football game. Because I'm big on NFL. I'm I'm a huge NFL fan. I love me some football.

SPEAKER_00 48:53

Uh who you team?

SPEAKER_03 48:56

Dallas Cowboys.

SPEAKER_00 48:58

I'm gonna have to cut, I'm gonna I'm gonna have to cut this, I'm gonna have to definitely cut this one off real quick. I'm an Eagle fan.

SPEAKER_04 49:05

Hey, hey, salute to y'all, man. I ain't mad at you. I ain't mad at you. As long as you ain't say the other one, we good. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:11

We good. No, no, no. Yeah, yeah. We good. We're good.

SPEAKER_04 49:15

Yeah, we good.

SPEAKER_00 49:16

Uh yeah, because I can see you at I can see you at some Super Bowls, some some you know, some big wig games and stuff. So yeah, we're gonna whoever, if y'all out there NFL, NBA, we're gonna say hockey, whatever. Look this woman up. You know, she definitely gonna put on a show for y'all. One song that you that always works.

SPEAKER_03 49:40

Say that one more time.

SPEAKER_00 49:41

One song that that always works for you. Like what's your what's your go-to song?

SPEAKER_03 49:49

My go-to song would be by Killer Cow, believe it or not. Killer Cow from Rare Essence, he has a song called Birthday. That is my go-to.

SPEAKER_00 50:02

All right, all right. So one word that your s your supporters would use to to to just to to describe you.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

Empowerment. I like it. And why and why why empowerment?

SPEAKER_03 50:29

Because they feel like I got big energy, and when I come through the room, their energy just shifts, and I'm not even on the board yet.

SPEAKER_02 50:40

I like that. One more legacy. What do you want people to say about you?

SPEAKER_03 50:49

Just basically everything that I've pretty much done in this community as far as being an amazing DJ, true person, good spirits, always got high energy, as they always say. Um a part of your that just don't care and keeps it real, keeps it 100 and very lovable, caring, loyal, and has no cut cards.

SPEAKER_00 51:19

All right. I like that. Do you have any any shout-outs that you want to give out? And also, where can your fans and supporters find you at for any shows you got coming up?

SPEAKER_03 51:31

Like I said, you can find me on on Instagram. I post all my stuff on Instagram at DJ Nikki730. You can also find me on Facebook as well as DJ Nikki Gilchrist. And also you can find me on TikTok. I'll have you in there as well for any, like any of my events, anyways. But what was the other question?

SPEAKER_00 51:52

Um supporters. Uh, do you have any upcoming uh events that you have?

SPEAKER_03 51:59

Yeah, so I got one actually this Saturday coming up at the at the new Club 210. It's called the Ritz Now. So Indian Head Highway. And Z Brown will be hosting and he will be performing as well. Doors open at 9 p.m. It's 15 at the door. Also, I have every second Saturday at Fast Eddie's. You all know Bounce Beat. I'm with them every second Saturday there. I have a private event that I am doing on June the 6th is a birthday party that will be posting soon. It's an open, you know, pretty much birthday party. Then there's a big announcement that I will be making, but I can't say anything right now. But that will be taking place soon. And it's and it and just know y'all that fast eddies, it's gonna be fast eddies. So just stay tuned for that. But May 9th, I will be at Fast Eddies with Bounce Feet. It's gonna be a big glow party. Be there. And pretty much, yeah, I'm just gonna be all over the place. Y'all just gonna hit the flowers when I get the flowers. And May 16th, I'll be at Fast Eddies from 4 to 8 for Love Jones events for we're celebrating his birthday. And yeah, I I just got some things coming up, man. I got I got the the third annual ladies post party coming up for the postal walkers at Five Sisters. That's May 30th. That that flyer's already been dropped out, so you can check it on my page as well. Shout out to Mailman. But yeah, I got other things coming up. I just can't remember everything on the top of my head.

SPEAKER_00 53:43

That's cool. You heard it here first. You know, be be uh be on the lookout for EJ Nikki. She got some good things coming up, so I ask that you support. Uh and just don't support to look for something, but support because that's what you you should you should do. If it was on the other side, you want somebody to support you as well. So get the same respect that you would get that you want. So we're about to head out. I appreciate the opportunity of talking today. Uh shout out to uh Dr. Nikki two-time D Day of the Year, making real noise and building real impact in the culture. Make sure y'all follow, tap in, and support. This is your boy AD coming from Pusher Independent Radio and Indy Hart. Uh, and we're out and we keep pushing.

SPEAKER_03 54:35

Yes, I'm appreciated. Yes, absolutely. Thank you for reaching out.

SPEAKER_00 54:40

All right, no problem. Thank you for take taking the uh opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 54:43

Absolutely. Bye-bye. All right, bye-bye.