May 6, 2025 • 49 mins
One week away from the series finale, Dramos takes a moment to reflect on the wild ride that has been Life as a Gringo—from its early beginnings during the pandemic to becoming a platform for unfiltered truth, cultural pride, and connection. He opens up about how the show helped him find his voice, reconnect with his roots, and build a community that felt seen. As he prepares to close this chapter, Dramos shares what he’s learned, what he’s leaving behind, and what’s next in the evolution of his journey.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Let me talk about there we go.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
He said, you live in life as a Gringo, where
you question where you fit in every time you mingle,
and they say you do this with not of my bed.
This life as a Lingo. Yes, hello, and welcome to
ano episode of Life as a Gringo. I am dramas
of course, and man uh, it's crazy. We are one
(00:34):
week away exactly from the last official episode of this
podcast Life as a Gringo, And it's wild to be
saying that. And I think I'm just starting to like
really process it. I think it's just starting to kind
of hit me, you know, because I think for for me,
(01:02):
you know, I'm always thinking about what's next. I'm always
excited by what's next.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I don't really ahead of time at least, I.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Don't get too nostalgic about closing doors, you know, and
it usually ends up hitting me after the fact and
that I'm like, man, I wish I would have taken
some time to like really soak it in and appreciate.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
It, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
And that's kind of what I want to do on
today's show. I don't have I literally have nothing planned.
I kind of just want to talk to you guys.
And have a conversation. I think next week's episode, I'm
gonna just leave it as one long ask a Gringo
segment and sort of have you guys, you know, be
my guest and ask me what you want to talk
(01:50):
about or comments, whatever it might be.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So get ready for that at dj Dramas on Instagram
if you're not following me yet.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
But yeah, it's crazy, this ride of three hundred plus episodes,
almost four years, four years as of July, and it's crazy.
And as I listen up to my set is like
(02:18):
also like, hey, it's time. I can hear my set
like slowly falling apart a little bit. Some of the
greenery that I had on the wall, the things that
I used to hold it is not holding anymore. It's
on its last legs. And I think it's kind of
fitting that it's happening when the podcast is almost done.
(02:39):
But anyway, I just wanted to have an honest conversation
about this entire ride, because it's been bigger than just
a podcast, you know, it's been bigger than just.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Me gaining.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You know, more freedom and flexibility in my life and
being able to do something I love full time, which
has obviously been a huge part of this, but I
think the greatest gift of this podcast is the personal
journey that I went on while doing it. I feel
like anybody who listened to this show, we all were
(03:13):
sort of attracted this idea, the concept of life as
a kadingo because we've related sort of feeling like an
outsider in our own community, in our own lives and
whatever that means personally for you. But I think this
collective feeling like an outsider and a longing for community,
And I think the special thing about this show is
(03:40):
the fact that we were all on that journey each
and every week together, right. I think there's something special
about the idea that.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
This was a concept and an.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Idea where me as the host, really came in to
it at the same level as the audience, and came
into it with no real audience, you know, to be
quite frank, and we somehow someway we're finding each other
week after week, and you know, it's it's incredible to
(04:19):
reflect on just this entire journey, this entire process. So
I kind of want to just like do some I
guess takeaways, I don't know, to have a conversation about
what this community has meant to me what this podcast
has been, you know, and hopefully in reflecting and taking
(04:40):
it all in, it inspires or informs, you know, others
who are are listening to this in some sort of way.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So I guess that's the goal.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So we'll just have a little one on one conversation
you and I as a part of our You hit
this segment, so.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
I think it's only fitting.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
And I feel like, I know I've touched on it
in various ways, whether it's on this platform or others,
but about where I was when this whole journey that
has become life as a gringo, where I was and
how far it'd sort of come, I guess right, you know,
(05:27):
when I was given the opportunity to pitch this at
the end of twenty twenty, I was in a really
dark place.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
You know, we were.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Still in the midst of the pandemic. I mean, things
had begun to open up, but it was still weird. Right,
I had, even prior to the pandemic, just felt like
I had outgrown my current job at the time, which
was with the breakfast club, and you know, was frustrated
(06:06):
there just for my own sort of personal want of
something more. And then the pandemic happened, and essentially, you know,
made me feel even more trapped in that situation because
there was so much uncertainty.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
People weren't getting you know.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
There weren't jobs, and people were getting laid off like crazy.
People at my company.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Were getting laid off.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Everybody was downsizing because of this, obviously, this pandemic, and
I was a lucky in a lucky position where I
was considered essential and I kept that job, you know,
And with that though I lost djaying right and in music,
which I you know, loved doing obviously and still do
is a huge part of my life. And again the
(06:56):
feeling of being trapped in the great sense of the word, right,
I'm isolated socially, you know, I am, for the most
part stuck in a apartment, often by myself, you know,
in a city area where nothing is open, and I
(07:18):
don't have you know, a backyard.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
I had a fucking fire escape that.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
You know, looked over somebody else's backyard, essentially, right, and
that was my way of getting outside, and you know,
feeling even more frustrated than I was prior to that.
And just like, man, when am I going to get
the opportunity to do something else to showcase what I
can do. And at the time, you know, I was
(07:45):
just allowing my creativity to sort of take charge, and
that's why I was doing the Instagram lives every day.
And from there led to me getting the opportunity to
host my own TV show and record that remote from
my apartment, and that was like this beautiful lifeline, you know,
that provided me with some extra income that I needed.
(08:08):
I mean, it wasn't, you know, anything crazy, but it
helped to a degree at a little bit of a
buffer because I think what was also horrendous about the
pandemic experience was like I was just getting by, like,
you know, barely able to afford you know, groceries and
(08:32):
and and things like that, after having to pay my
rent and and and all the you know, my basic expenses,
you know, because I wasn't making a lot of money
when I was in radio, and the DJing is what
allowed me to live a bit more comfortably, and without that,
it was tight.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
So the TV show was.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Such a blessing in that, you know. And and then creatively,
you know, me being able to step out on my
own and have my own thing was a beautiful, beautiful blessing.
But I was still, you know, trying to navigate where
my life was going and what I wanted out of it,
(09:17):
you know. And it's funny, you know, I described that
as like a dark period, but in retrospect, maybe it
wasn't that bad of a time period.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
You know. I think the pandemic was brutal, but I
think it also for me.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Allowed me the time and freedom to just get down
to basics of what I felt like doing, and that
opened the door for me to do a lot more things.
I got to be on the radio, you know, in
New York City on ZE one hundred, which was a
dream of mine, and it finally came to fruition after
years of trying, you know, towards the end of twenty twenty,
(10:00):
and like I said, the TV show and things on
the Breakfast Club for me were beginning to pick up
as a personality just by nature of like the setup
we had during the pandemic. I had my own microphone,
and it just happened to be I was, you know,
the only one in the studio, so they would throw
certain things to me, and people began to hear me
and recognize me a bit more during that time, So
(10:21):
I guess, you know, leading up to the pandemic was
a darker time, and then when the pandemic happened, obviously
there's a social isolation part and a bit of the
financial strain, but I think I had for the first
time the presence of mind to just tap into what
my inner child kind of wanted to do. And I
(10:42):
guess that's a lesson right there, right, And it's ironic
because I sort of had to relearn that lesson or
find my center once again towards the end of this
last year, because I think the magic of the pandemic
was sort of like the world is shut down, there's
(11:03):
not many opportunities to get income, and people are bored.
You have their attention from a pure standpoint of like
what makes you happy?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
What do you want to do?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
And that's when I started doing the you know, the
Instagram lives and everything else the TV show, And I
think that's that's the lesson right there. I think, in
the moments where you're unsure of what's next, just tap
into the purest form of joy that you could possibly have, right, Like,
what is the thing that lights your fire, that fills
your heart? And just explore it and explore it with
(11:45):
no real expectation of monetizing, right, just just explore it.
