Meet DJ Malikstone!

Earlier this month I was introduced to an after work happy hour by a friend of mine. I usually shy away from happy hours because the crowd can be a little uptight at times. Yeah I have a nine to five, but I’m not old yet. Happy hour in the past has bored me to tears. My friend promised me that I would be in for a treat. So despite my reservations I headed to Peters street for some cocktails and finger foods. When I pulled up in front of Cloud IX I was pleasantly surprised at how cute the restaurant/lounge was. The crowd was young and vibrant, and the music immediately grabbed my attention. Mos Def, Black Moon, and Nas just to name a few were in heavy rotation. Yeah this is the kind of therapy I need after work. I slid into my chair and ordered a drink and let the music take me away. I am now a faithful patron of Cloud IX every Tuesday after work. The D.J. Malikstone was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to share what’s on his playlist and how Two-Step Tuesday came about. Meet Dj Malikstone

Femme Noir Atl: Thank you so much for taking time out to talk to me. Please introduce yourself to my readers.

D.J. Malikstone: My Dj name is Malikstone I am a native New Yorker. I was raised in Durham, North Carolina as a child and then moved back to New York after high school. I returned to North Carolina to attend College, and after graduating college I returned to New York to begin my teaching career. So I am an educator and I have been teaching for the past fourteen years. I recently relocated to Atlanta and I am looking for an administrative position. My passion however is Djing.

Femme Noir Atl: So when did you begin your career as a D.J.

D.J. Malikstone: I got my first Mac Book in 2008 and I noticed that there was a program available called D.J. pleased with the price I purchased the software took it home and started messing with it. In 2009 I bought a mixer that was compatible with the software. This allowed me to have two hands free as opposed to using both hands on the computer. I began creating mixes for myself trying to get the skills necessary to make sure mixes were smooth, I learned beat recognition etc. The mixing board allowed me to improve how the sound of the music was coming in. I did a few house parties in Brooklyn. The first time I Djed publicly was at Hip-Hop happy hour at a spot called Radio Star in Manhattan; I also Djed at Rustic and Bistro Lafayette in Brooklyn.

Femme Noir Atl: So how did Two-Step Tuesday come about?

D.J. Malikstone: My wife and I wanted to relocate to Atlanta. I always loved Harlem Bar when I’d come to visit. I came down in April to search for jobs. I went to Cloud IX and noticed that the management was the same as Harlem Bar the bartender was the same so I was like cool. I was there to check out Kemit and Rasta Root they were doing a function on Thursday nights. I sat down ordered something to eat and realized the food was the same as Harlem Bar. I really loved the vibe there. The owner Scott came in and we started talking. When I finally moved down, I communicated to Scott that I was interested in doing a set there. Our schedules never really meshed in the beginning, but finally Scott said “come in next Tuesday let’s see what you got” and that was basically my first day at Cloud IX.

Femme Noir Atl: So what is the concept for Tuesday nights and who would you like to come out?

D.J. Malikstone: I want the people of Atlanta to come out after work. I understand with people’s schedule, you can’t necessarily go out on a Tuesday night if you have a family or if you have to work the next day. I wanted to created an after work atmosphere where adults in the Atlanta area can come out and enjoy something a little different. My theme is rare grooves, soul, hip-hop and reggae. I don’t play what’s on the radio necessarily because you can listen to the radio any night of the week, so that isn’t my focus. My belief is that there is forty years of music. I like to explore all forty years when I’m spinning; I like to spin everything from the 1960’s on.

Femme Noir Atl: So who are your favorite soul artists?

D.J. Malikstone: My favorite artists of all time are Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield not necessarily in that order.

Femme Noir Atl: What do you think about the state of Hip-Hop music?

D.J. Malikstone: Talented artists have never gotten the proper shine, they have never gotten the proper shine (emphatically) and I don’t think it will happen, so if you are a fan of hip-hop you’re not going to get it on the radio, and it’s been that way since the mid to late 90’s. The focus completely changed so you have to know the difference between hip-hop and rap. Rap would be your mainstream hip-hop sound, but because it sounds like hip-hop doesn’t make it hip-hop, so a lot of times what you hear on the radio is rap music and I don’t rock with rap music, some of it’s cool, but that’s not what I listen to. I am from the hip-hop generation and that’s what I listen to...that’s the sound that I look for. I like to listen to lyrics, something original, something that’s going to make me think, something that’s going to make me proud to be a fan, and quite honestly some of the music out now doesn’t make me proud to be a fan of what’s on the radio. It’s the same for R&B and Soul. Soul music is something that you feel in your soul R&B is something that you’re going to listen to on the radio. You can’t compare a Beyonce record to a Jill Scott record they are two totally different artists.

