He Quit His Job at 37: Now He DJ's with Will Smith, Skepta & Burna Boy

DJ AG became one of the internet’s most recognisable street DJs through his viral TikTok LIVE performances, hosting stars including Will Smith, Skepta and Ne-Yo. But long before the millions of views, Ash was growing up in Tottenham, working at McDonald’s, building a corporate career and only taking the leap into full-time DJing at 37. Ash opens up about a health scare that led him to get his prostate checked, and why fear and stigma still stop some men from doing the same. He explains why the issue is especially important for Black men, and how speaking publicly about his own experience encouraged others to get tested. He also looks back at taking his DJ setup onto the streets, being arrested while livestreaming, and the moment Will Smith joined him on the decks. Ash reveals what happened behind the scenes, and how his street sets grew from a few people watching online into appearances with some of the world’s biggest artists. But behind the viral moments is a deeper purpose. AG shares how his grandmother’s dementia inspired him to perform in care homes, and why bringing people joy through music has become the most important part of what he does. DJ AG, We Need To Talk This episode includes discussion of of prostate cancer and dementia. We have included links to support resources here: Prostate Cancer UK: https://linkly.link/2tkKz  Dementia UK: https://linkly.link/2tkKj  Alzheimer's Research UK https://linkly.link/2tkKt  Follow us here: https://www.instagram.com/needtotalk   https://www.tiktok.com/@weneedtotalkpod   Sign up to our newsletter https://linkly.link/2eXHX Follow DJ AG here: https://www.instagram.com/djagonline https://www.tiktok.com/@djagonline (00:00) Intro to DJ AG (02:05) Childhood in Tottenham (05:36) The Music Scene in Tottenham (07:32) AG as a Child (10:25) AG’s Family Situation Growing Up (16:48) Prostate Cancer and the Importance of Getting Checked (21:08) AG’s Relationship With His Mum and Dad (27:27) DJ AG Reads a Letter From His Mum (29:49) Anthropic Ad (31:09) How AG Discovered His Love of DJing (46:08) The Art of DJing (49:21) Why AG Became a Full-Time DJ (57:21) Cometeer Ad (58:57) Taking DJ Sets Outdoors (01:10:51) AG’s Most Notable Guests (01:17:05) AG’s Community Work and DJing in Care Homes (01:19:38) Huel Ad (01:20:48) AG Fest (01:22:19) What Is DJ AG’s Greatest Fear? (01:27:27) AG’s Outlook on Dating and Relationships (01:30:30) Paul Reads a Letter From AG’s Dad (01:36:27) Most Memorable Conversation (01:39:42) Paul’s Takeaways Sponsored by:  Anthropic - https://www.claude.ai/talk  Cometeer - https://cometeer.com/PAUL for $20 off your first order   Huel - http://uk.huel.com/WNTT use code WNTT for £10 off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices