The Preferred Vendor Podcast
Behind the Turntables: Venturing into DJ Rafe's World
Have you ever wondered how the DJing industry works from the inside? How about the thrill of traveling to exotic places like Tulum, Vegas, and Florida? We got you covered! Join us as we chat with our special guest, the prolific Dj Rafe. We kick-start with an engaging discussion about his love for exploring the world, the heritage of travel, and the remarkable experiences he's had along the way. He also reveals his top pick for dining - Taboo, renowned for its unique ambiance.
The conversation takes an exciting turn as we journey through the evolving cityscape of Jackson, Mississippi. We uncover its emerging entrepreneurial spirit and the intricacies of the DJing industry. But how does one stand out in a city where trends are quickly replicated? Dj Rafe sheds light on this and more, including insightful stories about wedding planning, the need for professional coordination and communication, and the changing face of Wedding DJs. His perspective on these topics is a treasure trove of invaluable insights that you don't want to miss.
Towards the finale of our conversation, we delve into the importance of building industry relationships, maintaining personal success, and the significance of vendor research. Dj Rave illuminates the relevance of recognition in the DJ scene, the potential of networking, and the creation of a robust customer base. We wrap up with a discussion on forging lasting memories at weddings, the role of videography, and photography. So, buckle up and tune in for an exhilarating ride into the world of DJing, travel, and entrepreneurship, filled with practical advice from a seasoned specialist.
Have you ever wondered how the DJing industry works from the inside? How about the thrill of traveling to exotic places like Tulum, Vegas, and Florida? We got you covered! Join us as we chat with our special guest, the prolific Dj Rafe. We kick-start with an engaging discussion about his love for exploring the world, the heritage of travel, and the remarkable experiences he's had along the way. He also reveals his top pick for dining - Taboo, renowned for its unique ambiance.
The conversation takes an exciting turn as we journey through the evolving cityscape of Jackson, Mississippi. We uncover its emerging entrepreneurial spirit and the intricacies of the DJing industry. But how does one stand out in a city where trends are quickly replicated? Dj Rafe sheds light on this and more, including insightful stories about wedding planning, the need for professional coordination and communication, and the changing face of Wedding DJs. His perspective on these topics is a treasure trove of invaluable insights that you don't want to miss.
Towards the finale of our conversation, we delve into the importance of building industry relationships, maintaining personal success, and the significance of vendor research. Dj Rave illuminates the relevance of recognition in the DJ scene, the potential of networking, and the creation of a robust customer base. We wrap up with a discussion on forging lasting memories at weddings, the role of videography, and photography. So, buckle up and tune in for an exhilarating ride into the world of DJing, travel, and entrepreneurship, filled with practical advice from a seasoned specialist.
Yo, yo, yo, yo yo, welcome back. Welcome back to another episode of the Preferred Vendor podcast. That's right, I got a, you know, a very special, very, very special. I'm gonna say the name again. What is it? Preferred Vendor podcast. Preferred that mean this who you prefer to be there, who you prefer to be there? Can't everybody be there? Can't everybody be there? Can't everybody be a preferred Vendor? Book them busy, baby. You know what I'm saying. So you know I like to find time when you know these Preferred Vendors are free to come. You know, chop it up with us. Let us know a little bit about the game, who they are, how the business is.
Speaker 1:So I got a very special guest with me today. I'm gonna let him introduce himself. Ain't nothing very special. Your favorite cousin, favorite cousin man, dj Rave. Dj Rave, xpens, Xpens, pro Santa Life cousin Rave, your baby mama's favorite baby daddy, you know it. Go down baby. Okay, okay, okay, come on, man, dj Rave. I'm here, man, I'm here, I'm at home. I'm at home with family today. We were family today, man.
Speaker 1:This been been fun episode. Man, I'm excited to talk to you. Man, when I first, you know, started this idea, I started reaching out to people. You one of the first people I reached out to like, man, I gotta get you on the podcast, man. For some reason I went in the country when you tried to get me. I'm here, man, I'm here, man, I'm here man, I'm here, man, I'm here man. The initial call went hey, you at home, I'm here, I'm here, man, I'm here man. So yeah, I'm excited to chop it up with you, man, but let's start it right there. Man, you are every traveler bro, every every traveler bro.
Speaker 1:Tell me what it's all love for traveling to come from, man actually started with family, like my uncle used to own a tour bus company, okay, okay. So I used to always basically just go. I don't know if he was babysitting, I just owned the bus, but anyway, from three to four years old, everywhere all around the world Vegas, florida. So my family real big on traveling. So we've been traveling like my whole life. That's what's up. That's my piece, that's my third. That's what's up.
Speaker 1:Like when I'm stressed out, I'm gone. You out, you out of here, man, that's what's up. You say, maybe one of the favorite places you don't been to so far? Man, right now to me like number one on my list, right now I love Cali. Columbia, man, okay, okay, columbia, that's what's up. Man, that's what's up. Different vibes, different vibes, that's what's up.
Speaker 1:So you ever went out? Sometimes I go out of town, I go out the country. Sometimes I be like bro, I can see myself moving over here. You get that a lot when you go places. You go to Pearl.
Speaker 1:It might say, I want to move Anywhere. If I can have a halfway decent time I can live here. But that's the plan, man, when it's over, like the kids get a little older, I can leave them for the kids. They don't care. Cash out, work worldwide Long enough that they can't sell, they don't care what they did here. So but yeah, I think about it all the time, man, like really, they looked in a slaughter place. Look at the yard, look at Mexico, look at a little villa in Tulum, that's what's up. That's what's up.
Speaker 1:Okay, tulum, I love Tulum. I went to Tulum not too long ago. I actually got another wedding coming up in Tulum. It's development. So that's why you kind of get in early on and stuff like that Exactly. And Tulum, when people may not know Tulum is very black. Oh yeah, very, very black, very black. Like they got some kind of black Tulum down there and everything, and you know, like, they let you know where the spots is, where to go.
Speaker 1:You know I hate to give plugs, but if you ever, in Tulum, you got to hit up Taboo, you got to hit up Taboo. Oh, man, you got to hit up Taboo. Man, I tell everybody about Taboo man, I went to Taboo and you went at night. Yeah, of course I went to the night. When it's a party, it's a restaurant, it's a vibe, it's different. You know what, bro, speaking on Taboo, when I get back to it, that kind of ruined it for me.
Speaker 1:Going out here, like in the city, bro, like I understand Exactly, I'm not going to get this nowhere else. Man, like you know I'm good, you know, man, how I'm working. I don't really go out, you know, let's, I'm home, unless it's somebody I'm really love and got support for. Like I'm having some pull-ups, you know, but other than that, I don't go out, man, I stay out the way. Man.
Speaker 1:But talking back to Taboo, man, we went there, it had a great time, bro, and we had the lobster, yeah, and the lobster come out like half the size of this table. Like, man, it's ridiculous man, like it's a vibe man. Only thing I say that got me into a little had to get used to it. Them mosquitoes, that's all I had to get used to. Of course, of course, of course, of course. And it had a bad seaweed storm, so like the beach was ugly one day, I remember. Oh yeah, so it was like they had a real bad seaweed storm.
Speaker 1:Other than that man, let's talk about what I like about Taboo. We're gonna get back to it. Like me, I'm always thinking like, of course, prefer it than the podcast. We gotta talk about it. Yeah, talk about it. Like I was thinking like I'd be stealing ideas from everywhere. See, you know, like I was in Taboo and like we looked in. All of a sudden it just went black and sparkles popped out everywhere and it was like I was sitting there.
Speaker 1:All of a sudden, dude just popped up on the table playing the valet I like to think about his jug, you know what I'm saying. Like we can do this, like we gonna do a Taboo-themed party, and just like everything was so plain, like the wages, you know it. Like you see it like hustling, bustling, putting in the trade. Then all of a sudden, a whole dance break and you're like, wait a minute, they on the table, they on the table, they on the table, everything. Like it's definitely an experience. It was good man.
Speaker 1:I really recommend, especially if you Like DJ doing your dinner, everything you feel what I'm saying. It's nice Everything. It's like so much going on, it's nice DJ Jammin'. All of a sudden y'all pop out with a good tartar and they're like what are you doing for it? It's nice, man, it's nice. So let me ask you cause you and Jackson, I've been having a conversation a lot lately, especially with kind of the, you know I'd say black on business or black on restaurants, like is it a restaurant, or they want the restaurant to be a club, but Taboo, it's still a restaurant, but you're still getting like that vibe.
Speaker 1:So how do you think maybe restaurants in the city could possibly do something like that? You feel what I'm saying it definitely can be done. It definitely can be done, but they have to see it to understand it. Yeah, they have to see it to understand it. They have to see it to understand it. Like explaining it, you know, you tell them that like people, jackson and this is one of my biggest things about this city nobody want to do nothing until they see somebody else do. Like the free thinkers and the forward thinkers. We get punished in the beginning. You know what I'm saying. What's the whole thing?
Speaker 1:Then it's like all of a sudden oh well, it worked for him, let me do this. Instead of thinking of your own thing, I'm trying to come up with something. It's like they have to see somebody else do it. Well, I'm gonna do that too. Then somebody well, I'm gonna do that too. Like, let me try an example. We had what? One? 2c Fools 5 since 2015? Now at 23, we got 23. You know what I'm saying? So it's like it's crazy. It's like when somebody sees something work, everybody run to it. That's why I feel like Jackson or Wynn as a city at the state of Pia, because nobody like to be in their own life. You know what I'm saying? Everybody want to always. Oh, this worked for someone, so, so I'm gonna do it. So you go from having one person that's known for doing this to somebody that's trying to do it. It's like I said that in first land.
Speaker 1:But it's like the truth, the only thing really holding on to Snap man, snap man, the only thing in the city that get your IRP shirt. You know what I'm saying. It's so messed up, but that's what he's known for. You know what I'm saying. He do great work. You know what I'm saying. But it's like they don't want to spend the money on the machines to make those shirts. That's why Snap man put them in stand alone. It's a few other people do shirts, but you know what. Snap man like somebody dead. They call it Snap man for the kind of floor house. You know what I'm saying. Hey, that man that got shot at Snap man when he was from Surge man. The body ain't even been picked up yet. You know what I'm saying. And you really have to he be backed up. All right, get the picture to me. You know what I'm saying. He's crazy.
Speaker 1:So let me ask you, like you know, with that being said, how you think is that something we could fix as a city? Or you think like it's kind of too far gone. It's a mindset. It's a mindset, you know. It's just like teaching a baby how to walk. You know what I'm saying. If you don't catch it early, for you know it's too far gone, you know what I'm saying it's gonna be like far as done, with the braces on the leg or something. You know what I'm saying. Like, look, you will get it eventually, but by the end it's too late. You know what I'm saying. You keep running.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying, man, but through it all, through it all, you still don't. You know, don't, don't found yo, you don't. You know, made your lane, don't found your lane. You know, even though you know lanes get cloudy here and there, we'll talk about that, but you've been able to find your lane and stuff like that and you know. So let us solve for people that you know. Up and coming people in any industry, right, they could want to be now. I don't have to be waiting. There could be anything. Any entrepreneur, right, anybody in their business. What tips you can kind of give them to, like how you got to where you at right now, man, truthfully, out of here, every title as a DJ you can have and that's the problem with Jackson they label everything. No matter what you do, they gotta put a label on it. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Like I went from being the hood DJ, I was the hood DJ. Like I was doing Chuck is, I was doing Patrick, I was doing Chris Styles. In a way, somebody will pay. I was there. You know, oh he, oh he, the hood DJ. He gonna do hood events Like what, I'm the DJ, put me anywhere. I'm having rocking. You know what I'm saying. But they were like he was a hood DJ.
Speaker 1:Then was crazy, I went from being the hood DJ. They pushed me out from being a hood DJ, started doing new, new one, do a new one, do a new, new one. So I've been to new, new, new. You know what I'm saying? Me and Big. We had new, new everywhere. You know what I'm saying. So then I was new, new DJ. So I'm not, it's the kid DJ.
