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We had the good fortune of connecting with Ell and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ell, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
As an entrepreneur, achieving work-life balance is a sensitive and important topic. It’s essential to constantly generate revenue and remain productive, which can make it difficult to find time for personal life. Friends, family, and colleagues often observe that I’m always working, which can make it difficult to foster deep, meaningful relationships. However, as an entrepreneur, I’ve chosen to prioritize work and create job security, career growth, and steady income every day. This has helped me reach a number of my goals early in life.
My most effective strategy to generate a full-time income is practicing what I call “wearing multiple hats”. This involves taking on various roles, such as DJing, touring, studio and live FOH engineering, owning/operating a commercial studio, and teaching. As a result, I typically wear 2-3 hats each day.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As an engineer, my job is to translate an artist’s vision into a product that resonates with listeners across different platforms and settings. While this involves technical skills, it’s also an emotional task. I’m always asking myself how I can create a product that connects with people in different moods and environments, from their living room to a concert venue or car speakers. My goal is to capture the artist’s intended emotion and make it relatable to the audience.
As a DJ, my role is to channel emotions and energy into a crowd, whether I’m performing solo or with another artist. Dynamic energy, with peaks and valleys, is key to creating an emotional journey for the audience. The ability to read a crowd and lead them on this journey is at the heart of being a successful DJ. High energy needs to be balanced with moments of calm to rebuild momentum and excitement.
My journey as a DJ began with a local radio station, where I would submit demo tapes after school. Despite being told to come back when I was in college, I was persistent. One day, I met DJ Chill Will, who eventually became a lifelong mentor and colleague. He invited me to play a guest set on his radio show, but my first attempt was riddled with technical difficulties and mistakes. Despite being given another opportunity, I experienced similar failures.
In spite of my initial failure as a young 8th grader, I remained determined to become a radio DJ and went on to co-host the same radio show with DJ Chill Will every Saturday night for the next 12 years, despite encountering early setbacks.
My perseverance opened doors that led to even more opportunities. As the saying goes, “one opportunity leads to the next,” and that has been the case for me.
My time co-hosting the Prop Shop radio show paved the way for me to perform on concerts and tours with artists, such as Afroman, ASAP Rocky, Big K.R.I.T., Big Sean’s Finally Famous, Cam’ron, Curren$y, J. Cole, Joey Bada$$, Juicy J, KRS-One, Logic, Machine Gun Kelly, Slum Village, Talib Kweli, Twista, Wale, and Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang, among many others.
Early on in life, I realized the importance of accepting failure and moving forward. There’s a saying that goes, “Bullets downrange stay downrange. Don’t let your last shot affect your next one”. As a DJ, engineer, and educator, I encounter both successes and setbacks at every show, in every session, and in every class. This is an inherent aspect of the craft and a fact of life.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Amoeba Music and Rasputin Music are two of my favorite spots, and I unquestionably love the smell of records. The dust from the old record sleeves may make me sneeze, but it also reminds me of my childhood spent playing my parents’ Beatles records and learning to DJ. The smell of record sleeves is second to none.
While I age, I find myself increasingly drawn to the outdoors. If I am not in the studio, at a venue, or at a record shop, I would rather be outside, particularly enjoying the warm California weather.
Aside from my favorite spots in LA, several other places hold significant meaning for me, downtown Ann Arbor in July was a place where I spent most of my childhood, drinking Arizona Ice Tea, Barcelona, which I may consider moving to someday, my extended family’s home in Bombay, India, the endless energy of Manhattan, the southern hospitality of Nashville, and charm of Newbury Street and Fenway Park in Boston.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My environment and mentors have played a crucial role in shaping who I am today. Firstly, my mom instilled in me the courage to pursue my dreams and interests, while my dad provided guidance and numerous opportunities throughout my life and career. DJ Chill Will gave me my first radio opportunity and reminded me to stay grounded. Alvin Hill taught me the fundamentals and mindset of DJing, and Pablo Munguia helped me gain control over my ego. Jacoby (DJ Cataclysmic) taught me the art of scratching, and my closest friends (Sam, Sam, Chris, Tyler, and Conor) have always been a source of support and stability. The Neutral Zone provided a space for me to grow during my early years, while the student and faculty community at Berklee College of Music helped me expand my skillset and become a multifaceted DJ, engineer, and business owner.
Website: https://www.ThatDJEll.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatdjell
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4o5v8jwhZs
Other: https://www.iamell.com
Image Credits
Doug Coombe, Andy Irwin