Potential. I’ve heard it plenty before.

“You have so much potential; you just need to act on it.”

I’ve heard plenty that, if I acted upon my potential, I could punch my ticket wherever I wanted to be. But for a great deal of my life, I haven’t acted upon it the way I should’ve. A few wins here, but plenty of shortcomings in between.

That’s why the most recent period of time has been as exciting as it is scary. When you can envision the space beyond potential in your grasp, what does it take to arrive at that peak? How do you even attempt to explain what’s required to others; attempt to have them understand the confidence in your direction?

I’ve contemplated these thoughts and more as I reach a 1-year milestone since kickstarting my DJ pursuits and committing to live performances — which timely coincided with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. And, having just attended a 50th anniversary celebration in Orlando this past weekend, the opportunity gave me a chance to both reflect on the occasion and my own personal journey as a DJ.

For as long as I can remember, hip-hop, as both a music and culture, has played a substantive, ever-evolving role in impacting both my life. Whether it came from listening to my father’s stories on DJing and producing at Tuff City Records in the 90s or the frequent listening sessions of iconic tracks and the samples that preceded them, my exposure to the culture has undoubtedly influenced my personal and professional tastes.

However, if never quite dawned on me until recently that my previous role as consumer and observer within the state of hip-hop had begun to shift. While standing in the presence of hip-hop pioneers such as Black Sheep, Onyx, and Grandmaster Melle Mel, I found myself embracing my new role as active participant — both in the hip-hop culture as well as the current state of music — in a unique position carrying ideals of old school and new together. Sure, it wasn’t as far out as the pioneers and forefathers before me, but I could envision a path beyond potential to leave my mark for hip-hop. A path beyond gatekeeping, expectation, and fragmentation. A path uniquely drawn out for myself.

So once again, what does it take to get there?

You act. You continue pushing forward in the rawest way possible, with unrelenting authenticity in the journey and the style you envision. Those close (and far) will either stick with you for the ride or won’t.

That direction was freeing: As I continually dig for new sounds, genres, and ways to curate and refine this unique style I want to share with the world, my desire to DJ is based in a desire to break the rules and play whatever the fuck I want. It isn’t locked in gatekeeping or expectation; rather, employing the 15+ years of experience in music and collective lexicon of music to blend, scratch and craft a distinct sound that is unequivocally me. It doesn’t have to be locked in one genre or set of genres, but it employs many of the distinct features that made hip-hop what it is today.

A direction that incorporates old school tradition and new school innovation, breaking through the norm and saturation that has encapsulated much of the current industry. That’s what I believe it will take to carve my name in this culture of ours and expand beyond into the realm of music.

So, here’s to the 50th year and the first. The collective history and the journey thus far. The next 50 won’t see what’s coming for it.