Speaker 1:And at that point, dumb me, you know what I'm saying. Instead of embracing it, I put you for like I'm a DJ, I can do anywhere, I ain't just no kid DJ. But kids parties were really put me active. You know what I'm saying. Like going, like we were doing three, four events a day with them. You know what I'm saying. So it's like going to set up doing kids party. I had set up with new, new, new perform. We gone, let's set up DJ Lil Y new, new come from, gone. It was like.
Speaker 1:That's when I realized like, okay, I need to change my mind. You know what I'm saying, cause I was always like I don't want to DJ anywhere. You know what I'm saying. But then, during the new new situation, when we realized, men, we'll spend money on our wife and kids, we'll spend on ourselves. So that's why I was like, why am I trying to DJ in clubs and do this and do that? Why can't do my own thing? These private events, these little kids parties, what's winning right now? Like I'm making my money up, man, doing kids party Ain't nothing but 150, 200, I'll leave this over here Like we're going to get you a thousand dollars coming when my daughter wants this. And like I had those holding pistols mad at me. Like I don't really want to pay you out of this money, but my wife wants you. You know what I'm saying, my daughter wants you. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:It's like it just comes up when I'm like okay, let me embrace, focus on kids and weddings. I went from kids and women. We sweet 16s were a mix of us weddings. You know what I'm saying. Like I'm focusing on women. You know what I'm saying. And it was like, as they say, you, a guy, said you take the first step. I handed the rest. I took the first step and, man, I ain't looked back since. You know what I'm saying. So it's like it's just a blessing, like I focus on kids and women Cause as I became a man, cause I was a boy when I started, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I've been DJing since seventh grade. You know what I'm saying. So it's like once I really took it serious. I never took DJing as a job. You know what I'm saying. It was a hobby or something I liked to do. But I realized you can make money from it in high school. Like when I'm my friend who working at McDonald's, or Jinnah Jungle or Crow Girl. You know, I'm just like. You know you know 15, 16 and getting the first job I'm DJing, like something to hear. Class of 22. I've been class of 58. That's what I'm saying. Class of you and stuff like Sam cooking oldest red from the deaf. So it's like, but then I'm really like, wait a minute, I don't got 300. Yo, check $75. Okay, I did one day of work. You worked that week, you know, yeah, you know, but it happens.
Speaker 1:So just learning business and learning you know people, you know what I'm saying. You got to learn your clientele, got to learn your clientele, learn your clientele, learn your people. And if you got a line that you like, stick it in the master. You know what I'm saying. So it's like don't worry about what nobody else doing, don't worry about nobody saying, do you? You know what I'm saying Like it was time with big for you. Big, you know, I ain't forgot. I remember big and like a lot of your favorite clubs used to oh no, you can do the patio, you can do the big club, or same one man, I need you to do my wedding. Uh-huh, come back around, come back around. I got to have you. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So it's like it's just your own thing. You don't hold no grudges, you know. Just find your line. You know, and actually it wasn't my line. Clearly you know what I'm saying. That's just how it happened, man. You just got to stay in it. Be in your own line, do what feels right.
Speaker 1:You know, if it don't feel right, just like they said, don't say it yourself. You know, if it don't feel right to you, don't mess with it. I feel that it's a lot of events that turn down. It just don't feel right. Yeah, I feel that they say all money ain't good money. So, hey, listen, I learned that the hard way too, man. I think, like I said, that's the lesson that all special entrepreneurs gonna learn All money ain't good money, man. And then, as soon as you do it, it be like see, this is what I'm saying to D, right, right, right. I'm telling you another thing. You know people ain't gonna want to hear this. Stop giving discounts. Oh, now, really, talk on that, please talk on that. Please stop giving discounts. Please talk on that.
Speaker 1:Me as DJ Wraith, every time I give a discount, somebody give me a sad story. It be a win from him. It never fails, man, but I'm sure you love that. The ones you get a discount too, act like they don't spend beyond saving. Ooh, wait, what You're preaching.
Speaker 1:Now I'm gonna tell you, it's never the bride, though, it's always their cousin there Wont to be the maid of honor, but mad, cause she wasn't the maid of honor, so she got an attitude of everybody anyway. So you get there to come set up and it's like why you supposed to been here. And then, look, your cousin got the contract. Wraith knew what time I was coming. I'm here Now. I don't know why you feel like the DJ need to be here at 8 am in the way to start his six. You know what I'm saying, but I'm here, you know what I'm saying. So it's like I don't wish on that. I don't tell people all the time Kids do not the people. It never fails, it never fails, never fails, it never fails.
Speaker 1:Single person I've given a discount. Be my worst cousin, the worst cousin. I don't understand how, I don't understand why, but it is. When I say regular price look, I don't deal with discounts I'm saying, okay, no problem, they're gonna pay in full, like they're gonna pay to deposit, they're gonna complain about nothing. It's gonna be the perfect wedding, a personal wedding. But when they give that to us, well, look, you know we short, but we really want you and I understand you know your business. But if you could just give us a little discount, your business, well, you know, I know you're extra for 3000, but all we have is 1500.
Speaker 1:My husband had a heart attack. My, my grandmama, you know, was gonna pay for the wedding but she died from COVID. I don't know what. He fuckin' know. I'm talking about them. I'm sorry, hold on, but hey, it happened. Yeah, I know. Hey, it happened that you, these sad stories in the court. I'm a sucker for a sad story. I'm like you know what, okay, well, I work with you. You know, da, da, da. Give them this kind of sum as soon as the money paid where you at you need to have.
Speaker 1:I want to have 15 songs for the wedding part of the coming too. I'm jumping over to the side, let's talk about that. Let's talk about that. We as Black people listen. I don't want to say I'm racist or everything, but this trend of everybody coming out to a different song is tacky. Let's talk, get it to it. Get it to it. Come on now, get it to it. Get it to it. Let's talk it like it's tacky.
Speaker 1:You getting three, four seconds of each song and it's killing the vibe of your reception. Like I say, do a song for the bridesmaids, do a song for the. You need three, four songs. Top Parents, bridesmaids, groomsmen, couple, that's it. You know what I'm saying. Three or four max. You know what I'm saying. You want to come with 15 seconds of each song for you to know everybody's time. So now you're crying cause you didn't went from Lil Boosie to Tevin Campbell all in a pot as well. Three minutes and then that's us now.
Speaker 1:But like it's an up and down thing, like you kill your reception, let's keep the vibe right. Let's keep the vibe right. You know what I'm saying. So it's like this one thing just even takes me there, cause it's like so let's get into it, man, We'll, we'll sucker back around. So give me what. What I mean, we talked about that, what else as a DJ, from a DJ's perspective, really. So couples may know in the future, cause they would get podcasts about. So if we book in any, this may be a couple in Alaska or wherever you know they book in a DJ. They kind of know like, okay, the DJ prefers certain things.
Speaker 1:So what are some some things that kind of irritates you as a DJ Witness and events. First of all, you, dj, had to have somewhere to set up. That's the main thing. We're gonna look at every camera, let's get this right, let's get this right. The DJ have to have somewhere to set up. I understand, you know every DJ, not DJ, right? You know what I'm saying. I might come with more stuff, but the couple then booked this stuff.
Speaker 1:You have to communicate with your coordinator, decorator, whoever doing your decorator, you getting this smile room and you thinking like, okay, we're gonna have 200 guests and you put 150 tables and chairs in there. Once you put the guests in there, with the tables and chairs, it's no room. You're not thinking about, okay, I got this many chairs and this many people and we're in a southern state, we're in an OB state, so most people are bigger here in Mississippi. So it's like you got people, that's in the way. You're larger people and now everybody's trying to move in.
Speaker 1:I come in ready to set up. You like can the DJ here? I don't know. Like that's all I ask. I have two rules Music to me and let me know where you want me to set up when I get there. That's all I ask. You know what I'm saying. I can handle the rest. I don't need no table, I don't need no tablecloths, I don't need nothing. Just, you know I'm gonna get to that too.
Speaker 1:But as far as irritating, like not having a spot for the DJ, you know you to pay for a DJ, you know you want the DJ there, but you have nowhere for the DJ to set up, and that files on coordinators, and you know decorators and planners. You know you have to communicate, you know. So it's like come, since I've come into play somewhere and every DJ don't come with what you got, just a laptop and a speaker. No, man, I'm a professional DJ, I got a setup. It's a difference. I'm a professional DJ and some DJs might just come with one speaker and you know the laptop in the corner. You know what I'm saying. Like, nah, if you want the experience, you gotta let me deliver the experience. That's how I look at it. You want the DJ, right Experience? I got to have room to deliver the experience. So it's like man, it's like.
Speaker 1:Main thing is that in communication and if a DJ me as a DJ, if I ask you to have your music to me by a certain date, it's for a reason. I'm not just trying to be a but much or be mad at you. You know what I'm saying. It's like folks don't understand. You're planning for one day. I'm planning for four or five weddings a week. So if you're waiting Saturday, if I tell you you had a music session by Monday, I plan to have your music done that Monday. So when it come to your wedding, I'm pulling up your file. We're gonna have your wedding music, your ceremony music, you're walking down the aisle music, your entry music for your reception, your first day in music. Your phone is ready before your wedding day. Don't come to me the day of the wedding.
Speaker 1:Well, I think we want to come out to that song. You know, da da, da, da, da da, baby, I have no clue what you're talking about. I have no clue. You know what I'm saying. Well, you a DJ, ain't you? Yeah, but you're not a singer and I don't know what you're saying, so I don't get it. So, help me understand, help me help you. And it's like. That's why I say just get the music to me.
Speaker 1:We all got smartphone. You can put it in your notes in your phone. You know a lot of people sit at our fan service with your email and spreadsheet. You don't need our phone. I love that, but it don't have to be like that. You can just type in those in your phone.
Speaker 1:Look first, dance. I want to come out to this. Just the artist who's singing it Don't even sing. Youtube links, I don't mind. Send me the YouTube link. I find it, you know.
Speaker 1:And it's like people, you know, like I said, it's their cousin come up. Well, she want to come out to a big buggy put what, what I'm not playing it, no ma'am, no ma'am, you know. And then it's like that's another thing we had to get into. You know, whoever paid a DJ there, to the DJ and I already spoke when they dealing with me. I've already spoke to the couple, I spoke to the bride, spoke to the groom. We already got to understand it and what we doing.
Speaker 1:The plan, the mission for the day has been planned. The plan has been executed. Let me do what I do and it's like it's always somebody popping up today. What she say you to come out to, what she say she want to, she don't need to come out. Look, baby, it's 330, the way it started. For you know what I'm saying. Don't you need to go take pictures like a five party or something. You know why you bothering me. You know what I'm saying, but for real it's like man.
Speaker 1:The main thing is like everybody want to run something on the wedding day. You know everybody want to be important on the wedding day, everybody cousins, aunties which is a problem, which is a problem. And you know your love, you're invited. So you're important, you're somebody, cause you're invited, you're there. But let the people who's paid to do what they're there, just do do what they're there to do. Let the professionals be professionals. Let the professionals be professionals.
Speaker 1:It's like you want to to decorate, it's how to decorate. You just walking around in your robe and flip flops that you got as your little gift for being in the party, and then you got an attitude there about it Like come on, baby, let us do us. You know what I'm saying. That's my biggest thing. Like I don't really have too many problems. Like the wedding game ain't been good to me.
Speaker 1:I don't have too many problems, but my main thing is getting to the venue and not having to wear the set up or having to wait to set up, cause it's the time like everything is on the, everything is busy and bust on the wedding day. Talk about that real fast though. Like having to wait to set up. Like I was speaking to you earlier. You know, like you know I understand, you know stuff happening, you know everything, but you know if the wedding starts at four, I get there at one. I want to try to knock out, let's say, just say you know decorating pictures or whatever. I would hope to knock that out before the wedding, cause, once the wedding gets started, everything just a blur now, right? So, yeah, kind of talk about that. Now I look at it as a kid 22,.
