[Exclusive Interview] Fashion Icon Turns House DJ: Myles O'Neal Dives Into Touring And His Debut Single, 'Superficial'

There is a common stigma around celebrated professionals in sports and entertainment crossing into different sectors of their industry. Some people think that these actors, athletes, and other famed individuals should just stick to what they are good at. As a renowned fashion model and rising house DJ, Myles O'Neal asks, “why not both?”

Although Myles only got into DJing and producing somewhat recently, music has been ingrained in his life from a very young age. Speaking on how his childhood helped shape his passion for music, Myles recalled, “growing up, there was a lot of different music playing in my house. My dad [DJ Diesel aka Shaq] had a huge impact on my taste in music. I’m a big fan of rap and hip-hop culture, which is solely based on his love for hip-hop and how much he would make us listen to Biggy, 2Pac, Enimen, Scarface, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and A Tribe Called Quest.” 

In addition to his father's role, Myles was constantly in pursuit of expanding his musical horizons. He did a lot of research, such as sifting through old music and watching music-based documentaries. When it comes to house music, Myles was heavily influenced by Fisher, who he now calls a friend. “We were kicking it at the festival and vibing at the after party. He’s a great guy and I love his energy. It drew me into that sound,” shared Myles on his experience at Coachella with 'The Fish'.

It is artists like Fisher that Myles says welcomed him with open arms and assisted him in turning his vision into a reality. Myles struggled with people taking him seriously at first. He was questioned if he actually knew how to DJ because of his image as a fashion icon. However, not everyone treated Myles this way.

Thanking his inner circle, Myles shouted out Ricky (Nitti), his mentor Nile, his dad along with his mentor Brian Bayati, and a bunch more of his supporters. The knowledge and preparation he gained from being with his dad on tour also played a substantial part in the launch of his music career. Word-of-mouth quickly spread that Myles had a great ear for music and possessed the ability to navigate a killer set. 

Myles infectious energy on-stage and prowess behind the decks, led to performance slots at a variety of star-studded events. From Sports Illustrated “The Party” to Shaq's Fun House to a residency at the Wynn in Vegas, Myles has been blessing crowds with house-fueled heaters. Another preferred venue for Myles is playing at some of the wildest college parties across the U.S.

Reminiscing on his university tour, Myles said, “these college shows have been insane! I love bringing people on stage and taking a shot with them. Occasionally, I'll have a fan come up on stage to do shoeys [chugging beer out of your shoe]. I told this one guy to do a shooey on the drop. Instead, he took off both of his shoes, poured a beer in each, and chugged them at the same time, stone-cold Steve Austin style. The crowd went wild!”

Throughout these college parties, premiere events, and club shows, Myles has been teasing an electrifying ID that never fails to make his audience go nuts. Myles has finally dropped this ID as his debut single, “Superficial”. Collaborating with talented singer Hadar Adora on the track, Myles knew he needed lyrics to complement the instrumental he had forged.

Bunkering down with Nitti and Hadar in the studio, this collective grinded out the song in just three hours. When asked what inspired the exotic bassline in “Superficial”, Myles announced, “I was listening to Joshwa’s 'Party's Jumpin' a ton before we made this song. Every time I played that track, people would always react the most to the sequence of tribal drums. My intention was to embed that same vibe within 'Superficial'”.

On top of the riveting layers of percussion, the vocals in “Superficial” has made it a favorite among house-heads. There has been much speculation over what the lyrics actually mean. Giving his interpretation, Myles said, “It’s a double entendre. Up to the listener to decide, the meaning could really be either-or.” He then chuckled as he jokingly added, “For me, I don't have boobs so it would have to be 'me and my homies'.”

This invigorating single is clearly just the beginning of Myles' ventures as a DJ-producer hybrid. Yet, putting emphasis on the word 'artist', fashion is still a large piece of his life and he has found ways to weave it into the music side of things. Describing his go-to fit for a set, Myles recited, "Usually when I’m playing, I try to keep it simple. A dope dad hat with a curved brim, 47 Brand. Golden Goose shoes, a longish t-shirt, illisteva sunglasses, and Carhartt jeans or worker pants with a Carhartt flannel or jacket to match. It’s such a routine for me now."

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While bridging together fashion and music, Myles has also strengthened connections with the people around him. Shedding light on this, Myles elaborated, “since I do not play basketball like my brothers and sisters, there were times in my life when it was hard for my dad and I to have something to bond over, until he started DJing. I would go on tour with him and music really brought us way closer together, as a father-son relationship. Are music fuses us together, which makes me appreciate what I do that much more.” He followed this up by hinting at a potential collab in the future with DJ Diesel.

Myles has accumulated loads of knowledge and wisdom during his time DJing as well. He urges up-and-comers to find a connection to their music:

“A lot of house artists have a certain type of music that they grew up listening to. You can hear this embedded in their signature style. Sometimes, people try to steer away from that and attempt to copy what the hottest artists are currently doing. It does not have to be something that is different from everyone else, but find a sound that reflects who you are as a person. 'Superficial' has a lot of elements of funk music, which I am incredibly passionate towards. I put that influence in my sets too.”

Truly embracing his identity and personal experiences in his music, Myles has monumental plans for the future. Over the next five years, he aims to keep releasing good music, keep his motivation strong, and keep his inspiration stronger. “I never want to be unmotivated to be inspired. Listening to new sounds and genres of music is also an important goal. Lastly, I want to play at Coachella so badly, I haven’t missed it in ten years. It would be a full circle moment for me; it introduced me to electronic music,” Myles excitedly proclaimed. 

Based on what he has already accomplished in the EDM circuit, Myles reaching these objectives is as likely as someone ripping a shooey at his next show.

Photos Courtesy of Myles O'Neal

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