And and that's what I did. And next thing, you know,
it was like everything I ever wanted began to just
fucking you know, rain down on me, right as I
said the TV show and then on the radio and
New York one one hundred and then you know, a
(12:05):
random text message one evening from Charlemagne sending me a
press release about iHeart starting a new podcast network for
specifically Latin audience, and hey, I remember him telling me like,
quote unquote, get on that, and then him saying he'll
connect me with the head of podcasting the email, which
(12:26):
he did, and that led to you know, the pitches
for life as a THINGO and and you know, sort
of what we know moving forward.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
But you know, I think our lives have And I
apologized I was.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Boring for anybody who has heard these stories before, but
I just wanted to give some sort of I guess context,
and beyond context, I want to soak it all in,
soak in this sort of moment and reflect on the journey,
if you will, that I feel like we've been on together.
(13:03):
And I think the beauty of that moment of me
sort of tapping into my inner child allowed me to
really begin to look myself in the mirror and decide
not only who I was, but who I wanted to be.
And as the universe and God typically does you know,
(13:24):
there's divine timing, right, And I think in a moment
where I was exploring that, all of a sudden, iHeart
launches this initiative in the podcast world of Latin Voices,
and I'm in a place where I have the right
resources and connections, and I'm in a place personally where
(13:45):
I am being bold enough to express myself and I've
gotten enough feedback that I'm not alone in what I'm feeling.
And again that perfect storm allowed for the concept of
life isn't going to go to really be flushed out
and then pitched and then accepted. But I guess that's
(14:08):
that's sort of living in harmony or.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Chat.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
GBTT put this a nice way, they're did I think
I've said this on the podcast, but living in alignment, right,
I think I was living in alignment. But again it
started with just stripping everything away and getting back down
to basics of what I enjoy doing.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And I think.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
The the beauty of that is again looking forward, whether
it's now, whether it's what I did you know last year,
at the end of last year, whatever it might be,
that's a repeatable formula that I can now have in
my life in the moments that I feel stuck and unsure,
get down to basics, and then believe that God in
(14:56):
the universe will.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Open doors for you once you sort of realigned and
gotten back down to center. Right, And.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, I mean I think about life as a god angle,
and it's like I think in these I think in life,
we have.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
These moments.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
And we probably don't recognize I don't think I recognized
life as a gingo as this, right. I think at
the time, as much as I believe and believed that
I was meant to be, you know, a voice and
not just a person in the background. And there's nothing
wrong with being a person in the background, but I
felt like I was best suited you using my voice.
(15:39):
As much as I believe that I believe that I
would be successful, there was still, I think, insecurity and
self doubt and maybe some imposter syndrome, right, because I
can remember when I finally got the contract for life
(15:59):
as a Gandingle the first contract to take a look at.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
When they wanted to sign me. I remember like.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Not even thinking about it as this is going to
be like a you know, a four year journey, three
hundred episodes. I remember, because the contract was basically like
year by year, so I had one season and they
had the option to pick up another, you know season,
and it went on that way for three seasons as
a three contract season, three season contract. And I remember
(16:29):
just thinking like, all right, this is probably gonna last
one season. This is gonna be my bridge until I
figure out what's next, essentially, right, because I already knew
I want to leave the Breakfast Club at that time,
so I was just strategizing on financially how to make
that work, and I saw this as just a great
bridge to sort of help.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Get me there, right, But I really didn't.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I didn't believe that the show would be successful enough
to go beyond one season.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Like, I just didn't believe in it.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
In it, I didn't believe in myself really, And maybe
I said that to myself to preemptively protect myself from
the pain if it ended up failing. Right, That's probably
some of it as well.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And It's funny.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Being to look back on that and then like compare
and contrast to where I am now because I'm I'm
not going to announce it completely yet, but there is
something coming after life as a good into and it
does evolve a podcast and things of that nature. And
my twenty twenty five version of me has no doubt
(17:46):
that it's going to be a success, but not but
beyond that, in his gut feels like it's going to
be huge, right, And that's a far cry from the
twenty twenty early twenty twenty one version of me who
really didn't believe it go beyond one season, right, Like
(18:07):
I was like, oh man, I'm I'm I'm basically robbing
these Robbie iHeart you know. As terrible as that sounds, like,
that was just me, like my lack of confidence, right,
And it's funny. They believed in me more than I
believed in myself, ironically, but again, I think that's why
(18:29):
this journey has been so special, because I've surprised myself
along the way I've grown. I've become a different person,
and that's also why I'm so ready to close this
chapter and it almost feels strained saying that it almost
(18:49):
feels like I'm disregarding the history. And again, maybe my
inability to appreciate things in the moment is seeping in there.
But I think for me, I'm at peace in feeling
like life as a gnago served its purpose. It serve
its purpose for me, you know, selfishly as a human being.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I feel like it gave me.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
The platform I had been searching for. It gave me
the opportunity to explore thoughts and ideas. It gave me
the opportunity to build and be a part of community.
It gave me the opportunity to meet so many beautiful
and incredible like minded people and as a result for
me to feel far less alone. And in that process
(19:40):
it also I think gave community and gave voice to
so many other people. And I've had the blessing of
getting to meet a lot of you listen to this
on a regular basis, and beyond meat but build, you know, relationships,
even if it's just digitally, and it's been so incredibly rewarding.
(20:00):
But it's almost as if I have I don't have
much left to say on the topics that founded life
as a gingle, like the concept of feeling like an outsider.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
For me personally, I don't relate to that anymore.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
As much as there are moments where I'm I feel
ostracized or people don't get me.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
That still exists, but I feel that way because I'm
a human being. But I know.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
And I have confidence in the fact that I have
a place here and I deserve a seat at the table.
You know, in my latinus in this world as a
whole and life as a Caningo was founded on the
idea of trying to find your place or trying to
(20:50):
feel seen. And I feel both of those things, and
that's a beautiful blessing. And I think the great thing
about this format of podcast is that for anybody who's
not there, and this is what I'm I love about,
you know, when I think about I think, guess this
is what gives me peace about walking away from it
(21:14):
and walking away on my terms, is the idea that
for anybody who is not yet at the place I am,
or is struggling with their otherness and is searching for
that community or just searching for somebody who can make
them feel seen and validated, you.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Have three hundred.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Episodes to go back on, and you can go through
that journey, right, That's the beauty of it.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
And any time maybe you feel.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Lost, and I'll probably revisit it myself at times, you
have the ability to just scroll through and find one
of the episodes where we touch on a concept that
maybe relates to where you are now or where you've been,
and that brings me a great deal of peace.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And I'm proud of that, right.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
It's it's a part of I don't know, I feel
weird saying the word legacy, but I think it's important.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Right, It's a part of my legacy. It's a part
of what I.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Leave behind to this world, you know, one day when
I'm gone. It's a recorded and documented part.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Of my life.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
And beyond it being a documentation of my life, it
is a audio support system for anyone else who is
sharing in some of those feelings that I was feeling.
And it's like a beautiful, you know, moment in my
(22:43):
life and a moment in time that I have there
and it lives on forever via the audio, you know.
And I guess that the comfort comes in knowing that
it still exists, right, because I think one of the
things I thought of about a lot, as you know,
my contract was up, and as talks began about potentially
(23:09):
what I wanted to do next, you know, there was
some guilt almost, like the people who listen to this
each and every week, and those that I've met and
am in community with, almost feel like I'm abandoning you
to a degree, right, And I hope that that's not
(23:30):
how you feel. But I guess for me what leaves
comfort is like it's all always, It's going to be
there always, you know, and I feel like the conversations
for the most part, are timeless.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Obviously the trending stories, you know, those age, but the
conversations that we had over the last almost four years,
like those are timeless and can always be referenced anytime
anybody needs them. I think that's the beautiful thing about
this format of podcasting, right, And that's what's different between
(24:04):
doing like live radio, where you know, it's kind of
like it happened then. I'm sure somebody somewhere has it documented,
but it's not readily available to be revisited, you know,
at least in full. And with this, the podcast are there.
