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DJ Delightful shares his journey of growing up in Bulgaria, discovering hip hop through his brother's tapes and CDs, and the challenges of accessing music in a country with limited resources. He discusses the influence of skateboarding culture on his interest in DJing and his early experiences with mixing and scratching. Delightful also talks about his move to the UK to study and DJ in Edinburgh, as well as his time volunteering in Calais during the migrant crisis. He shares his perspective on the DJing journey and the challenges he faced in finding a hip hop community in China. Del discusses his struggles with DJing in China and Bulgaria, the challenges of establishing a DJ career in Sofia, and the lack of support and opportunities in the local DJ scene. He talks about his decision to move to Vienna and later to Kuala Lumpur, and the difficulties he faced in finding gigs and building a community in these cities. Del also shares his experiences in winning battles and the lack of career opportunities that came with it. He concludes by announcing his retirement from DJing and his focus on teaching scratching online.

Takeaways

• Building a DJ career can be challenging, especially in cities with limited opportunities and a lack of support for alternative music.
• Winning battles and gaining recognition in the DJ community does not always translate into career opportunities or bookings.
• The mindset and preferences of the local DJ scene can greatly impact the types of gigs and opportunities available.
• The lack of diversity in the DJ scene can limit the growth and development of different styles and genres.
• Teaching scratching online can be a fulfilling way to continue sharing knowledge and passion for DJing.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:54 Growing Up in Bulgaria and Discovering Hip Hop

05:31 Record Shops and Access to Music in Bulgaria

06:38 Influence of Brother and Early Interest in DJing

07:28 Getting Started as a DJ

09:12 Challenges and Influences in the DJing Journey

11:44 Learning to Scratch and Mix

12:52 Internet Access and Learning DJing Techniques

15:18 Transition to the UK and DJing in Edinburgh

24:00 Impact of Studying in the UK

26:25 DJing in China and Volunteering in Calais

29:18 Perspective and Challenges in the DJing Journey

31:39 Moving on from Edinburgh and Teaching in China

35:13 DJing in China and Limited Hip Hop Scene

36:42 Struggles with DJing in China and Bulgaria

37:21 Creating an Instagram Page and Gaining Attention

38:11 Switching to a Different Lifestyle in Bulgaria

39:00 Teaching English and Practicing Heavily

39:20 Time Difference Between Bulgaria and China

39:41 Having More Time to Practice

40:12 Entering International Competitions

41:03 Creating Videos and Gaining Attention

42:10 Struggling to Establish a DJ Career in Sofia

43:09 Lack of Opportunities in the DJ Scene in Sofia

44:08 Struggling to Find Regular Gigs

45:06 Trying to Run Multiple DJ Projects

46:08 Challenges of Organizing Events in Sofia

48:30 Lack of Support and Opportunities in the DJ Scene

51:03 Feeling Unappreciated by the Local Scratch Community

52:48 Feeling Unwelcome in Sofia and Deciding to Leave

54:36 Moving to Vienna and the Pandemic

55:37 Impact of Winning Battles and Feedback from Vect

58:58 Leveraging Battle Wins into Bookings and Touring

01:01:42 Moving to Kuala Lumpur and the Lack of Opportunities

01:05:37 Announcing Retirement from DJing

01:13:40 The Challenges of DJing in Kuala Lumpur

01:20:43 Continuing to Teach Scratching Online