Speaker 1:Honestly, a lot of that files on decorators, but at the same time it files on venues. If you had some venues to be like but you can't get into this certain time and you want to put like a man's production on and you won't fly monkeys and you won't fire coming from the ceiling and you won't. You know, floating candles everywhere and like decorations take time, like I have the utmost respect, especially like DP and all these decorators, you know, just doing their thing. You know, it's like they really artists. You know what I'm saying? They're not decorators, they're artists. Yeah, they're artists, yeah, cause it's like they're they taking an empty room and making magic out of it. It's crazy A whole other place, like they doing it several times a day sometimes.
Speaker 1:So it's like just watching stuff like DP and different decorators I've worked with, you know, and like so many of them, you know, it's like you know I just shot a DP card work with DP the most you know, but I shot out everybody man, you know. But, like I said, that is true. So that's something to a couple of said, think about when they're locking in their Vee, like if they're gonna let you in, you need to get it for two days, supposed to be like, well, you need to get it. For if you're wedding Saturday, you need to ask them well, can I come in Friday? That's the question people don't think to ask. So it's like you get the most decorator need a day or two to set up some places out of state. When I've done weddings out of state, like they had the whole week, the whole week, you know they be like look, you come in those days, this day, dj, this day, this first, this day, that first. You know.
Speaker 1:So it's like you just got to know your venue and talk to your venue. But it's like you get they rent your venue to you for four hours an hour to decorate before. It's impossible to deliver, like you know. So it's like it just you really have to talk to the decorators. You have to talk to the venue and don't wait till the week of or the day of. So reach out to the venue at one time.
Speaker 1:So you book your decorator. You need to when you book your venue. That's the first question that they ask. That was you need to be before you book your venue. Yeah, before you book your venue, you need to be like when can I come in and set up? That's important, cause that could throw everything off and, like I said, you spending a lot of money on this day. You want it to go smooth. You feel what I'm saying? You want it from the pictures to the, to the DJ, to the core, to everything. You want it to go smooth. So that's important to to definitely think about, cause it's like I don't know why Some reason wedding day is it seems to be the day everybody want to scratch out man, and it can go.
Speaker 1:It can go so smooth. I don't get it. It could be the best day of your life, but people make it worse. Everybody has an attitude, for whatever reason, people. People make it, not even a couple, not the, no, not the couple. It's the people around the couple that make it and it's toxic. It's just like when you walk in, if you're a decorator, you got an attitude. If your caterer has an attitude, for you know just, photographer, going to end up with an attitude, you're DJ going to end up with an attitude. So we be like what do I do to you? Look, I just got here. I don't know what's going on. I just walked in and who are? You again?
Speaker 1:And the main thing you need to have a professional coordinator. Talk about that again. Talk about it again. It's the heartbeat to a wed. Talk about it. It's the heartbeat to the wed. Talk about it If you have a professional coordinator, someone that knows what they're doing.
Speaker 1:And when I say profession, don't tell me about your auntie. They've been the one wed in it each year, been the three wed in her whole life. Let's talk about it. And one was hers. So now she's like why can't coordinate and tell people what to do? It's not telling people what to do, it's people. That's knowing what to do. It's the difference from telling people what to do and knowing what the people should do.
Speaker 1:It's like when you have a professional coordinator, soon as whatever vendor get there. Hey, you here. This, your section here. Hey, you over here. This you done. Hey, let me show you pictures. The photographer gonna be ready at this time. That makes everything run so much smoother.
Speaker 1:You have nobody knows what going on. It does. You got all these vendors here. We all looking at each other like, hey, we know to do most of the time, cause we do this, we do this. It's like you get some places. It's like everybody's looking at each other like what we supposed to be doing. Man, and let me tell you with DJ Wraith, let me look at every camera, let's get this right With DJ Wraith.
Speaker 1:Once I set up, come tell me oh, we want to show you here, it's a Dundee. It's a Dundee. Once I set up, we're done, we're here, I'm not gonna move, no more. You know what I'm like he cocky, I'm not being cocky. I been here four hours already the way about to start. You think I'm gonna break out of this stuff, man, and do this working move again. It's not gonna happen. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:People be very inconsiderate, but that's important. I do tell people that the number one thing I think everybody needs is a coordinator. You gotta have a coordinator. You gotta have a coordinator man. It got to the point where I've done weddings, where that's why I started bringing pause a lot more. I was like pause more, like my almost day of coordinator. Like you know what I'm saying. He had me move pictures and video and stuff like that too, but he done things that the coordinator should do.
Speaker 1:We don't coordinate a wedding. We don't look at each other's power. This is what we're gonna do. You feel what I'm saying? We're gonna do something like that Because we just had to take over. Yeah, it got to, and it's like and the couple really be great for most of the time.
Speaker 1:But that's not our job. To be a coordinator, it's not. If you want me to coordinate, look, let me just add it to the invoice. That's an extra fee. Let me just add it to the invoice. And people don't even know that how we're. We're really doing it after, kind of we do that kind of thing so we could just be like, you know I'm forgetting. You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, you know, let the wedding go like that. I would like a tank for the meter running. You know how many hours you booked for your four or five hours the meter running. So we don't get all these shots. So we, you know everything, don't go. I'm leaving at nine, I'm leaving at 10. You feel what I'm saying? So that's important and, like I said, a couple, a lot of couples, don't even know that some of their vendors are doing that. Like you know, we do this for a living. You feel me.
Speaker 1:So we want to make sure your day is special. We want to make sure that your day is special, so anything we can do to take the stress off and we don't need nobody running back there asking you something every five minutes. Hey, the photographer want to know. Hey, the DJ want to know? Hey, look, I want to talk to you. Today I've been paid a full, your music been given to me, we good, we family. Now I just want you to focus on each other, enjoy our day and let me do what I do.
Speaker 1:But at the same time, if I'm sitting here, like, look, we don't know what you want me to sit up at, we don't have no music like what you want to come out to. So now we sitting there, you can't think of what songs. And I'm just like man, I got a freestyle. Well, when I do freestyle, it always be dope, but when I freestyle, I look, let me just take care of you. I got you. You know what I'm saying. Oh, what song was that? I'm worried about it. So I go on that experience. Then the briefcase they look glans and emergency songs. You know, oh, my God, it was so beautiful, but it's like for real.
Speaker 1:We just, I like to have fun with the clients, man, you know we do them with the like. The last thing you want to do on the way they is scratch the bride and groom Right there. You don't want to scratch the bride and groom. I don't want to be scratched that, because when I'm scratched that I can't deliver the type of show I would deliver for you. Like I'm in there to entertain In the end of the day I'm entertaining. I want to make sure grandma dance, the baby dance, the kids dance, your ratchet cousin that dancing years.
Speaker 1:I love to say get up. Like man, that DJ drunk what I'm drunk, you drunk. Who drunk what we talking about? Man, I don't drink it way it is, but somebody got me drinking something. I prefer it than the pride card, man, we have a good time man. We have a good time man.
Speaker 1:But now I really like that man, like I said, special with the coordinator and stuff, and then, especially what you said, that attitude is everything, because it's been times, like you know, I might have had a messed up, you know, saturday morning, but by the time I pull into that venue A lot of times I second to third venue or the event of the day. You feel me. So we are already about tired, but we're perfection. We're going to make sure you're ready for it. It's a that we locked in on your event. Whatever happened at the last event happened at the last event. It's over, but now it's your event, so let's make sure your event is legendary, special. You know what I'm saying Right there, but help me, help you, help me, help you.
Speaker 1:It's like these attitudes and folks get made for whatever reason, and it's like it's always the coordinator, the never coordinator, the auntie. They just want to get mad for whatever reason and be like well, this is my niece's wedding, this and this. Well, we want to come down, hold it. Dah, dah, dah, dah, don't, no matter what, I got like that, Sorry, I don't miss your baby wedding, don't miss your niece's wedding. Oh man, well, I want the men to turn around and do a split, then come up and bend over Kneel to them, then give them a foul, then walk down the aisle. Man, do it too much. Man, do it too much. Man, do it too much, man, do it too much. So tell me, man, what you so, what do you love about it?
Speaker 1:Okay, let's go back. Let's talk about your very first wedding, right, how was that a spin? Do you remember that? And how was that a spin? And now, looking back to where you at now you know what I'm saying, from where you come from Gross, gross and I was super nervous and it's so crazy. Like my very first wedding was 20, 20 years ago or something like that. My very first wedding. And do you remember the couple? You know what I'm saying. They did their thing and it was like it was. I was a nervous wreck. It was my first wedding. Like at that point I was used to hootie vicks. You know what I'm saying. It was like once the guys were the wedding.
Speaker 1:But I always love R&B. Like anybody know me, like I've been an R&B head, I'm an R&B theme. I was like everybody. Even when the no Limit cash Monday days I was listening to the Angelo, you know. Listen to Max Ware album. You know everybody. You know what I'm saying. Kevin Richardson project, so it was like a totally rich project. Like it was just like I'm an old R&B cat. So it's like I love R&B. So it's like me and my boys we gonna ride, but at the end of the day I'm gonna listen to this. I slowed down. That's a little bit, a little bit. So it's like me.
Speaker 1:It was like my first wedding. It was at Visions of Love, nascar, for your occasion, but it used to be Visions of Love on North Side Drive when he first. I was the first wedding done. Then I did the first one. Not a thing, I don't think about it. I was the first DJ for a lot of venues and I was the first DJ to do a wedding at the Fogner Wow, the first one at the Ivy oh man. First one at Brownwood and Madison Wow, that's what's up. Give me my problems, man. That's how I did my wedding. Definitely definitely gonna get your flowers. I'd have first been to a lot of events, man. Definitely gonna get your flowers. Man, a lot of weddings at first place, like first events doing weddings. But it's just like man it was. I was nervous, but once I got there and realized, like it's fun, I like this.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying, cause it's like for me with a wedding, you get you gotta really be a DJ DJ to do a wedding. A club DJ, talk about that. What's a DJ DJ? A DJ DJ, you have to know how to reach everybody. You're not playing for one particular age group. You're not in the club doing from 19 to 25. Are you not at the old folks club doing 25 and older?
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying? Or the 40 year old club, like at a wedding, you doing it for everybody. You got bougie everybody I mean it with. Let's be honest, everybody got different types of they family. You got the bougie person, you got the hood person, you got the ratchet person. You got the bougie, but still ratchet person. You got children. You got older people.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. So it's like it's a respect thing, but you still got a job to do to make sure everybody have a good time. You know you can't just cater to grandma all night. You can't cater to this person. So it's like family reunions and weddings are the hardest events for a DJ to do and a lot of DJs cannot do it.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. They'll tell you like uh-uh, I don't do no family, I'm doing no weddings. You know what I'm saying? Like when I first started doing weddings, I can count on maybe three things. How many people say they would do weddings? You know what I'm saying? Like that's why it's so crazy to me.
Speaker 1:Now everybody want to be a wedding DJ. It's like I ain't doing no wedding, I'm going to the club, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. Nobody want to be a wedding DJ, cause you really have to work being a wedding DJ. So it's like now, it's like it's the thing to do. Race made it cool yeah, I said it, race made it cool to be a wedding DJ. You know what I'm saying. Like I agree with that man. Everybody take my blueprint and try to make it their own. You know what I'm saying. So let's talk about that man, how you feel about that, because that's from an outside looking in. Like you know, we've done weddings a thousand times. So I've seen, you know. You know I've seen you add stuff as you go and stuff and you be the first one to. You know what I'm saying. Do this just like the amount of stuff that you have.
