For those that don't know who Mista Selecta is, he's an up and coming DJ from the DMV.
Having spent a little bit of time with him, I quickly picked up on and identified with his sense of introversion. Being an anti-social, social person myself I could tell he liked to keep to himself. But I also picked up on the sense that he really just wants to make sure people are having a good time during his set.
Ray out here crushing it :
I didn't have a chance to ask him these questions in person, but he was gracious enough to hit me with some answers.
I had the pleasure of snapping a few photos of Mista Selecta with Ray before his set at last month's Wave, and despite the frigid temperature pre-snow storm I think we got the shot.
Check out my photos of Mista Selecta after the jump
How old were you when you first started DJing?
I was 15 years old.
What drew you towards DJing in the first place?
I had a love and good ear for music early on, so by middle school I was making mixtapes for friends. I was always receiving great responses and loved how my music choiced connected with people, so it got me interested in being a real DJ. I was very inspired by Chris Styles and his brother Ryan, DJ's that grew up right down the street from me. In high school I started going to events with them and picked up on how to DJ.
I know everyone probably asks this, but would you ever cut your beard/hair?
haha maybe one day, but most likely not.
Would you say you have a particular sound?
Not at all, my sound is very diverse. I love all music and it always shows in my sets all well as my production/remixes.
What makes your work stand out in a world filled with aspiring DJs?
As a DJ, I think my work stands out because I do whatever feels right. And that's usually a healthy balance between what I like and what I think everyone else will like. I'm not scared to play new music or experiment live. I don't practice at home so everything I do live is on the spot. But I think about it nonstop. And as a producer, my sound is very diverse. I've released club remixes and produced for hip hop artists but I'm also working on dancehall records and an R&B project.
What's your idea of the perfect weekend?
Friday - making music, going to the movies
Saturday - "Jungle Fever" party
Sunday - playing basketball + cooking out