While growing up in Los Angeles, I studied DJ Melo-D, mixing on the radio almost every evening. He quickly became my favorite DJ with his intricate scratches and flawless mixes, where he introduced songs that established many artists' careers in the L.A. Hip-Hop scene. His story speaks volumes about finding what you love to do and driving it with passion. During our conversation, you will learn about his relentless mindset of chasing his dream, putting his education first, and completing his college career while finding his purpose. He shares his peaks and valleys, as well as how he overcame his challenges with determination. This episode hits all the notes, but most importantly, you will learn the importance of being prepared when life presents you with the opportunity to live your dream.

Links to DJ Melo-D:

https://www.instagram.com/djmelod/

https://x.com/DJMeloD

https://www.instagram.com/madefromskratchpizza/

https://www.twitch.tv/djmelod

https://www.youtube.com/@OGDJMeloD

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro 01:27 - Finding Music, Records, The Turntable

(08:35) - Determination (That Want), Forming a Crew

(10:07) - The First Gig, The Scratch, I Can Do This

(14:00) - Study & Focus, College, Practice, Finding a Balance

(18:50) - The Beat Junkies, Sharing Ideas, Finding Like-Minded People

(23:12) - Getting Inspired, Part of the Environment, Bring Some Records

(26:53) - Obsession to Perfection, Being Prepared

(29:49) - Winning Battles, Getting Noticed, Julio G, I Got a Job

(34:14) - Right Place & Right Time, How Prepared Are You?

(35:17) - Resilience, Take a Break, Gain Perspective

(39:04) - DJ AM, Las Vegas, We're Stuck, Overcoming Challenges

(46:33) - Questioning Yourself, Staying Grounded, Inspiration

(49:15) - The Gimmee Record, Being Remembered

(52:13) - Back to the Bedroom DJ, Giving Back, Made From Skratch

(57:12) - Your Younger Self

(59:04) - How to Find DJ Melo-D

(01:00:35) - Outro

Host: Azhar "Ace" Hai

⁠https://www.instagram.com/ac3hai/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/fortherotation/⁠

Music: Adam Murakami

⁠https://www.instagram.com/elfourza/⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@elfourza⁠

Production Manager: Jack Monforte

⁠https://www.instagram.com/jackmonforte/⁠

Video Production Manager: Pablo Aguilar

⁠https://www.instagram.com/pabloaguilarstudio/⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@pablitomas⁠

Links to For The Rotation:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ForTheRotation⁠

⁠https://www.fortherotation.com/⁠

⁠https://www.fortherotation.com/merch/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/fortherotation/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552192755579⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@fortherotation/⁠

⁠https://www.snapchat.com/add/fortherotation/⁠

⁠https://x.com/ForTheRotation/⁠

⁠https://www.threads.net/@fortherotation/

When a friend introduced me to Nick Hayes on Instagram, I was immediately impressed and knew I had to share his story with you. Join me as I delve into the extraordinary and motivational life of Nick Hayes and why he's named The Last DJ. His journey illustrates that it's never too late to follow your dreams and that evolving is essential to achieving your goals. We will explore his beginnings in electronic music and how his passion inspired him to become a techno producer. Nick's "can-do" mindset will inspire you, and you'll learn why letting go of your "book of excuses" is crucial to pursuing your dreams. His story exemplifies what is possible for anyone willing to strive for their aspirations and move forward without looking back.

This episode streamed live on 3/25/25

Links to The Last DJ (Nick Hayes):

https://www.youtube.com/@thelastdj/

https://www.instagram.com/the_last_dj_

https://www.tiktok.com/@musicsounddesign

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0vs4NkFUIWZFyYHXVU7IoQ

https://www.threads.net/@the_last_dj_

https://soundcloud.com/last-dj-702556113

Host: Azhar "Ace" Hai

⁠https://www.instagram.com/ac3hai/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/fortherotation/⁠

Music: Adam Murakami

⁠https://www.instagram.com/elfourza/⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@elfourza⁠

Links to For The Rotation:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@ForTheRotation⁠

⁠https://www.fortherotation.com/⁠

⁠https://www.fortherotation.com/merch/⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/fortherotation/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552192755579⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@fortherotation/⁠

⁠https://www.snapchat.com/add/fortherotation/⁠

⁠https://x.com/ForTheRotation/⁠

⁠https://www.threads.net/@fortherotation/

We couldn't fit it all in one, so we had to make a part 2. In this episode, DJ Qbert expands on topics discussed in part 1 and dives deep into events that shaped his career. This freeform conversation will take you through many stories, experiences, and words of guidance on how to sustain a successful career. It also dives into the progression of DJ technology to share expert advice for aspiring DJs and enthusiasts. It's one of my favorite interviews because it has no structure and allows DJ Qbert to share his wisdom and humor, which he carries into random topics. There is so much to learn from this man, as well as tons of knowledge and inspiration in this episode.

Links to DJ Qbert:

https://www.djqbert.com/

https://www.instagram.com/djqbert/

https://www.instagram.com/thudrumble/

https://www.facebook.com/skratchdjqbert

https://www.tiktok.com/@djqbert1

https://x.com/DJQbert

https://www.youtube.com/@thudrumble

Join me as I explore the inspirational life of DJ Qbert, who has transformed the world of music with his turntables as his instrument. We will dive deep into his humble beginnings and the challenges he faced, highlighting how his determination and resilience have shaped his career and continued innovation in turntablism. Throughout our conversation, you will discover the power of combining imagination with spirituality, which can help you channel your inner strength to overcome obstacles and achieve your dreams. DJ Qbert will share his thought processes and how he navigates his creativity to maintain a successful career. Listening to his story will emphasize the importance of giving back to your craft and how to connect yourself to the universe to strengthen your path to success.

Links to DJ Qbert:

https://www.djqbert.com/

https://www.instagram.com/djqbert/

https://www.instagram.com/thudrumble/

https://www.facebook.com/skratchdjqbert

https://www.tiktok.com/@djqbert1

https://x.com/DJQbert

https://www.youtube.com/@thudrumble

Join me as we explore the life of LABellatini, a dynamic and talented DJ, production curator, and positivity activist. Her story will share how to find freedom through creativity and the importance of utilizing your network to navigate a career successfully. She will take us on a chronological journey of resilience and strength to share how she continues to manage a career in film, television, and DJing. Through her story, you will learn how to develop a forward-thinking mindset, embrace your inner passions to spread positivity and channel your purpose to achieve independence in your career.

Links to DJ LABellatini:

https://labellatini.wixsite.com/website

https://sites.google.com/view/labellatini

https://www.instagram.com/labellatini/

https://www.tiktok.com/@labellatini

https://twitter.com/LABellatini

https://www.twitch.tv/labellatini

Join me as I explore the incredible journey of Michael Motion, an accomplished DJ, multimedia broadcast producer, sound designer, and influencer. His story will share how to hold on to a dream and never let go to achieve your purpose with compromise and sacrifice. He will take us through his journey chronologically, showing us how his dedication, commitment, tenacity, creativity, and endurance helped him achieve his dream career. By listening to his story, you will understand the importance of adapting to changing circumstances, making the most of every opportunity, and tapping into your inner strength to take your career to the next level.

Links to DJ Michael Motion:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelmotion/

https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelmotion

https://www.twitch.tv/djmichaelmotion

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2oALCYr2eTl9L2dOwG8OVX?si=cVhLlhMLSfmutQtucVJFjw&nd=1&dlsi=a66f149bb99b4e8e

https://beacons.ai/djmichaelmotion

https://twitter.com/MichaelMotion