Speaker 1:All right, first of all, let's tell what all do you offer a couple in the club? Yeah, everything. But mainly I do dance on the cloud, up light and go for a projection sparklers fire. I do it out of a rotating sparklers TV predicts predictions. I do slide shows, like when you get a whole experience, you get a whole experience. Everybody. They, mama, don't see something like it the way. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:It was like when you speaking of being the first, like all, the first to do it all. Like when they hunted out, I didn't even use a tear. You know what I'm saying. I give you that. I give you that a thousand percent. Like the other folks, like ain't no cap on my rap man. You know what I'm saying. It's like I was the first one to offer a spark. I'm the one who had to go to the Hilton and all the different venues buying ice and demonstrating for fire marshals. Like this ain't real smoke, this ain't gonna make the smoke detector go out or coming with the fire. The sparklers when I come with the sparkler, same thing all over. Like I was a psych official lamb to do all this. You made it easy for everybody else, so now I made it easy for the other DJs to come.
Speaker 1:We all offer dance in the cloud. If you Google dance in the cloud, you will see. Dj Ray, you know what I'm saying. Like I'm the one named to dance in the cloud. I should have pattened it. I feel like I feel like baby with Blee, blee and you're thinking to dance. I should have. I should have pattened you know what I'm saying, dancing in the cloud. But hey, it's cool. Yeah, man, it's like, like.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about, like, how you feel with, like now it seemed like every DJ wanted to try to do a dance or a cloud, or want to do a sparkler and all of that, and they didn't want to kind of market itself as like, yeah, I created this, you know, yeah, but I mean, it's just like you can't go down the bread aisle and be worried about one particular brand. Look, do your thing, do you? You know what I'm saying? Well, get me. Is the fake DJs that know they got it from me? You know what I'm saying? That you'd have been to my home. You'd have been Rafe.
Speaker 1:How do I do this, rafe? I didn't bow to it. I see the machine you use. I bought it, but how do you use it? I don't know how to work it. I don't know how to work it, man, how you make this happen.
Speaker 1:I make it happen that all of a sudden, you, going behind me, want a cow bride Well, I can do it cheaper than Rafe. Like this and this and this. Then you want to hate. Then it's like. That's why you always keep your secret to yourself. It's like and one thing I always learned, man, reading the four day laws of power you know like I tell you limit your circle. You know what I'm saying. Limit your circle. Limit your circle, man. Limit your circle. Watch you having your circle. The more people you have this sparkler, the more you limit your power. You know what I'm saying. You're right about that. I had to learn that. I learned the hard way.
Speaker 1:I definitely say that I didn't have nobody to help me. Nothing. Nobody showed me nothing, nobody gave me no equipment, nobody. So it's like, if I can help you from making some mistakes I done made, you know, save you money, let me help you. But then every time I help somebody, they either try to back, cut me, cut me out, or hate on me Just hate. You know what I'm saying. For no reason. That goes for decorators, djs, everything, like they're sitting there. I don't show them number of love. You know what I'm saying. Put real bread in their pocket For the record. No DJ has ever called say hey, wait, I got an advance for you. You pay this much money. I'm gonna give you this. I'm gonna get you this, but next time I'm gonna DJ, so I'm gonna put money in my pocket. You do that all the time, man. What, how many DJs I done?
Speaker 1:Said to different big you, you talking bro, you talking man, and I'm just like you know. It's like I don't know what I'm making of my money. Oh, I'm better than a racer, you talking man, you pretty cool. I had to be like a big brother. Sometimes big brother had to, you know, rough it up Like okay, I ain't gonna put my hands, like, but I know what it did with you, I ain't put you on. No more events you preaching. You cutting purse grains out. Man, you're widely looking, a little shy man where you even put me on.
Speaker 1:Look at me in it. I see in here, everything is being seen. I see one thing about this industry people you never know who worked with who. You never know who's helped who. So people that you really helped, they gonna call you. Be like look, sonso said this over here.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. I don't know what's going on. They doing this, they doing that, cool, I ain't finna, get on Facebook and make no posts. Oh, I heard what you said. This and this and this and this, it's cool. Cut you off, just don't deal with you. You know what I'm saying. That's all I have to have in every situation. It's plenty of DJs that I didn't sit to, events that they beg a knee-suck. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Like okay, I ain't worked a job in 10 years. You know what I'm saying. I ain't hit no better clock. You know what I'm saying. I work for myself and I'm making moves for other people to work for themselves. I'm like they and they said better Stand up umbrella, if not you're gonna get wet. You know what I'm saying. If you want to experience an umbrella, you good. If you ain't done on an umbrella, you ain't on an umbrella On. Or the team 100%. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I be telling these guys like guys and girls. You know what I'm saying. I sit here and get you speakers. I didn't gave them from the cloud machines away. Look, man, I didn't get you projectors. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:That's how you do the go-boss, man, I'm sure you do. How you doing they paying for go-boss. I do my go-boss myself. They getting mad at me Like man, how long it take to get the go-boss. I had to make two, three weeks. I had to make tomorrow. You not right, I had to make it for you tonight. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Like where you need so it's like that's about being professional. You know, like if a client call you, a client call, I'm like, look, we need to go both. I ain't been tomorrow. I can't be like, look, I got an order, I can see if I can get it done. What's how you need me to be there? You know what I'm saying. And it's like it's professionalism. It's showing you like I deliver. Ain't nobody say they booked something for Ray from then, get it. That one says you're a part though. Yeah, yeah, yeah, your customer service, you feel me, your customer service man, that really, just, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Like the decorators, they one's like Ray, if I need light, you know what? You ain't got no lights. A lot of decorators do not have up lights. I've seen you personally hundreds of times come to a event, jeff Black, yeah, I'm just here to die by lights. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. Set them up like good, just the color you want. You like this. Make sure you go with their decoration. I'm good. You ain't got to shout me out. You ain't got to say light and by rays. Cool, I'm gonna show you if they win. Because I feel like we win, we all win, because I always look at it as an umbrella. We all have each other back. You know we good.
Speaker 1:But then he's saying coordinate decorators, give me these fake DJs, we gonna cut Ray fat. I don't like him anyway. I don't like him. Wait a minute. I had that, I'm gonna say it when they had your back throughout this. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Every time you ask me for anything, I deliver. But just because you feel like I work too much or I go out the country too much, you don't like me. You don't realize I'm out of country. I'm doing weddings. I've done nothing to nobody.
Speaker 1:You can't find that one person that Ray's ever hated on. I've never hated it. Anybody know me, even though I didn't put money in your pocket or they send customers your way or something Ain't, nobody can say it's never been no hate, it's always been love, because I wanna see everybody win 100%. I don't block my bliss. I'm blessed. Quite the. Then God got a hell of a relationship. You know what I'm saying. So it's like I know I'm blessed. You know like I got family high places, like Jesus needs, like KA, something you know. So it's like I know I'm blessed. So it's like I just sit like cool and I try to pass on the blessings but then the devil intervenes, like don't help this person, don't bless this person Somebody. Okay, sometimes you have to.
Speaker 1:I had to look back and I said this year I really started the last year cutting off a lot of people, because it's crazy how you say that. It's crazy, we're in two different totally fields, bro. But I did the same thing. Where you see me at events, I usually show up with five people, right, Basically, I could do the wet by myself, but I'm trying to help y'all out. I'm trying to help y'all build y'all portfolio, build y'all clientele up, stuff like that. I don't have photographers passing out, they busy in cars in my way and stuff like that. I had it done too. You feel what I'm saying, stuff like that. So it really hit me when you said that I done sent so many photographers and videographers on events bro.
Speaker 1:What Daily. You know what I'm saying, like a daily thing. And then I had to look back one day like they don't call me for nothing. You know what I'm saying. They don't call me for nothing, bro. All the time my phone rings when they wanna borrow something, when they want something, they wanna borrow something, wanna know how to use something Right there or explain what it was that I used. You feel what I'm saying? That's it.
Speaker 1:What were some things that had the lights going up and what was this? How you make the smoke up. That's it. I'm gonna tell you you better watch out for these brides. I know. You know the friends in the park. Don't let these guys lie to y'all till they do dance on the cloud. Yeah, a lot of. I can't tell you no, no, no, let's talk about that real fast. Let's talk about true dance on the cloud versus I know what you mean a fire machine, which is not a dance on the cloud, a smoke machine. They done what the party said, which is for photographers. It's the worst thing to have, because a fire machine is gonna blur all your people. We can't see through fire. So please talk about that real fast. It's a very big difference. First of all, dance on the cloud.
Speaker 1:What I use is not a fire machine, it's not a smoke machine. It's not a fire machine. It's science. It's dry ice and hot water which vaporates and makes smoke. You know what I'm saying. I'm like what's the man used to come on the science class, the weird science guy that was me. What I'm doing is science. So it's not gonna make your smoke detectors go off. It's not smoke that goes up in the air, it's low line fog. It's not gonna go above your waist. So it's like I sit there and I get so many brides like wait a minute, you gonna charge me 500? You gonna try to make a thousand just for some smoke man. I'm gonna spend two, three hundred just on ice. Folks don't understand it. The machine itself costs $2,000. You know what I'm saying. So if I'm sitting here like I gotta make my money back without a computer. So it's like everything I'm trying to tell the client when I go with somebody else.
Speaker 1:I done had so many brides calling me, crying cause their dress been used, cause they put that oil in the smoke machine. They'll all come out. Get them black spots all on this $10,000 dress. Have them with this beautiful gown that they bought for their wedding day. Now they cry like it's black spots all on their dress. Like, and I had to be like what you calling me for, like I don't know your pictures messed up in your dress, man, and I tell people. I don't know what to tell you, you know. And I tell people you called me first. You did call. Yeah, hey, you didn't book, man, I'm sorry. I tell people all the time with weddings, you get what you pay for. You get what you pay for. You get what you pay for, man, honestly. So you can't really cheap out anything. And I tell people and I'll let you, you know, give me yours.
Speaker 1:But my top three things when it comes to weddings will be the food gotta have good food, right, you gotta have, you know, a bar. I would say that is important. And the DJ, them. The three top things. Like, everything else follows, you know, shout out, phyllis. Shout out Orr. You know what I'm saying. Orr, the best, best. Shout out Orr. Like I gotta get my. I don't know if you made it. Give him a shout out. Shout him out. Shout him out. I'm gonna shout out my favorite caterers. You know what I'm saying. You gotta be Phyllis. Top of Andrew, okay, like they take care of me every time, like when I come to the wedding. It's metaphor. I don't have to say that, I just wait on my plate. You know what I'm saying it's like you gotta just know who you messing with and it's like to me it's really common sense.
Speaker 1:Go to their page If they not promoting what they doing. If you got somebody saying they a DJ, they a caterer, if you can't see countless of events they have done, you might not wanna spend your money with them. You know what I'm saying. Same name for videographer and everything. You know what I'm saying. Photographers if they can't show you their work or you can't go, anybody can see you in the pictures. But if you can't go, do your own research on every vendor. Do your own research, see what you like. If you like what they putting down, look them. It's simple. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:If I tell you, hey, I'm a professional sharpshooter and I'm on a gun, you gonna look at me kind of crazy, like wait a minute, you don't go to the gun, but you a professional sharpshooter. You know what I'm saying. That don't sound right. So a lot of DJs don't even have equipment. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I'm saying a lot of people have to come grab your speakers. Yeah, that's for real. I don't wanna put nobody in the front. You know what I'm saying. I know, yeah, a lot of DJs come get brave. I need speakers for this event. Brave, I need a table. You know what I'm saying? A lot of DJs don't have tables, tablecloths, like.
Speaker 1:When I get to the event, that guy's looking at me like I'm weird oh, you got your own table, got your own tablecloth. Now I just need a plug. That's it. I just need a plug. Show me what I got. Show me what I got. Give me the power and we're gonna handle the rest. That's all I need. I can't I have to figure out how to provide power yet. Yeah, you know like I just need some power. Give me a plug. I can handle everything else. I wanna be surprised by five years. You got your own power, son, got a little water and a bucket over here and I'm gonna be saying I'm your mate, man.
