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:   / needtotalk     / weneedtotalkpod   Sign up to our newsletter https://linkly.link/2eXHX Follow DJ AG here:   / djagonline     / djagonline   00:00 Intro to DJ AG 02:05 DJ AG’s 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 Sync-ID: MB01A5WIGT4SBMD