The Lower East Side has a young star on the Rise. Day Luv could be seen on stage waving her L’s in the air not only in honor of her hometown but for the Love she wants to spread to the world through her spirit and music. She is a rapper-singer songwriter producer-engineer and entrepreneur who embodies Authentic artistry. She sings raps produces engineers and if she isn’t doing one of the four you may find her doing handstands charming a small group of friends.

Uhh: Tell us a bit about your musical background.

Day Luv: I’ve always been influenced by music from a very young age because my dad David “Daso” Soto is also a singer/songwriter and was in a band named “A Band Called Loisaida”. Whenever he picked my brothers David, Lucas and I up to hang out for the weekends we would sing and play his keyboard in his home studio for entertainment. I remember during one of those visits my Dad had us write, record and produce our first song together entirely from scratch called “You Are Good” hahaha I was maybe 6 or 7 years old at the time. I also remember getting a Karaoke Machine that played cassette tapes for Christmas around that time because I was always singing and trying to entertain friends and family that came over to visit. My mom also introduced me to playing Congas, Pandereta’s (Tamborines), Güiro, Claves, and a ton of other Latin Percussion instruments we always had sitting around at my house. I was also a part of my Grandma’s Bomba y Plena Group where I was introduced to more of my culture dancing, singing and playing percussion. At age 8 I started taking Capoeira Martial Arts classes and that also taught me how to play Afro-Brazilian instruments like Berimbau, Agogô, Atabaque and sing songs in Portuguese. I was also taking some drum lessons during that time playing a basic 5-piece Drum Kit but I never practiced enough to get that good because Capoeira had become my main priority up until 15 years old. I’m a percussionist at heart for sure, Rhythm is such an important driving force in music, it’s always been a big part of me for sure.

What do you stand for as an artist?

As an artist, I always wanted to stand for something bigger than myself and embody love, positivity, unity, and peace like Bob Marley. It’s more than just about the music and more so the message and feeling being captured within it. In my opinion, being a music artist is such a great responsibility because you have the power to influence others. It’s more than just fame and money to me and more about how you can use music as an outlet for bringing about change to the world and people’s lives. Music and song were once used to pass down stories of our ancestors, our struggles to remind us where we came from. It’s also been used as freedom of speech to rebel against the government or speak on important current events going on in the world… Not just glorifying materialistic values, sex, and everything you now hear on the radio all the time. The artists I admired always had that sense of a bigger picture in their music so I try my best to represent that with my art as well, it’s important to speak the truth and spread your wisdom with others. That’s what I stand for… but at the same time we are multi-dimensional beings so I understand that sometimes there’s a balance and I don’t always want to come off as this purely, positive, conscious artist because I’m only human and I’m not perfect, I have a dark side too I need to express every now and then. For the most part, I just really want to do the right thing and be a role model through music.

What were some of your fondest music memories? At home? School?

Since the age of 4 years old, I knew music would be a dominating force in my life! I have memories of being in kindergarten in 1994 and singing Mary J Blige’s rendition of “I’m Goin’ Down” ahaha I was also obsessed with Michael Jackson and would emulate his dance moves doing the moonwalk in my socks, spinning in a circle as fast I can, kicking my leg and jumping on my tip toes like he did. I was always full of energy. I’ve performed at every school talent show from elementary school through till High School, that’s where I started honing my skills as a performer. At 16 I started going to this after-school program at the Hetrick Martin Institute on Astor Place that had a music production program that’s where I first started learning how to record and make beats on Garage Band. I produced and recorded my first official song called “Dreamin’” that was released on this CD called “Through My Eyes” that featured a collection of works created by some of the other teens that went to the program too. Prior to that, I was just learning how to write my own songs and record music with my dad using this program called Magix Studio Pro, that’s when I really began to use music as an outlet to release deep inner feelings I found hard to express otherwise. Songwriting was therapeutic and in essence more like my personal diary.

