Growing up in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, HONEY was exposed to a diversity of cultures and sounds, which had a lot of influence on her interest in music. Her move to Los Angeles marked the beginning of an adventure into DJing, fueling her passion for dance music, it’s community, and an innate ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds. Over time, Honey has crafted a unique space for herself and her sound, which led to collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry.
INTERVIEWS
In this interview with DSCENE Magazine’s Contributing Editor Nikola Bajovic, Honey shares her experiences navigating the challenges of a male-dominated industry, her creative process in curating unforgettable sets, and the joy of bringing people together through her music. She talks about her initiative, Club Honey, empowers female DJs and fosters a sense of community within the dance music industry, artists who inspire her, and her aspirations for the future.
How did you first get into DJing, and what inspired you to pursue a career in music? – I grew up in Saudi Arabia and Dubai. My world opened up once I moved to Dubai and was shown a new life with so many cultures. Music was one of the biggest things I took away from that experience. I witnessed music bring people from all over the world together.
When I was 18 I moved from Dubai to Los Angeles with my sister, who took me to my first big music festival and I instantly fell in love with the connection the DJs were able to have with thousands of people. They created a sense of unity, peace and community – from that point on, that community, built around dance music, was all I wanted to be a part of. I was in college at this time getting my degree, but started to teach myself how to DJ, the craft of fusing sounds, evoking emotion and fostering community through music became my safe haven and my escape, to be creative and free. I started getting bookings in Los Angeles and my journey started from there.
As a female Artist/DJ in a male-dominated industry, have you faced any challenges, and how have you overcome them? – As a female Artist/DJ in a male-dominated industry I have faced many challenges, but have always been able to overcome them. One thing this industry has taught me is to surround myself with love and protect my energy. Making music is such a beautiful gift and I’m so grateful to have, and be able to . The challenges I have faced have only fueled me to become a better human being and to be more kind and loving to everyone I’ve met along this path. I’ve established my credibility as a DJ and have played alongside the greatest male Djs in the world that now respect me and value me as an artist. It took many years to get to this level but I always stayed true to my sound, myself and my vision.
You’re known for bringing legendary parties to life and have been DJing for the past decade. Can you share an experience or performance that stands out in your career so far? – At the beginning of my career I was booked to DJ at the Observatory in Orange County and open up for A-Trak. A-Trak is one of the greatest DJs of all time so this was something I could’ve never even imagined. A few months after that I was booked to DJ Standard Hotel in LA with the greatest, Virgil Abloh. After only DJing for a year at this point I couldn’t believe it to be honest. These two gigs fueled my fire and gave me the drive!
A few years down the line I started my own party called “Club Honey”. I created Club Honey to support, celebrate and empower women through an all female line up. It’s a night of high energy, world music and most importantly creates a unified voice for female DJs in the music industry. I’ve featured female DJs from all over the world that I love and brought them together for this special night! I have thrown a “Club Honey” in London at the iconic venue Koko, in Paris at Lou Lou right by the Eiffel Tower, in Los Angeles and Miami, and we’re just getting started! I’m beyond excited for the expansion of Club Honey and can’t wait to take it on a global tour.
Paris has become one of my favorite places in the world to DJ. I’ve met some of my greatest friends and idols. My friends A$AP Nast and Stephane Ashpool had me DJ on Fete De La Musique in France, which is a day where the entire city of Paris shares their love of music! We DJ’d on a bus and drove around Paris having hundreds of people following us until we parked at the Place De La Concorde. Thousands of people showed up and danced with us! Paris has never felt more alive! I’m grateful for every moment I have to DJ and connect with people around the world. There is truly no greater feeling for me!
What is your creative process or routine like when selecting tracks for a set, and how do you keep your sets fresh? – My mind is pretty much a music library. Over the past 10 years I’ve been downloading songs that I love and have inspired me. From classics that I strip off vinyls or DJ edits off of SoundCloud. I’m constantly evolving my music library. Since I started DJing I’ve always freestyled my sets. This technique allowed me to refine and perfect my skills as a DJ and be able to b2b with any DJ around the world. Some Djs have the same set that they tour on but I’ve always felt it was important to curate my sets live based on the energy exchange with me and the crowd I’m DJing for. I create playlists weekly and monthly. I usually start with an older song that has inspired my sound and end up in a 5 hour pool of music digging! I love putting in new songs that are rare or haven’t been played out yet. My sets are very personal to me and whatever my sources of inspiration from all corners of the world happen to be and I’ve always kept it that way!
How do you connect with your audience during a performance, and what do you think sets your style apart from others? – I connect with my audience during a performance through my energy and love. I view my sets as a large-scale energy exchange. I definitely give all of myself to the dance floor. My set styles are unique because it’s always a one of one experience with me and whoever is in the room on that night! Since my sets are built in the moment I’m using the energy I’m feeling from the crowd to pick my songs. I hope my sets inspire others.
A few days ago, you announced new music with outstanding visuals. Can you tell us more about that? – The Honey World is something I’ve been working on and with that post have started to welcome my fans into! My visual world is a language that supports me in communicating certain feelings, landscapes, colors, and energy. I’m a visual person so when I hear music something will always come to mind and being able to share that visual experience in tandem with my sounds excites me! That outstanding visual was shot by Le3ay, art directed and designed by Amber Park with creative by my sister, Carina Kaissi. It has been so great being able to create and bring my vision to life alongside such talented and visionary women!
Are there specific genres or artists that have had a significant influence on your career? – My current sound is inspired by all genres. I grew up listening to hip hop artists like Clipse, J Dilla, Cam’rom, Jay Z, Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest and André 3000. UK artists such as Giggs, Skepta, Dave, J Hus and Stormzy have also had a major influence on my sound.
I then fell in love with house, dance and disco music. It was around this time I started to learn how to produce music so I was these genres have had the most direct influence on my music.
The past few years Dance Hall, Afro Beats and Amapiano have inspired me more than ever. Artists such as Asake, Spinall, Fireboy DML, Wande Coal, Burna Boy, Rema, Tekno and Wizkid took me back to my global roots. Adding in this element of sound in my creative process led me with a version of AfroHouse. I love Keinemusik, THEMBA, Nic Fanciulli, and Francis Mercier. It’s been a really amazing experience to evolve with and through my music, and to land on a sonic and energetic output that resonates so deeply with me personally and at the same time feels so new. I can’t wait to share it with the world.
Speaking of upcoming projects, what are your aspirations and dreams for this year? Can we expect a world tour from Honey? – My dream has always been to create my own sound and play my own original music in my DJ sets while touring the world and seeing the love I hope it inspires! As I gear up for my first release “Time” my dream feels like it’s finally being realized. I’m also looking forward to take Club Honey on tour as well!
Keep up with Honey on Instagram – @itshoneyy
honey is the best I worked with her a few times ❣️