The videos of most of the seasons are up on
the Makutura YouTube. You know all that can be referenced,
(24:24):
and I feel really comfortable and comforted by that. And
I think, you know, putting a pin on and I
guess where my mind is before we get into where
I feel like it's going, you know, I think we
(24:47):
can't be afraid to turn a page. Life is a
good to go change my life personally, financially. It carried
me through some of the roughest moments I've had, right
in really becoming a full fledged adult, learning what it
(25:08):
meant and means to be an entrepreneur, learning and processing
making your dreams come true on a large scale, and
sort of recognizing that that doesn't hold as much weight
(25:30):
as you thought it did, right.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
That that alone.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Doesn't solve all of your issues. Right, There's so much
more of a journey beyond that. And as important as
this chapter of my life has been, the beauty of
life is like, there's endless adventures to go on, right,
(25:54):
And I don't want to allow nostalgia or comfort to
hold me from trying to squeeze as much out of
this thing called life as I can. And part of
that means being okay with closing chapters and starting new
ones and challenging myself, you know. And that doesn't mean,
(26:15):
you know, just recklessly ending everything I ever do prematurely,
but trusting my intuition in what it knows. It says, Hey,
I think we've we've scratched every surface on this concept
that we possibly can. I think it's time to allow
you to grow and move on to something else that
challenges you once again, to explore this evolved version of
(26:40):
yourself and deliver something new to the world, you know.
And that's kind of where I am now. So we're
gonna touch on kind of like I guess what's next,
but we'll take a quick break here and then we'll
be right back.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
All right, we are back, and you know, touching on
what's next.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I wish I wish at the time it worked out
where I could, you know, we could unveil it, you know,
right now, and I can tell you all about it.
That was the hope of the plan, you know. But
things work out in God's timing, not mine. But you know,
I mentioned a lot about last year sort of getting
back down to basics of what makes me happy and
(27:24):
and just tapping into my inner child, and.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
You know, so much of it.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Was surrounded about, you know, the lack of music in
my life, like in a real way, and for me,
music is at the core of of so much of
who I am. Beyond just enjoying listening to it, but
I think what it represents, the cultural aspect, the identity asked,
(28:00):
the community aspect of it, right, the performance aspect of it,
just creatively getting lost in it. It does so much
for me, you know, I've built so many amazing relationships
as a result of just my love for music and
also seeing it as a vehicle for good, right, seeing
(28:23):
what people like bad Bunny are doing through music and
how it's bringing people together and educating and bringing cultural
pride and providing a platform for him to then do
more than music, right, As I always say, there's more
more work that could be done, but he's been doing great,
and you know, I recognize that. Like me not having
(28:46):
that in my life, there was so much of like,
you know, a big part of me that was sort
of like pushing down and suppressing, you know. And this
next iteration of what I'm doing as a whole personality,
it's not just focused on music, but it's looking at
it through that same sort of lens, Like what do
I love about music? I guess is probably the easier
(29:08):
starting point. And to me, it's the idea that it's
like it knows no boundaries, right, and it could be
anything you wanted to be, and it's objective in good
or bad, right or subjective I guess it would be
a better word. And all these genres have like these
cultural you know, these subcultures around them, be it the
way people dress, where they hang out, whatever it might be,
(29:28):
what they look like, everything right, And what's exciting to
me is like discovering a what's next. I've always been
like that as a DJ and as a music fan
in general since I was a kid, always wanted to
discover that next cool artist and being open minded to
like people were doing weird shit before anybody else gets it,
you know, and wanting to tap into these cultures and
(29:49):
like go to the shows and see how people interact
with one another, and like that's why I, you know,
discovered so much of like New York City, was just
going to different concerts or DJ gigs and and through
that I learned about like New York City culture in
a very real way, and that led into fashion and
all these things. Right, So for me, I want to
(30:11):
tap back into the part of me that is endlessly
curious about culture and endlessly curious about innovation and disruption
and what's next and who's next? Right, And that's what
this show is really going to be about. This this
next show. Whish I could just tell you. But you know,
as I said in a recent Ask Me anything, I
(30:34):
don't like to talk about things before the ink is dry,
right just in case. And that's what this concept is though.
It's a platform that allows me to explore the future
of culture and this world, but through a Latin lens,
like who are the change makers challenging this world and
(30:54):
challenging what we know in their particular area of creation
or invention? And uh, And that's what's exciting to me,
you know, because I think with life is a gonna go,
We've established that latinist doesn't look like just one thing,
and now Latin music has gotten to a point where
(31:17):
Latin music doesn't just sound like one thing. And fashion,
and you know, with Chavaria, the Mexican designer in La
like challenging what high fashion looks like, bringing you know,
traditional Mexican American fashion to the runways.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Of Paris, Like it's just like we're challenging.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
You know, the the world is now recognizing that being
you know, Latin isn't just one thing. And the beauty
of that is that there's also so many people experimenting
while staying true to their Latinists whatever that definition is
for them, but bringing a new, unique flavor to our
Latin community, right, And that's what I want to explore. Like,
(31:59):
to me, that's what's so interesting and beyond interesting, that's
what's so incredibly inspiring.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
People who are willing to push against the grain and
who are willing to be outsiders, but are the ones
actually changing everything for the better. Right, And I think
life is a good to go. As much as I
say I don't feel like an outsider, I know that
I'm still an outsider in the traditional sense, but I
no longer view being an outsider as a negative connotation.
(32:26):
I now view it as a positive thing. Right, Me
and my otherness is what is going to help progress
the culture forward, right while also documenting and celebrating our
rich history, right and celebrating each other. And that's what
it means to be Latin in community.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Right. It doesn't look or sound like any one thing.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
It's us the human beings that make up what it
means to be you know, Latine or Latino or LATINX.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Right, it's us the.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
People we define it because we're the ones putting our
flavor on it. Right, Like regardless if I started, you know,
like I'm doing, you know, producing music a lot more
now and I have a lot of stuff going up
with that I'm really excited, Like a lot of music
releases for the rest of the year, original music coming out,
and it's rooted in like dance music and not particularly
(33:19):
traditional you know, Latin music, but it had because I'm
coming from that background and that appreciation of my culture.
I'm bringing in Latin references to this space and it
now becomes Latin music by proxy of the fact that
I'm the one making it and it's through my lens,
and that's the beauty of it, and that progresses the
(33:41):
culture forward, right, And that's what I'm excited about. And
now as a host to then be able to platform
and elevate others and not just in music, but whatever
their particular given field or area of interest is in,
but being able to elevate them and give them a
place to express themselves and be seen and be heard,
(34:02):
hopefully for a wider audience than they already have. And
at the same time, maybe people.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Who are already who already are.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Established but doing something different, having them share their stories
and what it is that they do, as it means
to inspire those who are next, as it means to
inspire those of us who are trying to find a
balance between celebrating tradition but also progressing the culture. And
that's what this new show is going to be about,
(34:32):
this new platform, And I don't know if you can tell,
but I'm really excited about that.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Like to me, that is sort of.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The next iteration of me as a human being is
like my contribution, you know, with life as a GNNGO
was trying to make a sector of our community that
has often been shun make them feel seen and make
them active participants in our communit. And I think now
(35:03):
this next chapter is not only making people feel seen
and making them feel comfortable to participate in the culture,
but now moving forward, giving them the confidence and motivation
and inspiration to progress the culture forward and redefine it
(35:28):
and push the boundaries of our culture beyond our wildest expectations.
And that's sort of where I'm at in my life
right now. That's my mission, you know, through all the
projects that I'm doing, is now redefining what it means
(35:49):
to be a part of this Latin community, you know,
and broadening the spectrum of what that looks like. And
that's what I'm really excited to be doing, you know,
That's what is it really bringing me joy right now.