Speaker 1:But that is important though, man, because I feel like you know a lot of people think like I make it cheap out this, I cheap out that, but a DJ I say a DJ is, I'm looking to become a DJ is really creating the experience and the vibe for your wedding, especially reception. I don't even like to say I'm only fine, but the reception, like y'all paying good top money for this. You want a DJ to really that's gonna create the I'm almost like an emcee for the night. He's not just playing music. Not just playing music, that's right.
Speaker 1:And then it's about knowing what song to play, when to play it, what time to play it, what tone to set this. You know the DJ gonna set the tone for it. So I gotta, I gotta listen. If you don't leave sweating a little much that you ain't had experience Right there, if you don't leave sweating a much that you ain't had experience, you gonna have a good time. You gonna be a little fucking when you get done with DJ Wraith, you know. So it's like you gotta have fun, man, but it's like it's timing for everything. You gotta understand timing. Like I'm not gonna play Bootsy, why are we blessing the food. You know what I'm saying. Like it's like it's time we might get to a little Bootsy man for the end of the night. But you got to understand it's all about timing and it's like that's a lot of DJs problem. They don't understand timing. They don't understand what to play.
Speaker 1:Like I sent DJs the events and I'm just like never again. You know what I'm saying. Like people FaceTiming, look what he playing Like what man? Why, what? You know what I'm saying. It's crazy how we so similar because I'm the same way. It's like I sent a photographer somewhere and like they forget how to take pictures Right, and then I'm gonna feel like it's deliberate, almost Like you feel what I'm saying, like you know I'm gonna not do a good job.
Speaker 1:I didn't want to believe it but I found that's something DJs are doing stuff to live with. I believe it, bro. I believe it. Just like whoa wait. And I'm like this is a person I know that can get down. You know what I'm saying. Like I didn't see him rock several events, I believe it. And all of a sudden you get down. Like you messing up, you cussing on the mic, you drunk, you know what I'm just like. It's crazy. Like can't nobody say they ever seen where they drunk and they ain't with Anybody tell you or shout out, or the bartender man or my girl man or good people, or you been trying to give me drink every event for years. Come on, get one with me. Come on, come on, bro, get one with me.
Speaker 1:I don't drink when I work. You know what I'm saying. It's a business for me. I take this serious. You know this how I feed my kids, this, how I pay my bills 100%, 100%. So I take it 100% Because he take it all night.
Speaker 1:I tell people when I go to the bar it's after that last we done, did the last thing. You know the last thing, you got the reception. Y'all don't need it, but you gotta think about it. I tell you, I look at everybody Different, between me and photographers, even though we all work. It's in summertime when the ceremony over, I'm going in instead of the reception. They out there sweating, they dripping and sweating. I know you don't see me coming in Drip, sweat and it's like man Tire, sweat, sweat. We in business, you got a hundred degree weather. They out there in all black most of the time. And what's crazy is and I tell people this, I know you experience most summer weddings on our outside and most fall weddings on inside, which feels backwards, though you know what I'm saying. I'm finna.
Speaker 1:Start charging extra for summer weddings. If you got an outside summer wedding, I gotta charge an extra 500. I have to. I do it. I've been doing it.
Speaker 1:So, in fact, I have lost equipment. We buying these $2,000, $3,000 MacBook computers. They sit out in the sun. All of a sudden now your hard drive not working. You know you gotta pay. It's hard though it's hard though All of a sudden you, trying to play a song on the ceremony, start your computer saying it's showing a new school there Overheating, overheating. Just luckily, dj Wraith always bring two, three computers. You know what I'm saying. We gonna keep the show going, but that's where it's here on my equipment. You know what I'm saying. So it's like we gotta pay for this now.
Speaker 1:So it's like people don't understand it, man. It's like everything I'm using is nothing cheap, nothing cheap. And I give my clients the best of break as possible, because now I go to these conference, I'm always traveling, learning stuff, like I was just at the NAMM show. You know what I'm saying. Because they were just like DDJ is knowing me, like oh, that's Wraith from Mississippi. Oh, he, the guy, he doing it. You know social media is a big thing, so they follow on Instagram, facebook and they just like dudes, they working. You know what I'm saying. Dude, I always doing this, dude doing it, wraith here here.
Speaker 1:And this is like I'm saying when I charge, they looking at me like I crack it. You charge what? Yeah, what. I'm like, man, mississippi, they no less than 10,000, even. Man, come on, you know what I'm saying. 15,000, 20,000. Come on, I'm like, when you not charge four, three, you know Four or three, and you bringing lights, don't know everything that, that, that, Like, you got hell of an add-ons and they was like it's the market and this is it. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:And then, so it's like once I get to market, like when I first thought I ain't gonna lie, two-fifth was the max for a way to DJ, wow. And then I changed the market. I'm like, bro, y'all spending too much money, y'all hustling backwards, hustling backwards. You paying people to hear you spend. You know what I'm saying Basically, like, let me show you.
Speaker 1:So it's like once I started throwing these numbers out there and I'm just going with the market, cause I know I deserve more. You know what I'm saying, but I'm going with the market. So I'm like, well, look, we can do this. And then, so now, man, we're getting this. Okay, man, let me put you on here, you know what I'm saying. So now I'm sitting DJs, they paying me three thousand. Okay, I'm gonna get you 15,000. I'm gonna get you 15,000,. You know what I'm saying. Most of the time it's my equipment. Then it's like they looking me, they want me to be the right man. So now I got to say to them on why I'm sending you you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:And most couples like, cool, you know, you know regga men, cause they know I ain't gonna send those. But every now and then, every now and then, I'm sending somebody thinking they official, with the team, thinking we, a family, treating everybody like a fellow. But we're going to eat, we're going to good, you know, go make your bread out of that. And that woman told me she paid him three thousand. All I got was 15,000. But you know this, you know what I'm saying. That's crazy.
Speaker 1:All of a sudden you thinking like I could have had three thousand, they were going to pay it to him. That's crazy. He trying to get rich off me. That's crazy. And you helping him out and I'm helping you. You know what I'm saying. I'm trying to put money in your pocket and they're like that would help me realize. Like, okay, cool. So if I'm like, they're kind of like can you make it more? Something I ain't got. Nobody I can see in this. I'm sorry, I'd rather have to turn money down. That's why I had to get to them.
Speaker 1:I said I had to turn money down to keep my name, cause now you hurting my brand. I gotta protect the brand. Gotta protect your brand, man. I had 20 sumpers, no fumbles. Baby, you know, I gotta keep this fierce going. I had 20 sumpers, no fumbles. So it's like I don't work too hard to get my name in the brand to where it is 100%. To sit here and let somebody jealous or somebody just don't know, don't care about the brand, I don't say they jealous, don't care about the brand, bring me down. You know what I'm saying. So it's like people, just like man, 100% man. But nah, man, that's all I really like.
Speaker 1:What you said on that I wanna add on to, like you know I love you say sometimes I gotta turn money down just to protect the brand, cause that's important, cause that been my big thing, it's like. But luckily I'm telling you, when you do good work and big, like I said, I'm blessed. It's been time to turn people like look, I can't do it today, I'm sorry, I gotta win that day. We're trying to outweigh that day. Then I had that, yeah. So it's like that's one of the best feelings in the world. That's why I be like you know what, if you work with me, I'll work with you instead of 3000. Look, give me 2500. You know what I'm saying? Help me, help you. You know what I'm saying. Like I appreciate that. So it's like I have several.
Speaker 1:Matter of fact, when I just booked this morning, she was like look, this the day I won't see October. She was like uh-uh, I got to have you. I don't want you to send nobody. I want you, I want DJ Wraith. You know Like. She like look, I already got my programs designed. Who name on that entertainment, dj Wraith.
Speaker 1:I was like wow, she ain't paying no deposit. That was kind of crazy, man. You know I get what you're doing here, but I feel it. You know what I'm saying. She was like look, I'm going to change my date. I'll be like let me call the venue See if they got this date up. It's like can you do something? Something, I'll be there. She's like cool, and this is it. You know what I'm saying. That's what's up. That's why you really you think you turn it down money, but God going to make a way. You know what I'm saying. Like I'm like this is what I ain't going to make for that event. I don't like that. She called me. Look, we're going to do this thing. You know what I'm saying. So that's what we do. God will make a way, man. It's blessings, man. That's why I don't get mad For us like refuge, I always smile, like these and these and these. I'm just like, if you like.
Speaker 1:I hate to say I'm cocky, but I live one hell of a life man for real. Let's live one hell of a life man. So be a catcher boy from the hood, from Jackson Mississippi, with the Fars here, high school, then graduation, fars here end up going to Highs and Utica, end up with a GED and still living the hell of a life. You know what I'm saying. Like this story here I can do my thing. Me and Lifetime Tally Pear need to holler at me. I can make a hell of a movie. That's a blessing, man. That's a blessing. It's just like doing this thing I love. Now I do this every weekend. What I do for a living is what I love. That's a blessing. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I DJ for free. You just paying for my breakdown instead of I had a lot of stuff to bring that breakdown instead of I DJ for free but you paying me to break down and set up everything. You paying for the experience. But let's talk about that real fast what you pay, because people think that, ok, I just talk about photography. People think I'm going to pay him to just come take pictures for a couple of hours. You don't understand that. Ok, I'm preparing. You paying me to set up everything.
Speaker 1:I got to come up with poses, all that for concepts for your wedding and everything I'm preparing. All my cameras. I'm locking my guys in that. I'm bringing with me. You're bringing out all these black cases, all these cases and lights and stands and everything. You feel what I'm saying. I got to make sure my lens is fresh, everything clean. I'm preparing the night before getting up that day, coming out there with my guys. We're spending six to eight hours out there. We're shooting every single thing. Four or five cameras you got. You know, you see what's set up. I'm having like six cameras set up. Sometimes you know saying follow that. Then I got to break all of that down. I got to go home.
Speaker 1:I got to go through the three, four thousand pictures that I took at your wedding On four or five different cars On four or five different cameras, you feel what I'm saying. And then I got to load that into the hard drive that I paid for. And then I got to, you know, edit them pictures. You feel what I'm saying. Days, sometimes, you feel me. And then I got to do the video as well. I got to pay for the music that I use and I got to pay for my Adobe software that I use to upload everything. And then I got to pay when I send it to you. I'm still paying for that server to deliver the images and videos for you too. Even get what you want. You feel what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So everything that you, you're not just paying for me to come take pictures. If it was that, if, if I could come take pictures that give you the car afterwards, I might, I might be a little too. You feel what I'm saying? It's going to be more parties. Come on now. Come on now.
Speaker 1:I'm saying about what they, what they paying for, when they can book you. You feel me, man, you're booking me. Like I said, man, man, you're paying for an experience. Like you're not just going to say you've been to a win, you're going to say you went to an event. You're going to say it was eventful. You, we had fun. This person did this. This person did that.
Speaker 1:I was singing to the song. I ain't no, I knew the words too. I was dancing. You know I saw a firework show. You know what I'm saying. Like, I saw, like, look, you ain't good company when you book DJ Rain. I provide elements. I provide smoke. That's a cloud. Other person else, other other person I know can provide a cloud is Jesus. So you ain't good company when you book DJ Rain. You know what I'm saying. I provide a cloud for you. I'm giving you a sparklers and smoke.
Speaker 1:You getting pyro. You getting a superior sound. You ain't hearin' no humming speakers or no cheap equipment. You know you ain't hearin' just no muffled music. You hearin' everything clear. You dancing. I've got hell of a state of the art subs. So now you feelin' the bass. You ain't just hearin' music, you can feel the music. It's like everything, it's like facade. Everything costs. You know what I'm saying. Everything costs, everything cost. You gotta break all of that down. You gotta break it down, set it up, break down. You getting the hell of a light show. You know you can DJs come with six or eight lights. You know what I'm saying. That ain't up light, he's just practicing. Cause when I come up, I'm getting your whole venue lit up. You know what I'm saying. All around, we havin' anywhere from 25 to 50 to 100 lights. Set the whole mood. You know what I'm saying. Set the whole mood. It's like I had to pay for all that. You know what I'm saying. The control of the control of the lights. You know what I'm saying? Like everything.
