It’s 3N4WRLD and we are just living in it!

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 So, let’s start by having you introduce yourself, your name, stage name, what you do, stuff like that.

My name is Ena Otuokun, my stage name is 3N4WRLD (pronounced Ena World) , I’m a software engineer slash DJ.  

I am a UI, UX designer, full stack developer, and a product manager.

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‍How did you arrive at the name 3N4WRLD?

‍One of my favorite artists is Juice WRLD. People like to say Juice WRLD is one of those depressive artists, but actually, because I’ve been keeping up with him since 2018, there were other things he did that inspired me as well.

So, before I was DJ Ena in school but then I sat down and looked at it. I knew I wasn’t just stuck to one genreand I was more of a multi genre DJ.

For my logo, it shows different genres on the different world zones. So I was like, since it’s world, ena world. And if you notice, it’s not, it’s not E and it’s not A. I decided to, make it trippy and really creative and not just ena. 3N4WRLD

So yeah, 3N4world. Multi genre DJ. That’s how we arrived at In 3N4WRLD.

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‍How did you first get into DJ-ing and then what inspired you?

I started DJ-ing when I was ten.

My whole family is into music, we love music. So, it was really part of me, we would just sit down and listen to music a lot.But he wasn’t the reason why I entered DJing as well. I don’t know if you know of Avicii, he’s late. He died on my birthday. He does more electronic dance music and all that, and he was really, really inspiring. That was basically my first genre. I never used to listened to Afrobeat and everything, so I was more involved in the whole EDM, oontz oontz music. I just loved the way DJs fuse different types of genre. Then I slowly noticed that EDM wasn’t the only genre I loved. I started exploring indie, pop, hip hop, R& B and sad indie as well. Then, the popular one now, amapiano and all that.

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‍Let’s say you have an event coming up. How do you approach creating a set list that will keep the crowd energized, taking into consideration everyone has different tastes.

‍ I always like do analysis on my audience and see who’s in the crowd. I won’t just play one genre because I know a lot of people like different stuff. So, I wouldn’t just go and say Afrobeat, let’s stick to that. I don’t just play Afrobeat. I can do Afrobeat, then enter 2000s and go to old school and all that. So, it’s just fun, mashing up different genres. You wouldn’t even notice. For events, like the YOLO one. They gave me what they wanted. They said we would like you to do 2000s and Afrobeat. And maybe a little bit of old school. I listen to a lot of music, I always have my headphones on so it’s not hard.

If you check my listening hours, it’s crazy. And the type of music I listen to is different, and it’s not just one genre. It’s just for me to create a playlist. Then, I’ll listen to it. Which song is going with which song? Which one will mix with this one? Which one will blend in well? And I will sit down. And it doesn’t take me up to like, an hour. I just listen, listen, listen, mix, and entertain the crowd.

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‍Do you remember when your first set was? Your first DJing gig?

I used to DJ in my bedroom. But my first was in AUN, the Battle of the DJs in 2019. I was the second female DJ there and okay, what’s she going to do? During orientation, we had DJs come and I was like, Oh, I know how to do DJ as well. So they told me to doDJ small. But it wasn’t really, you know. giving. So I went back to my room and I saw, they sent us an email saying, there was going to be a Battle of DJs. I’m like, what is this? Okay, lemme just sign up but it was my roommate Muna, who told me to go. Shout out Muna. She told me ‘You know how to do this thing’ and I should just go do it. I went to the Battle of DJs. I think I was the last to go up. I went on stage, and I had my friends as usual.

Then people that didn’t know me yet, were like, Who’s Ena? Ah, who’s this? Ah. I started playing different music. It wasn’t just the old Naira Marley, all of them. I gave them back from like 2010. They were like whoa, it was new. Because DJs that kept coming on kept playing the same music, Same songs and everything. I will usually listen out. So if this person has played a song I was going to play, I won’t play it. I always pay attention to other people DJ sets ’cause it’s very important. So I do that. I went on the stage and I got my crowd and that’s where everybody called dj ena. And from that day forth, if I went to dj, everybody’s going.

It’s really nice that people, come for the events and everything and… And you now get energy and all that.