So I hope I wasn't too vague. I feel like
I gave as much as I possibly could without giving
(36:10):
the entire concept. You know, we'll see. I'll make if
I if if you know, I don't think it will
happen by Tuesday. But if I can't speak about it
on our final episode, our final actual episode Tuesday, I will,
you know, on social media obviously go into great length
about it and talk about it. So with that said,
(36:34):
let's kind of just like a tile, all these thoughts
together in a more cohesive manner in a segment we
call conclusions due.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
But first to take a quick break and then we'll
be right back.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Time for comp.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
All right, So I know that I don't know if
I was all over the place. I feel like I always
say that.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
But that's kind of where my head is at you know,
with everything.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
It's it is crazy.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
I am getting I I you know, as I'm like
coming down from it a little bit, like the highs
of something new coming along, it is wild, Like I
just I can't and maybe it's still that imposter syndrome,
but like, dude, it is wild that like I literally
(37:30):
got my own show and it's something I got to
do for almost four years, you know, and it completely
original concept that was incredibly you know, personal to me,
and I found everything and more in terms of what
I was looking for as far as community goes, you know,
(37:55):
And that's the beauty of of like of all this man,
you know, and building something. And you know, I've had
so many failures. I'm gonna have so many moving forward
as I keep developing ideas and trying new things out,
challenging myself. But you know, when something does work, when
(38:16):
it does hit and you just build something from your
head and then all of a sudden, it's fucking real
and it's you know, it's so special to think about that.
Like you guys gotta think like when I when I
recorded the demo episode of Life, which ends up being
(38:39):
the mental health episode in the first season, I think
I was episode two or three that was done in
the dining room of my old apartment in Jersey State,
New Jersey, which I had made my studio. And then
when we officially launched this podcast, I had just moved
(39:00):
into my new place that I'd bought, and the spare
bedroom I converted into my studio and it was awesome.
I was like, I couldn't believe, you know, I had
this space. It seems huge at the time, and then
naturally sort of outgrowing that as I was filming the
TV show and I was getting ready to launch Street Stoic,
it was like, oh, I need to have multiple sets
(39:21):
now because everything's video. And then moveing into this other
space that's like a nine hundred square foot you know,
like commercial space that is just my studio. It's like production.
I have multiple sets and a DJ said and Org
Deesk and you know where I do my music production,
(39:41):
and like, you know, it's it's just it's crazy. When
I think about all that happened over the span of
this podcast, in my personal life, my career, and then
with the show, it's.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Like a moment in time.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I saw a clip from I think Penn Bragley, He's
a dude who has the main character on that show You,
which I haven't watched in a couple of seas. I'm
off it got repetitive for me personally. But he's talking
about I think it's sixties and he's talking. They asked him,
are you ready for it? And he said, without a
doubt I think he was a god yes. But he
(40:21):
was basically saying, like, what you have to understand is
I started this show, and him he started that show
when he had turned thirty. He's now getting ready to
turn forty. So basically, as you know, the timing works
out as he says that his entire thirties was centered
(40:44):
around this hit show that became his life, you know,
at that point and forever in you know, if forever
going forward, his thirties will be very much, not entirely,
but a lot of it defined by his time doing
(41:07):
the show You and all that came from it, Right,
And you know, what he was sort of talking about
was like, you know, great, it was a great experience,
but it's now time to move on to what's next. Right,
to open the door for the next thing that's going
to define however, many years of his life right and
(41:30):
represent his forties, if you will. And I related to
that a lot in reflecting on this. You know, this,
you know isn't a ten year journey, but for it
is still a lot of time. Like my life is
completely different in almost every way than it was four
(41:51):
years ago. You know, it's just so different and so
many hard lessons that I went through along the way,
and so many beautiful moments and not so beautiful moments.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Right, But.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
This is definitely like a chunk of my life and
era of my life that will be forever tethered to
this show and the incredible, incredible journey that it took
me on, both career wise and personally. And yeah, I
(42:40):
mean I can go on for days, you know, like
it had it made me a tougher person because now
I'm the guy taking all the heat, right, getting critiqued
by people, and I'm no longer behind the scenes, right,
And I had to grow stronger and not let it
affect me. I had to, you know, just rose so
(43:00):
much in so many different ways to be able to
do this for four years. And it's made me so
much better not only at what I do as a host,
but I think just as a human being, as a
business person. It's just been endless invaluable lessons that I
(43:22):
would have never had if I never got this opportunity,
and it quite frankly, I wouldn't have been able to
do it for four years if it wasn't for the
fact that you guys kept tuning in and that the
team at Michael Tura believed in me and this concept,
(43:47):
and everybody behind the scenes that you know, pitched us
for partnerships and everything like that, like the whole micro
thro the sales team. It's just, you know, incredible, and
I think for me, one of the things I would
really want to put out there for people is you
(44:12):
don't have to take the traditional route to find success.
And I guess that probably sounds redundant or easy to
say or whatever, but like you got to think, when
I left the Breakfast Club and was launching this podcast essentially,
I believe a month after that it was seen as
(44:36):
like this crazy like bet almost and I guess it was.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
It was me betting on myself.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
But one of the things I'm proud of that a
lot of people have come up to me and said,
particularly like industry friends, is like it's inspiring to see
you go against the norms of the system and take
a risk on doing things your way and somehow, some
(45:10):
way being able to reap the same success, if not
greater success. And I think my interpretation of that is
it just plants a seed. And I think if that,
if that's something I could say that I did, I
(45:33):
can you know, walk away happy. He's like, if I
planted a seed in your mind with my stories and
my journey and my conversations that maybe inspired you just
to think a little bit differently or allowed you to
consider there's a different option out there rather than the
(45:56):
one that you've been trained to see, then I feel
like this has been a success and I'm.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
Proud of that.
Speaker 2 (46:03):
I feel like I know that I know for a
fact that has happened. You know, I've heard feedback from people,
and that's what I'm most proud of when I think
about this is the seeds that have been planted and
allowed people to think outside of the confines of societal norms,
(46:27):
their family norms, and cultural norms. And I think that
is like the legacy if I think about life is
a good go and like the hell I want to
stand on is like the idea that like I planted
a bunch of seeds that just allowed people to look
at things a little bit differently and as a result,
(46:49):
hopefully lived just a bit more authentically or give themselves
the opportunity to do so. And yeah, I think that's
the beauty of this chapter, if you will. And I
think the next one is, now, what do we do
with that confidence? How do we change things forever? Essentially,
I'm excited for.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
That journey.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
Because I think once again it aligns and it's in fulfillment.
I'm in alignment right now, and I was in alignment
when life is gonna go happen. I feel like I
got out of alignment for a little while and I'm
back in alignment with like where I am and everything
I'm creating and doing is a reflection of where i
am in an honest way, and sort of this is
like where I am now. I'm confident and have accepted
(47:37):
my otherness and view it as a strength. And now
it's like one hundred miles an hour forward in leaving
an impact and moving the culture forward. It's no longer
like raising my hand like hey guys, can I can
I come and hang out? It's now like I'm here
(48:00):
and we're about to do some amazing shit. Either you're
with me or you're not, but this is going to
leave a lasting impact, and that's that's what I'm like,
That's where I am right now.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
That's why I'm so excited about it.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
So again, sorry for being vague, but that's that's the
next chapter and we'll talk more about that again. Even
after Tuesday. There will be a few new episodes dropping
some bonus episodes. I think three bonus episodes, so you
could stay on the lookout for that, I think starting
at the end of Ay and going into June and yeah,
(48:36):
and then from there, you know my social media at
DJ Dramos. I'll keep you up to date when I
can on the next moves forward, but we're not there
just yet a week away, so just mentally preparing myself
for that last one. With that said, I'll talk to
you guys on Thursday for our Thursday Trends episode.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
So then stay safe and we'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Life Azegringo is a production of the Macothura Podcast Network
and iHeartRadio.
Let me talk about there we go.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
He said, you live in life as a Gringo, where
you question where you fit in every time you mingle,
and they say you do this with not of my bed.
This life as a Lingo. Yes, hello, and welcome to
ano episode of Life as a Gringo. I am dramas
of course, and man uh, it's crazy. We are one
(00:34):
week away exactly from the last official episode of this
podcast Life as a Gringo, And it's wild to be
saying that. And I think I'm just starting to like
really process it. I think it's just starting to kind
of hit me, you know, because I think for for me,
(01:02):
you know, I'm always thinking about what's next. I'm always
excited by what's next.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I don't really ahead of time at least, I.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Don't get too nostalgic about closing doors, you know, and
it usually ends up hitting me after the fact and
that I'm like, man, I wish I would have taken
some time to like really soak it in and appreciate.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
It, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
And that's kind of what I want to do on
today's show. I don't have I literally have nothing planned.
I kind of just want to talk to you guys.
And have a conversation. I think next week's episode, I'm
gonna just leave it as one long ask a Gringo
segment and sort of have you guys, you know, be
my guest and ask me what you want to talk
(01:50):
about or comments, whatever it might be.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So get ready for that at dj Dramas on Instagram
if you're not following me yet.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
But yeah, it's crazy, this ride of three hundred plus episodes,
almost four years, four years as of July, and it's crazy.
And as I listen up to my set is like
(02:18):
also like, hey, it's time. I can hear my set
like slowly falling apart a little bit. Some of the
greenery that I had on the wall, the things that
I used to hold it is not holding anymore. It's
on its last legs. And I think it's kind of
fitting that it's happening when the podcast is almost done.
(02:39):
But anyway, I just wanted to have an honest conversation
about this entire ride, because it's been bigger than just
a podcast, you know, it's been bigger than just.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Me gaining.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You know, more freedom and flexibility in my life and
being able to do something I love full time, which
has obviously been a huge part of this, but I
think the greatest gift of this podcast is the personal
journey that I went on while doing it. I feel
like anybody who listened to this show, we all were
(03:13):
sort of attracted this idea, the concept of life as
a kadingo because we've related sort of feeling like an
outsider in our own community, in our own lives and
whatever that means personally for you. But I think this
collective feeling like an outsider and a longing for community,
And I think the special thing about this show is
(03:40):
the fact that we were all on that journey each
and every week together, right. I think there's something special
about the idea that.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
This was a concept and an.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Idea where me as the host, really came in to
it at the same level as the audience, and came
into it with no real audience, you know, to be
quite frank, and we somehow someway we're finding each other
week after week, and you know, it's it's incredible to
(04:19):
reflect on just this entire journey, this entire process. So
I kind of want to just like do some I
guess takeaways, I don't know, to have a conversation about
what this community has meant to me what this podcast
has been, you know, and hopefully in reflecting and taking
(04:40):
it all in, it inspires or informs, you know, others
who are are listening to this in some sort of way.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So I guess that's the goal.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
So we'll just have a little one on one conversation
you and I as a part of our You hit
this segment, so.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
I think it's only fitting.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
And I feel like, I know I've touched on it
in various ways, whether it's on this platform or others,
but about where I was when this whole journey that
has become life as a gringo, where I was and
how far it'd sort of come, I guess right, you know,
(05:27):
when I was given the opportunity to pitch this at
the end of twenty twenty, I was in a really
dark place.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
You know, we were.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Still in the midst of the pandemic. I mean, things
had begun to open up, but it was still weird. Right,
I had, even prior to the pandemic, just felt like
I had outgrown my current job at the time, which
was with the breakfast club, and you know, was frustrated
(06:06):
there just for my own sort of personal want of
something more. And then the pandemic happened, and essentially, you know,
made me feel even more trapped in that situation because
there was so much uncertainty.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
People weren't getting you know.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
There weren't jobs, and people were getting laid off like crazy.
People at my company.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Were getting laid off.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Everybody was downsizing because of this, obviously, this pandemic, and
I was a lucky in a lucky position where I
was considered essential and I kept that job, you know,
And with that though I lost djaying right and in music,
which I you know, loved doing obviously and still do
is a huge part of my life. And again the
(06:56):
feeling of being trapped in the great sense of the word, right,
I'm isolated socially, you know, I am, for the most
part stuck in a apartment, often by myself, you know,
in a city area where nothing is open, and I
(07:18):
don't have you know, a backyard.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
I had a fucking fire escape that.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
You know, looked over somebody else's backyard, essentially, right, and
that was my way of getting outside, and you know,
feeling even more frustrated than I was prior to that.
And just like, man, when am I going to get
the opportunity to do something else to showcase what I
can do. And at the time, you know, I was
(07:45):
just allowing my creativity to sort of take charge, and
that's why I was doing the Instagram lives every day.
And from there led to me getting the opportunity to
host my own TV show and record that remote from
my apartment, and that was like this beautiful lifeline, you know,
that provided me with some extra income that I needed.
(08:08):
I mean, it wasn't, you know, anything crazy, but it
helped to a degree at a little bit of a
buffer because I think what was also horrendous about the
pandemic experience was like I was just getting by, like,
you know, barely able to afford you know, groceries and
(08:32):
and and things like that, after having to pay my
rent and and and all the you know, my basic expenses,
you know, because I wasn't making a lot of money
when I was in radio, and the DJing is what
allowed me to live a bit more comfortably, and without that,
it was tight.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
So the TV show was.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Such a blessing in that, you know. And and then creatively,
you know, me being able to step out on my
own and have my own thing was a beautiful, beautiful blessing.
But I was still, you know, trying to navigate where
my life was going and what I wanted out of it,
(09:17):
you know. And it's funny, you know, I described that
as like a dark period, but in retrospect, maybe it
wasn't that bad of a time period.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
You know. I think the pandemic was brutal, but I
think it also for me.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Allowed me the time and freedom to just get down
to basics of what I felt like doing, and that
opened the door for me to do a lot more things.
I got to be on the radio, you know, in
New York City on ZE one hundred, which was a
dream of mine, and it finally came to fruition after
years of trying, you know, towards the end of twenty twenty,
(10:00):
and like I said, the TV show and things on
the Breakfast Club for me were beginning to pick up
as a personality just by nature of like the setup
we had during the pandemic. I had my own microphone,
and it just happened to be I was, you know,
the only one in the studio, so they would throw
certain things to me, and people began to hear me
and recognize me a bit more during that time, So
(10:21):
I guess, you know, leading up to the pandemic was
a darker time, and then when the pandemic happened, obviously
there's a social isolation part and a bit of the
financial strain, but I think I had for the first
time the presence of mind to just tap into what
my inner child kind of wanted to do. And I
(10:42):
guess that's a lesson right there, right, And it's ironic
because I sort of had to relearn that lesson or
find my center once again towards the end of this
last year, because I think the magic of the pandemic
was sort of like the world is shut down, there's
(11:03):
not many opportunities to get income, and people are bored.
You have their attention from a pure standpoint of like
what makes you happy?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
What do you want to do?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
And that's when I started doing the you know, the
Instagram lives and everything else the TV show, And I
think that's that's the lesson right there. I think, in
the moments where you're unsure of what's next, just tap
into the purest form of joy that you could possibly have, right, Like,
what is the thing that lights your fire, that fills
your heart? And just explore it and explore it with
(11:45):
no real expectation of monetizing, right, just just explore it.
