Memphis and Dallas Native DJ Junnie Baby got his start in the music industry from the wise advice of Dallas Legend Mo3! As he got further into his career as a DJ the demand for him grew bigger, not just in the DJ world but for being an overall music plug. With experience in breaking artists such as Mo3; even working beside MoneyBagg Yo and the CMG Collective he has managed to continue to leave a stamp wherever he goes.

During our exclusive interview we got the chance to explore the World of DJ Junnie Baby and so much more!

Check out our interview below:

Mikala: You know we are opening back up with festivals, concerts etc. But I kind of want to take it back to the Pandemic. How would you say the pandemic really affected DJ’s as a whole? 

DJ  Junnie Baby: The Pandemic really hurt a lot of DJ’s! If you weren’t a DJ that was really tapped in and knew how to make money on your own then it wasn’t no good. A lot DJ’s were so used to depending on clubs and party promoters so now they were out there. 

Mikala: I will say in a positive light we got to see a lot of Djs transition from spinning in the clubs and events to now using different streaming platforms to spin!

DJ Junnie Baby: Oh Yeah fasho! A lot of DJ’s were going crazy with the virtual parties and lives!

Mikala: With you getting to experience Memphis and Texas culture. How would you describe the differences in cultures there? 

DJ Junnie Baby: Memphis is real cut throat. Dallas is a little friendlier. Don’t get me wrong shit goes down in both cities. In Memphis Muhfuckas be on that, It’s just real cut throat…It’s like another level but Dallas is a little more laid back, You can have money and chill. That’s just my perspective!

 Mikala: Yeah! And you know Dallas  and Memphis are both going crazy right now with the music. What would you say the states have that nobody has musically?

DJ Junnie Baby: Like I say cause it’s dangerous in both states. Muhfuckas really hungry to get out this shit. Nobody wants to be in the streets doing what people are doing. Everybody wants to be on a Yacht somewhere or going from city to city. So I feel like from Texas to Memphis even Louisiana, muhfuckas just tryna get out the hood foreal!

Mikala: Before getting into the music industry what were you doing before?

DJ Junnie Baby: Mannn… I was selling a whole lotta weed (laughs). This was before the Kush era, niggas was still smoking corn!

Mikala: So throughout your journey within music what did you end up learning? 

DJ Junnie Baby: I ain’t even gone lie to you…. Before I even thought about it, Djing Mo3 was my  best friend! I started going to shows with Mo3 and I asked him, I was like “Bro, how come yo manager tryna be the DJ”? I’ll never forget the qoute; that nigga said “shit, bitch everybody wanna be a rapper. Don’t nobody want to be a DJ”! And that lightbulb came on…I learned how to DJ. From that what I learned is in this music shit anything is possible. It Don’t matter how long all you gotta just want it. I wanted it bad enough and it happened!

Mikala: I feel that! Now exactly did you become a DJ? I know you stated earlier that you were dealing with weed…how exactly was that transition? 

DJ Junnie Baby: No bullshit I told 3 about wanting to be a DJ…I got this app on my Iphone and I learned how to DJ on the app. I use to go to the clubs and plug in my aux cord and play Mo3 songs off my lil ipad using that same app! That’s how I learned how to DJ. Muhfuckas use to be so mad that I was Mo3 DJ but I wasn’t  a real DJ! I’m a Cancer so I took everything to heart! I dove in their and really started getting into the DJ culture. I learned how to really DJ, really mix, transition and transform records, how to control the crowd. I really had to sit down and learn that shit. 

Mikala: What would you say were one of the biggest sacrifices you made throughout your journey?

DJ Junnie Baby: I mean definitely friends and family. People always talk about how when you’re on a mission and on the come up you lose friends. You really do! Everybody is always frustrated with you that you’re doing this and you’re doing that and they don’t understand why they can’t come with you. A lot of times in these situations you just barely got yo ass in the door!

Mikala: Wow! I feel that…once people start seeing you grow as a person and in your career sometimes they don’t know how to handle it and end up getting jealous and a whole bunch of bs. 

DJ Junnie Baby: Yeah! It definitely turns into jealousy. When you lose your friends they be like “Man I been knowing you your whole life, now you don’t even fuck with me cause you fuck with them ole Hollywood ass nigga”…. Like, damn it’s not even nothing like that! 

Mikala: Yup! That’s exactly how it is! But getting back into your career, how were you able to really create that buzz for yourself? 