Later on, at age 18 my mom gifted me with a whole Pro Tools Le rig that included a Digi design M-BOX, an Audio-Technica AT2020 Microphone and this really dope Apple Mac Desktop Computer for Christmas, She worked really hard to make sure I always had the best Christmas hahaa This Ignited my interest, even more, to continue learning how to record and mix in the comfort of my own room. After I graduated High School a close friend of mine that knew how much I was dedicated to music told me about a University she heard through a friend of hers in Florida where I can get a degree in Recording Arts and proceeded to tell me about Full Sail University. I instantly knew that’s where I wanted to go and moved to Orlando shortly after to pursue my Bachelor’s in Recording Arts and officially became an Audio Engineer.

When did you begin performing?

My Dad also helped me with my first gigs performing at club venues throughout New York City when I was 17, pushing my boundaries from strictly performing cover songs like I did at school talent shows to actually performing my own material conveying my own personal ideas, emotions, and creative expression, which was life-changing. My dad definitely had a huge impact on me in regards to music and my mom too, they both always encouraged me to pursue music wholeheartedly and made me feel like my dreams were always obtainable. Shouts go out to them for being super supportive and giving me the tools to succeed in life. I started performing at events and venues such as “The 6th Street Music Festival”, “Marlis Momber Loisaida Exhibit”, “After Light Tuesday’s” at club Opus 22, “The Puerto Rican Parade Festival”, “The 35th Annual NYCHA Talent Show” and “The New Village Music Festival” for starters. As time passed, I continued performing at various Open Mic Events and Music Competitions in New York City and then in Florida. When I returned to New York after graduating in 2011 I got an opportunity to take part in a songwriting competition with a company called “Key to Unity” that emphasizes on music with a positive message in which I was announced the winner. The Founder of “Key to Unity” Jennavive Jackson enjoyed my song and performance so much she later reached out to me about being a part of the “Tour of Unity” where I traveled from Las Vegas and throughout California performing my original music at various venues such as “Bar 702”, “The Freakin’ Frog”, “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Industry Café & Jazz”.

Have you performed at big arenas, or festivals if so tell me about that experience?

The biggest audience I’ve performed for was during the 2016 Loisaida Festival and the 2016 NYC Grind Warehouse Art Bash. Both events were really amazing experiences because I felt like I had worked so hard up until that point to be able to perform for big shows such as those. The Loisaida Festival alone was such a big deal for me because it’s something my Grandpa Bimbo Rivas helped organize way back in the day, may he rest in power. I would go every single year to watch the performances on the big stage. That year was a dream come true being able to perform my song “My City” that I dedicated to my Grandpa to pay homage to him and the legacy he left behind in my community of the Lower East Side, Manhattan. The NYC Grind Warehouse Art Bash was super dope because it included all kinds of art from dancing, to painting, clothing, photography, poetry, rapping, every kind of art all under one roof. The best part of it was a lot of the attendees and performers that took part in it were all my close friends from the underground art community that I find insanely inspiring. I’ve never experienced anything like that event before where there were 500 + people uniting under one roof in the name of art and underground culture. I had so much fun that night I never wanted it to end honestly, it was also definitely another high light of my life and music career thus far. Shouts out to Safiel Voney and SeeSantana for providing the platform and allowing me to do my thing, I’ll forever be grateful for you both.

How do you handle mistakes during performances?

Funny enough, during my performance at the 2016 NYC Grind Art Bash I was rapping and accidentally kicked a speaker off the stage because I had my foot propped up on it and it just pushed out from under me. I just acted like nothing ever happened and kept rapping without ever missing a lyric or beat ahaha It was funny because they put the speaker back up on stage and for some reason I put my foot back on it because I’m actually a rock star lol JK. They ended up just taking the speaker off the stage. My point is, even when you mess up, forget lyrics, kick speakers off stage… anything like that it’s important to keep going! Practice makes perfect and there’s always something to take away from each and every performance. It all gets better with time and practice including rehearsing a lot for live shows so always you’re prepared for the unexpected and comfortable enough to keep going through all the technical difficulties and mistakes.