Femme Noir Atl: Do you see yourself working with hip-hop acts, creating beats for artists putting on more events,or hosting hip hop summits? Do you have any dreams of going further creatively as a DJ?

D.J. Malikstone: I love the music, music is my passion,but education is what I do, so my focus is to obtain an administrative position in Education. I would love to DJ at certain venues where big artists are coming in that would be amazing, but that is not where my focus is. I spin because I’m passionate about it and hopefully other people can jump on and enjoy it with me.

Femme Noir Atl: I definitely enjoy your set on Tuesday nights and I’m grateful for the opportunity to talk to you one on one about the music. I feel in life people are not passionate about the things they do; everything has to have a monetary benefit behind it. I write because I am passionate about it, and my goal is to uplift and inspire people the way I have been uplifted and inspired by others pursuing things that they are passionate about in life. Writing and talking to people pursuing things that they love to do with no expectations is uplifting and empowering. People lose passion because money may not always manifest, but I believe that when you are doing what you love the money and the gratification you desire will follow.

D.J. Malikstone: I found that going in on Tuesday nights is therapy for me. I have gone in feeling down, and I was able to release. Spinning is very therapeutic for me. Hopefully when people come out they will be able to feel that as well.

Femme Noir Atl: So what’s on your playlist? What do you listen to when you’re not working?

D.J. Malikstone: Little Brother, Slum Village, Mos, Talib Kweli, and Common are some of the artists on my playlist right now.

Femme Noir Atl: Where can my reader’s find you?

D.J. Malikstone: Facebook@ Kwame Malik Dunston , and Twitter@ DJ Malikstone. Cloud IX Tuesday nights from 6p.m.-11p.m. They have happy hour, half priced specialty drinks and appetizers all night. They have a full dinner menu @ full price. If you’re hungry try the turkey meatloaf it’s amazing, the collard greens they are amazing, the corn amazing, and the fish fingers for appetizers out of this world. Good food, good drinks coupled with great soul music will hopefully give you a different option for something to do in Atlanta on a Tuesday night. Atlanta has a multitude of things to do on any night of the week. I love this city; I love it because it has something for everybody. If you like mainstream, underground, art, whatever.... you can find it here. This is home for me!

Are You Pursuing Your Passion?

"Passion is Universal Humanity. Without it religion, history, romance and art would be useless" Honore De Balzac,French Novelist

All week I've been hearing the word passion everywhere. While at work co-workers were discussing passion for their work, on television people were talking about their passion for food, clothes, music etc. You name it and people professed passion for it. This theme resonated with me and led me to think about what my true passion in life is and how to pursue my passion everyday. In my opinion most people are not living passionate lives. Most of us are just trying to get by; most of us (me included) are just going to work to pay the bills because this is what many of us were conditioned to do. Many of us were conditioned to go to school, get married, have children, buy a house and try to be good before we die and hopefully along the way we can live a fairly comfortable lifestyle and save enough for retirement so that hopefully we can accomplish all of the things that we really wanted to accomplish before our demise. I have been thinking to myself lately that this is such a pitiful way to live, but unfortunately it is the American way.