And and that's what I did. And next thing, you know,
it was like everything I ever wanted began to just
fucking you know, rain down on me, right as I
said the TV show and then on the radio and
New York one one hundred and then you know, a
(12:05):
random text message one evening from Charlemagne sending me a
press release about iHeart starting a new podcast network for
specifically Latin audience, and hey, I remember him telling me like,
quote unquote, get on that, and then him saying he'll
connect me with the head of podcasting the email, which
(12:26):
he did, and that led to you know, the pitches
for life as a THINGO and and you know, sort
of what we know moving forward.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
But you know, I think our lives have And I
apologized I was.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Boring for anybody who has heard these stories before, but
I just wanted to give some sort of I guess context,
and beyond context, I want to soak it all in,
soak in this sort of moment and reflect on the journey,
if you will, that I feel like we've been on together.
(13:03):
And I think the beauty of that moment of me
sort of tapping into my inner child allowed me to
really begin to look myself in the mirror and decide
not only who I was, but who I wanted to be.
And as the universe and God typically does you know,
(13:24):
there's divine timing, right, And I think in a moment
where I was exploring that, all of a sudden, iHeart
launches this initiative in the podcast world of Latin Voices,
and I'm in a place where I have the right
resources and connections, and I'm in a place personally where
(13:45):
I am being bold enough to express myself and I've
gotten enough feedback that I'm not alone in what I'm feeling.
And again that perfect storm allowed for the concept of
life isn't going to go to really be flushed out
and then pitched and then accepted. But I guess that's
(14:08):
that's sort of living in harmony or.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Chat.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
GBTT put this a nice way, they're did I think
I've said this on the podcast, but living in alignment, right,
I think I was living in alignment. But again it
started with just stripping everything away and getting back down
to basics of what I enjoy doing.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And I think.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
The the beauty of that is again looking forward, whether
it's now, whether it's what I did you know last year,
at the end of last year, whatever it might be,
that's a repeatable formula that I can now have in
my life in the moments that I feel stuck and unsure,
get down to basics, and then believe that God in
(14:56):
the universe will.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Open doors for you once you sort of realigned and
gotten back down to center. Right, And.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Yeah, I mean I think about life as a god angle,
and it's like I think in these I think in life,
we have.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
These moments.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
And we probably don't recognize I don't think I recognized
life as a gingo as this, right. I think at
the time, as much as I believe and believed that
I was meant to be, you know, a voice and
not just a person in the background. And there's nothing
wrong with being a person in the background, but I
felt like I was best suited you using my voice.
(15:39):
As much as I believe that I believe that I
would be successful, there was still, I think, insecurity and
self doubt and maybe some imposter syndrome, right, because I
can remember when I finally got the contract for life
(15:59):
as a Gandingle the first contract to take a look at.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
When they wanted to sign me. I remember like.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Not even thinking about it as this is going to
be like a you know, a four year journey, three
hundred episodes. I remember, because the contract was basically like
year by year, so I had one season and they
had the option to pick up another, you know season,
and it went on that way for three seasons as
a three contract season, three season contract. And I remember
(16:29):
just thinking like, all right, this is probably gonna last
one season. This is gonna be my bridge until I
figure out what's next, essentially, right, because I already knew
I want to leave the Breakfast Club at that time,
so I was just strategizing on financially how to make
that work, and I saw this as just a great
bridge to sort of help.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Get me there, right, But I really didn't.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I didn't believe that the show would be successful enough
to go beyond one season.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Like, I just didn't believe in it.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
In it, I didn't believe in myself really, And maybe
I said that to myself to preemptively protect myself from
the pain if it ended up failing. Right, That's probably
some of it as well.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And It's funny.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Being to look back on that and then like compare
and contrast to where I am now because I'm I'm
not going to announce it completely yet, but there is
something coming after life as a good into and it
does evolve a podcast and things of that nature. And
my twenty twenty five version of me has no doubt
(17:46):
that it's going to be a success, but not but
beyond that, in his gut feels like it's going to
be huge, right, And that's a far cry from the
twenty twenty early twenty twenty one version of me who
really didn't believe it go beyond one season, right, Like
(18:07):
I was like, oh man, I'm I'm I'm basically robbing
these Robbie iHeart you know. As terrible as that sounds, like,
that was just me, like my lack of confidence, right,
And it's funny. They believed in me more than I
believed in myself, ironically, but again, I think that's why
(18:29):
this journey has been so special, because I've surprised myself
along the way I've grown. I've become a different person,
and that's also why I'm so ready to close this
chapter and it almost feels strained saying that it almost
(18:49):
feels like I'm disregarding the history. And again, maybe my
inability to appreciate things in the moment is seeping in there.
But I think for me, I'm at peace in feeling
like life as a gnago served its purpose. It serve
its purpose for me, you know, selfishly as a human being.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
I feel like it gave me.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
The platform I had been searching for. It gave me
the opportunity to explore thoughts and ideas. It gave me
the opportunity to build and be a part of community.
It gave me the opportunity to meet so many beautiful
and incredible like minded people and as a result for
me to feel far less alone. And in that process
(19:40):
it also I think gave community and gave voice to
so many other people. And I've had the blessing of
getting to meet a lot of you listen to this
on a regular basis, and beyond meat but build, you know, relationships,
even if it's just digitally, and it's been so incredibly rewarding.
(20:00):
But it's almost as if I have I don't have
much left to say on the topics that founded life
as a gingle, like the concept of feeling like an outsider.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
For me personally, I don't relate to that anymore.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
As much as there are moments where I'm I feel
ostracized or people don't get me.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
That still exists, but I feel that way because I'm
a human being. But I know.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
And I have confidence in the fact that I have
a place here and I deserve a seat at the table.
You know, in my latinus in this world as a
whole and life as a Caningo was founded on the
idea of trying to find your place or trying to
(20:50):
feel seen. And I feel both of those things, and
that's a beautiful blessing. And I think the great thing
about this format of podcast is that for anybody who's
not there, and this is what I'm I love about,
you know, when I think about I think, guess this
is what gives me peace about walking away from it
(21:14):
and walking away on my terms, is the idea that
for anybody who is not yet at the place I am,
or is struggling with their otherness and is searching for
that community or just searching for somebody who can make
them feel seen and validated, you.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Have three hundred.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Episodes to go back on, and you can go through
that journey, right, That's the beauty of it.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
And any time maybe you feel.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Lost, and I'll probably revisit it myself at times, you
have the ability to just scroll through and find one
of the episodes where we touch on a concept that
maybe relates to where you are now or where you've been,
and that brings me a great deal of peace.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And I'm proud of that, right.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
It's it's a part of I don't know, I feel
weird saying the word legacy, but I think it's important.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Right, It's a part of my legacy. It's a part
of what I.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Leave behind to this world, you know, one day when
I'm gone. It's a recorded and documented part.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Of my life.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
And beyond it being a documentation of my life, it
is a audio support system for anyone else who is
sharing in some of those feelings that I was feeling.
And it's like a beautiful, you know, moment in my
(22:43):
life and a moment in time that I have there
and it lives on forever via the audio, you know.
And I guess that the comfort comes in knowing that
it still exists, right, because I think one of the
things I thought of about a lot, as you know,
my contract was up, and as talks began about potentially
(23:09):
what I wanted to do next, you know, there was
some guilt almost, like the people who listen to this
each and every week, and those that I've met and
am in community with, almost feel like I'm abandoning you
to a degree, right, And I hope that that's not
(23:30):
how you feel. But I guess for me what leaves
comfort is like it's all always, It's going to be
there always, you know, and I feel like the conversations
for the most part, are timeless.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Obviously the trending stories, you know, those age, but the
conversations that we had over the last almost four years,
like those are timeless and can always be referenced anytime
anybody needs them. I think that's the beautiful thing about
this format of podcasting, right, And that's what's different between
(24:04):
doing like live radio, where you know, it's kind of
like it happened then. I'm sure somebody somewhere has it documented,
but it's not readily available to be revisited, you know,
at least in full. And with this, the podcast are there.