Speaker 1:It's like people's like well, look, I don't need this, I don't need them. I'm breaking it down and packaged this. I'm not selling everything to you individual. I could. Everything is priced individually. You know I'm gonna give you a package. We're gonna do this package, we're gonna do that package. You know. Well, you don't want this in the package. Okay, we're gonna take this, we're gonna add this. You know I customize everything for my guest and their client. Nobody just get the same everything. You know I'm like why am I not wanting TVs? Well, cool, but I do want the smoke. We're gonna take the TVs off and add the smoke for you. You know so.
Speaker 1:It's like I'm working with everybody, but it's like it really get on my nerves when I sit there. Everybody copy your style and do what you do. But at the same time I look at it like, okay, I see, you see what I'm doing. I see you see me, they watching, they watching, I see you watching, I like that. You know what I'm saying it's like, but the whole thing, like I ain't saying you owe me, but act like you know me. You know what I'm saying. I ain't saying you owe me, but just act like you know me. Give somebody they flowers, man, just be like you know. Give him my flowers. You know what I'm saying. That's it man, that's it bro, that's it.
Speaker 1:You know, I ain't stopping you from adding this to your package. You should, as you grow, you should, you gotta grow, you gotta grow and don't be like you know, you just thought of this after blue, and this, what I do, and that and that and that I'm better than DJ Ray. He's who this is, and that's the crazy thing. So why you got a name from my name? And I tell people, and I tell people, man, I don't want to shoot everybody away. You feel what I'm saying? I can't, I can't, I physically can't. So it's enough money for everybody. So the fact that you feel like you need to. You know, downplay me, it just shows you more about you. It's like people saw crazy. Like it's like what's funny to me?
Speaker 1:I was the first DJ in the city to promote on social media For as, like, book me for these events. They used to lay and say he begging for events. He broke, he begging for events. I'm like what is marketing? Like you don't understand business. I don't see Sprite commercials Like by Sprite, yeah, you want to sit there. Like it's marketing.
Speaker 1:So 90% of my customers come from social media. They were like, look, okay, man, I see you booking it's folks, it's girls and book me. Like, look, I've been following you since I was a freshman in high school. You did that. You can't do that Pet rally, but I see you do these with. But guess what? Now you been in clientele. I done did the pet rally at school. Now I did. Okay. Your boyfriend reached out to me Like I want to propose to you. Like, okay, so now we family. So now I'm doing your engagement party, now I'm doing your wedding. Okay, well, her birthday next year I'm doing the birthday party.
Speaker 1:My clients grow with me. You know what I'm saying. Like when I say I got family, I got family. Like when I say I'm cousin, right, I mean it. Like when I be at the wedding, I'm like you know I ain't DJ, right, I'm cousin right, cause we all family, cause somebody from that wedding is gonna book me for another event, that's what's up. Like I done did whole line sisters wedding. You know what I'm saying. Whole line brothers, like the whole. Look, look, I'm not Greek, you know what I'm saying. But they, like you, gonna be one of those things where I need you to come to my wedding. They're my brother wedding. They're my brother, you know. So it's like when you do good business, you provide experience to people who remember. That's what's up. You know what I'm saying. They're like man, I was the different wedding but it was all different. I had fun at them. To have more fun at this one. You know what I'm saying. It's like you just gotta deliver and I don't hate on, no bad. I don't say don't book, no, bother, don't mess with this person. You know what I'm saying. The choice is yours, but I'm gonna book me, I'm gonna promote me. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:It's like people like what he big he doing, that I look on social media. I'm like that might set up a hit. Do I need to go check the store? You know what I'm saying? Like, folks copy everything I do and then it's like it's been DJs to copy. I can make a post on Facebook I offer this book, dj rave. They would copy and paste the whole thing, take my name out and put that name. No originality, word for word. I'm just like man, it's crazy. It's crazy, man, it's crazy. It's the game. You know it's the game, it's the game.
Speaker 1:But the one thing, it ain't slowing you down, bro, because you're working man, I ain't going to work. You working man, you working man. You're used to me and it's like, far as like being blessed, like when I was nominated and won International DJ of the Year. This is a whole committee of DJs miles around the world. I ain't know these folks know who I was. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So it's like man, we need you to come to Tulum. I had this big festival here. We're going to honor some DJs that are not knowing I've been nominated. Not only going to win, but nothing. I go out there just to support. Like, it's just a free trip. I love to go out to country Let me see what's popping in Tulum. You know I get down to save money everything.
Speaker 1:And International DJ of the Year Rave from Jackson Mississippi. Wow, wow, me, Wow. Like they showing pictures. They didn't stole a lot of social media from weddings and I'm like I am pretty dope. You know what I mean when they're talking like he do this, he do this, he offer this, he add and upsell on this and this and that I'm just doing me. Ain't there competition with nobody? Ain't beef with nobody? I just do me in this phone, like as it shows you know what I'm saying. Like okay, big son, hey, look, we come here. We need you to speak on the panel.
Speaker 1:I've never won an award in Jackson Mississippi. Other DJs for next gave me I forgot what it was called but for next gave me my own award. I ever got in Jackson. I'd never been a nominator for no Jackson musical award Mississippi best. Now now DJ D. More weddings than me in the city of Jackson, but I've never been nominated for a wedding DJ of the year, 100%, bro. Every venue I'm the preferred one, but I've never been nominated for no kind of award in Jackson. I literally was just talking about this last night. Other countries can see my award, but my own people can't Right there. But that's how it take.
Speaker 1:Once you start getting you know from other places, then y'all don't see the come but like, well, man, we want to honor you but they can't. You come, put up the lights for us. That's what I said. But wait a minute. You want me to come do it? I'm calling them Jackson free friends, jackson musical awards, all these different places. They'll never say Rave Name for nothing. But you will sit there and call me, but we need some lights. Could you do the smoke when song's? So walk out this and this and this and this. So you know what I offer. You know what I do. Clearly, you know I'm working, but nobody never gave me no kind of award in the city that just for next game, dj of the year and freelance.
Speaker 1:What you saying, man? What you saying? I swear I was just talking about that. How you saying I ain't never been nominated for anything, which is fine, which is fine, but what's crazy? You talk about Jackson free friends. 85% of the pictures they use for the nominations is my picture. Now you feel what I'm saying Like this was crazy. And then it's like, like you said, I probably do what 50 wins a year Over years. Now you're talking about events and commercials and video shoots and da, da, da, da, da and all of that. You feel me Never been nominated, got a whole show, dirty napkins and everything, and ain't never been nominated for nothing at all. Ain't got a recognition. Ain't got nothing at all. Seeing you out going to be the first person run up, shake your hand. You feel what I'm saying. Be your dad, like, love him. But I think that that show is more about like the city man, like you know. I think it's really a pick. Yeah, right there, right there, which is fine, because in the day my bank account, fine. You feel what I'm saying, exactly, you know. So I'm getting into that. I'm blessed. But you know I'm saying I'm good at it.
Speaker 1:A lot of your favorite DJs sit in the home on the weekend. I ain't got to go clock in or whatever. You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. I ain't got to ask to be off. You feel me, Go do these events. You feel me. You know what I'm saying. But yeah, I really do that man. I ain't going to take up too much more of your time, bro, but I definitely we chillin, we the door dance, bring some in there over here, you know what I'm saying, we chillin man. I definitely wanted to, like I said one for we start to get your flowers and everything, bro, because, like I said, we do a lot of events. Likewise, man, and as soon as I see y'all out, yeah, they don't know they got the VIP treatment, you know, for everything. So I definitely want to get your flowers, man, you killing it bro.
Speaker 1:I was just telling another on the lab podcast. I like, yeah, ray's one of my favorite DJs because he an MC. You know he, you know he really an MC for the night he plays music. But you know, you, you, you, you really stick to home. I got to go with MCs and winners, Like they said that they have a host or MC. I look, but we got to speak this up. I just get on the mic and start talking. But I try to include the MC and like, like a dope one, um, the guy he re-adope, um, uh, adrian, I bet Adrian, I was with Adrian Lewis. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, adrian Lewis, he dope. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. I try to give, like I can say, I like to give people. They flowers Me and Adrian get to his bed.
Speaker 1:Me and Adrian look at each other. Okay, it's all. It's all I got you. We're going to talk to each other, like it goes from like a comedy show to a wedding. You know what I'm like. I actually know we're going to talk to the noise. We're going to make sure the crowd get involved, Folks have fun. Yeah, and we're going to speed it along. Okay, and the main thing, let's I got to touch on Wedding when it's when it's when it's preferred than the product. Let's talk about it If you want your wedding to be right, your reception to be right, not all your main stuff as soon as you get there. Amen, amen, that's important.
Speaker 1:Once you've been introducing, let's go straight to your first dance. Yes, let's go straight to your pictures taken. Let's do the cake cut, follow daughter dance, mother style and that. Now. I tend to wait a little while towards the end for the garden times and bouquet times, but sometimes we can do it all. We're going to knock it out. We're going to knock it all out Cause you're going to miss something.
Speaker 1:You want a book for four to five hours. You're going to miss something. You want pictures of everything, you want videos of everything, and then you're going to be looking crazy like, well, I ain't get a chance to do this, I ain't get a chance to do that. Look where's your coordinator. Yeah, right there, you know what I'm saying. Where's your coordinator? I told you like let's go knock this out. You know what I'm saying, cause it moves quick, the time goes fast. Yeah, and I'm glad you touched on that, cause that's super important for me, because I tell people not just we trying to get it over with I want to make sure, one, we capture everything. Then two, just doing weddings. This is what we do.
Speaker 1:People going home in about an hour or so, you know what I'm saying. So once they eat about 30, 45 minutes, people going to start slowly getting up out of there. So before you even let, they're starting to come out the pants and be tucked in. You feel what I'm saying your picture going to look as nice as they would've looked. Right there, let's go and get it over with the time's coming out. Yeah, let's go and get it over with that way, after they eat, it's a party. For the rest, I ain't got when you got to cut, I promise. I know you probably can't stand two at the weddings that try to do it traditional.
Speaker 1:Once you start playing music, get into it about five minutes later. All right, all right, y'all, I'm going to do this. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. I'm going to do this. They messed up the whole tempo, helped mess up the whole vibe of it, killing my vibe. So as soon as you walk in, let's go and knock out all the reception events before people eat. I mean, they just snacked the cocktail hour, they just snacked in. Oh, let's talk on that too. Talk about it.
Speaker 1:Cocktail hours are important. Yeah, they're important. We're thinking you don't need a cocktail hour. Yeah, please stop thinking you don't need a cocktail hour. Yeah, and it was like and another thing, I'm only one DJ. I can't do your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception out at the same time. I can't do it. I'm only human.
Speaker 1:So it's like they fail to realize it's going to make your way and look tanky when you go straight from the ceremony straight to the reception. You need that cocktail hour because you still got half photographers getting pictures. That's the main time Photographers get pictures of everybody Because, you know, because the brides really just now get a chance to see the huss and the huss is just not seeing the bride. You might have took a few pictures of the wedding party, but now you want to do the couple with the wedding party, so that's the main time Like photographers and VXD they pictures done and it's like I need time to go transition from the ceremony to the reception. So the cocktail hour is important.
Speaker 1:So it's like when you don't have a cocktail hour, it's like I'm rushing to break down from the ceremony and right in here to just start playing. Even if I'm already set up, I just have to hit play. I still got to walk in because now I got to walk through your guest to get through to where I'm supposed to be. So they sitting there looking like why am I music playing the reception hour already? Like look, I had to get over here. You know what I'm saying. So it's like people just like well, you don't have to have alcohol at your cocktail hour. Don't think that a cocktail hour, you have to have somebody serving liquor. You can have a juice station set up there with a juice and water, some cheese and cracker and just be simple. You can have a nice fruit table. You know what I'm saying. Whatever, but you need that cocktail hour because it's for your vendors and you, Because the bride and groom are anytime to really get their pictures done, you know, and then helps your day go by smoother, like it's still going to be like just an awkward moment.
