Hustling Like A Pro: DJ J Star shares his top tips for pursuing a DJ’ing career

New York City is known for its vibrant and multifaceted musical culture. It has influenced a young aspirational DJ from a very young age. DJ J Star moved to NYC from the Dominican Republic with his family when he was 6 years old and got to see the culture from up close. This also led him to get an audio engineering degree from the Institute of Audio Research (IAR). With the experience of working at IHeart Radio Power 105.1, Sirius XM Ch 13, and partnerships with brands like Coors Lite, Nike, HBO, he is going to share with us his top tips for those wishing to walk in his footsteps.

Perseverance is Key

“Success is never going to come knocking at your doorstep when you expect it to come, you will always have to wait for it. Keeping at the things you are good at with patience is a must. Good things come to those who wait,” says DJ J Star. He is currently working at Pitbull’s Sirius XM Ch 13 and got this opportunity after performing his best at IHeart Radio Power 105.1 as an on-air mixer for about three years.

Struggle Smart

“Don’t just work hard without any direction. Layout a plan, set your goals, and then find the best way to execute the plan. For me, it was getting a relevant college degree and then getting the most experience I could,” shares J Star. This tip comes from his as he got his audio engineering degree from the Institute of Audio Research (IAR) and soon after that went to do internships at radio stations such as 103.5 KTU and Hot 97. It comes as no surprise that he did not start his career by looking into small-time gigs to gain street rep.

Every Field Requires Professionalism

“If you want to play in the big leagues, you need to show professionalism. No major brand or company works with people who slack off. Sooner or later, you are going to face the consequences of taking things too easily,” he adds. DJ J Star has a long list of clients that include NBA, Nike, Adidas, JBL, HBO, Dropbox, Jack Daniels, Coors Light, and many more. These work experiences could only have been possible due to his sheer work ethic and professionalism.

Never Limit Yourself

“Never stick to doing one thing if you are good at several things. It lets you be versatile and make the most of every opportunity. You don’t want to be known by a specific crowd for a specific reason,” he shared in the end. DJ J Star is fond of mixing different music styles such as House, Hip Hop, Salsa, Rock, and much more. He does not limit himself to radio shows but also performs at almost ten shows a week in the Tri-state area. J Star also performed multiple times for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

You can listen to his mixes on Mixcloud or every Saturday at 12p EST on Sirius XM. Ch 13. Follow him on Instagram @djjstar.