Rostam’s 30 – DJ Kid Clay’s Interview

Posted 5/22/13 by DJ Rostam

Rostam’s 30 is LTCL Magazine’s new initiative led by DJ Rostam to introduce new hot artists to our college readers. Simply put, we interview these artists with 30 questions and provide their music links for you to download and listen to daily. Let us know what you think about DJ Kid Clay with a comment below!

DJ Kid Clay is most known for his unique personality while at work, the ability to carry an audience, and his ear for new music. From starting a Free-Mix Friday Series, being a selected guest DJ for 107.5 WGCI, and spinning at clubs and college campuses throughout Midwest, it was only right for DJ Kid Clay to release his popular multi-genre mixes.

Full Name: Randall Brown
Stage Name: DJ Kid Clay
Occupation: DJ
Genre: Open Format
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Where did your stage name come from? Everyone always asks me how I came up with my DJ name. It’s funny because I don’t have an amazing story behind it. My middle name is Clayton so I decided to shorten it with ‘Clay’ Adding the ‘Kid’ to the beginning just made the name sound complete which is how I came up with Kid Clay.
Where are you from? I am from Bolingbrook, Illinois which is a suburb outside of Chicago.
Where did you start your career? I started my career in my Uncle’s living room once I got my equipment.
What city do you represent? Chicago, Illinois
What gave you that initial push? Although I still do, I use to watch videos of DJ’s such as QBert, Jazzy Jeff, AM, and Craze (Just to name a few). I was able to do see that they didn’t just play music, they put on a show. From that moment I knew that DJin’ was going to take over my life.
How long have you been in the industry? I have been in the industry for 3 years. I haven’t been in the game as long as most people think. I believe my work ethic and love for music has allowed me to progress at a very fast pace. I know you can never stop learning, so I always continue to research and practice consistently to become a better DJ than I was the day before.
If you had to give a thank-you speech, who would you thank and what would you say? I would thank my Uncle Ed for supporting me and putting up with the loud music, terrible scratching and horrible blends in the beginning. I couldn’t have my equipment at home so if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to practice and develop confidence being behind the tables.
What makes you a softie? N/A
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? It was always a dream of mine to make it to the NBA.
What are three hobbies of yours other than what you do? Playing basketball, watching the NFL on Sundays and going to concerts.
Pepsi or Coke? Pepsi.
Rap or Hip Hop? Depends on how I’m feeling.
House or Dubstep? House.
What do you eat a lot more than anything else? Bacon.
What was the first event you ever played at/put on? The 1st event I DJed was at a bar in Wrigleyville.
What are some of your accomplishments in the field? Guest DJ on Chicago’s #1 Radio Station for Hip-Hop & R&B 107.5.
What makes you different than everybody else in the industry? What makes me different from other DJs is my song selection. As DJ’s we all might have the same music, but I guarantee we all have a unique way.
Do you produce? If so do you prefer performing or producing? I currently don’t produce but something I have already been looking into. I am really looking forward to creating my own remixes.
Who would you love to perform with? DJ Jazzy Jeff & artists such as Kanye West and Jay-Z!
What’s your longterm goal? My longterm goals are to become an International DJ who is also known for his production credits with very established artists in the industry.
When all the partying is over how do you like to chill out? I like to watch ‘Sports Center’ until I fall asleep.
Funniest thing that ever happened at an event? I remember when I was booked to be the closing DJ at a huge event that included performances from artist Jeremih & Will (Day 26). I honestly had very little experience DJing in clubs and was only familiar with CDJ’s. I remember walking into the venue and noticing the equipment was some Numarks or something and telling myself ‘How do I even use those?’ Long story short, I did a terrible job which could have ruined my career if I let it. I think that event just reminds me how far I have come and how I really didn’t know that much about DJing at that time.
What advice would you give to up and coming artists? I would have to say that you have to realize you can never stop learning. Also no matter how GREAT you become, it’s always important to practice because there is always someone gunning for your spot.
What are your goals for 2013? My goals for 2013 are to spin at various clubs outside of Illinois along with earning a weekly time slot to mix on a radio station.