Meet DJ Kid McFly

Today we’d like to introduce you to DJ Kid McFly.  

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a child, I grew up in a household where I heard all types of music. My mother’s house would typically have R&B, Disco, and Gospel playing while my father’s house would consist of conscious Hip-Hop (KRS-One, Public Enemy, X-Clan, The Lost Poets), Jazz, Funk, Blues, & African music. One of the earliest songs I remember hearing the most is John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” as my Dad would play it on repeat during our late-night drives back to my mother’s house. My Dad would even tell me about his past music life of having a singing group back in the 50s where he’d compete against Smokey Robinson’s group since they were classmates at Northern High School. In addition to my extensive music exposure growing up, my parents also kept me enrolled in choir lessons in the summer at First Congregational Church and I also took ballet, African dance, & acting lessons apart of the Michigan Theatre & Dance Troupe founded by the late Dr. Allen Cushingberry. At times I hated the arts, but cable TV changed all of that. I would sneak to watch classic films like House Party, Juice, & even shows like Def Comedy Jam, where I saw the DJ being showcased and how much attention they commanded. The skill set of scratching and mixing fascinated me so much that I began to obsess over it. I used to hate listening to the radio with my Mom, but eventually, we made a ritual of listening to radio hosts like Gerald McBride with the “Old School House Party” or “Back Jamming” with Donna Faye. This is where I’d take more appreciation for music outside of my early hip-hop favorites at the time like 2Pac, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Snoop Dogg (I only knew these 3 because they were on the radio so much). My parents never (initially) supported my aspirations of being a DJ just because I was such an intelligent child and so gifted that they put all the confidence in me becoming a Corporate Lawyer. Each and every time I found an after-school or weekend program to take DJ lessons, my parents simply told me no. I even met a family friend whom lived in Mississippi and was a radio DJ that would’ve welcomed me to stay and learn the craft for a summer but my parents shut that down as well. My excitement and passion would die down once my Mom started participating more heavily in church, so my musical palette changed to the point where if it wasn’t Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, or Kirk Franklin, I didn’t hear it. My Mom didn’t even play the radio after a while. Just gospel. 24/7, 365. While I never was able to start the craft when I wanted, eventually, I found myself re-connected with the hip-hop I originally got exposed to. I started visiting my cousins more, which brought my passion for music back when I started listening to artists like DMX, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and 50 Cent in middle school. Once I reached high school in 2004, I somewhat considered myself a hip-hop nerd. I became a huge fan of new artists like Lupe Fiasco, Drake, and Wale early on thanks to the many hours I would spend each day on blog sites like NahRight, 2DopeBoyz, OnSmash, and YouHeardThatNew. I even started deep diving into learning about the local acts of Detroit such Big Sean, Tone Tone, Dusty McFly, and K-Deezy. The best part of my musical journey was when I started going back to learn about all the music I missed growing up in the 90s, like Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Outkast, UGK, 8Ball & MJG, DJ Quik, and more. Even though I was constantly into music, I never lacked academically as school came very easy to me. I participated in many after-school and community programs with University of Michigan and also Detroit Youth Foundation where I acted as a founding member of Youthville Detroit (which at the time was the largest youth center in the country). Eventually, it was time for me to make an important life decision toward furthering my education once I graduated from Southfield High School in 2008. I chose to attend Kentucky State University, an HBCU, since it was the school that offered me the largest academic scholarship, I knew a lot of people already there, and it wasn’t too close to where my parents could just show up anytime they wanted. When I got to campus for Freshman Week, I focused a lot on enjoying the freedom of being away from home. There was a DJ for our 1st party, and I remember saying to myself, “I know I could do this.” Eventually, I would go to our SGA and ask to DJ our first Icebreaker for the whole campus. Mind you, I had no idea about DJing nor did I have equipment. I had one of my friends take me to Best Buy in Lexington, KY (about 30 mins from campus) to buy an external hard drive. I also went to RadioShack to rent one of their DJ mixers as well. Looking back, it was some pretty basic and awful equipment LOL. I spent more time in my dorm downloading music from sites like JamGlue to build my library rather than going to class. When the day of the party arrived, I was so nervous because I had no idea of what to do or really what people wanted to hear. I figured I just play whatever is popular or I hear on the radio. The irony of all the time and energy I put into preparing was that no one ended up showing up to the party. There was another off-campus party going on that I somehow didn’t know about that everyone went to. The SGA was frustrated no one showed which made them hone in more on what I was doing, and I got clowned for playing certain songs such as “My Love” by Justin Timberlake. Looking back on it, it definitely wasn’t a song I should’ve been playing at an HBCU in the late 2000s, LOL. Even though no one showed, I got paid $65.00 for my first gig, and I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world (mostly because my parents didn’t let me handle a lot of cash. My weekly allowance was $20). From that moment, I decided to put my all energy into becoming the best DJ ever. I would sneak and pull money from my savings to keep money in my pocket aside from the $40 every 2 weeks my parents would send me for college. Once they saw I was sneaking the money and I explained new DJ career, my parents were furious with me. I still remember their exact words of “We didn’t send you to school to be a damn DJ!”