A DJ, short for disc jockey, is a person who mixes music and plays it for an audience.

Fredericton is home to a DJ who learned the craft because of his love for music. DJ Nasty Naz got his start by working at a radio station in his home of Trinidad before moving to Fredericton on a scholarship from the University of New Brunswick.

He decided to keep his DJ career going even though he says the music scene in the city of Fredericton was a far cry from the Carribean beats he spun in Trinidad.

Naz says he has been influenced from a variety of DJs, but his unique style was crafted on his own.

“My way of doing things is totally different. My mic work, how I interact with the crowd, is different. I’ve looked at many people like Jam-Master Jay, the original DJ for Run DMC . . . all these old school DJs from back in the day, who created hip hop,” he says. “So I’ve looked at their styles and dumped it in with my Carribean, energetic style.”

Naz plays both public and private events but also hits the road on tour with some hip-hop artists like Sean Kingston. At those shows, his job is to perform on the turntables on the stage and to get the crowd hyped by working the microphone.

“I’m not a DJ, I’m a performer,” Naz explains.

“I’m an entertainer. Most DJs just play the track and that’s it. With me, I’m interacting with the crowd.”

 Naz counts his success as a DJ not by the size of the venue, but through the looks on the faces of fans.

“It’s the same for a big event as it is for a small event,” Naz explains. “I did a wedding three weeks ago and the bride – with a wedding dress on – was dancing on the table.”