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What do you think sets you apart from other DJs? You know, in terms of style and choices you make?

Right now, I think it’s just the genres.

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‍You do UI/UX and also full stack. how do you find a balance between DJing and your work as a DEVELOPER.

‍ Let me not lie. I try to set them apart but most times I have times where I practice for UI/UX. I take courses as well for that. So I have that set aside. For my DJing, if I’m feeling it. Let’s say this morning. I woke up, I felt like just, you know, mixing something, then I just mix. For my full stack development, I practice a lot with that because I know that’s my career as well. But DJing is aside something. For now. But at the end of the day, I actually measure both of them. I’m able to do one properly and one on the other hand. I draw up a schedule to make sure that this is when I have this so I’m not conflicting anything. I’m able to actually balance it for now, properly, because I am done with school.

Well when I was in school, I wasn’t really DJing, but for events, I did. For school, I had to focus on that. It was more important and I needed to get out of that place and make sure that nothing was interrupted. But still, itnever really interrupted me. I was just in my room, bring out my laptop, use the deck, just give my roommate some jams and like we’d be jamming in the room.

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Can you share any parallels between your creative process as a DJ and then maybe problem solving when you’re coding and stuff? Are there any similarities?

‍When I was nine, I told my dad, because he knew that I loved the whole DJ thing, I told him that if I actually studied this software engineering, I wanted to create a DJ app. I’m still working on, still in the process. There’s actually a DJ AI for Spotify, but it isn’t what I thought it would be. It is just the DJ AI that gets analysis of all your songs from your history. That’s not what I thought. I thought it was going to be like an active DJ that will mix music for you and With algorithms, there’s actually a way you can do it.

I just told my dad that I wanted to make a DJ app. So I looked into it when I entered university, which I saw that I can actually do it. People still want that live DJ there, like people that are just throwing house parties and all that. That would be helpful. It’s easy for me since I’m a software developer and I know DJ terminologies. We have BPMs, pitches and all that.

I was looking at all the plugins and integrations and how you can integrate that into an app. What me, I said, when I was younger, was I create the app and people will drop their playlists. Then we now have AI, the AI will mix it, it will check the BPM, are they similar, the keys, and then put them together. It will also have crossfade and just overall the live DJ feel. It’s to your own taste. You could just drop random songs into this, what you want to listen to, maybe your playlist. Not to give too much away. It’s in the works, so you should look out for it. You guys heard it here first.

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How has the role of DJ evolved with technological advancements? You said AI. How do you incorporate it? Do you incorporate this AI if you’re making you be a setlist?

‍I actually do. Most DJ softwares like Serato and Virtual DJ suggest compatible songs based on what you’re playing currently and that’s AI. That’s quite helpful, if it’s accurate. Most times it’s not accurate though and if you’re a DJ you just know, you don’t need the AI.

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‍What challenges have you faced as a DJ?

The crowd.

I had my crowd and there was THE crowd. The crowd was always my problem

I had to get used to the fact that it’s not only oontz, oontz and everything. And I had to now actually start listening to like so many genres just to get conversant. But then I learned what they like, and I just fused it. Then another one probably would be, sometimes, I get anxious. I don’t know if I’m going to do well. Even though I don’t think I’ve ever… disappointed. But most times it’s either the audience, or maybe if I think in terms of technology, it could be maybe the software or the equipment but then that’s not my fault.

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Last but not least, memorable moments as a DJ, your favorite gigs, which one stands out?

The ones that my friends come for.

Also, Senior week (Senior week is a week-long event at her university to celebrate seniors as the graduate). The bonfire event. I love that one so much. There were so many people. Everyone was vibing, was singing along.

Then I think my recent one, WTF Abuja? It was a whole new crowd and everything. I listened to the two DJs that played their set and it was fire. But I knew this crowd, they wanted to rage. I gave them some Travis, I gave them some Carti, then we went back, Rihanna, then we were all just partying… I was jumping, jumping. I think I had so much fun because everybody was hyping me and calling my name. Then after the event, I had so many people asking me, omg, who are you? Where did you come from? It was very fun.

It was a girl, a DJ, what? And I said, no, no, no, its 3N4WRLD. It’s 3N4WRLD and we are just living in it.

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