If you’re an avid follower of the tri-state area music scene, chances are you’ve heard the name DJ Stacks. The Staten Island-based DJ is known for his regular spot on HOT 97’s MixShow, his residency at celebrity clubs like 1 Oak, Tao and Up & Down and his spot on the elite DJ crew the Heavy Hitters. He’s also the go-to DJ for parties of celebrities and has worked with artists like Fetty Wap, Tory Lanez, Migos and Maluma..
Like any successful artist, his passion for music started at an early age. “I was just more focused on music than school,” he said. At the age of 12, he started creating custom mix-tapes for his classmates, using a CD burner and old hip-hop albums he would borrow from his aunt. By the time he reached high school, he had made a name for himself selling his mixtape CDs around his neighborhood barber shops. He was soon noticed by a club promoter called “Staten Island Mex” who encouraged him to DJ at teen and college parties.
By the time he turned 20, he was offered a position as an assistant for Mister Cee & J.Medina’s Friday Nite Live show on Hot 97. This meant giving up his residency gig at a local restaurant, which was a huge financial risk for Stacks as it was his main source of income. Ten years later it has proven to be a risk that paid off, as today he is one of the station’s most recognizable new names.
After a few years of building up his name and audience, DJ Stacks decided to enter into the New York club scene. This was no easy task, and took a lot of self-promotion. “I would go out to all the clubs even if I wasn’t booked,” he said. He’d hand out his mixtapes, which he likens to an electronic resume, to the club security guards and front desk managers to prove what he could do. Soon he had built up a good reputation among the New York club scene, and was asked to DJ at renown club 1Oak. Years later he is still working at exclusive celebrity clubs, opening for other established artists and continuing to network, which he claims is one of the most important ingredients for success. “There are a lot of celebrities and people that I’ve built a relationship with just because they kept seeing me at the same club every time they went,” he said.
But perhaps one of the most significant things about DJ Stacks is his versatility. “DJing is more than just playing music. You have to really show what else can you bring to the table, especially in 2020,” he said. He started hosting celebrity dinners and quickly made a name for himself in the hospitality lane. “Things like that helped separate me from other DJs,” he said. His ability to switch between multiple lanes and excel in each one is why DJ Stacks is continuing to climb the ranks of the music scene.