Staten Island’s very own heavy hitter Nicky Rizz got to play on New York City radio for the first time: Hot 97 #1 for hip-hop, the biggest radio station in NYC. On January 1st, 2021, from 7 am to 8 am, Nicky Rizz’s sound and vibe hit the airwaves. The fast-rising DJ, who has been in the DJ industry since he was 12 years old, now celebrates a decade-plus two years of doing what he loves. Having gotten a play in the biggest hip-hop station in a city with an astonishing population is a privilege many dreams about. Hopefully, exposure such as this will increase his fan base even more than his release in July of 2020 did.
His story to where he currently is begins with a DJ in Staten Island who eventually became known to people as DJ Nicky Rizz, the nightclub DJ. However, he is not just your ordinary nightclub DJ; he does his work in some of the hottest and biggest in various states like New Jersey, Atlantic City, Florida, and not forgetting New York City, where he is currently situated. With his induction to the famous DJ crew, Heavy Hitters, we can only anticipate exciting music and work from him. His mentor, DJ Camilo, seems to have had a lot of influence on how the DJ turned out, introducing him to the famous DJ crew and guiding him. These are some of the things that have made him grow both on a personal and professional level.
Achieving success and receiving uncountable praises at a young age is extremely difficult. Still, DJ Nicky Rizz, with his immense talent and passion for music, is no stranger to any of that. When DJ Nicky Rizz experienced his first DJing gig when he was just a kid at 11 on a cruise, he did not know a career would come out of his musical passion. The start of his incredible journey was when he saw how much people enjoyed and danced away to music played by the DJ at the poolside. One day, this would be him, and after the cruise, he gathered his equipment, ready to bring such joy to the world. He was lucky to have discovered what he was passionate about at such a young age when others still struggle to their fifties, not having found what they love doing or even having a chance to do it. His wins do not stop at getting play on New York’s radio station; he has joined the group of renowned DJs at a very young age and set out for greatness. Passion keeps opening doors for him.
He admires DJ Camilo because they go way back to when he was only a teenager in Staten Island. He took him under his wings and got him to where he is today by building his confidence. He was motivated by how good DJ Camilo’s mic game was, with energy that got the crowd every time. Who wouldn’t want to be like that? From being scared to talk before people on a microphone to where he is today, practice made perfect.
He has also learned how important it was to read the crowd before playing music, something most people forget. This is crucial if you have to attend more than one event in a night. Adjusting to the crowd, feeling their energy first, and playing music from there is better than having your already composed playlist that may not apply to your audience. DJ Nicky Rizz is also motivated by his mentor’s success in radio, with having a huge following on a top radio station in New York City. Learning from all these made him a choice for the DJ crew headed by DJ Enuff and eventually an induction to the crew.
He has had the opportunity to DJ in so many places like Dream Hospitality, Bounce NYC, DARE Atlantic City, Wall (which is the 4th best club in Miami), Mister East New Jersey, Society New Jersey, Avenue, Up & Down, Headliners New Jersey, and Vegas Hard Rock. Counting his wins and looking up to DJ Enuff, DJ Nicky hopes to have a reputation that attracts success and being the best. He is happy to be part of a crew that treats each other like family, looking out for and supporting each other. That is what most people need to get motivated to achieve anything they want to; having announced DJ Nicky’s entry to the crew live on radio and giving him a chance to play on the show is support enough to keep one going.
Learn more about DJ Nicky by visiting his website.
Opinions expressed by NY Weekly contributors are their own.
