Being one of the hottest Dj’s in the Washington Metropolitan Area. From the streets of Queens, New York to the quiet hills of Eastern Shore, Don X has blessed dance floors across the east coast with his multicultural/multinational party mixes. Inspired by Naija artists such as Maintain and Lagbaja, he incorporates Hip-hop and R&B tunes with the Afro beats of our motherland (Nigeria), creating classic combinations that even world renowned DJs are impressed with.

He possesses the stereotypical qualities of a Dj which are the good looks, charm and the ability to get a party jumping, but he’s also got stuff some Dj’s out there ain’t got which is mad talent and passion for music. He breathes music, thinks music, talks music and madly loves music; unlike most Dj’s who take it as a job, Don X isn’t into djin’ for the money but rather for the passion he has for it.

Who really is DJ Don X? Well sit back and relax as we take you on a solo ride into his world.

Why djing?

Why djing?! Interesting question cos I personally don’t know how or why djing. Very few know how it started so I guess that can lead to the why. Well it started as a joke while in college back in the day ; Myself and some friends attended a house party on a Friday and Saturday and the Dj did something where by he played a track that had girls dancing with themselves which was annoying to say the least. So the next weekend we decided to throw a party with yours truly providing the music. I can say matter of fact that I wasn’t much better than the guy but it was all in good fun which I welcome. The whole thing kind of grew from there and has gotten to the point where allejo.com wants to ask lil ol me questions.

So to answer the why, It’ll be cos djing provides an escape from the norm and reality for me in that, while ‘entertaining’ you see the joy or fun people are having and its quite a good feeling especially since its from what you as an individual are doing and also it has grown to be a passion of mine.

Can you tell us more about you?

More about me. Let’s see. I try not to say much about me but I won’t say I’m just another guy cos I believe I’ve been truly blessed to be ‘just’. So I like to believe I’m a stress free individual who likes to associate with people of like minds like yourself Tunde and the Allejo team, Mixmaster brown of afrijamz.com, Solitude of party addicts and the Nigerian DJs coalition to mention but a few who believe in what they do and do it for the sole purpose of making a positive difference which is what I am about.

I am a little bit of a techie being as I sleep with my laptop by my side 24/7 and hold a degree in Aviation Software Engineering and presently working on my Masters in Information Technology and my MBA. I obviously love music and think Nigerian music meets and surpasses any industry’s standard at the moment which is the reason I listen to it so much lately. I grew up in Lagos and now reside in Maryland, US for the most part. Not sure what else to add lol

Why the choice of ‘DonX’ as a name, any catch to it?

If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you. lol. No, but Don X was a name that came up out of the blue one day in a mini revelation kind of way to me and I liked the way it sounded. This was of course before I started djin; For the most part its meant to represent an unknown Don that is having the title and respect of a Don like that in such organizations as we know and yet still not be known. If that makes sense!. So when I started djin and needed a name, I took a poll and Don X sounded good to those who were asked and here we are…with Don X.

How was growing up like?

Growing up..wow! Well growing up was anything but easy but still I thank God for his grace, mercy and blessings. I’ll just say this to that question that regardless of how bad it is and what you have gone through, with perseverance, faith and hard work, you’ll get to a point where you put the lessons learnt from the past to use and you forget the pain you’ve been through.

You are regarded as one of the most popular Djs in the US, how has the stardom changed your life?

*laughing* honestly, I’d say or rather, I didn’t think I was that popular and I’m not sure stardom is what I’d call this at the moment but whatever it is, has changed my life in that being the private person I am, it gets seemingly harder to separate the person people know as Don X from the quiet guy people don’t know. But it hasn’t been so bad and besides the attention from artists who need their tracks played, I don’t think it has changed my life too much.

How do you cope being a software programmer and a dj?

Interesting question bro. Well its not easy but its not impossible in that I am a System Engineer actually and love it as much as I love djing and like my Don X Ent. logo has the ying yang symbol on it signifying balance, I try to balance both in such a way they do not have a negative effect on each other but it does sometimes get a bit too busy yet I don’t mind as I rather be busy than idle. So balance is key and I’ve done a good job in doing that so far but on the days I have to get from work and go do my radio show or get ready to dj at a club on a Friday and then on Saturday and sometimes Sunday too. Lets just say God is my strength.

Any ideal role model?

