Kailyn Brown
What are your thoughts:
On being a hyphenated creative and balancing multiple passions
Creating balance in my life is something that I am constantly working on. For a long time, I was intimidated to start DJing because I was so consumed with writing, which I’d been pursuing since my pre-teen years because I didn’t think I could manage both at the same time. But once I got over that, I realized that both professions could be an outlet for me. I consider them both storytelling and acts of service through different outlets and each of them do different things for me. Through journalism, I am able to educate and inform my readers, Whereas with DJing, I am able to create a vibe and make people dance or sing or just feel something. So whenever I am experiencing a writing block, I go listen to music to release my mind, and vice versa. Someone I consider a mentor once told me, if you treat DJing (but in this case any passion) like a hobby, then it’ll treat you the same way. So I try my hardest to treat both of my passions with equal respect and care as if I had two children.
On the importance of having safe spaces for black creatives to commune and congregate
Having safe spaces for black creatives to come together is extremely important and necessary. I find that no matter the profession, black people can relate to on so many things within the workspace, so having that support system to know that you are not alone is so valuable.
On the challenges of being a female DJ in such a male-dominated industry
There are definitely more male DJs in the industry than female, but what encouraged me to finally give it a shot in the first place was the rising amount of women breaking through the industry. In high school, I used to spend countless hours watching female DJs on YouTube, reading their stories on blogs, etc. It was newcomers (at the time) like Vashtie and Jasmine Solano and all the OGs that encouraged me to try, despite what the industry looked like. I feel like there is a shift happening right now and within the last 5 years or so, there have been more women that have been placed on higher platforms. So I think it’s just a matter of time. I’m looking forward to watching it grow.
On incorporating music from the entire African diaspora into your DJ sets and how its been received as genres like Afrobeats and Dancehall become more popular in mainstream American music
One of my closest friends and DJ partner, Nneoma, is Nigerian and has taught me so much about the African diaspora when it comes to music. I’m originally from Las Vegas, which at least for me didn’t seem to have a large population that represented the diaspora, but since moving to L.A. and with my recent travels, I’ve met so many people from all over Africa. It’s inspired me to learn about my roots and for me, much of that starts with music. I feel like black people are the world’s best dancers and this music is the soundtrack that has got us moving through the course of time, so it’s some of my favorite music to incorporate. You just feel good and liberated when hearing it. I am just so happy that sounds like Afrobeats and Alte Cruise are getting mainstream attention because for a long time, it was difficult for international artists to crossover. But now with artists like Koffee (reggae) winning a Grammy, we’re witnessing a shift.
On using corporate platforms like the LA Times to tell stories that reflect our community, similar to your piece on Aleali May
As a young black woman, I hold experiences and interests that vary greatly from my counterparts, so I try to bring that into my reporting. I consider myself a culture journalist who looks at different industries such as arts and entertainment, then uses my cultural scope and perspective to dissect them. I make an effort to highlight black artists that I admire such as Aleali May or Calmatic because we – as black creatives – don’t receive as much credit as we deserve. Having a large platform to publish my work gives me an outlet to share these stories with people who may have never heard of some of these people, so I don’t take the responsibility lightly.
Warmest regards,