In this episode Durell is joined by DJ, producer, content creator and podcaster Lorenzo “DJ Lozo” Flores. The episode begins with Durell and Lorenzo sharing how they got connected during a panel at Full Sail University back in 2018. Durell asks Lorenzo where he’s originally from and he shares that he grew up in Detroit, Michigan but has also lived in Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, Georgia and he now currently resides in Orlando, Florida. Durell asks Lorenzo about his earliest memories of music and he shares that he remembers his mother always listening to music and had it always on when he was a kid. Lorenzo shares that he remembers listening to Funk and Classic Rock. He shares that his step dad also listened to a variety of music and then as he got older in the late 80’s he began listening to and loving Hip-Hop.
Durell and Lorenzo talk about his days as a college rep for Def Jam Records, Ruff House Records and XXL Magazine. Lorenzo shared that he went to school at Western Michigan University and met a DJ named DJ Tanqueray who taught him how to DJ. Lorenzo shared that he then bought his own DJ equipment and began DJing and making mixtapes. He started his journey into college radio and he was hired as a college rep. He said that as a college rep he really needed to know about the different music that was coming out on the different major record companies so that when the labels sent their artists to be interviewed the questions would be relevant to what was needing to be marketed and promoted. He shares that those were the days when college radio was the vehicle that helped new artists get heard. Durell says that he feels that college radio matters even still in today’s marketplace. Lorenzo shared that college radio is a great place to perfect media training. Durell shares that so many indie creatives sleep on the small venues and towns because of the lack of notoriety but what makes the small venues in the small town valuable is the fact that the patrons get to touch and spend time getting to know these creatives which creates genuine supporters. Durell shares that there is a difference between fans and supporters. Fans like the music you create as opposed to supporters who will actually spend money to show their appreciation. Lorezo shares the story of how he was able to get RUN DMC to come play a small club because of a booking that he did for them when he was in college because they couldn’t get a club to book them back in the 80’s ten years after and that was because they wanted to give back and say thank you to him even though they couldn’t promote the show publicly.
Durell and Lorenzo talk about the importance of building leverage as a new indie creative. Durell shares that he often tells indie creatives that building a career in music is a long play. Lorenzo shares that when you are able to show the ability to make things happen on a budget or smaller scale and can prove that you are here for the long haul of the grind, that's the recipe for success. Durell and Lorenzo both agree that making music professionally is a team sport and the great thing about pursuing a professional music career in today’s ecosystem and marketplace for indie creatives is the ability to create and define success on their terms.
Durell asks Lorenzo when he decided to begin his pivot into producing music. He shared that he had a friend who had a MPC and a chord triton and began to teach him the basics of how to produce. He shares that he was mostly self taught after learning how to use his sampler and because he grew up on such an eclectic background of music he was really able to craft a sound. He was able to take what he had learned in crafting his sound and began to get a few music placements on various indie creatives as well as sync placements for HBO, Comedy Central and FOX. Durell and Lorenzo share the importance for creatives to have their business right especially when it comes to maki
