DJ Phat Beatz: From Old-School Hip-Hop to CEO of Muse Inc.
“This one was for ‘Color Me Run’, this one was for DeadMau5, and this one was from my tour across the US last year,” DJ Phat Beatz tells us proudly, showing off posters from events he has played.
Phat first fell for hip hop at parties where he used to breakdance. “Then one time I went up to the DJ and he let me touch his gear… it was such a rush,” he smiles, remembering the moment he realised he wanted to be a DJ.
Since his son came along (he is now two), Phat has stepped back behind the scenes and leaves the shows to the 20 DJs of Muse Inc., the company he founded in 2017, alongside artists such as PauloRico, Annie G, DJ Napple and DJ FELIZ.
But Muse Inc. is more than a DJ booking agency: it is also a DJ school with three-month courses for aspiring artists, plus a practice room, a store and an office spread across the third floor of a building on Lê Văn Sỹ.
“If you need a DJ, we can supply the equipment, and we have the practice room and the training centre too… We have everything,” Phat says as we talk about his move from DJing to running a music company.
Since becoming CEO of Muse Inc., do you still have time to DJ?
Honestly, I no longer play every night like I used to; I spend more time on dull office work. These days I probably only play two or three gigs a week. My daily routine is very different now. I wake up at ten and play with my son, get to the office at eleven and stay until the evening, and by the time I get home it's about three in the morning — just enough time for a snack before bed. Beyond that, my schedule depends on what's already been booked.
But last year I did an anniversary tour across the US. I played Lock & Key in Los Angeles and Pharoah Bar in North Hollywood, then San Diego, San Jose, Oakland and Las Vegas. Being Vietnamese and playing hip hop in America, the cradle of hip hop, felt a bit like a foreigner coming to Vietnam to sing cải lương (traditional Vietnamese opera)…
Was the move from DJ to CEO easy?
Not at all! At night I could still live out my dreams and ambitions, but every morning when I woke up it was hard beyond words. You can open a company with less than 100 million VND, but the problem was that I had no idea how to run one.
In fact, plenty of people looked down on me and said I'd never make it. They saw me as an artist, not a businessman — and it's true, I was an artist. But it was meant to be. The opportunity came along and I just grabbed it. When there are no events, I usually get home at seven and go for a run — you may even have spotted me somewhere around Masteri in District 2.
I started the company in 2017. I've always been a risk-taker, both in my DJ sets and in business. The most important things I learned were how to manage cash flow and people. People usually join the company because they want to work with me and in this industry. They think working in entertainment will be great fun, but it's actually really tough. So they leave… it makes me sad, but sooner or later it was bound to happen.
I also learned how much relationships matter: once people start to trust us, we can take over the club and bar market in Saigon, Da Nang and Hanoi. Our goal is to lead the way among artists working in the entertainment industry in Vietnam, as well as in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore…
In your eight years as a DJ you've built your own brand. How did the scene in Saigon develop over that time?
Saigon's nightlife keeps growing. There used to be Vina-house and hip hop clubs, although some of them weren't even proper hip hop clubs. Now we have places like Drinking & Healing and Irusu, where you can have a drink with friends and lose yourself in the music. We call that “chất” — real style.
But because this job is tied to nightlife, on my days off I don't go clubbing like other people. Instead I like to go fishing or unwind on the Thanh Đa peninsula…
Where does the name Muse Inc. come from?
It was really hard to come up with. At first I wanted to name the company after myself, but people said a company name should be bigger and broader than my own name. A muse (a source of inspiration) is linked to both art and music, so we went with that. The logo stands for the company's three core activities: the academy, the store and the DJs.
How has DJing changed since you were nineteen?
It has changed completely. People who want to become DJs today are far too impatient. And with technology doing the heavy lifting, a lot of skills are missing. For me, a DJ without headphones isn't a real DJ. These days lots of DJs can't beatmatch; they just press sync and let the technology do everything for them. The mindset has changed too. Many DJs are only excited by the idea of standing on stage with their hands in the air, leading the crowd along with the beat.
I'm not some old-timer who insists on playing only vinyl. I like new technology too — that's why I opened a store just for DJs. Playing vinyl or Serato gives you the same feeling. And beyond that I can play on any gear, whether Numark, Pioneer or Denon — in fact, we're also Denon's exclusive distributor in Vietnam…
Do you have any special plans for training talented DJs?
I started out DJing at a club, then got the chance to play big events like Color Me Run. That first time, my hands were shaking badly. But I kept telling myself this was my big chance. Later I also toured with them from Da Nang to Hanoi. Then came opening for Zedd's True Colors Tour, and for Deadmau5 too. He's quite an introvert who always keeps to himself, unlike The Chainsmokers guys.
Overall, I think anyone can be trained to DJ in three months, but the difference is that we train them to be artists — something it took me a long time to learn myself. It's not only about how to play, but also how to carry yourself. We also focus on things like music history and how to put together a playlist, alongside professional DJ and hip hop DJ courses, and courses over the three summer months too…
DJs often complain about strange track requests — what's the strangest one you've ever had, and how did you handle it?
Someone once asked me to play country music! So I said, “We're playing hip hop right now, but if I take a chance and play what you asked for, fine — just don't have a go at me if it doesn't sound good…”
What's your favourite track at the moment? Do you plan to explore new styles of music?
It's a new track by The Chainsmokers with Winona Oak called “Hope”. I also like Nghtmre's productions. Lately I've opened up to genres like trap, house and even EDM… although I still prefer building all-hip-hop sets, from old school to new school, from the early '90s to the 2000s.
We have a dedicated team that creates exclusive remixes, for example lots of tracks blending trap and hip hop.
Who would be on the line-up of your dream party?
A-Trak, Jazzy Jeff, Zedd, Laidback Luke and maybe DeadMau5 too. I'm not really into playing minimal tech house, but standing in the wings enjoying his set would be another story.
Last question: imagine your studio is on fire. If you could save only one record, which would it be?
Bob Marley's “Legend”. I don't know why, but every time I listen to it I feel at peace; it's so full of emotion. That record will never go out of date…
Source: Vietcera