Role model! I honestly haven’t given much thought to a role model, I just seem to have more knowledgeable people around me to learn from, usually older folks and that has worked well for me so far. If I were to pick a role model, it would be my mother, as she has like a good mother should, taught me and shown me the path to walk in life so as to be a better and whole person overall.

If it relates to djin. I’m so into old school that djs like Jazzy Jeff, Jimmy Jatt and Mixmaster Brown come to mind when it comes to djing.

How long have you been into djing?

I’d say I’ve been into djin since I started listening to mix shows on radio in Nigeria growing up but I didn’t really know what it entailed, and like any other teenager, I got into loving music more when I started collecting all and every kind of good music I can find which I still do till today. But then in college I got serious with it when my curiosity was sparked by a new djin software and the rest is history.

Since then till now, would you say you have improved over the years?

Oh! most definitely. I would think in anything a person does no matter how or where you start, it is key to improve and I have improved a whole lot over the years since I started. Basically for a dj it’d be in confidence, song selection, transition and beat matching and most importantly reading your crowd. But I am still trying to learn a lot so I intend to keep improving if I continue djing.

1st time on the wheels??

First time would be in college at a house party my friends and I threw 05/06 I think, but prior to that I seem to always have been in charge of the music at any party. Truth is, anytime I spin still feels like the first time. I would admit I still get nervous and I believe that’s a good thing as it keeps you as a person on your toes and there’s still the thrill when you do a good job that makes it all worth it and the experience new everytime.

What inspires you?

Well when you do something that you’re passionate about, you barely need anything more to inspire you as that is inspiration on its own but in support of that I think the vision of having Nigerian music as widely accepted as American or Jamaican music is makes me push our music more. In that one day when they play our music back to back out here in the states I’d know and be satisfied with the thought that in some way I was a part of making that a reality.

Despite their efforts, Dj’s are often relegated to the background in terms of financial benefits/awards. what is your view on this?

Men don’t get me started on this cos I can go on and on. It has been argued before and it will continue to be argued regarding the importance of a dj to the music industry. Djs spend more money on equipment than anyone in the industry unless you’re factoring a recording studio into the equation. Djs spend more time at an event than anyone else involved in the event, Djs spend possibly more time learning the craft more than most in the industry too. And yet they get either paid the least or disrespected by most by not getting the recognition that is duly deserved. I mean imagine a hip hop award without a DJ category. I’m not talking about a regular award show. I mean an award show dedicated to hip hop with no dj recognition. Its hilarious!!!.

Let’s put a mic down and a cd player and when artist are done I’d like to watch them play their record over and over for their audience and spread the word in several cities, countries and continents by themselves.

Because the basic fact is that people underestimate the work done by the djs and their importance in the industry. The only djs that might be making the deserved pay are those that have been in the game for decades and they very much deserve what they get paid now but that aside, a little appreciation goes a long way in making the people who do put so much into this exclusive art that is called disc jockeying. Maybe if all djs in the world strike for a month the industry would be able to grasp how important they are and give props to those who do deserve it.

Any awards so far for the hustle?

The hustle! I like to call this hustle fun and to answer your question, I haven’t gotten any awards and never expected one to begin with but I would say the comments and props I get from people that enjoy what I do is enough award for me.

But we have to keep in mind also that as I mentioned earlier, there’re not that many awards for djs and there are so many djs out there that deserve the awards so I am somewhat contended in not trying to look for a needle in a haystack.

What are your views on the Nigerian Music Industry?

My views are that we’ve come a long way but there is still room for improvement. Primarily in production, in that I notice a lot of people are trying to rush something out and make it a hit that they do not spend the necessary time in making it unique and different. There’s been too many similarities in the music coming out lately and its gets old and tiring and I start to wonder if this people that call themselves artists realize that there is the word ‘Art’ in their title for a reason and that art means creativity.

If you create something that’s similar or the same with what someone else has created, how do you then stand out as an artist? In addition to making good music, artists also need to be able to actually perform at their concerts. I don’t mean just come out do their tracks but actually put on a performance that is worth the money people pay to see them cos the amount they charge for 20 mins, djs don’t make in 5hrs lol. But once those can be worked on and entertainers put certain ego trips aside and help each other out to put Nigeria on the map, I think we’ll really “run things”.

Are you thinking of delving into singing/producing anytime soon?

I already rap now. Haven’t you been listening to my show ‘The Don X-zibit Show’ where I do my as its called ‘Koli Koli’ rap lol. At the moment I’m not so much thinking about the singing or rapping aspect as much as the production. I just want to take things one step at a time and establish the Don X brand; because that’s what I view it to be and then maybe get into production sometime down the line but that is a huge maybe though butI won’t be surprised if you heard a Don X track out sha.

What are the challenges you faced before reaching this level?

The challenges as with dealing with Nigerians or Africans has been the initial negativity when you try to do something new or different people just plainly don’t like. Doesn’t mean its horrible but just cos its not the norm its sometimes instantly frowned upon which was sort of the case when I started. There are very people who try to guide and provide assistance in helping you achieve your goal, as most seem eager to pull you down and tell you how bad you are as opposed to how you could get better. I’m sure so many artists can relate to this in their career path in the industry but like I said earlier perseverance is key.

I would call this level a stepping stone because I am yet to attain the level I have in mind and when I do, Tunde you’ll know and we’ll definitely have another interview.

What genres of music do you think get the crowd moving?

Depends on the setting. I personally am a fan of dancehall which seems to be the genre Nigerian music is pulling towards lately and that always more often than not gets the crowd out here not just moving but jumping.

Where do you hope to be in the next 5, 10 years?

In the next 5 years, as far as djin goes I want to have added at least 10 more countries to places I’ve dj’d at. I’m thinking Japan, Jamaica, Spain and France to name a few. In 10 years by God’s grace there should be a Don X jet to take me to those gigs after work cos I do want to have my IT career thrive as well but djin 10 years from now would be on some presidential event stuff because if it stops being fun I doubt I’ll still being the game.

Any upcoming project?

There are always projects, I still have my unstoppable mixtape series and just joint with Solitude of Partyaddicts Worldwide. I am working on a mixtape that focuses on new acts called Rated NextEffex and my show’s audience on www.afrijamz.com keeps growing every Tuesday and Thursday 8pm EST and there is also my mash up of tracks I do and working on doing a video cypher of African artists free styling in the works and there is my African video mix project also coming out. So if you don’t want me to over use the word ‘and’ just check out my face book group called “Don X Ent. – ‘innovative spin to music’ ” and my fb page is www.facebook.com/djdonx and on afrijamz you can listen to my previous shows on www.afrijamz.com/donx and download them. But upcoming primarily are gigs out of the US, some concerts and parties going down. So anyone could always find out about it or hit me up for their next event anywhere in the world by emailing me at djdonx@gmail.com

What’s up with your project, Afrijamz?

Well my project afrijamz is more like a family project cos I call them my afrijamz family (mixmaster brown, omobade and taimi). My show started when mixmaster brown one of the sickest djs out there that used to tour with the Benson & Hedges back in the day buzzed me that he just started a radio station and if I’d be interested in doing a show. Of course I said I would and the Don X-zibit show was born, which is primarily focused on giving not so commercial African artists a chance to get heard with a Don X touch in the mix. This was over a year ago and we’re doing quite well and working towards the height we strive to attain.

So to those who don’t know Afrijamzis 24 hour African radio station dedicated to the best music you can hear and we have several shows running including mine that airs Tuesdays and Thursdays 8pm EST US; which is 1am Friday morning in Nigeria and the UK.

3 things you can’t live without?

I’d say my bible but that’s already on My laptop, lightening fast internet and My Personal Dumb Assistant (or cell) as I like to call it.

I know you probably get this a lot but I’d still ask. are you single?

Oh men..well …er ..I am married to God. Next question!

Your favorite beach?

My favorite beach so far has to be Miami beach. Was out there a lil while ago and it was worth it to say the least.

Any advice for upcoming djs?

Practice, practice, practice then practice some more. I use to stay up practicing when I started and then go to class and come back and continue and right now I barely sleep the night before a gig cos I’ll be practicing. Another advice is tp pick djs you like the way they spin and listen to their mixes, especially those that have been in the game for a minute. When I started out I used to bug dj Dee Money every time I heard a mix and asked him how he did it, same thing with good djs I know out here in the DC area.

If you have the time, shadow a good dj and see what happens live cos spinning in your bedroom is totally different from having a live crowd and never think small. There is always something new and different to be done. Be innovative.

Word for allejo?

Shout out to the allejo team. You guys are doing a great job and I know getting to the point you are now it definitely has not been easy. So please do keep up the good work in getting better and better and thank you so much thinking it necessary to reach out to me for an interview. I do appreciate it and should be in Nigeria by December.