Welcome back to Fashion Rocks, a series that celebrates dapper musicians across the globe. We’ve returned with a special feature on Kasey (she/they) also known as King Charming or Dj Recklezz from Mississauga, Ontario. DJ Recklezz is a free spirit, expressing themself through music and art. They started their DJ career in 2009 when they were 18 years old and attended a DJ School called Scratch Lab Institute for a year and a half. Once they graduated, they began performing in all the major queer night clubs in Toronto’s 2SLGBTQI+ scene. Over the last decade they have honed their craft and have made a prominent name for themself in the queer communities. They have performed on coveted stages in Canada and the U.S such as, Toronto’s World Pride, “Sweet Heat” Miami, and “City Of Doms” New York. They have also had the pleasure of working with many talented artists such as Massari, Anjulie, Kin4Life, Murda Beatz & more. You can find them performing in NYC during Pride at Whitney Day’s Queer Garden Pride Sunday on June 25, 2023. Tickets are almost sold out!!!
dapperQ? When did you start performing – and what or who were your early passions and influences?
DJR: I started performing when I was 19 years old. At that time in my life, one of my influences was Lady Gaga, right around when she came out with the song called “Born this way”. Back then, there wasn’t a lot of strong queer representation in the entertainment industry. So, to see someone so unapologetically and fearlessly be who they are and showcase that in such a loud and eccentric way made me feel very empowered and seen. One of my other passions outside of music was basketball. I played for 9 years and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, I was in a couple of car accidents and suffered some permanent injuries that prevented me from being able to pursue it professionally. This is ultimately what pushed me to discover my other passions outside of sports and that’s when I began my journey with DJ’ing.
dapperQ: How has your work evolved?
DJR: In the beginning of my career, I feel like my sound was way more mainstream and revolved around a lot of “Top 40”. As I’ve grown and explored the world , myself, and my own identity, as well as building a stronger relationship with my Jamaican roots, it has, in turn, deeply influenced and broadened my taste in music, which has caused my work to evolve into something that has way more depth, layers, and versatility.
dapperQ: How would you describe your current musical style?
DJR: My current musical style is a beautiful blend of Afro Beats, Amapiano, Dancehall, Soca, Jungle & Afro House. I also love playing with every genre outside of that and blending different sounds together creating something new that will captivate an audience giving everyone eargasms and leave them wanting more!
dapperQ: Where are you based out of? Do you feel that your city/region influences your style? If so, how?
DJR: I am currently based out of Toronto, Canada but will be making a big move soon, most likely to the U.S. I personally don’t feel like my city has had much of an influence on my style. I kind of have always felt like Canada is usually a little behind or late on setting trends, so I personally feel like my influences of style have come from music, art, film, and cultures around the world.
dapperQ: What other artists are inspiring you right now?
DJR: I am currently inspired by Zendaya, Lena Waithe, Donald Glover, Peter Cat Recording Co., Bambi The Dj, Uncle Waffles and my partner Tyra Blizzard.
dapperQ: Music and fashion have always been intertwined. Some of the biggest style icons have come from the music industry, from Gaga, Bowie, Madonna and Beyonce to Andre 3000, Joan Jett, Pharrell, and the Beatles. On the runway, the perfect song has the power to convey the aesthetic of a designer’s work. Alternatively, the perfect outfit or personal style has the power to convey the aesthetic of a musician’s work. How would you describe your personal style when it comes to fashion? Would you say it is influenced by your music? If so, how?
DJR: I am non-binary and in 2022 I had top surgery. So, for most of my life, I always felt a little restricted with how I was able to dress because a lot of the styles of clothes I wanted to wear wouldn’t fit/sit right on my body and would accentuate all the wrong areas. Over the years, I still found ways to express myself with confidence in my fashion styles but I knew once I had top surgery that it would unlock a whole new world of freedom with self-expression through fashion. I’m able to mix and match all different styles and textures and play around with wearing feminine fitting clothes but still bringing a masculine edge to it. I think that’s the beauty of fashion is that it can be anything you want to convey to the world. Some days I wake up and I feel like expressing my femininity through my clothes and other days it’s my masculinity and/or both. I may feel like wearing lots of loud colours but most days it’s usually a lot of black & leather. So I guess to sum it up I would say my style is gender non conforming and extremely versatile.
dapperQ: Has your clothing style evolved over the years?
DJR: I came out as a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community when I was 15 years old. So, having the courage to express myself at a young age wasn’t something I ever shied away from and my clothing style was definitely just another extension of that. I believe my sense of fashion has and will continue to evolve with me as I grow and discover more of who I am.
dapperQ: Who are some of your fashion icons?
DJR: Some fashion icons of mine are Teyana Taylor, Jaden & Willow Smith, Paul Binam and Luka Sabbat.
dapperQ: What is the one article of clothing you cannot live without?
DJR: Right now I would say I cannot live without a nice comfortable pair of Levis jeans and my Doc Martens!
dapperQ: What can we expect next from you?
DJR: You can expect to see a lot more of my face all around the world Dj’ing, creating more artistically, spreading love, cultivating community and togetherness especially within the BIPOC 2SLGTBQI+ community. I am also devoted to spreading more awareness about us non-binary folk and hopefully inspiring everyone to stand tall in their light and be who they are unapologetically!
Want to learn more about DJ Recklezz/King Charming? Follow on:
Instagram @king.charming9
Website: https://beacons.ai/king.charming9
