Episode 012 - DJ Full Xposure
DJ Full Xposure
Tierra Jones aka DJ Full Xposure, is an L.A. based D.J, model, actress, and dancer with a love for Hip-Hop and R&B.
As an actress, Tierra has appeared in TV shows such as Showtime's Shameless and SMILF, HBO'S Westward and Insecure, CBS's Young Sheldon, ABC'S Lucifer and Grownish.
In her interview, she discusses bringing awareness to mental health and addiction, and also has advise on how to stay motivated as a creative.
Interview
Who is DJ Full Xposure?
DJ Full Xposure brings diversity to the music world. I love to travel and have lived in many different cities and countries. I was born and raised in Washington DC, and went to boarding school in New York and Pennsylvania. From there, I started to travel where I went to France for a month, and spent 7 months living in Mexico. Now that I am based in Los Angeles, the music from all those places I have travelled and lived have had an impact on the records I spin.
I love to DJ different events where I get to play Deep House, Neosoul, Reggaetón, and Afrobeat. When I first started DJing I was only doing Hip-Hop but as I have grown, I have experienced different genres and I have been able to incorporate them into my sets. I do find myself doing Hip-Hop sets more because that music always bumps in the clubs and bars, but I do enjoy playing other genre of music as well at more curated events!
What legacy do you want to leave?
Leaving a legacy is an important part of your life’s work. I want to leave my legacy by supporting the people and causes that are important to me. I plan to support causes that deal with mental health and addiction. Two causes that very dear to my heart because I have had people in my life deal with mental health issue as well as addiction. I want to share my blessings with everyone! I once read somewhere that everyone has blessings to share even if it’s just a simple smile of acknowledgement. I want to be a mentor to others and inspire people to follow their dreams and the make the right sacrifices to do so. Lastly, my passions are my legacy. So, I want to continue to pursue my passions because they are infectious!
Not only are you DJ, but also an actress dancer, and model, How do you combine/balance your creative work?
This is such an amazing question. It was very hard to find the balance from engaging in so many creative endeavors. In the simplest terms, it is important to focus on one thing at a time. I used to get overwhelmed when i tried to do two things at once. For example, I will typical chose one thing to work on for the day. That way, I don't feel rushed, I can have fun with it, and eliminate the stress that comes with feeling overwhelmed. I'll dedicate a day to work on my Youtube, then another day I will working on acting , and one for music and modeling/photoshoots as well. That works best when it comes to planning out my time and schedule. Since I truly love all the things I do it makes me happy to find time to continue to work on all of my passions and learn more to get better everyday!
When did you begin your journey to work in music?
This story goes back to my childhood actually. I became connected to music at a very young age. I was around four years old when I first was introduced to an instrument. The first instrument I learned to play was the African drum. What’s interesting about this instrument is that the sounds mimic the heartbeat. This is essential in explaining my connection to music because I relate to music through the beat or musical production rather than through lyrics. I began to understand music in a deeper sense. This helped me later in life when I started training as a dancer.
As I progressed through school my interests in music grew from me playing electric guitar in my high school band to eventually producing music. However, since I have a lot of creative endeavors, I found that I did not have as much time to put into music production and working with artists, as I wanted to.
As fate would have it, I became friends with a DJ and asked if she could teach me how to DJ. She agreed and gave me my first gig.
I said yes, without being fully comfortable and without a DJ name. I practice with all the free time I had over the following three weeks, and when the night of the gig arrived, I had officially became DJ Full Xposure. One thing you should know about me is that I love to challenge myself.
Why the name Full Xposure?
The reason I chose the DJ name DJ Full Xposure, was because of the way that music makes me feel. Sometimes, I don’t always feel comfortable being vulnerable or expressing myself. When I listen to music, I feel different. Music makes me feel exposed and vulnerable. I can always find a song that can help me say what I may have trouble expressing. It makes me feel free. When I DJ, I want my audience to feel the same, XPOSED!
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on expanding my brand. With DJing and music, I plan on creating my own radio station and producing and engineering beats and songs for artists too. Acting, I continue to expand my series Industry Xposed and continue to inspire young creatives in the industry. Of course, I will still be working on tv and film roles so look out for me on the big screen as well!
Who is a new artist you discovered recently that you want everyone to listen to?
I have discovered so many new and talented artists, but two of my favorite up and coming artist's are JustNCase and Ian Michael. These artist's are two different but dope vibes.
