Conversations with DJ Baptiste

Today we’d like to introduce you to DJ Baptiste

Hi DJ, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. I was fortunate enough to receive a thorough education in music and performance art from a young age. My passion for music would later fuel my decision to move to New York City at 18 years old to pursue a career. NYC would become my home for nearly a decade. It taught me the hard truths about the industry and at the same time was a never ending source of inspiration to keep going.

Recently, I decided to move back to Raleigh. I want to share my lifelong passion for music and bring a taste of NYC nightlife to the Triangle.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
All of the challenging moments I’ve experienced in the past have shaped me into the man I am today.
Though I definitely didn’t view certain obstacles as such at the time – like moving to a big city with no friends, family, or money – in hindsight its clear that what we deem challenges are precious opportunities to transform. Pressure makes diamonds!
I’m sure most artists and entrepreneurs can relate when I say that the biggest challenge to overcome is believing that what you’re creating isn’t worth sharing. It can be tough when you don’t book that gig or someone wants to haggle your prices down or pay you with “exposure”. Standing strong in your worth and not compromising your talent is a daily obstacle we face in this industry. Fortunately – and maybe unfortunately – the more opportunities we get to have those difficult conversations, the easier fielding them becomes.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a musician.
By day I produce for a boutique local record label called Dethkillr. By night I DJ and turn up with Raleigh’s best.
I also play in a local band called HRMTGE. We recently released our EP “Raised by Avatars 2.0”, which is available on all streaming platforms.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
To quote one of my favorite movies, “fear is the mind killer”.
Being an artist is all about taking risks and not letting fear get in the way of your progress.
Artistry of any kind is the most volatile field one can enter! There is no guarantee that your hard work will pay off. So, while some decisions you make might seem crazy to others, like my moving to NYC, you have to make peace with the fact that others may not understand your seemingly risky actions. Without taking these necessary risks to put ourselves out there, we’ll never get that valuable feedback to better our craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.djbaptiste.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dj.baptiste/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/baptiste-music-517155407