Wouldn't it be great if we could travel and explore before choosing a career path. Wouldn't it be great if all children had a chance to explore their natural gifts so that at an early age instead of being lumped into a system that requires the same standards for every child, it would allow children to become creative thinkers. In other countries high school graduates are allowed to travel abroad and work their way through other countries to get exposure to other cultures and learn different ways of thinking. This is a valubale experience because it allows these young adults to discover their likes and dislikes and discover new perspectives on life and differences in the way they were raised.This creates room for dialouge and understanding of cultures different from their own.This also creates a deeper appreciation of their own culture, and it teaches respect of others that might not have the same perspective. This exploration allows them to establish global relationships that might not have otherwise existed due to stereotypes or ignorance of different belief systems. While some people know from childhood what they are born to do many of us have no real idea of our own potential because of the pressure that society has put on us to conform. We are forced to choose a path, or a career before we are even aware of the vastness and diversity of the world around us. Some adults remain closed minded and never leave their own city, much less country. These people have the false illusion that they are living their passion because their job has afforded them a comfortable lifestyle. How can we create change or make a difference without passion? There are many people who have discovered their passion and are making a difference in the lives of so many and I hope to be one of those people. I am a firm believer that you don't have to have one passion, but being able to identify at least one thing that you are passionate about is a start. I am learning that in whatever you do in life there must be passion to truly be fulfilled and have true success. Success should not only be measured by material gain, but wealth may definitely materialize when a true passion is being pursued. Passion drives people to keep moving when it seems like there is nowhere to go and your back is against a wall.Once you find your passion it's like a drug and it's hard to stop getting high. Passion is the flame that keeps the fire of innovation lit. A passionate person sees the possibilites and dismisses negativity. Passion can not be bought nor sold. Passion has built and conqured nations. So how do we find our passion?

I have challenged myself to look deeper into what my passions are and pursue them with fervent effort. What are you passionate about, and how are you going to change the world today?

To discover your passion please ask yourself these questions, and then get to work!

1. What would you do even if you didn't need the money?
2. Could you continue your passion into the late hours of the night even if you had to go the your regular job in the morning?
3. Would you be willing to live, breathe, eat and sleep your passion?

I challenge you to discover that which you are truely passionate about, and then pursue it with fervent effort.

~One Love

Back In Action After A Trip Down Memory Lane!

Hello All, if you have been looking for new posts by me I want to apologize for being M.I.A. I had a death in the family and was deeply saddended by the loss of my Aunt. I wasn't going to write about it, but I had to let my readers know where I've been for the past two weeks. My Aunt lived in New York City and had a great legacy. She is the reason I love music and the arts. She is one of the major reasons I love to travel. Her influence throughout my life was huge and she will be greatly missed. My aunt did not want a funeral, so we had a memorial service in Eutawville, South Carolina. Eutawville, South Carolina is the home of my grandparents, great-granparents and so on. Eutawville was where me and my sisters spent our entire summers away from the city. We were allowed to play in the fields and in the dirt with free abandon. My great-grandmother raised hogs, and chickens. There were fields that grew corn, watermelon, peanuts, and peas. There were pecan, pear, and fig trees in the yard. I loved my childhood there. Unfortunately after my great-grandmother passed away I never returned.

Picture from www.waymarking.com


Fast forward to 2012, and I am driving to Eutawville to lay my aunt to rest. The closer I got to the church, the more overcome I became with emotion. There were some changes to the town, but not many. The old IGA was now a Red and White supermarket, and the town built a new Dollar General and Family Dollar. The church that we attended every sunday was now remodeled, but that was it. Miles and miles of trailer homes, classic cars, boats, and dirt roads brought me back to a worry free time in my life. Of course there was no cell phone reception anywhere, so I had to stop and ask a shop keeper for directions.I forgot how warm and eager to help people in small towns could be. After living in a place where customer no service is ever present for so long it was very refreshing to be welcomed with a smile by a stranger, especially since I was lost.

Going back to my childhood was a humbling experience. I thought about where I came from and what my history is. I come from ex-slaves, sharecroppers, farmers,and business men who traveled North to make a better life for their children. I come from a family that started with nothing, and aquired land for the future generations. I come from a family of Sailors, Soldiers, Doctor's and Lawyer's. I come from a place where family is still important. I left there with new motivation for my life. I left there with new ideas for my blog, and with new ideas on ways to give back to the community. I left with a new confidence because I know that no matter what strangers think of me my family loves me for just being me.

I took a lot of pictures, but I forgot my camera at my Uncle's house. I will be posting pictures as soon as I can track down my camera, so I apologize for that in advance. Please look forward to weekly blogs, including Monday Meditation, What's on your playlist Wednesday, and more interviews. I am also excited about upcoming videos that will feature the one and only Femme Noir Atl.

Until Next Time...One Love!