#LAonLockExclusive: DJ Specs
DJ Specs has been climbing the hill all his life. Both figuratively, as he’s worked to build a name in a business that is notoriously tough to carve out a reputation, and literally, as a proud son of Victorville and the surrounding High Desert. Climbing back up the pass on I-15 is something he must do every time he returns home from gigs in and around LA.
Because he’s been so ardent and determined to stake his place among the best, DJ Specs now has more opportunities to perform down the hill at prominent headlining events. One climb feeds the other, but the ascent has never been easy. Specs, a moniker bestowed upon him by his mom, turned his passion for music into a profession at an age when most kids were busy playing Minecraft. DJ Specs on the other hand was honing his craft with turntables and microphones and by studying the techniques of others such as DJ Blend.
The early haters nearly deterred him, but after a start and stop beginning, Specs truly launched his career in high school as an in-demand DJ for house parties and by hosting his own events. He'll be the first to say he couldn’t have done any of that without the support of his mother and after fighting through those early detractors, Specs had established his presence when his world and support was ripped apart by his mom’s passing. He considers 2020 the worst year of his life.
Of course, the world was on fire for us all that year, but the untimely loss of his mother left Specs reeling. No man walks alone, so with help from respected mentors in the business, and members of his family, DJ Specs came back from his grief with an even stronger desire to do both his mother, and his city proud.
Known for his crowd engaging style, DJ Specs doesn’t sit back and wait for the crowd’s energy to feed him. Instead, he feeds the crowd and then together their energies merge and swirl into an unstoppable frenzy. A historian in many realms, but especially music, Specs prides his ability to connect and reach audiences of various ages and musical tastes. Call it universal appeal if you will, but truly it’s the result of hard work, research, and the right personality to entertain without letting ego dictate what the crowd wants, no, scratch that, needs to hear.
“Growing up, I never had much attention on myself,” DJ Specs said. “As a DJ, I’m my own team. It’s a one-man sport, so the vibe of any party or event relies on what I do to keep everyone’s emotions high.” But there are a lot of fans in the seats these days, rooting on that one-man team and Specs takes that responsibility to heart because their good time relies on the mood he sets. And other artists who share the stage, rely on him to create the perfect environment for them to work and succeed. While DJ Specs works alone on stage to cultivate the right vibe, he carries the weight of others during his climb. He’s appeared with and in support of artists like A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Rick Dunk, Bino Rideaux, 03 Greedo, RJMRLA, Blueface, and Saviii 3rd to name a few.
Energy and positivity are trademarks of Spec’s style, and he exudes both as a Ratchet-style DJ hellbent to give every member of his audience a reason to smile and move and remember the show. “The projects or music I use will be relevant to my audience. That’s how I keep them entertained. Something as simple as me telling a story or sharing a message along with the tracks I select makes a difference. I spend a tremendous amount of time doing research to create something fresh and original.”
His favorite moment thus far was bringing his young son on stage and sharing his passion with him, but like all hard-working parents DJ Specs struggles when his performances take time away from being a father. Conversely, it is the love of family that helps make some moments on stage extra special. On the one-year anniversary of his mom’s passing, DJ Specs found himself headlining a stadium show in his own city. “It felt like it was meant to be,” Specs said. “She watched me with the greatest seat in the house. She was with me on that night for sure.”
On that night, every step of the climb was worth it. But DJ Specs isn’t the type to step back and relax. No, he recalls the early days when he lost friends to shootings and the time one of his own events at a hookah lounge led to gunfire and his own car getting shot up with him inside. Only seventeen at the time, DJ Specs understands his good fortune to have escaped lasting trouble. Probably more than most, since his own father was shot at young age and those wounds resulted in a loss of vision that has prevented kept Spec’s father from ever having the joy of seeing his son’s face.
Another step in the climb that would leave some thinking … no, it’s too steep, I’ll stop here and rest. Not DJ Specs. He’s kept going through all the challenges. Kept reaching for that “Fire & Desire” if you will, because we all have to start over now and again. Speaking of Drake, DJ Specs hopes to one day work with the artist, because he feels they share the same knack for delving into the personal emotions to create something unique and different.
DJ Specs continues to climb, and he does so with thoughts on his mom, his son, doing right by the artists he works with, and of course he does it all with an ear to the ground so he can deliver something special and memorable to the fans that come out to see him. This allows them to get lost in the music for a little while and forget their own climbs. Leading them to that place is DJ Specs, the fun-loving and talented DJ that keeps that beat pumping and the energy going.
