DJs

DJ Mos Precious, born in St. Louis, Missouri, spent her childhood loving music. Her older brother was a fan of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and he encouraged her to rap with him on their karaoke machine. From there, Mos Precious started listening to artists, such as Tupac and Lauren Hill, and, eventually, used her skills to write poetry, the beginning of her artistic endeavors. 

DJ Mos Precious did not always go by “DJ.” Her career in the music industry began in 2009 when she went by Mos Precious and dropped 3 mixtapes, a few albums, including Late Night Thoughts, was featured in songs, and, overall, produced 4 projects. Her first project, Diamond District Come Meet Me @ Da Arch, was a tribute to her city, St. Louis, and represented the beginning of her career. Entrance Door, her second project, symbolized entering a new chapter in her life where she came out with a new recording style, commercial music, and mixtapes. 

Mos Precious did not waste her time and even started a radio show called MVP Radio where she interviewed artists, such as Raz-B from B2K and Flesh-n-Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. During these interviews, she would play her mixtapes and the audience loved the music she played. This ended up sparking her interest in becoming a DJ and in 2012, she officially became DJ Mos Precious. 

We discussed her career as a DJ and how her variety of experiences help her thrive in this field. Before working in the music industry, Mos Precious earned a degree in Social Work and Psychology with an emphasis in Gender and Trauma studies. This helped her learn to deeply understand how music impacts people, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Using her vast knowledge of how the brain and society works, she can create a unique style of mixtapes and playlists, based on the audience. 

“Because I’m a DJ and I love music so much, I use music therapy in all aspects of my work. I have that advantage of reading the room and I am passionate about the energy that comes from playing the right songs in the right places,” she explains. 

In 2018, Mos Precious took an even further step in her career and started DJing on cruise ships – one of her favorite accomplishments. To this day she loves a good challenge and took this opportunity to play music for people from all around the world, improving her skills even more. She could merge her love of music and traveling to create an incredible experience that she and the passengers would never forget.

However, Mos Precious mentions that this success does not come without its obstacles.

“The most challenging part [about being a DJ] is finding your lane. There are so many people trying to climb to where we are, even more with the pandemic. So you have to focus on remaining relevant to yourself, and not succumbing to being like someone else. As a female DJ, this is even more difficult since there are a lot of perceptions that come with that title and gender in this industry. Every day is a challenge for me to remain authentic to myself and not fit into the expectation that has been put out there for female DJs.”

Her past was not immune to these roadblocks and she even developed a love-hate relationship with her own city. During her time in St. Louis, she was bullied, scrutinized, threatened, rallied against, and even had a diss record made about her – all in the industry that she loves. This was one of her biggest challenges and instead of letting it get to her, Mos Precious used this opposition to her advantage and pushed herself to become the successful woman she is today. 

“Home front is where you get your wings. If you can’t fly in your own city, you won’t be able to land anywhere else. I believe that those roadblocks have helped me become who I am. It has made me stronger, prepared me for all of my roles; from the cruise ships to Midwest Fleet Radio, getting my degree, and starting multiple businesses,” she said. 

The list does not end there. Mos Precious also performed shows; is a published poet; ran fundraisers; toured with artists; developed brands; and even worked a festival, MVP Underground Music Festival, which was the first festival to merge artists and radio together. She is a motivational speaker and was invited to speak on a panel at a Women Empowerment event where she found herself sitting with a group of successful women, herself included. 

She also spent some time working media at red carpet events with Mickey Factz, Talib Kweli, and Devin The Dude. She mentions her appreciation for all the concert promoters of St. Louis, who granted her backstage access where she interviewed celebrities like Mike Stud, Don Trip, Afroman, Case, Mya, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. 

We ended our conversation with the question I’m sure everyone wants to ask at this point: what advice does she have for people trying to make it to where she is today? Her response:

“I’ve tapped into every industry. Entertainment, social work, motivational speaker, I could go on. Don’t limit yourself. If a person says you’re doing too much, the best response is that you aren’t doing enough. I will always live by that motto.” 

You will find that Mos Precious does, in fact, live by this motto and she has big goals for the future. She opened her own multi-purpose radio station, MPP Studios, with photography, videography, interviews, consulting, and podcasting. She wants to build up Midwest Fleet Radio with her brand, Mos Precious Promotes. She also has academic and professional goals and plans to obtain an IT certificate and a real estate license. 

Keep up with Mos Precious on Instagram at @djmosprecious and her podcast, In the HotZone! Call Mos Precious at 833-Mos-Gotu.

#Getpreciousonem #Mosgotu #GETSOM

By: @Miya