Today we’d like to introduce you to Edwin Montoya.
Edwin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got into the hip hop scene at around the age of 13 with breakdancing. After a good year or so I realized I wasn’t progressing at it much but fell in love with the DJ mixes I played to dance to. Leaned more into DJing and decided to give it a shot to try and stay in the hip hop scene. Instantly I got hooked and learned the basic fundamentals pretty quickly. Got more into the technical side of the craft (turntablism) and focused on that for a bit while also continuing to build my fundamentals. Throughout high school, I always locked myself up in my room and just practiced for hours. Was never one to go to high school house parties but DJ’d at them with friends for fun. After a couple of years, I looked for more things DJ related to be involved in around the city. Came across a monthly event hosted at a store called Mega DJ Center. Went back to back, made new friends and my love for the craft grew even more.
Once I turned 21, I came out to clubs and bars where my new friends played at and learned second hand how differently things were in the club scene but was curious to learn the aspect of things anyways to expand my knowledge in everything ‘DJing’. As years passed and received help from many people, I was the youngest person in the city DJing. At the time, I was a pharmacy technician. Throughout my journey, I finally got the opportunity to leave my medical field job and go into what I loved to do full time. From then on to now I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of people. Meet DJs that have been in the game for 20+ years that I look up to. Travel and be able to DJ outside of the city of Houston and just be presented with opportunities I never expected of coming across in my lifetime. The adventure keeps on going though. The experiences and knowledge to come across is limitless. I have to intentions to stop since I’ve barely touched the surface.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course not. There were many risks I had to take. Some that I unfortunately had to learn from and some that worked out in my favor. But it’s all of these experiences that make all of this an awesome journey. The main struggle, which I wouldn’t really count as a struggle but a necessity, would be the hours put in. The 10+ years it took me to earn the small position I’m currently in and also having an open mind to expand my skill into any situation I’m placed in. Especially being at a young age and not always being taken seriously within this job.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a DJ based in the city of Houston. I play in numerous spot in town alongside fellow peers and occasionally out of town like Austin or Los Angeles. I’m mainly proud of the amount of ground I’ve covered and the current position I’ve reached at such a young age. What id say sets me apart from others is the knowledge and history I’ve tried to cover within the craft and still try to. Many people I’ve come across usually are surprised by the things I know how to do or play or just knowledge in music that they didn’t think someone at a young age like myself would know.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Everyone I’ve met deserves credit. The list just continues to grow day to day. But many people have played a huge role in my life that helped me get to where I am now. Many have taken me under their wing and have shown me the best route to take in what we do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djrectic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dj.rectic
- Other: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrectic/
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