Ian Michael gives you a very refreshing and innovative twist to Hip-Hop and Pop. It is amazing,
JustNCase recently came out with this song called New Moon, which is this smooth offbeat track where you can't help but get up and move your hips. JustNCase's flow is so tight!
What's your current DJ setup and why?
My current DJ set up consist of my controller and turntables. I am lucky enough to be able to have a room in my house that I dedicate to music. So I have my Audio-Technica LP-120 Turntables and a Mixtrack Pro 3 Numark Controller.
When I was first learning to DJ, I would go over to my friends house to practice. They had that very same Numark Controller. So, when I did my first solo gig and it was time for me to buy my own equipment, I naturally chose the same controller that I learned on. It didn't take me long after to discover vinyls and the world of scratching. I went to guitar center one day and saw they had an Audio Technica turntable on sale. It took me another 2-3 months to find a mixer and matching turntable. I couldn't fathom spending $1600 on a mixer, which were the cheapest ones out at the time.
I later discover that Numark had come out with a new mixer a few months prior called the Numark Scratch. It had great reviews from credible sources like DJ city, etc. So I decided to give it a try, plus it only cost $499, which was way cheaper than the next mixer up, Pioneer DJM -S7. So, my set-up is pretty solid, but I'm thinking of upgrading my controller soon!
What vibe are you going for with this mix?
The vibe I was going for in this mix is pure happy turn-up vibes. I want to get people dancing and moving the whole set! For this mix, I want my women to feel empowered and I want the fellas to feel confident. Whoever listens to this mix will definitely vibe out!
What advice would you give to aspiring artists/DJs/Producers/Creatives out there?
The first piece of advice I would love to give aspiring creatives, is to stop considering yourself as "aspiring". I believe that one of the biggest way we underestimate ourselves as creatives is by thinking that we are not good enough or don't already posses the heart or talent to already consider ourselves what we are working towards. I believe our calling comes from within our souls, we are already born with our passions encoded in who we are.
Next, the best piece of advice I could give to all my creatives is to find time to practice your craft. Whether you are making money from it or not. It is important to practice as much as you can and to stay consistent. Not only do you improve your abilities but your mood as well. When I'm stressed or dealing with life, going to the dance studio, recording a DJ set, producing a beat, or even memorizing and filming a monologue, instantly help me feel relieved and happier. So practice your craft and try your best to stay motivated.
My last piece of advice comes from an older mentor I found in the industry. She told me that creativity dies with desperation. That was a very valuable piece of advice for me because it came during a time when the world was going through a lot of uncertainty. At the beginning of the global pandemic and lock-down, I was going to through things in my personal life and became very unmotivated to be creative and produce content. I wanted to work and continuously produce content but was increasingly growing unhappy as I forced myself. This mentor told me that if my body wanted to rest, then let it. Moreover, she explained that we are creatives - so that ability or skill will always be within us.
If you ever feel unmotivated, it is probably for a reason. Our bodies knows when it's time to rest just as It knows when it is time to work. So trust yourself, because creativity dies with desperation. I had heard this before, but it was not until she said it in that moment that the phrase truly clicked for me. I realized that because I was forcing myself to try and work and stay on top of my work, I was not having fun with it anymore. I did not allow my self to rest and deal with life, the desperation that came with forcing my self to be creative, was the very thing that almost killed it. I have learned now that it is very important to have a balance between work and self care.
As creatives, we tend to believe that if we are not constantly on the grind or hustling that we are failures. That is not true! I have come to realize that even more with the new COVID lifestyle. I even allow myself to go off grid at times to relax and rejuvenate.
Is there anything you would like to plug/promote?
The biggest factor of my success this far, has been my ambition to want to learn, my motivation to want to inspire, and my work ethic that got me through the hard times. My journey has not been easy, there have been many down points. However, the good always outweighs the bad for me because each failure and every mistake shaped me into the person I am today. I appreciate my journey because I am leaning so much along the way. I think that is part of being successful. I believe that our abilities to pursue an interest and enjoy the journey along the way while learning and evolving, is my idea of success. My brand is my simply doing what I love which is Acting, Music, Dance, and Modeling, and giving others the chance to do the same.
That is why I started my YouTube Series, Industry Xposed! When I was first coming up in the industry, I always wish I had some sort of mentor to ask for guidance and advice but found few to none that were willing to simply answer questions and give me good advice. So I wanted to create a series where aspiring industry creatives could use as a resource to learn how to get started in fields such as Acting, Modeling, DJing, Producing, and give them tips and tricks to help them along their journeys. I want to inspire but most importantly, I want to give back in ways that were easily available and accessible to me.
