About DJ 23

        Ralph Russell, an Atlanta native, is a Black music producer and has blossomed into one of the most profound disc jockeys in the city of Atlanta. Russell acquired an interest in becoming a DJ when he was in fifth grade when he noticed that the music at his favorite hangout spot, Cascade Skating Rink in Atlanta, had the power to invoke good deeds.

        “The summer as I transitioned from fifth grade to sixth grade, I informed my parents that I had strong aspirations in becoming a DJ, so my father supported me by purchasing my first turntable.  Ever since then I have been facilitating my own gigs, promoting my brand which is DJ 23, while trying to get recognized throughout the city of Atlanta,” Russell said.

        DJing is a journey complete with struggles, triumphs and tons of hard work if you want success. Russell’s journey was not always a smooth transition coming up as a young independent DJ. In middle school he was not funded the amount he would like to DJ certain events; however, he never became discouraged, but focused on perfecting his craft.

        While attending Westlake High School, Russell began to gain the respect he deserved. He was the DJ for the home basketball games as well as all of the  extracurricular school events. Russell is a graduate of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL. He studied music industry and played trumpet in the FAMU Marching 100 band. He even wrote commercial scripts and hosted his own radio show for FAMU's on campus radio station "WANM 90.5 The Flava Station." Russell expanded his brand by starting his own promotion team named DJ 23 Movez, which has helped support his event planning from Atlanta to Tallahassee. In addition, he did many events for different organizations on campus and was the opening DJ for Rich Homie Quan at The Moon (Tallhassee, FL).

        Russell currently has a full time DJ position at Sparkles Skating Rink in Smyrna, Georgia. Russell has hosted events at other rinks/venues in the metro Atlanta area including Cascade Skating Rink (Atlanta, GA), Skate Towne (Atlanta, GA), Stone Mountain Skates (Stone Mountain, GA), and Skate Zone (Morrow, Ga). Russell also spends time working in different recording studios around the metro Atlanta area. He has produced for a few rising Atlanta artists such as Anti Da Menace, Wee2Hard & Quez4real just to name a few.