DJ M.O.S. creates pulse-pounding soundtracks for some of today’s most sought-after parties, including industry award shows and exclusive nightclub events. He is the official DJ of the Academy Awards and holds additional residencies at some of the most popular clubs across the country. Much like Tequila Don Julio 1942’s spirit is distilled and produced in the most authentic way possible, DJ M.O.S. places an emphasis on quality and originality when it comes to his musical process.

Due to these parallels, DJ M.O.S.’ participation as a member of 1942 Crew’s DJ collective was a no-brainer. The 1942 Crew consists of a network of global DJs that bring the energy no matter the occasion and all share a genuine love for music. Hypebeast connected with DJ M.O.S. to discuss this partnership, his origins in the music industry, and the close-knit community that the 1942 Crew has fostered.

Hypebeast —Can we hear a little bit about who you are and what you do?

DJ M.O.S. — My name is DJ M.OS. I’m the official DJ for the Academy Awards and I’ve held residencies at clubs, like LIV, Hakkasan in Vegas, Tao, clubs based in Dubai, and more. I’ve been DJing for over 20 years. I’m originally from New York City and I currently live in Los Angeles. I started DJing in high school at 15. I was always into nightlife and club culture. I used to sneak into The Tunnel Nightclub when I was back in New York, in high school. Growing up, I was really inspired by DJs like Funkmaster Flex, Clark Kent, and Rich Medina. I finally got a pair of turntables and started collecting records and doing little parties when I was young. As I got older, I decided I wanted to pursue DJing professionally and take my passion seriously. I started interning at Elektra Records through a friend who I grew up with who was head of rap promotions. So because I was servicing DJs, they got me access to all these nightclubs and I got a chance to really see my heroes up close and personal. Through that, I met a bunch of promoters and club owners, and eventually got my first residencies around the year 2002-2003. And that’s really how I got started.

And on the same note of inspiration and your upbringing, I want to discuss how your identity shapes the music that you’re into. I know that your relationship with music is heavily influenced by your West Indian heritage. How has that identity shaped your relationship with music and especially with DJing?

Well, my parents are Guyanese, which is the only English-speaking country in South America. Music is such an important part of our culture — Calypso, Reggae. My parents were really, really into music when I was young. My dad actually was the lead singer for a band in college and my mom put me in piano classes. Two of my great-aunts were classically trained pianists, so I took music lessons with them when I was a kid. I was playing classical music but my dad was listening to jazz, funk, reggae, and calypso. So every time he would take me to piano classes, I’m listening to D Train and Doobie Brothers and all these different artists. And then he would put me in classical piano class, which I hated. But my dad had a great record collection, and when I started really DJing, I would go back to those classic records, which is what really got me noticed. People were surprised by the amount of knowledge I had of music as a 21-year-old. All of those songs had come out before I was born, so my heritage and my family have definitely influenced my music and the way I play, heavily.

You just mentioned a few different artists or groups that you grew up listening to. But seeing as you’ve now been DJing for years, what keeps you continually inspired? Are there any more contemporary artists that you work into sets? What has inspired you lately?

Well, I’m really inspired by the new wave of R&B that’s been coming out, like Lucky Day. I love music that makes you feel something. When I was younger, a lot of the artists that inspired me accomplished that, like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Stevie Wonder — there’s just something about some of their songs that gives you a warm feeling inside. I also love Pharrell and Timberland and those types of experimental producers. So that’s what keeps me continually inspired, just music that makes people feel.

Don Julio embraces this ethos of quality first and foremost. How does that approach play out in your work?

It takes time, passion, and just pure love to create Don Julio tequila. I think I approach playing music the same way. I take my time. I like to play things that I like as opposed to things that just the crowd likes. It’s really important for me to pick out quality music to play for people, so I definitely see a parallel between the creation of Don Julio and the creation and my process of coming up with sets and playing music.

What has the experience been like for you, being a part of the 1942 Crew and being connected with other like-minded creatives?

It’s been amazing. It’s a really great group of like-minded DJs. But I mean, in many ways we’re not even all like-minded, because everybody is different in their own way. To come together as a collective, you get a chance to become inspired by what everyone else is doing. Everybody is performing at a high level and it’s such a collaborative experience for us to bounce ideas off each other. I have relationships with all of the other DJs and you always learn something from someone else. I always say that DJing is almost like a solo sport, like tennis. You’re kind of on your own. But to be able to come together with other people who are doing the same thing you do is amazing. And I think that being open to learning from others is important when being a DJ.

What feeling do clubs and venues, such as The Sunset at the Edition, still offer you that keeps you coming back to those places?

Well, Sunset Edition is one of my favorite DJ booths. It has a huge record wall and I always find myself going through the vinyl before I go on. It has a lot of space and it’s very neat. But playing at a huge nightclub, my approach is definitely playing things that are high energy. You want to get the crowd engaged as soon as you go on. It’s like playing New Year’s Eve every night so you’ve got to really come with energy as soon as you go on. And because the crowd is so large, you want to initially play music that everybody is going to like, and then eventually once that you get the ball on your side, you can kind of move on to more of the cooler records — stuff that you love. But when you’re playing at a more intimate venue, which I really love, it’s like you’re almost connecting with individuals in the crowd. They’re two totally different approaches. You can kind of curate the music a little bit better when you’re playing an intimate, lounge venue, which is what I really appreciate as I’ve gotten older.

You brought up an interesting point regarding the flip side of what you do. And today, DJing has become increasingly competitive. Given that landscape, why do you feel like an emphasis on community is important, such as the community you have with the 1942 Crew?

I think in the DJ space, community is very important. Especially after the pandemic, since during the pandemic, we were on lockdown and nightclubs were closed. During that time, it was amazing to see the DJ community come together and help each other through our live streams. Guys would live stream and then if you’re going on next, they would send their audience to you. I was subscribing to other people’s Twitch streams and we even had group chats; we were making sure each other was getting paid. So it was just really amazing watching everybody help each other. It can sometimes feel like everyone’s competing against each other. But this was a time when people were all helping each other on top of the fact that we were building our own communities through our live stream. I built a club called Club Insomnia and it was really crazy to see how me playing these sets brought so many people together to the point where that community sent me a coffee table book that all of my family had signed. It was really, really touching. And those helped me get through the pandemic as well and helped me take my mind off of what was going on in the world.

That’s amazing. Outside of live streaming, how do you reach out and provide a platform for other DJs, even outside of the 1942 Crew?

Outside of just live streaming, I help book acts at the clubs where I work. So I think it’s important to reach out and help each other. I know when I was coming up, I got some help. I had guys like DJ Peter Paul and Clark Kent look out for me. So I want to be able to give back to people when they’re coming up because I know how hard it is, again, when you feel like you’re by yourself. You feel like you’re competing against everyone else. The world is against you. No one wants to hire you. Every time a DJ reaches out to me and wants to talk, I’m there for them. And that’s why I love being part of the 1942 Crew because, at the time when I was coming up, it definitely felt like a competition. It’s good to know that you have people that you can reach out to.

I think in so many creative occupations, it’s just really important to facilitate that togetherness because these realms can be a little territorial sometimes. So it’s admirable to hear that perspective.

That’s just my personality. Of course, I’m extremely competitive. But I get joy from giving back. I get joy from helping others. I love seeing people succeed. I love watching guys who are younger than me now doing their thing. It doesn’t make me feel smaller. It makes me feel like, ‘Oh, wow. I’m as happy for them as they are for themselves.’

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.