DJ Prostyle is no newbie to the music scene, as he’s been propelling his career as a DJ since the tender age of 13. It is no surprise that his name is a combination of the two most essential attributes needed to succeed in today’s music industry—professionalism and style.
This exclusive interview reveals that he not only embodies both of these qualities, but continues to push all boundaries of his career. DJ Prostyle was born in Queens, NY and moved to Orlando, Florida as a young teenager where he began to build his propensity for DJing. After a few years of throwing countless house parties and releasing mixtapes, Prostyle developed a loyal fan base, which ultimately landed him his own show on a college radio station at the age of 16. As his credentials continued to escalate, Prostyle scored another mix show at the age of 18 and his music permeated the airwaves, catapulting him to the 1 mix show in Orlando at the prime time 5pm slot.
Eventually, Prostyle became known throughout the world when he joined the infamous DJ crew, the Heavy Hitters. He has since then stepped up his game full throttle as he is now managed by P. Diddy and holds the title as an official DJ emissary for Ciroc, an ultra-premium vodka that made spirits history in 2007 by enterting into a strategic branding alliance with Sean "Diddy" Combs. As if that’s not enough, Prostyle has expanded to network television as the official DJ for BET’s 106 & Park every Wednesday and Friday and continues to hold down the radio scene on New York’s #1 hip-hop/R&B station, Power 105.1. The sky is the limit for this pro-stylin’ DJ.
LC: You began building your DJ skills at an incredibly young age of 13. How did you get such an early start? Did you grow up in an especially musical household?
DJ Prostyle: Yeah, my parents were into music. My father played the drums so we always had musical instruments in the house to play with. Me and my cousin growing up always said we would start our own band at some point.
LC: Did you and your cousin ever get a chance to do that before you hit the DJing scene?
DJ Prostyle: No, I moved from New York to Florida before we could. It was in Florida where I started to want to become a DJ.
LC: Who were some of your musical heroes growing up? Was there a particular artist who ignited your interest in becoming a DJ?
DJ Prostyle: Well, first I’d have to give credit to my sister who would throw house parties when I was young. It’s there that I would see the DJ playing the music and became interested in it. After a party one night the DJ left his equipment at my house. He said I could play with it while it was there and showed me some things. He ended up leaving it at my house for a couple of days and during that time I think I never went to sleep. I just sat there playing with it. It’s there that I wanted to become a DJ. After getting into it, I then started paying attention to DJ’s like Kid Capri and saw the energy and skill he would put out. He, I say, would be one of my main influences as a DJ.
LC: What is the origin of your DJ name?
DJ Prostyle: Funny, but I actually found myself sitting down with too much time on my hands and I said it was time to figure one out…So, I took a piece of paper and started writing down names that were hot at the time and sounded cool. One thing I was always told was that I was professional with how I would do things, so I wanted to somehow tie that word into the name. I took the PRO part and added it with STYLE, then asked some people what they thought. They said they liked it and it was original, so, I ran with it.
LC: Well, these days it doesn’t seem like you have too much time on your hands! You’ve created quite an impressive musical resume for yourself and are very multifaceted—clubs, hosting BET’s 106 & Park, radio shows, etc. Which lane of your job do you enjoy the most?
DJ Prostyle: To be honest, I really just love doing it all. Each different lane gives me a different rush. Getting into DJing young, my first step was clubs and I loved the feeling of controlling a crowd. Then, when I got on the radio and started to see the big impact it had in the city, I knew it was something special. Once I was blessed to be given the opportunity on TV, the impact was amazing. Each one is equally special to me. I think without clubs I wouldn’t of made it to radio, then without radio I wouldn’t of made it to TV. Blessed to be doing all three!
LC: What was the first event you played at or put on when you realized that you were truly making a name for yourself?
DJ Prostyle: I DJ’d for a big concert in the city. It was sold out so the crowd was huge. It was the first time that I got on stage in front of a lot of people and actually first got the mic and started saying things to the crowd. Once the reaction was good and I realized the crowd was rocking with me, it’s there that I gained trust in myself that I could actually do it.
LC: And then, of course, the hip-hop mogul himself, P. Diddy, noticed your talent. What has it been like working with him and being a part of the Ciroc Boyz team? Best part of rolling with that crew?
DJ Prostyle: For me, it’s a blessing. Being a DJ for so long, I watched Diddy take off with Bad Boy and create history. Before even working with him I already had the most respect for everything he had already accomplished. When we talked one day and he told me he wanted to manage me, it was a true honor. Being a Ciroc Boy is great—taking a brand like Ciroc and help push it to where it’s gotten today is a great accomplishment. Plus, when we all roll out somewhere together it’s like one big family. Everyone who is a Ciroc Boy is someone that is doing good for themselves in the market they’re in or even around the country or world.
LC: I can only imagine the scene you guys get into when you’re all together! What’s your drink of choice?
DJ Prostyle: I would say Ciroc and Red Bull.
LC: Who do you think is going to rock the mic the hardest at the BET Awards? There are some tough acts to follow after last year’s performances.
DJ Prostyle: Yeah, definitely a tough decision. For me, I’m always around a lot of the artists and see them perform, so it’s more of who I’m looking forward to seeing. I would have to say Beyoncé. If her performance is like her new video, I’m sure she will bring the house down.
LC: You have your own promotion company and earlier this year you were dubbed the 2011 ambassador for Verizon. What a regal title! What other projects do you have going on?
DJ Prostyle: Yeah, I learned how to throw parties when I first got into the biz, so I created a promotion company when I was young. Now, it’s more run by some partners of mine because I’m too busy to be hands on. Right now I’m staying really busy with radio, clubs, and TV for BET, but I plan on working on doing a lot more TV soon. Maybe hosting a TV show, reality show, or something like that…Let’s see.
LC: Any last words? Shout outs? Confessions?
DJ Prostyle: *LAUGHTER* Confessions! Oh my god, we would be here all day and night! But honestly, I’m just blessed to be here doing what I love to do. Hopefully I’ll be here for a long time and continue to grow in this industry and break out into new lanes that I haven’t yet gotten to.
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