Community Highlights: Meet Deneatra “Dela” Gray of Musical Pleasures 4 The Masses

Today we’d like to introduce you to Deneatra “Dela” Gray

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

My story starts with a passion for music. As a child, I loved to sing and created sound with things around the house, whether it was beating the table or using eating utensils against a glass or table. I occupied the need to tap out rhythms holding anything at hand. My parents noticed my fixation with rhythms, so to enable my curations they would fulfill my Christmas list of things of art and music. A record player was one of the best I ever received over the period of time.

I grew up in a middle-class household as my parents strived daily to take care of me and my older brother. Both parents worked but money was budgeted monthly and vacations were thrifty. I understood the aspect of family struggles and I limited my wants and especially me discovering there was no Santa Claus!

At age 6, my parents realized that I had a musical gift as I spent more time perfecting my craft at matching beats on turntables. I built my craft and started buying more records and cassette tapes.

By age 8, I was enjoying times at the record store with my parents. They both loved music but different genres from jazz, disco, rock & roll, soul, and funk. I gravitated to hip hop from being under the household of all the beats from the songs they both would play.

My dad’s passion for music was heavy and he enjoyed his space by playing through his vinyl collection as he would always say before turning on the record player what he called “His Box” and would saying before turning it on, “Music on my mind”. Record shopping with my parents and trips to the store alone, built my collection and I had a collection different from any other kid in the neighborhood.

You hear a lot about music artists or DJs getting their Masters in Fine Arts from some of the best universities. Well I got my Masters at the age of 8 from my cousin’s bedroom where both him and I would call it our music studio. My cousin was like me, he enjoyed music and wanted to be the greatest DJ ever.

In this room we called studio, I continued to perfect my craft of transitioning (beat matching) from a double copy of The Sugarhill Gang “White Lines”. I worked blending those two records until I felt as if I had composed the song myself. The story of being a DJ began and from there it’s been my history.

Throughout the years, as an experienced DJ, I have engaged guest at clubs, private events, festivals, and music workshops. My skills of beat mixing, obsession with learning music equipment, music production, and promotions has kept my position steady at some of the hottest spots. I’ve yet to be given the invite to work internationally but I seek to experience the lifestyle.

My passion for music has open doors for me to gain and develop rapport with producers and other DJs who have optimized my abilities to connect with distributors and label representatives to secure residencies and obtain higher skill levels.

So the story of that kid to this kid has mastered levels and looking for the next challenge; Retiring the lifestyle of a DJ and settling down to compose more music.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

So far things have been a smooth road. I’m aware that life can be challenging at times, where obstacles and lessons are learned throughout paths. I’ve practiced to lean in forward with a clear mind and utilizing my personal values, such as personality and spiritual values as a mind mentor. I truly believe we are here to learn lessons and fulfill a purpose in life. Everyday I awake and begin my day by relaxing my mind, giving my my body a stretch or two, and say to myself it’s going to be a good day. I believe putting good energy into the air makes way to my environment and takes me beyond fear.

As I quote the late Maya Angelou, “Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it”. We only know what our day is going to be by learning what’s ahead of us. I tell myself, I can’t know what I don’t know before the lesson or obstacle is here for me to learn. Keeping this positive energy or outlook has made me to be grateful and say to myself I have made this far and encourage myself to keep going the same path. If there are any other paths I must take, I prepare for them to stay mindful.

I conclude to say it’s been a smooth road by keeping all in stride with clarity and clear emotions. I take credit in making the lessons made for me a smooth road by also better choices and applying gainful knowledge. With this every step is applied growth with every lesson learned.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Musical Pleasures 4 The Masses?

Life of a DJ has open the doors for me to continue my passion for music. Musical Pleasures 4 The Masses derived from when I started playing professionally. I needed a name for myself, so a friend of mine helped me come up with the name and it’s been with me since 1999. The name is now branded and it represents my ear for music from a wide variety of musical genres, everything from techno and jazz to hip-hop and house. The sounds absorbs listeners with with unmatched emotions.

What sets myself apart from others is my business is self-made and I’m an African- American female making on my own. What I’m most proud of my brand is the uniqueness it represents and the cultures it reaches. What I want my readers to know about my brand is the elements it presents. I set my brand to have an identity that characterizes my personality and it shows in my logo.

My brand has a voice, value, and a mission. Its vision is to inspire music lovers outlines future goals and values. As it is derived from my history of being a DJ, it carries the legend of motivation and my story.

What were you like growing up?

Growing up, I was a quiet person. I didn’t involve myself with cliques, I didn’t share many interests or common things, so people sometimes would label me as being mean, but I was sweet as pie. I liked spending days inside reading books, watching movies and going places like museums, sitting in the park, and drawing buildings. Anything art related was a blast of time for me.

I often spent time being a loner because my parents were always working, so I lived the life of a latch key child at the age 6. I spent a lot of time indoors with my mentally disabled brother who is six years older than I. I took the responsibility of being the older sibling of cooking and cleaning the house or shall I say apartment. My parents never owned a house or car.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.discogs.com/seller/musicalpleasures
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delaizdaname
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/delaizdaname
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@delaizdaname