Speaker 1:That's an awkward 15, 20, 30 minutes that you could have had your cocktail out and everything would have went much better. You know what I'm saying 100%. I've been seeing that a lot lately Because I'm like when do we stop having a cocktail hour? You know what I'm saying. It's crazy, please. It's like let's kill that trend. It's like it's something new every year, man. It's something new every year, every year, man, because now the new trend is like I ain't trippin', but all the guys walk down, then all the ladies walk down, like not too many walking down together. No more. You know what I'm saying and stuff like that. What you mean it goes with the time, it goes with the time. And then I mean that's all. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I like to do it. I like the bride walk down, the groom walk down, or even they meet and then come down. Because some people do it too much, like I swear. I've seen especially older coordinators. They want you to get a one-nick bin down. Yeah, it's too much. So you know, spend a round, it's too much. Get the bride hand. It's too much. Oh, yeah, come on, it's too much.
Speaker 1:Then the song that ran out. Now they looking at me start it over. Yeah, start it over. I hate starting the song over for a ceremony. I hate playing the same song over and over. You know what I'm saying. Like I just play what I do Me.
Speaker 1:You booked the expense, you're going to get it, man, all right, then I just found they gon' come out on that like I like it. You see, I got you, but trust me, that's what's up. I told you you can't get it to me by money. You can't get it to me. So this is it. So is that anything you could probably suggest to a couple that's probably finna get married? Just knowing wedding? You know, dj wives are just overall wedding wives, overall wedding wives.
Speaker 1:You have to say make it a batchu. Make it a batchu, bright and grown, focus on each other. Like, I tell anybody you ain't gonna have your first real argument as a couple till you book your wedding. When you go through this wedding process. It's stressful and fun, but I tell everybody like I'm honest, you buying memories. You're buying memories, that's all. You spend a lot of money for this wedding, but you buying memories. But I tell you, it's like the first task of a real couple.
Speaker 1:If you can pay for this wedding, it's nothing you can't do. You can buy your home, you can buy whatever car you want, cause you know so we can come together and complete something. We can come together and achieve something as a couple. So, if you come together and pay for this wedding, it's nothing that you can't do as a couple. But the main thing is focus on each other. Focus on each other, cause you're gonna everywhere. You're gonna fall out with somebody. It's gonna be a cousin. Well, I don't eat this, it's not your menu. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Well, I feel like I should have been this person. I should have been this like people take titles way too serious in a wedding. I've never known nobody got paid to be a bridesmaid in the rooms with a nothing. I've never known that. Now I might be wrong, but there take titles two serious as well, and it's like you're gonna fall out with some friend everywhere and everywhere that somebody fall out with somebody. I see it every week. You know what I'm saying it's like it's crazy to me, cause I'm like it's about this bride and groom. You know what I'm saying? Like why are you making it about you? Well, I was her friend in sixth grade and that shit, like she don't know me. She 42 now, that was sixth grade. Like you hear her. Clearly she value you, she have you here, but it's like it's just like that really irritates me just looking at it.
Speaker 1:Like people make too many weddings about themselves and not the couple. And so I tell the couples like, focus on each other, which I want to meet you, which I want to meet you. You know what I'm saying? Like I had a couple they wanted food trucks. They didn't want to came to us, they just wanted two, three food trucks. They were gonna pay for the food trucks. You walk with whatever truck you want and get what you want, which was a dope idea. I like that, I like stuff like that. It was a dope idea, it was different, it was dope.
Speaker 1:Or they be like well, like I had one groom he was made of his wife cause they had like lobster and shrimp. He's without his money on seafood and he like I'm allergic to seafood, he's seafood, so you used to be. Without his money for your guests, you can't even eat seafood. You know what I'm saying. He hungry. You know what I'm saying. He was like I'm hungry. He was like you want to bring your, I want to eat seafood. And that's what he was. Like he's seafood either. That's crazy. We bonded over talking over that. Like bro, every one of them is seafood. I'm allergic to seafood. I don't eat shellfish. That's why, like me either, like bro, I got my guy from the O'Gizama.
Speaker 1:We used to eat some pizza, man, we was at Browler Wooderman. We sent the little girl we made that eating pizza, me and him and we, instead of going back through he done, spent all this money, all this money and he, him and his wife want to make sure everybody else had. That's why and that's all I'm waiting to hear I tell people. You know, don't get me wrong I love when this is what we do, how we make a living and stuff like that, but you are basically paying this much money to show other people how much I love you, that's it.
Speaker 1:You buying members? That's it. I love how you say that. Yeah, buying memories, buying memories. You know what I'm saying. That's why it's more of a challenge than anything. That's why it's a challenge, so we can come together and do this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like me, when I was getting married, it was like I had a common wife of her name. You know what we got to argue about? Yeah, a color sage, a color sage. That's the first time I've come a wife of her name. Oh man, I'm mad enough to admit that I did it. I feel bad about it, but that's what I'm like, bitch. What the hell is a color sage? I don't know what to do. You got to get your color sage together. It's pool, it's pool. I'm like it's light blue. It's not light blue, it's tiffin' it blue, it's aqua. It's different colors and shades of blue. I'm like look, I'm not from the Archery about doing little pocket square. She wanted me to keep this pocket square with me at all time. Take it and make sure you match the groomsmen's this on the tuxeratic. I'm just like I'm not from the Archery about a color sage.
Speaker 1:It wasn't about nothing that had to be paid for nothing to do. We got to argue over a color sage. I knew it in. It's different. So let's talk about that real fast.
Speaker 1:So if you could go back, you know what I'm saying. So I'm wrapping you up, bro, if you could go back, would you have done a wedding or would you have? I would have. Like I said, you buy memories when them days get hard and that's why your videographer photography is very important. My videographer didn't show up. You know what I'm saying, but we ain't going to discuss that right now. But that's why you get what you pay for. You get what you pay for. You get what you pay for. So it was like I had like two photographers, like Chuck Wade with that Chuck Wade, one of my unfuller flay, one of my photographers. But I had. My wedding was like I got married to Saturday George Cunard did that year.
Speaker 1:So folks like how I was the innist rancher, I had the Miss Peer and everybody innist rancher, lexus, everybody, man, what was that? The innist rancher tiering. It was like we had the golf carts picking the folks up, taking them up to the ceremony. We had three DJs. It was like my pot is like look, I want to be a pot. So it was like run the DJ created Christmas, did the ceremony. Run the DJ did the reception, everybody with it. It was like everybody showed up like man, we going everywhere for a while. It was fun, so it was like I would do it all again.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. If I ever get married again to another woman or something, if I ever happen again, I do another way. You buy memories of them. Days get real hard and stressful. You go pull out that book, look at that video. You know Nass on the phone I ain't had a phone. You can look at your phone, look at your video and all that. That's important. That's important, like them days. If you want to choke, slam you just like you know what. What a cute day.
Speaker 1:Oh, let me address this too. While we're on the preferred podcast, let me tell you I'll bribe some. I'm cousin, right? Yeah, y'all see me out. Please, please, please. Don't get offended if I don't remember you. I ain't talking about that. Don't get offended if I remember who you are. You know what I'm saying, because this is like I had women really taking person, like I could pay my mother out of you or my cousin at the web. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Let me explain something. This is the purest heart and I'm not trying to be funny. The day I meet most of my clients is the way in day we might talk on the phone or we might meet once or twice, but on your way in day that's the most prettiest you will ever look, or you had a whole glam team that day doing your makeup, your hair, everything. So now I'm looking at you and, while I'm on the cliff with this butter, that flip flops on, you're not the same person. I thought I'd win. I hate to tell you that I forgot. I'm sorry, you know so.
Speaker 1:It's like they get a confidant like are you ain't speaking? And I'm like I had a woman like oh, you was all cool Before the win. That's the way y'all know us. Hey couple, that's one of my couples here. I can't remember names. It's real life. That's important, though that's not as big. I might do 6M weddings a month. Sometime in a week I run through that too.
Speaker 1:I have bridesmaids that be like hey, bro, yeah, yeah, yeah, right, you know what I'm saying. I suppose to remember you. I'm in bridesmaids. I done met this year. I suppose to remember you. Please forgive me. Don't what I'm saying. Don't hold it to my heart. Hold it to my mind. If I don't remember, it's not intentionally me not trying to speak to you. I'm telling you, man, like I still do because they get so offended.
Speaker 1:Bro, I love when a person be like what's up, cousin Rafe? I'm like, oh, I know they was in something. Yeah, they look like a lesbian. You know what I'm saying. It's like I was in Jamaica. I was in Jamaica. This dude was yelling cousin Rafe, cousin Rafe. Look what a dude. He was from Philly. He came to Jackson for a win. His college roommate got married. But he's from Philadelphia, pennsylvania, and he was. He just happened to be in their vacation in Jamaica at the same time and he was just yelling cousin Rafe, cousin, what a dude.
Speaker 1:Then the crazy part we was standing there dressed like, almost looking like I don't know this dude, but OK, and he was like man, I was just on somewhere. You know that, that, that. And then he told me to start I remember the toast from the way. I do remember you, yeah, yeah, yeah. So that was cool man, that's what's up, something like that. It means something to him. But I'd be like, ok, that's what's up, this cousin Rafe thing going somewhere, that's what's up, man.
Speaker 1:So to any young DJs, man, high school, that's one thing too. That's what, what, what? Once they let me go back before I even get it to the foundation. Man, you did my brother repads, so you know I appreciate that man. That's all, man, I have no other way. Really do appreciate that man. Like I said, my brother bought me out of the podcast so that really made me go and turn up with it. So so yeah, man, but I started the foundation that really going to start getting, you know, young guys and other girls into trades and stuff like that, not just plumbing and electrical and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:But I wish, I wish somebody would have told me of 14, 15. I could have been a wedding photographer for a living. You know, I can't imagine why I've been there if somebody would have put that on my mind at 14. You feel what I'm saying. Somebody said, hey, you better travel the world, do all of that. You know, being a DJ, you feel what I'm saying. At 14, they're like man, go and get serious about it. You know what I'm saying now. Like where just the advance you could have been at. So you know I did start the foundation for that.
Speaker 1:So just kind of talk about, you know, up and coming DJ or something like that. The main thing I had to say I'll up and coming DJ. It's out of that timing. You can't expect to be DJ Wraith overnight, dj Wraith when DJ Wraith overnight, and it's like that's what I come into a lot.
Speaker 1:I try to bring DJs under me. You seen them. I bring the kids around me, young guys like come on, man, learn this, let me teach you. Ok, you can DJ. Let me show you how to do this light. You know how much money I get just off light. You know how many weddings I might be like OK, well, I'm sitting lighting over here, I'm going to go DJ this wedding and do light and I'm going to do three vids on one day that I didn't get paid for, do one light. So it's like I'm trying to show them there's more ways to get money.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying Once you explain it. But it's like kids want it. Right now they don't understand it. They want to make what you make. They want to be what you at.
Speaker 1:Because it's a little guy that I really love. You know what I'm saying. I treat him like my son. You know what I'm saying? Like, bro, you got to get your hygiene right, bro, you got to get your swag right. You can't just come into this wedding with your pay and swag and it's a business, you know what I'm saying. And he thought I was being tough on him. But I'm like bro, really, look, I saw the potential of him. You know what I'm saying. He just feel like he wasn't making enough money. He wasn't just like you can't expect to make what I make, you need all the equipment. You know what I'm saying. And it really pissed me off and it made me sad. At the same time.