The videos of most of the seasons are up on
the Makutura YouTube. You know all that can be referenced,
(24:24):
and I feel really comfortable and comforted by that. And
I think, you know, putting a pin on and I
guess where my mind is before we get into where
I feel like it's going, you know, I think we
(24:47):
can't be afraid to turn a page. Life is a
good to go change my life personally, financially. It carried
me through some of the roughest moments I've had, right
in really becoming a full fledged adult, learning what it
(25:08):
meant and means to be an entrepreneur, learning and processing
making your dreams come true on a large scale, and
sort of recognizing that that doesn't hold as much weight
(25:30):
as you thought it did, right.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
That that alone.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Doesn't solve all of your issues. Right, There's so much
more of a journey beyond that. And as important as
this chapter of my life has been, the beauty of
life is like, there's endless adventures to go on, right,
(25:54):
And I don't want to allow nostalgia or comfort to
hold me from trying to squeeze as much out of
this thing called life as I can. And part of
that means being okay with closing chapters and starting new
ones and challenging myself, you know. And that doesn't mean,
(26:15):
you know, just recklessly ending everything I ever do prematurely,
but trusting my intuition in what it knows. It says, Hey,
I think we've we've scratched every surface on this concept
that we possibly can. I think it's time to allow
you to grow and move on to something else that
challenges you once again, to explore this evolved version of
(26:40):
yourself and deliver something new to the world, you know.
And that's kind of where I am now. So we're
gonna touch on kind of like I guess what's next,
but we'll take a quick break here and then we'll
be right back.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
All right, we are back, and you know, touching on
what's next.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I wish I wish at the time it worked out
where I could, you know, we could unveil it, you know,
right now, and I can tell you all about it.
That was the hope of the plan, you know. But
things work out in God's timing, not mine. But you know,
I mentioned a lot about last year sort of getting
back down to basics of what makes me happy and
(27:24):
and just tapping into my inner child, and.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
You know, so much of it.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Was surrounded about, you know, the lack of music in
my life, like in a real way, and for me,
music is at the core of of so much of
who I am. Beyond just enjoying listening to it, but
I think what it represents, the cultural aspect, the identity asked,
(28:00):
the community aspect of it, right, the performance aspect of it,
just creatively getting lost in it. It does so much
for me, you know, I've built so many amazing relationships
as a result of just my love for music and
also seeing it as a vehicle for good, right, seeing
(28:23):
what people like bad Bunny are doing through music and
how it's bringing people together and educating and bringing cultural
pride and providing a platform for him to then do
more than music, right, As I always say, there's more
more work that could be done, but he's been doing great,
and you know, I recognize that. Like me not having
(28:46):
that in my life, there was so much of like,
you know, a big part of me that was sort
of like pushing down and suppressing, you know. And this
next iteration of what I'm doing as a whole personality,
it's not just focused on music, but it's looking at
it through that same sort of lens, Like what do
I love about music? I guess is probably the easier
(29:08):
starting point. And to me, it's the idea that it's
like it knows no boundaries, right, and it could be
anything you wanted to be, and it's objective in good
or bad, right or subjective I guess it would be
a better word. And all these genres have like these
cultural you know, these subcultures around them, be it the
way people dress, where they hang out, whatever it might be,
(29:28):
what they look like, everything right, And what's exciting to
me is like discovering a what's next. I've always been
like that as a DJ and as a music fan
in general since I was a kid, always wanted to
discover that next cool artist and being open minded to
like people were doing weird shit before anybody else gets it,
you know, and wanting to tap into these cultures and
(29:49):
like go to the shows and see how people interact
with one another, and like that's why I, you know,
discovered so much of like New York City, was just
going to different concerts or DJ gigs and and through
that I learned about like New York City culture in
a very real way, and that led into fashion and
all these things. Right, So for me, I want to
(30:11):
tap back into the part of me that is endlessly
curious about culture and endlessly curious about innovation and disruption
and what's next and who's next? Right, And that's what
this show is really going to be about. This this
next show. Whish I could just tell you. But you know,
as I said in a recent Ask Me anything, I
(30:34):
don't like to talk about things before the ink is dry,
right just in case. And that's what this concept is though.
It's a platform that allows me to explore the future
of culture and this world, but through a Latin lens,
like who are the change makers challenging this world and
(30:54):
challenging what we know in their particular area of creation
or invention? And uh, And that's what's exciting to me,
you know, because I think with life is a gonna go,
We've established that latinist doesn't look like just one thing,
and now Latin music has gotten to a point where
(31:17):
Latin music doesn't just sound like one thing. And fashion,
and you know, with Chavaria, the Mexican designer in La
like challenging what high fashion looks like, bringing you know,
traditional Mexican American fashion to the runways.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Of Paris, Like it's just like we're challenging.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
You know, the the world is now recognizing that being
you know, Latin isn't just one thing. And the beauty
of that is that there's also so many people experimenting
while staying true to their Latinists whatever that definition is
for them, but bringing a new, unique flavor to our
Latin community, right, And that's what I want to explore. Like,
(31:59):
to me, that's what's so interesting and beyond interesting, that's
what's so incredibly inspiring.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Right.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
People who are willing to push against the grain and
who are willing to be outsiders, but are the ones
actually changing everything for the better. Right, And I think
life is a good to go. As much as I
say I don't feel like an outsider, I know that
I'm still an outsider in the traditional sense, but I
no longer view being an outsider as a negative connotation.
(32:26):
I now view it as a positive thing. Right, Me
and my otherness is what is going to help progress
the culture forward, right while also documenting and celebrating our
rich history, right and celebrating each other. And that's what
it means to be Latin in community.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Right. It doesn't look or sound like any one thing.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
It's us the human beings that make up what it
means to be you know, Latine or Latino or LATINX.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Right, it's us the.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
People we define it because we're the ones putting our
flavor on it. Right, Like regardless if I started, you know,
like I'm doing, you know, producing music a lot more
now and I have a lot of stuff going up
with that I'm really excited, Like a lot of music
releases for the rest of the year, original music coming out,
and it's rooted in like dance music and not particularly
(33:19):
traditional you know, Latin music, but it had because I'm
coming from that background and that appreciation of my culture.
I'm bringing in Latin references to this space and it
now becomes Latin music by proxy of the fact that
I'm the one making it and it's through my lens,
and that's the beauty of it, and that progresses the
(33:41):
culture forward, right, And that's what I'm excited about. And
now as a host to then be able to platform
and elevate others and not just in music, but whatever
their particular given field or area of interest is in,
but being able to elevate them and give them a
place to express themselves and be seen and be heard,
(34:02):
hopefully for a wider audience than they already have. And
at the same time, maybe people.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Who are already who already are.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
Established but doing something different, having them share their stories
and what it is that they do, as it means
to inspire those who are next, as it means to
inspire those of us who are trying to find a
balance between celebrating tradition but also progressing the culture. And
that's what this new show is going to be about,
(34:32):
this new platform, And I don't know if you can tell,
but I'm really excited about that.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Like to me, that is sort of.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The next iteration of me as a human being is
like my contribution, you know, with life as a GNNGO
was trying to make a sector of our community that
has often been shun make them feel seen and make
them active participants in our communit. And I think now
(35:03):
this next chapter is not only making people feel seen
and making them feel comfortable to participate in the culture,
but now moving forward, giving them the confidence and motivation
and inspiration to progress the culture forward and redefine it
(35:28):
and push the boundaries of our culture beyond our wildest expectations.
And that's sort of where I'm at in my life
right now. That's my mission, you know, through all the
projects that I'm doing, is now redefining what it means
(35:49):
to be a part of this Latin community, you know,
and broadening the spectrum of what that looks like. And
that's what I'm really excited to be doing, you know,
That's what is it really bringing me joy right now.
