H.E.B Personalities Of The Event Industry: An Exclusive Interview With One Of Nigeria Top Dj’s, Dj Skillz

Today on Heleneventblog personalities of the event industry series, we are featuring one of Nigeria most talked about Deejay, Olubunmi Kukoyi popularly known as Deejay  Skillz. below is our exclusive interview with him.

H.E.B: Can you please tell us a little about yourself?

Dj Skillz: My biological name is Olubunmi Kukoyi popularly known as Dj Skillz. I’m one of the many deejay’s in Nigeria.i am from Ogun state Nigeria but resides in Lagos. Deejay for me started as a hobby in year 2003 when I did my brothers birthday. As a business, it started for me in 2013 when I decided to face it squarely.

H.E.B: How did you get started as a wedding deejay?

Dj Skillz: Hmmmm…I wouldn’t say I decided to be a wedding deejay and I won’t say quote unquote I am a deejay. I see myself first of all as a deejay. I happen to stumble into getting a lot of wedding jobs because a lot of people are getting married nowadays and it’s a big deal because you get to meet a lot of people and when people see that you are good at your craft, they tend to call you. So I stumbled being a wedding deejay  but first and foremost, I’m a deejay.

H.E.B: What are the most popular first class songs that couples ask for?

Dj Skillz: Couples ask for different songs. I can’t tell you there is a popular song because music is not stagnant, it evolves but I can give you few that are hot right now. Mama by kiss Daniel is hot right now, couples also ask for this Tecno’s new song Pana etc…Honestly, when you give couples so much hand in selecting songs, it can box you but I   do allow couples to select the songs that they want but at the end of the day, I used to play multiple genres of music when I’m playing at weddings and I don’t only stick to Nigeria music,  I play raps, I play old schools like 80s,90s, 2000 etc…so you don’t just keep yourself in one place because at times couples don’t know what they want. For example: this was about 3 years ago 2013, myself and a couple have detailed out what to play when they will be coming in, we have already  3 or 4 months before the day. As she and her husband were about coming in on the day, as I started playing the first song, I just saw someone waving furiously at the entrance. I was like what’s happening, I kept on playing the music but I discovered the couple were not coming in so they sent the chief bridesmaid to come and meet me saying the wife said I should scrap everything we’ve agreed on that I should play on my own. The more reason was that, I have advised her earlier as at the time she was selecting those songs that when the day comes, some of the songs might have being old or stale. So that’s why I said some couples don’t know what they want that is why we are there to advise them.

H.E.B: What advice will you give to couples who are unsure whether to hire a deejay or a life band for their wedding?

Dj Skillz: Okay, I am going to be very diplomatic about this because earlier on with my deejay carrier, I was helped by a life band because before I could stand on my own, I needed support and one of my supporting systems was a band I used to play with. I don’t play for them, I play with them. I don’t get paid like a salary or thereabout but anytime they need a deejay, they call me. So if I’m going to advice, I will say pick both. I tell couples that if you are going to get a deejay,deejay’s are always able to handle the younger crowd or the young at heart. You can see someone at 50 or 40 that still knows the music of nowadays. But in an instance of people in that age who doesn’t like the music of now, they say it’s nonsense, they say it’s noise etc…so a scenario whereby the life band is handling the older crowd, you get a deejay for the younger crowd so you need a balance. The co-coordinator of the day balances the whole thing by introducing a clear boundary with the issue of time. But at the end of the day if I’m to speak for one, I will go for the deejay.

H.E.B: What are the top 10 songs that are being played at weddings this year?

Dj Skillz: There are a lot of songs but I have to think a bit about that. I’ll tell you the songs I love to play at weddings but I don’t know of other deejay’s but I love Vectors Shiga, I like Mama, Sisqo’s latest song, pop something by Dr.sid, I like Heaven sent by Kysha Cole, Thinking out loud, Bad baddoo baddest etc….i must tell you, there are a lot of songs.

H.E.B: Being a deejay, does it require a special skill?

Dj Skillz: Hmmm…being a deejay, it requires a skill, education but it doesn’t necessarily have to do with formal education like basic education per say. Deejay’s get taught, nobody taught me how to deejay, I learnt it on my own by watching deejays. This was when I started taking it serious, so I now went back to a deejay school somewhere in UK to improve myself. As a deejay, you need to get taught, you need to k now how to count. So many people don’t know this but as a deejay, I am constantly counting on my head 1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4 at every beat of a song. A lot of people don’t understand this but when they see me dancing at a party, I’m not dancing, I am nodding my head at the same time tapping my leg. Anybody that wants to become a deejay should definitely know how to count so you need some certain level of education not like BSC, MSC etc…Although in our own side of the world, people see deejay’s as riffraff’s, like people that doesn’t go to school while some of them are university graduates here in Nigeria. I will say you just need to know the basics of music and deejay at least to be called a deejay. But I went to 3 universities. People often ask me why, I tell them I was an olodo because I don’t know book. I’m not always shy to tell people that aspect of my life because my educational life was not that rosy but my parents ensured I finished school because my mum is a medical doctor and my dad is a Professor I think you should know what that means, you definitely have to finish school lol… so I went to Unilag for 3years, I went to one school that later closed down on our head Sitebs University for one year. The school closed down due to accreditation issues and I went to Ajayi Crowther University which was where I finally finished as at 2009. I’m planning to do my masters though but not now.

H.E.B: What should a bride consider when choosing songs for their wedding?

Dj Skillz: Ehmmmm… I never like to dabble into bride’s selecting their song because ultimately it is their day. I will say they should consider what they like when selecting song and as much as possible be flexible like the other bride I talked about earlier, if she wasn’t flexible enough to know that the songs she selected earlier are staled songs, she would have messed up the whole thing. Pick what you want but be flexible enough to know that it is your wedding but you also need to consider other factors when selecting songs like: if the songs flow with each other, how old the song is? Etc… just be flexible.

H.E.B: What do you like most about being a wedding deejay?

Dj Skillz: Wedding deejay? Ehmmmm…it’s fun. For you to celebrate with couples on their big day, you get to be part of the enjoyment and beauty of the wedding. There are plenty of packs, plenty of foods, free drinks in the hall lol..etc…I will say one thing, being a wedding deejay, it’s not always as glamorous as it is because you only have one opportunity to impress people compared to a club deejay. Being a wedding, it’s rewarding. Then financially I won’t lie, it is as well rewarding too and finally, it might not be as stressful as being a club deejay but it is rewarding in all aspect.

H.E,B: Any tips to help couples choose their wedding songs?

Dj Skillz: When it comes to couple’s dancing in, one of the tips I will like to give is pick songs that are popular or were popular, songs that have a love theme or a message e.g My darling, Igbeyawo or Perfect gentleman, these are not slow songs, they are songs that you can dance to and are also sending messages. Other songs can be played after the party. But seriously, I used to tell couples I don’t like to meddle into that but if you need my advice, I used to look for songs that tells a story and passes message like: thinking out loud, My woman by Patoranking etc…I just like to go with the flow.

H.E.B: Your favourite quote?

Dj Skillz: Hmmm….seriously there are a lot but I will say “Never stop moving” because any water that is not flowing is stagnant. In my life, I always love to let people see something different about me. I love to improve in everything so never stop moving.

H.E.B: Your date of birth?

Dj Skillz: 21^st of august.

H.E.B: Thank you very much for your time.