Speaker 1:I really liked little dude, you know what I'm saying. I'm like bro, you would rather not work, not make no money. Yeah, I'm sitting here and sitting here like, well, man, this and this, and I'm like I had to get on you and I bought you work shirts. You don't wear them, that stuff coming out of my pocket. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:This is like so the young folks that made that, they tell them like I had several. I tried to mold and understand, but then when I had to realize I can't make my dream another child's dream, right there they got to have their own dreams. You know what I'm saying. So it's like once I realized, like maybe I'm trying to make my dream their dream. They say what they want. They say this what they want. But maybe they're trying to find that stuff Like I was trying to find myself at the age. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:It's like with the young folks. It's just a tip. You got to be willing to listen and learn. You're not willing to listen and learn, you wasting your time and whoever trying to teach you that. But this could change your life. You know what I'm saying. If you listen to me, I'm telling you look, you could be in a whole another taste bag of some good friends in a year or two. Stay down till you come up, like 3D says, stay down till you come up, shut up 3D. You know what I'm saying Stay down till you come up. So it's like I try to mold the young people and tell them like, look, take your serious. But you got to realize once you are an entrepreneur you had to watch everything you do. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I'm a DJ. If I go out here and slap a woman in a wild mart, they don't say race. Slap the woman in a wild mart, dj, race. Slap the woman in a wild mart, they ain't going to be known. You got to protect your brand at all times. You got to. I don't go to certain places. You know what I'm saying. Well, dj Rick was over here. Oh, he was Got a particular brand Image. You know what I'm saying. It's all about image. You know what I'm saying. People just look at it and it's crazy Because they don't reflect what you do. You might be great at what you do, but people always try to stigmatize or put you somewhere, brand you for something that don't have nothing to do with your business. You know what I'm saying. So it's like I had to lie Like man. It's like spots I want to go to I don't go to. You know what I'm saying. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:Like I work. I ain't rich, I do number folks see you working and feel like you on. You know what I'm saying. I work. You ain't seeing me out here kicking my shoes behind the facade in this way and you hear my back hurting when I'm going home every weekend. You feel your feet hurt All of that. I'm sitting here having a body dog on Epsom salt and everything, taking bams Like I'd really be working, hurting it. You know what I'm saying. Man, you out of the country. You do this, you do that, you do this, you do that. Like I'm getting paid to be over here, but there ain't nobody be in there Just because you see me standing by the beach. You ain't see this recession I just did two hours ago. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:It's like, all of a sudden, like it's people like I want to book you, but you just too high. You ain't never spoke to them. All they're talking about man you don't even know you ain't calling me. You know what I'm saying. It's like one of them call like I really didn't. I thought you would be way more than this. All it takes is a phone call and like shoot, you'd maybe book by the end of the day, right there, how you, we might. It's over with Either way it goes. You know what I'm saying. All it takes is a phone call and like before we go, my bad, now I'm taking over the pocket. Now you good baby, talk Blah, blah, blah. What we talking about. We got that black man, the black man, starlight, blah, blah. But I don't care how many times we have talked until you pay him money.
Speaker 1:We ain't did nothing but having a conversation Just because you told me you get mad, don't mean you booked me for your win. And if so many people get there confused. They're like it's not my job to track you down. Yeah, remind you and be like hey, are you booked? So the next person call be like hey, I want this day, I want to book you that book. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:And then people get mad. You calling me the week of the wedding when I told you last year I'll get mad on this day. Maybe you ain't never send no money. You ain't never. I told you you ain't get no invoice. I'm like once you send the deposit, I send the invoice to see everything to you. We locked in. It's simple. If you don't send no money, you've done nothing but had a conversation about your win.
Speaker 1:And then so many people like they get confused on how, when he a holder day for me, rape the whole day. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I don't hold dates. That's how you eat, though. That's how you eat. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:We don't have a guarantee check coming in two weeks. Energy ain't never had no date for me. I can't call energy and be like they're going to pay me in three months. I'm going to pay y'all. I got you. No, no, that's important, though. That's important it's some of the people like I have people really get mad at me. You know what I'm saying. It's like well, if you you mad at me Because you didn't pay your deposit, I did my part.
Speaker 1:I told you what to do. I put the ball in your court. You chose not to pay the deposit, the date book, then you didn't follow up. If you were the client and I work with people, you know that's one of my problems you could have called me a week and, look, I don't have the money right now. But you know, I get my check on this day. I'm going to see you. You know, if I got to pay the whole of the problems they had, just let you know I'm serious about my date. You know, if you don't spend nothing to say nothing to me, oh well, you know what I'm saying. You coming mad. That ain't fair. This and this and this and this, it really is. It's not fair that you expect me to hold this date for you. You know what I'm saying. I don't want that. I don't want that man.
Speaker 1:I want to last to question, for I let you talk about. You know what's next for you, man, what you doing, something in the witness and everything. Bro, how do you kind of just keep that mindset of just your mindset, like you know, everyday getting up, getting up, I mean you're at a level now where you know you could. You could probably start cutting back and picking and choosing and stuff like that, but your work ethic is still there. So, even different, even other people that may start, you know, start coming up in there or whatever respect the industry they're in how do you keep your mindset? You know the way it is.
Speaker 1:Truthfully, I love what I do. Truthfully, that's just what it is. I love what I do. I love the reaction. I love to see the smiles or the gifts. I love to see that bride and groom like would really do it for me at the end of the night you know what I'm saying. The end night, when everybody leaving and the couple just by themselves having that one last dance to whatever being played. You know what I'm saying. They're just like okay, thank you, dj. You know what I'm saying. I'm like that's not doing it for me, man. That just that keeps me going, that keeps me wanting to keep doing it. It's just like I love what I do. I get tired. Don't get a confused, I get tired. It's like doing two, three weddings a day, four, five days in a row feet hurting, tired, irritated. You know what I'm saying, but it's like I gotta keep it going. I gotta know us about this couple. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:The next couple and my business comes from weddings. Everywhere I've done not a percent of the time, I get another book, either at the wedding or when I leave the wedding. Well, that's even somebody kind of will look, you did something so weird and I was there. You, I really enjoyed you. I want to book you for mine. You know what I'm saying. That's how I keep the business going. So if I'm tired and don't want to be there, I got an attitude that I can crave for whatever that's taken away from the brand. You know what I'm saying. Like I said, I believe in protecting the brand that I own cause. So it's like it's all about being professional and, just like I said, I love to see my couples happen Longer. The couples happen in good place. I feel like I done my job. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I call my couples weeks later, send thank you cards you know what I'm saying. Or I might give them a ball of champagne or something to make it look like and I'm gonna tell you my little secret thing I get my gifts ready. Let's talk about that before we get out of here too. When do we get out of the thing of not bringing gifts to the way, man? When do we get out of there? The gift tab will be empty, man. The gift tab will be empty. That's crazy. That's been all this money on y'all to have a good time. Y'all can't even bring a card. There be like two, three cards in the card. Yeah, that be it.
Speaker 1:It's like, bro, when I I remember at one point like it be gifts all on the floor, it be overflowing with gifts. It's like everyone just walk up when everybody come and empty handed with, with attitudes like they don't wanna be there, I'm just like that's crazy. I mean like let's get back to giving gifts. Man, if you don't know what the bout of person means, just give them a card. Everybody. Cash is still cash in every area. Give them a visa card or something like that. Give them a card, give them a gift card or something.
Speaker 1:Quit, coming away and empty handed. Make it even for us with a lot of money for you out. It ain't for them, it's for you out. At least, all I can do is pay for the plate. Pay the plate for you to pay. Yeah, give them something.
Speaker 1:And it's like like that's my little secret weapon. I make sure I'm gonna give a nice little gift box. It might have a DJ right shirt in there, a candle, champagne glass, something. It's still me promoting the brand, but it's enough to let the couple know I appreciate them. Like it's a lot of other DJs you can put with, but it's just showing like okay, this a little gift, and you know it ain't gonna be expensive and all they gonna do is take that and show all they other friends that may be getting married like well, this is what my DJ sent me. You know what I mean? My DJ gave me this gift. So word of mouth is still the number one promotion. Definitely, definitely.
Speaker 1:And it's like ain't nothing like when you getting home from your wedding you gonna be tired the first night. You gonna be tired the first night, then next day, or two y'all let's go to these gifts. Baby, you're like wait a minute. Dj got us on. You know what I'm saying. Like they may say some of the people that called cried like we ain't getting no gifts. But we opened this box. We ain't know what it was. It was so pretty that we gonna drink this.
Speaker 1:When our intervention was around this and this and this Dudes that called me I just a ratchet win. So I got like my family's diverse, so I got some ratchet cousins too. Some of my cousins called poppin' box, we poppin' this shit. Now, buddy, we got this y'all. You know what I'm sayin'. It happened this way. Yeah, that's what's up man. It didn't mean a lot man, that's what's up man. But now I like that man. That definitely give me gain to a lot of people, just in the industry. How you make a sense yourself apart, that's the main thing. That's the main thing. So what's that inspiration, man? Honestly, I'm gonna get more on the stage and light, like in the LED walls concerts. Let's purchase the LED walls so you gonna see this on wedding. Instead of having the pictures back there, we gonna have a straight video going behind them Up there. We doin' LED walls, doin' the LED dance floors, now Upgrading speakers. I might wait.
Speaker 1:Workin' man, I'm upgradein'. I'm always tryin' to upgrade the experience, man, you know what I'm sayin'. When people start doin' you, you have to switch lanes. Yeah, switch it up when big and better change on them. You know what I'm sayin' Like. It's a high goal, like Jay-Z say. You know they start wearing the Yankee. Don't wear it by the day, you know, out by the company. You know what I'm sayin'. It's happenin', man, but it's like just upgrade and deliverin' boy man, tryin' to make the experience even better. You know what I'm sayin'. That's pretty much it. That's what's up, man.
Speaker 1:And how can couples find you, bro? Man, I'm everywhere. Dj R-A-F-E everywhere. Dj Ray, facebook Ray. Dj Ray Williams, facebook DJ Ray, instagram, snapchat, everywhere else. I still have a phone number. You know I have email. You can call me 601-503-6705. Or you can hit me email DJ R-A-F-E 601-gmailcom. That's what's up. You can find me at. Where's all the one, ray? And my name is not Ray Fae, it's not Raymond, it's not Rufus, it's not Raph. And if you can say safe, you can say Ray, take the answer off, put a R. Dj Ray, r-a-f-e. That's me. That's what's up, man. That's what's up.
Speaker 1:Cousin Ray, art experience guy, cousin Ray, cousin Ray for show man. Well, like I said, man, he's definitely one of the best DJs out here, period. But if you're definitely having an event or a wedding, this definitely should be the first car y'all definitely look into man, like I don't, I don't First and second, I don't, I don't. You know, I ain't the type of guy to really recommend to many people, but I'm definitely gonna recommend people that I know that I was gonna come through. So if a couple of I always ask me, you know, you know a DJ, you know, and about first person, I'm always sending the two for show for show. So I mean y'all definitely took them out. I already booked him. Yo, the hell, the hell, yeah, I got him. I got him Puffer Venter man, puffer Venter man.
Speaker 1:Well, man, I appreciate you coming on bro, dropping knowledge, dropping game man, love, love, just being on with us, bro, for real, for real. And, like I said, we're probably stuck around a couple years or a year or two. See where it's at. Maybe next year, see y'all what's different, what's moving, stuff like that May do one in Tulum on the beach or something like that. You never know, man, you gonna take the fire.
Speaker 1:Can we're in Y? We doing some work with it, we doing some work with it. Yeah, man, yeah man, let's do it. Man, pour a line from the beach. Hey, report a line, man, that's how we do it. But nah, man, I appreciate you bro, I appreciate you really Like something. Give you flowers right here, man. You, the truth man. Ever since I got to get a chance to know you, everything, you always been like a big bro, so I appreciate the love you always been giving me and you know anything I could do for you in return. Man, Let me know, man, like bye, love, love dawg forever, forever, man, I'm a holly child. Later, man, it's been another episode of the Proverb, been the podcast, and till next time, see y'all soon. Hey, that is.