So I hope I wasn't too vague. I feel like
I gave as much as I possibly could without giving
(36:10):
the entire concept. You know, we'll see. I'll make if
I if if you know, I don't think it will
happen by Tuesday. But if I can't speak about it
on our final episode, our final actual episode Tuesday, I will,
you know, on social media obviously go into great length
about it and talk about it. So with that said,
(36:34):
let's kind of just like a tile, all these thoughts
together in a more cohesive manner in a segment we
call conclusions due.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
But first to take a quick break and then we'll
be right back.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Time for comp.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
All right, So I know that I don't know if
I was all over the place. I feel like I always
say that.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
But that's kind of where my head is at you know,
with everything.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
It's it is crazy.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
I am getting I I you know, as I'm like
coming down from it a little bit, like the highs
of something new coming along, it is wild, Like I
just I can't and maybe it's still that imposter syndrome,
but like, dude, it is wild that like I literally
(37:30):
got my own show and it's something I got to
do for almost four years, you know, and it completely
original concept that was incredibly you know, personal to me,
and I found everything and more in terms of what
I was looking for as far as community goes, you know,
(37:55):
And that's the beauty of of like of all this man,
you know, and building something. And you know, I've had
so many failures. I'm gonna have so many moving forward
as I keep developing ideas and trying new things out,
challenging myself. But you know, when something does work, when
(38:16):
it does hit and you just build something from your
head and then all of a sudden, it's fucking real
and it's you know, it's so special to think about that.
Like you guys gotta think like when I when I
recorded the demo episode of Life, which ends up being
(38:39):
the mental health episode in the first season, I think
I was episode two or three that was done in
the dining room of my old apartment in Jersey State,
New Jersey, which I had made my studio. And then
when we officially launched this podcast, I had just moved
(39:00):
into my new place that I'd bought, and the spare
bedroom I converted into my studio and it was awesome.
I was like, I couldn't believe, you know, I had
this space. It seems huge at the time, and then
naturally sort of outgrowing that as I was filming the
TV show and I was getting ready to launch Street Stoic,
it was like, oh, I need to have multiple sets
(39:21):
now because everything's video. And then moveing into this other
space that's like a nine hundred square foot you know,
like commercial space that is just my studio. It's like production.
I have multiple sets and a DJ said and Org
Deesk and you know where I do my music production,
(39:41):
and like, you know, it's it's just it's crazy. When
I think about all that happened over the span of
this podcast, in my personal life, my career, and then
with the show, it's.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Like a moment in time.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I saw a clip from I think Penn Bragley, He's
a dude who has the main character on that show You,
which I haven't watched in a couple of seas. I'm
off it got repetitive for me personally. But he's talking
about I think it's sixties and he's talking. They asked him,
are you ready for it? And he said, without a
doubt I think he was a god yes. But he
(40:21):
was basically saying, like, what you have to understand is
I started this show, and him he started that show
when he had turned thirty. He's now getting ready to
turn forty. So basically, as you know, the timing works
out as he says that his entire thirties was centered
(40:44):
around this hit show that became his life, you know,
at that point and forever in you know, if forever
going forward, his thirties will be very much, not entirely,
but a lot of it defined by his time doing
(41:07):
the show You and all that came from it, Right,
And you know, what he was sort of talking about
was like, you know, great, it was a great experience,
but it's now time to move on to what's next. Right,
to open the door for the next thing that's going
to define however, many years of his life right and
(41:30):
represent his forties, if you will. And I related to
that a lot in reflecting on this. You know, this,
you know isn't a ten year journey, but for it
is still a lot of time. Like my life is
completely different in almost every way than it was four
(41:51):
years ago. You know, it's just so different and so
many hard lessons that I went through along the way,
and so many beautiful moments and not so beautiful moments.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Right, But.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
This is definitely like a chunk of my life and
era of my life that will be forever tethered to
this show and the incredible, incredible journey that it took
me on, both career wise and personally. And yeah, I
(42:40):
mean I can go on for days, you know, like
it had it made me a tougher person because now
I'm the guy taking all the heat, right, getting critiqued
by people, and I'm no longer behind the scenes, right,
And I had to grow stronger and not let it
affect me. I had to, you know, just rose so
(43:00):
much in so many different ways to be able to
do this for four years. And it's made me so
much better not only at what I do as a host,
but I think just as a human being, as a
business person. It's just been endless invaluable lessons that I
(43:22):
would have never had if I never got this opportunity,
and it quite frankly, I wouldn't have been able to
do it for four years if it wasn't for the
fact that you guys kept tuning in and that the
team at Michael Tura believed in me and this concept,
(43:47):
and everybody behind the scenes that you know, pitched us
for partnerships and everything like that, like the whole micro
thro the sales team. It's just, you know, incredible, and
I think for me, one of the things I would
really want to put out there for people is you
(44:12):
don't have to take the traditional route to find success.
And I guess that probably sounds redundant or easy to
say or whatever, but like you got to think, when
I left the Breakfast Club and was launching this podcast essentially,
I believe a month after that it was seen as
(44:36):
like this crazy like bet almost and I guess it was.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
It was me betting on myself.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
But one of the things I'm proud of that a
lot of people have come up to me and said,
particularly like industry friends, is like it's inspiring to see
you go against the norms of the system and take
a risk on doing things your way and somehow, some
(45:10):
way being able to reap the same success, if not
greater success. And I think my interpretation of that is
it just plants a seed. And I think if that,
if that's something I could say that I did, I
(45:33):
can you know, walk away happy. He's like, if I
planted a seed in your mind with my stories and
my journey and my conversations that maybe inspired you just
to think a little bit differently or allowed you to
consider there's a different option out there rather than the
(45:56):
one that you've been trained to see, then I feel
like this has been a success and I'm.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
Proud of that.
Speaker 2 (46:03):
I feel like I know that I know for a
fact that has happened. You know, I've heard feedback from people,
and that's what I'm most proud of when I think
about this is the seeds that have been planted and
allowed people to think outside of the confines of societal norms,
(46:27):
their family norms, and cultural norms. And I think that
is like the legacy if I think about life is
a good go and like the hell I want to
stand on is like the idea that like I planted
a bunch of seeds that just allowed people to look
at things a little bit differently and as a result,
(46:49):
hopefully lived just a bit more authentically or give themselves
the opportunity to do so. And yeah, I think that's
the beauty of this chapter, if you will. And I
think the next one is, now, what do we do
with that confidence? How do we change things forever? Essentially,
I'm excited for.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
That journey.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
Because I think once again it aligns and it's in fulfillment.
I'm in alignment right now, and I was in alignment
when life is gonna go happen. I feel like I
got out of alignment for a little while and I'm
back in alignment with like where I am and everything
I'm creating and doing is a reflection of where i
am in an honest way, and sort of this is
like where I am now. I'm confident and have accepted
(47:37):
my otherness and view it as a strength. And now
it's like one hundred miles an hour forward in leaving
an impact and moving the culture forward. It's no longer
like raising my hand like hey guys, can I can
I come and hang out? It's now like I'm here
(48:00):
and we're about to do some amazing shit. Either you're
with me or you're not, but this is going to
leave a lasting impact, and that's that's what I'm like,
That's where I am right now.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
That's why I'm so excited about it.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
So again, sorry for being vague, but that's that's the
next chapter and we'll talk more about that again. Even
after Tuesday. There will be a few new episodes dropping
some bonus episodes. I think three bonus episodes, so you
could stay on the lookout for that, I think starting
at the end of Ay and going into June and yeah,
(48:36):
and then from there, you know my social media at
DJ Dramos. I'll keep you up to date when I
can on the next moves forward, but we're not there
just yet a week away, so just mentally preparing myself
for that last one. With that said, I'll talk to
you guys on Thursday for our Thursday Trends episode.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
So then stay safe and we'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Life Azegringo is a production of the Macothura Podcast Network
and iHeartRadio.
Host
DJ Dramos
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