. My dad decided to give me $300 towards my first DJ setup (because up to that point, I was using my dorm room stereo for speakers and an aux cord that went from my computer’s Virtual DJ software). I bought my 1st set of turntables and a more professional mixer and never looked back from that point. Over the next 5 years, I would expand my brand across Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, & back home in Michigan, doing all types of clubs, school events, and a few festivals. I was so amazed at my progress and truly happy that I living out my passion. The downside to pursuing my passion was that my grades slipped, and I would lose my scholarship, which meant more money out of pocket for school. I decided to sit out of school for a year and a half while I got settled living in my apartment in Kentucky. I worked at Amazon, Inc for 3 years to put support my education and my DJing business, but soon it would be too much to juggle, and I would end up moving back home to Michigan in 2013. It was extremely tough coming home, and I didn’t immediately jump into DJing when I got home. I lived with my parents and worked a few odd jobs here and there just to put some money in my pocket while I got familiar with the city’s nightlife. I remember that it was one Tuesday after a job interview that I went into Flood’s Bar & Grille for the first time. It was happy hour, and I ended up talking to the bartender named Chris since it was kind of empty, as they had just opened. I began sharing my story about college and even let him know I was a DJ. Chris had mentioned they were looking for a DJ on Tuesdays, and I immediately went into pitch mode. I almost begged him to put in a good word for me with management to give me an opportunity. Surprisingly enough, I got a call from management later that week to tell me I would be given an opportunity to start DJing that following Tuesday, and soon after, I would hit my stride with successful & consistent business to become the DJ I am today. I’m truly thankful for DJs like DJ Ray (Official DJ of the Detroit Lions), DJ Lynda Carter (owner of Mix Bricktown & The LockerRoom), and DJ Mix (Owner of One Dope Inc. and Resident DJ at Flood’s Bar & Grille) whom were willing to give me guidance & opportunities to grow and excel as a DJ. 8 years later, I’ve established myself as one of the best and popular DJs in Detroit with weekly residencies at The Block Detroit and Flood’s Bar & Grille, and monthly residencies at The Brakeman/Shinola Detroit. I also work with many corporate and non-profit partners such as Goodwill Detroit, Bedrock, National Association of Black Accountants, National Association of Black Social Workers, Detroit Young Professionals, Beacon Park Detroit, & the City of Detroit. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. The struggles are combination of mental, emotional, and financial issues. Starting out back then, we didn’t have the same access to the resources needed to be a great DJ like today with free tutorials on YouTube. We had to deal with buying or renting broken/used equipment, buying QBert Scratch DVDs and vinyls for practice, replacement needles for turntables, and so much more. DJing is an expensive hobby or business so easily you need thousands to truly get going, and most people don’t have that kind of money starting out. So, you start doing a lot of low-paying gigs (that sometimes you may not want to do) in order to build your name and enhance your skill, but also to make some money towards your business to help you grow. The mental and emotional strain comes from when you’re constantly working or doing something related to DJing in order to maintain your consistency. You have to always promote yourself and engage with people (especially now that social media is a huge aspect of being a successful DJ). The need of always having to post to keep the people tuned into your career can be exhausting. I would say the emotional stain comes from you believing you’re great at what you do but not necessarily getting the opportunities you think you should be receiving. There can also be an emotional strain of preventing yourself in comparing your journey to someone else’s. Especially if you feel that a person may not have dedicated the same amount of time & effort as you did but may be further along in their career or have better opportunities than you. The road to success is very challenging but it is also what develops better habits such as effectively planning ahead to limit mistakes, being confident in your own identity, and making sure your talent is as precise as can be. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I believe what makes me great is my versatility. I can just as easily DJ a corporate event and have people enjoying themselves just as much as when I’m playing a club event. Depending on what is required of me, I can spin everything from Drake to Kaytranada to Nickleback to Bad Bunny. I’m such a huge fan of music, so I make it a point to ensure people from all cultures feel appreciated and recognized when I DJ. While I specialize in Hip-Hop and R&B, lately I have expanded my sets by adding more Afrobeat, Latin, and House vibes. I’m also extremely proud of the fact that about 85% of my supporting demographic is women. One of the best tips I learned early in my DJing career is that if you keep the women dancing and having fun, the rest of the night will flow easily. I also take pride in making sure that my brand is aligned with protecting and providing safe spaces for women to exist within. I think that far too many times in nightlife, women are expected to be overly cautious about their surroundings just to ensure their health and safety. Most of the events and venues I DJ at do a great job of providing great service to women, and the patrons feel comfortable to just enjoy themselves during their time there. 

What’s next?
I’m working on expanding my brand into producing events. I have enough speakers, and I’m in the process of buying the proper lighting, that I want to host some really engaging events and amazing concerts. I have a desire to not only introduce upcoming talent, but also showcase more familiar names. I also want to get back into the community work that I did in high school because I see too many children really missing out on life’s best opportunities due to a lack of resources. My number #1 goal right now would be that I want to show people more of my natural self as Malcolm and not just what “DJ Kid McFly” is doing or represents.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/iAmKidMcFly
• Instagram: @iAmKidMcFly
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJKidMcFly
• Twitter: @iAmKidMcFly

Image Credits
Rowan Minor
Sarah Fleming
Martez Brooks
Maya Noelani
Justin Milhouse