Today we’d like to introduce you to Asia (DJ Slaysia) Smith.
Hi Asia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
While attending Middle Tennessee State University, I became more social by going to parties or kickbacks with my roommates and friends at the time. For most of those parties I would be booked as a photographer/videographer; so I would be near the DJ booth half of the time getting footage. I would attentively watch people such as Tay Keith, Juwc, DJ King Ka$h, DJ Flight, and plenty of others work the boards and finish their sets.
I would be so mesmerized by how they kept the crowd entertained and knew which songs to transition into. I told myself, “That’s definitely something I wanna do.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth? Absolutely not. When I got back into DJaying and making mashups in 2021, I was just messing around not thinking anyone would take me seriously; that is until I started blowing up on TikTok. I’ve always been that creative person who can do it all and establish multiple side hustles for herself; from singing to dancing, modeling, photography/videography, painting, acting, editing, playing piano, etc. I was always keeping myself busy letting my creative juices flow, hoping to find my niche. I never knew what sleep was either.
(I still don’t know) I have the same 24 hours like everyone else does, but my mindset has always been to use every second of it to do something productive. I’m good at a lot of things. However, as a young black adult living in this current economic climate, you have to quickly figure out which one of these talents/hobbies can set you up for success later on in your life. I stressed myself out a lot trying to balance all of these things at once. Being a full-time student, working a full-time job, still maintaining a social life, top of still trying to work on my multiple crafts … I became extremely overwhelmed. In 2022, I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life; to take a break from college and work, and focus on my health.
After returning home from Murfreesboro after a horrible spring semester, my health began to decline. I was pretty much bedridden the rest of the year, in and out of hospital beds. But that didn’t stop me from handling business. I started DJaying again only on my phone since I physically wasn’t able to use my boards or any other equipment since I was recovering from multiple surgeries. Nevertheless, those “hospital” mashups are what got me back on my feet and healed me inside and out. I got back in touch with my first love, which is music.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m more of a TikTok DJ than anything; that’s been my biggest social platform as of lately. On TikTok, the biggest trend is mixes and mashups; where most creators make “sounds” using instrumentals and vocals from multiple artists, and combine them all together into a 15-second-1-minute clip. Other influencers may see or hear these “sounds” and use them for mini-vlogs, DIYs, advertisements, cooking videos, dance routines, etc. Now, depending on how good it sounds, your current following, and your algorithm; there is a 25% chance that a mashup could go viral. I’ve gotten lucky a few times shockingly.
I’m most known for the “baby makers” and the chill mashups; music you can bump in the car on a late-night drive or while at home making love. After a while, I began to receive personal requests from followers to make full versions of my mixes and to drop them on SoundCloud and YouTube.
I’m proud of all of the mashups that I’ve put out there because you can hear the progress. You can hear the time spent & the love put into every single track. I’m so blessed to have met other DJs on TikTok like DJ Short, Lean Picasso, DJ L Beats, and JPonthabeat who have been my inspiration and biggest support system. They’ve somewhat taken me under their wing and given me advice on how to keep my momentum going and how to keep my audience listening and yearning for more.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Oh, DJs turned to producers is definitely the trend right now. In my opinion, I don’t see it dying down anytime soon. I’ve seen firsthand a lot of big-name artists who have heard mixes/mashups on social media, actually enjoying them, and recreating them as remixes on their own albums/EPs… BEYONCÉ is a prime example like come on.
Let’s not act like the CUFF IT (WETTER) remix isn’t a masterpiece. A media/entertainment bag on top of a DJ bag doesn’t sound like a bad idea in my opinion. I definitely want to keep it going as a hobby. However, if I’m blessed with more opportunities in the future, I wouldn’t mind turning this into a career.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_.madeinasia._?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@djslaysia
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/QNdNe3YeurPRN1yh8