DJ Junnie Baby: I’ll never forget it. The owner of VLive DC 7UP was like “Man I like you bro” “you know what.. I’m going to give you your night at VLive and just go in there and work on it! It was always slow nights but that’s what got me going. The slow nights turned into good nights! One thing about me is I got A.D.D when I DJ I be hyped! He always kept me in and I started letting me have big nights and big club nights. Friday and Saturdays, I took that and started learning how to book talent, rappers and what not!

Mikala:Now, touching on Mo3, how did breaking him come about for you?  

DJ  Junnie Baby: Like I told you earlier I was not what you would call a real DJ. I was still legit learning…I was the DJ that was at home learning but I’m on the road doing whole concerts. All I had to do was play his songs 6-7 songs that I already knew how to do! So his manager Rainwater was like “bro I gotta teach you to be a real DJ, I gotta get you these plugs, you gotta be giving people this Mo3 music. So Rainwater would always be big on me like “Bro you gotta be a real DJ”, he started teaching me how to move as a DJ. Because I had a big name, I didn’t know about clout! I use to be a fucking drug dealer. Rain would teach me how to move in the club, and in the course of that he was like “you gotta be a real DJ and get everybody turnt onto his music”! Me and Rain would go to the club and go half on a bottle and when we would go half we would be like “here take this flashdrive” and it had all of Mo3’s music on it. Whatever song you wanted to play you could play it. It started going crazy! 

Everybody loved Mo3 but you could never touch him because he was exclusive. DJ’s would be in they feelings like “Ahhh Mo3 ain’t never came to my booth and shook my hand” so  me and his manager RainWater  had to do all of that leg work and doing that is part of the  reason why I’m so successful now. Doing all of that, learning from my mistakes and my wind from that taught me how to move with them. 

Mikala: What was it that you saw in Mo3 that you knew he would be the one? 

DJ Junnie Baby: Man 3 was great! It’s versatility! Like Twista and then switch up for ladies like on some Pleasure P shit…I’m telling you that nigga 3 was so TALENTED! The best person who can relate to Mo3 that’s still in the game right now is Rod Wave! When I heard Mo3, You gotta go back and check out a song called “All The Way Down” by Mo3… It’s one of his first hits. If you hear this song and you would go back and see how Mo3 was back then before he had chains and shit you would see how serious he was about this…NO CAP! (Starts Singing) “Do you know what I had to do to keep my lights on, do you know what I had to do to keep my rent paid”. That was the biggest song in Dallas, you play that in Dallas they go crazy! When I felt 3 I could really feel him cause he was really coming from the heart with this shit! 

Mikala: There’s not one Mo3 freestyle that hasn’t went viral!

DJ Junnie Baby: Awh man I swear to God, it would be me and that dude all day riding around. We would go to a parking garage somewhere in Downtown Dallas to see what he could put on that he hasn’t worn already on camera so we could shoot a video. We would sit down and record freestyles all day! He was so lyrical with the pain in it!

Mikala: What would you say is the imprint that Mo3 really left before his passing? 

DJ Junnie Baby: Shit, he stamped that! Look at what 3 did for me! Without him there would be no DJ Junnie Baby! The whole city gone forever, love 3 without a doubt. 3 was GREAT! I wish that they would’ve left the beef alone and everybody got to the paper. But you know, sometimes this street shit is deeper than the music! 

Mikala: Yes! As a DJ who’s in the rotation right now?

DJ Junnie Baby: You fasho need to be playing that Big Homie Gee, Big Boogie, Gotti, anything CMG stamped at! That’s the biggest thing going right now! Not to take away from any other label, I’m just being honest! We on a whole nother island, going crazy! Fasho Shiesty, fasho EST GEE, you kn ow what I’m saying. Memphis just got it right now! Wait til Trip Star drop, he got that whole cadence from Memphis! 

Mikala: Do you feel like DJs get enough credit for the work they put into the industry?

DJ Junnie Baby: Hell Nah! DJ’s don’t get no credit, that’s one of the reasons why I strive so much with doing the management stuff that I do. Dj to Dj there’s enough recognition where DJ’s salute each other. Without us the music don’t get played. Without the artist might not have been heard! Without that DJ in the club pushing play on your record in your hometown nobody would even know about you!

Mikala: What advice would you give to DJs who’s trying to find their place in the music industry? 

DJ Junnie Baby: You can’t just be a DJ, you gotta be more than a DJ! DJ’s can’t be afraid to do everything, you should be able to MC, listen to music, break music. Then don’t be afraid to be more than just a  DJ. Just that little extra thing you know how to do will be the reason why they would pick you over somebody else for an opportunity!