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Exclusive Interview: DJ T Beauty Delves on Her Creative Tastes, Musical Influences & Her Musical Journey

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Exclusive Interview: DJ T Beauty Delves on Her Creative Tastes, Musical Influences & Her Musical Journey

When did you first think of becoming a DJ and was it a nonchalant decision?

I thought about being a DJ for many years. I remember first wanting to be a dj when I was introduced to Salt n Peppa in the 90’s. All of my attention was on their DJ Spin(derella). I had NEVER seen a female DJ. Seeing her do it with so much skill, finesse and style really opened my eyes to another world! It honestly took me YEARS and a big push to decide that I was going to actually give it an honest try.

How did you develop a keenness for the Afrobeat genre?

Oh my God. I just love the music! It’s, honestly, what I listen to in my personal time. I can literally throw on one of my Afrobeat mixes and be fine listening to that and nothing else for hours. Its something about the beat. I love rhythmic music. Afrobeats reminds me a lot of the style of music that is played in DC called Go-Go. Its highly percussive and music like that makes people dance and come together. When I play afrobeats, even when it is in Yoruba or Igbo and we don’t even understand the lyrics fully, it doesn’t stop people from dancing. I love anything that brings my people together. I love anything that makes my people dance.

How do you motivate yourself when things are not going your way as your profession requires a lot of effort?

That’s a good question. I, just like many people across the country, especially creatives, deal with bouts depression from time to time, lapses in creativity, and the absence of motivation. Here recently, with the COVID-19 pandemic, I think everyone’s mental strength has been tested. And in times like these, I give myself permission to rest and recoup. I do a lot of self care and mediation to stay grounded and I write. Writing really gives me a space to express myself and how I’m feeling and once I’ve expressed it, I can let it go. I eat a nice meal, light my candles, have a glass of wine and just be god to myself. Then I’ll write out my feelings and burn the page and try to start the next day with a new perspective, a fresh mindset and a game plan.

Who has been the earliest influence who inspired you to take the plunge in the music scene?

Of course, DJ Spinderalla as I said earlier. But I was basically birthed into the music scene. My father (Justin ‘Jrok’ Young) is a professional guitarist that has traveled the world and he’s a pretty big deal at home. I’ve always been surrounded by musicians, artists and creatives. When I connected with Youngman, he saw something in me and invested by purchasing my entire DJ setup! That was the push I needed. I had no choice by to learn how to use it. I did some ‘binge learning’ from DJ Carlo Atentidio via Youtube. I did invested in a few workshops with Beat Refinery. I put in the practice time and told a few friends what I had up my sleeve. My very first client Ashley Williams, is like a sister to me and without ever hearing me spin, she hired me for her private party. She was blown away and has hired me for everything she ever done since. I, actually, did her wedding earlier this year.

Is being a DJ a full-time job, a side hustle, or something you do for fun? (or some combo of the above)

It’s full time fun! I do have a secondary business, Selfie Supreme Photo Booth which I started before I became a DJ. Fortunately, the Photo Booth business has only enhanced my services as a DJ and has become a popular add-on service that I am able to offer my clients.

Exclusive Interview: DJ T Beauty Delves on Her Creative Tastes, Musical Influences & Her Musical Journey

What goals have you accomplished? What goals are you still working towards?

When I first started djaying, my short term goal was to service a wedding. I have scratched that goal off of my list server times. When I landed Beer Fest at Nationals Stadium Park, I felt very accomplished because. Had only been a DJ for one year when we began our working relationship but I have been reigning queen of DC Beerfest for 3 years strong now. The only type of event I haven’t serviced yet that is still a goal for me is a high school prom. I believe I should be able to accomplish that one once COVID-19 over. I also enrolled in school for Audio Production and was able to get my certificate from Full Sail University and expect to graduate with my bachelors in 2022. So my goals now are more so geared toward my career as a producer. I’m ready to make and mix some records.

How has the current music industry helped you grow as one of the best DJs in the afro scene?

To be honest, I believe, at least in my area, which is Washington DC, I was one of the only DJ’s that I know of that was playing afrobeats specifically. Dj’s in DC used to play a lot of hip hop, r&b, of course Go-Go music being that its the sound of the city… and they would play reggae. But I’d like to think I had a big hand in bringing Afrobeats specifically to the DMV. I can remember private events and large festivals where I would always, as I call it, “ sneak in some Afrobeats” and I definitely had to sneak it in the set because it wasn’t requested . But I would throw some of my favorites in there and people would dance and come and ask me what the song was and things like that. And I remember one day when Davido’s “If” had finally made it to my local radio station, I almost cried. I was so happy that my favorite music was now mainstream. And so with that, I think that the increasing popularity of artists like WizKid, David and Burna Boy in the US, it has made it a lot easier for me to play what I love because now everybody else loves it as well. I don’t have to ‘sneak’ it in anymore. I get requests for Afrobeats now and now, people know to call me for those vibes because I know the so genre extensively.

Can we expect any upcoming projects soon? Please shed some light upon it.

I have been trying to get my brother KidCash on a record over the pandemic. He’s a fire rap artist that I’m excited about but he has been so busy defeating these battle rappers lately, I think we are going to be waiting a while on that one. In the meantime, I have been working on a single for an artist named Zoë called “cLass weiRdo” and cooking up some other songs for her long awaited project. Her fans should definitely stay tuned because she is in the zone!

Can we expect any upcoming projects soon? Please shed some light upon it.

Yes. Be sure to connect with me on instagram @DJ_TBeauty.

I want to take the time and space to say “Thank you” to my management Moment Ent Group and Domo ‘Youngman’ Lee for believing in me and being my support. My children, Zoë, Miaya, Daniyah, & DJ, I love you. Thank you for all the motivation and for sharing me with the world. To my parents (Tan Young & Jrok) and siblings (Leah Jones & KidCash), I am officially “the Famous one” now.  To my clients and many supporters, you are the BEST!

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Exclusive Interview: DJ T Beauty Delves on Her Creative Tastes, Musical Influences & Her Musical Journey Exclusive Interview: DJ T Beauty Delves on Her Creative Tastes, Musical Influences & Her Musical Journey

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Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

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Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari – wimbo mpya wa Into the Blood: “Play Your Clarinet!”

Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.

Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.

Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa
Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!

Orodha ya video za “Play Your Clarinet!” – video za maneno ya wimbo katika lugha zote 11 kwenye YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQcCz0vhEKyPigEcJ1-Du7YhrzZdLrex

“Destination 11” – video ya muziki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8l72BtPBd8

Kuhusu Into the Blood
Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.

Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.

Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.

Upakuzi kupitia Dropbox – Hapa unaweza kupakua nyenzo za promosheni:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sai0udu4imfwdmktxf5cj/ADqWOKnmQZjDm3PsXL3yzvs?rlkey=75i1ctld2guy8tcp6snp112j9&st=jtgfu546&dl=0

Salamu za muziki kutoka
Into the Blood
Jens Brygmann & Carsten Bo Andersen 📧 [email protected]

Into the Blood – mitandao ya kijamii:
https://linktr.ee/intotheblood

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Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

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Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love

Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.

At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.

At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.

Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.

This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.

“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.

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Established Hip Hop Artist ReachingNOVA Creates a Free-flowing Lyrical Course with His Single "C'est La Vie"

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem “Tule Tule” with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

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TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem "Tule Tule" with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko

Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.

TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.

The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.

Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.

Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.

“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.

Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.

“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.

Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.

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