Disc jockey and promoter of the “Follow me record” label, he explains the source of his passion, the contours of his profession, his inspirations and his aspirations. We met him in Cannes, during Midem 2019.

My name is Dj Wallace. I am in Cannes to meet journalists (written press, publishers, labels, tour operators, managers). This is the second year I’m here. Cannes is a great place to network and find new contacts. I hope that this year will be really conclusive for my cultural projects and for my career to accelerate, to also promote and increase my notoriety.

How did your passion for music come about?

My passion came to me in 1998. I was listening to the mixtapes of Cut Killer, Dj abd el, Dj Bob Synclar, Roger Sanchez and Martin Solveg. As soon as I saw that I wanted to do like them. At the time I was still in high school. In college, as soon as I got out of school, I went to work at the restaurant where I was a dishwasher. So I worked really hard to buy my own turntables, to learn how to mix, to promote myself. I started producing in 2010. It’s true that it’s a passion that’s been with me since I was 17, and frankly, I’m starting to understand that production is what’s really fabulous.

Which artists have you produced?

In terms of the artists I’ve produced, there’s Poulikis, a rapper called Soubra, Stéphanie Diaz, an RnB singer with a superb voice who lives in the 95 [Paris, editor’s note]. So these are the two artists who are signed to my label Follow Me Record. I’m really proud of them because they’re artists I wanted to work with and I had a dream in my heart.

Which African artists inspire you?

In terms of African artists who have really inspired me, for me the number one is Manu Dibango without question. There are others, but I will only mention three. In number 1 I place Manu Dibango, in number 2 Salif Keita who also inspires me a lot and in number 3 between Koffi and Papa Wemba…I’ll lean on Papa Wemba because my dad only listened to that and really I was rocked with Papa Wemba since my childhood. So the names of the three African artists I listed, I really respect them.

What does being a disc jockey mean to you today?

Being a DJ is really a passion. Today I can say that I live from it. Among the young people, there are many talented DJs of the new generation. So I really encourage you to the new vibe of Dj. Enjoy yourself, enjoy what you do. Don’t do it for money, do it for passion. When you do it for passion, sooner or later success will come to you.