Today we’d like to introduce you to CRYST6L.
Hi CRYST6L, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2022, I made a random decision to pick up DJing as a hobby. I already had a huge passion for music so that was fuel for me to give my all into this hobby. I’d spend a lot of time in my room recording and uploading clips of my mixes onto X and Instagram for fun. It turns out that people really enjoyed the mixes I was putting out. Ice Spice even heard one of my first mixes and said “It was fire!” From that point on, I felt that I had to start DJing in every venue I could get into. I had my DJ debut at Round Two in Dallas in June of 2024, an event hosted by my dear friend Carolina (@lapalomasocialclub/@pdf.bby)). The thrill DJing gave me was put on pause because I had a physical injury and recovery; I had also lost my dad during this time so I took a break to put my mental and physical health first. Music has always been my escape! Even though I took that break, I was still planning for what’s next. After I ended my recovery and rejuvenation period, I opened my bookings up in May. Ever since then, I’ve been booked and busy! My last event was at Mood Ring in NYC. I was born and raised in New York so it was a surreal moment to get to come back and do what I love most.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road hasn’t been smooth. I feel like as a woman in the music scene there will always be a struggle. The music industry isn’t catered to seeing women succeed as easily. We often get demeaned and degraded due to looks or sound. That leads to us being disregarded as a force to reckon with when we create. I struggled with my confidence as a DJ starting off and felt intimidated. I reached out to my close friend, Briza (@5starmona)! She is a DJ in Houston and went into detail about her journey and I appreciated that so much. We hopped on a Discord call so she could show me how she mixes. After our chat and call, I gave myself homework and told myself to finally record so I could upload my first mix on SoundCloud within the next week. I was so eager to prove to myself that I’m able to create and put things out without the fear of it not being good enough. I ended up releasing the mix the next day and people loved it. They were asking for more so ever since, I’ve just been sharing my passions and what I love to.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Pre-K teacher full time and a DJ on the side. I’m also known for being a meme account on X! I’ve been in articles and gone viral on every platform. Even my favorite celebrities and people that I look up to have laughed at my posts. I love to make people laugh and I love love love music. I always have a song in my head and I’m constantly thinking about DJing. I think what sets me apart from others is that I’m unapologetically myself and I wear my heart on my sleeve. After experiencing many losses and the biggest one being my dad in 2024, I told myself I would do anything to chase my dreams because life is precious. I live everyday like it’s my last. I’m super proud of my progress.
Childhood me would think I’m so cool and that’s another thing that keeps me going! I put faith in myself and have been receiving blessings after blessings. I’m extremely thankful. I truly owe it to the people that love and support me always including family and friends.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Gosh I have so many and they all have something to do with music. The most memorable one was a Justin Bieber concert when I was 9. He was the first person that made me fall in love with music and it quickly became a huge part of my childhood. My parents surprised me with tickets to see him at Madison Square Garden for my 10th birthday. I remember it so vividly! It was my first ever concert and was also the show that was documented for the “Never Say Never” movie!
I got to see Miley Cyrus, Usher, Jaden Smith, Sean Kingston, Iyaz and Boyz II Men. I’m 24 currently and it’s still one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @itscryst6l
- Twitter: @cryst6ls
- Soundcloud: CRYST6L