If you could only pick two instruments for an entire album which two would they be and why?

I would have to pick Drums and Piano. Those are my two most favorite instruments of all time. I partially know how to play both but only at a very basic level, I’m still learning as I go through life. Drums holds the rhythm of my soul and piano is the tune. I seriously can’t get enough of listening to drums and piano especially when these instruments are performed by some seasoned performers like Travis Barker or Alicia Keys! Alicia Keys my Idol lol She made me want to commit my life to playing piano but I never really got around to it, smh.

What challenges do you face as an upcoming artist?

The challenges of being an upcoming artist are pushing myself to maintain consistent work ethic and not getting distracted other things in life. Also, obtaining funds to invest in my craft like studio equipment, or buying merchandise, and surviving overall lol Being an artist is a struggle you know the term “Starving Artist” exists for a reason. It’s a hustle that you give your life to, that you sacrifice for… seriously, blood, sweat, and tears. It’s not a joke especially when you’re so deep in debt because of it. Having financial stability and being an upcoming artist to me is the hardest factor to overcome but I don’t sweat it because it’s my passion and eventually all prayers heard and answered everything will fall into place. I don’t think about the money at the end of the day regardless of how much the struggle gets realer than real, I just think about the impact and the outcome. When you’re doing what you love that’s the wealth right there. I’m already rich in my mind so I don’t necessarily need money to make me happy though it helps to invest business wise. The other challenge I face as an upcoming artist is getting the right exposure. Advertising and Marketing is a whole other aspect that needs critical planning in order to build marketing campaigns and connect to the right platforms. I’ve always struggled with that part of my career, it’s so time-consuming! Expanding my brand and bringing about more awareness to my music and technical capabilities is one of my main goals for 2018. Last but not least, being able to establish a reliable team that you can build with and all work together towards a unified purpose is extremely hard but necessary as well. Everyone has to be equally committed, determined and focused to make it all come together, I’ve been looking to establish my mastermind group too, I think that would make all the difference because at the end of the day I can’t realistically continue to do every single thing all by myself.

You have a clothing brand called JSTLUV tell me about that?

The concept for “JSTLUV” originated back in 2013 when I started working at this high-profile recording studio called “Blast Off Productions”. I met this producer Justin “JST” Davies and we instantly had this really dope musical connection and vibe. We created a 7 song EP together entirely from scratch… He produced everything on the project and I wrote everything and we both recorded and mixed it down entirely by ourselves. It was the longest process I’ve ever endured creating a project but we stuck it out until the end. I’ve only since released two singles off of it “EVRYWEEKND” and “B.DWN” but I plan to release the entire project very soon, I’ve just been holding off for so long because I needed to save money to market it properly, to invest for music videos and things like that. I want this project to get the audience it deserves because of how much time and effort was put into. That’s another important topic to Segway into, never feeling pressured or rushed to release content because it’s always quality over quantity for me. I have a vision and I’m going to see it through to the end regardless of how many years it may take to bring it to fruition. To make a long story short, Justin pointed out to me during one of our sessions that us working together as a dynamic duo actually created “JST-LUV” combining his producer name JST and the end of my stage name LUV. A light bulb went off and ever since that day going forward all I ever wanted to do was represent JSTLUV, that’s all I ever wanted to embody LOVE. It has since transformed into many other things such as my clothing line brand and production company. It’s really just a way for me to spread my messages of positivity, love and divine consciousness and puts my music, fashion, and business under one moniker. Essentially, JSTLUV is more than a brand, it’s a lifestyle!

How do you balance music with other obligations?

It’s very challenging because at the end of the day all I want to do is music but I have other priorities like spending time with family and having a social life with my friends and it’s critical to maintain a healthy balance of all three. My family time and even romantic relationships have all suffered because of the lack of time I’m able to designate because of pursuing my music career. Then, when you have to work just to pay bills and pursue your dreams it’s even harder. I always feel like I spread myself thin trying to please everyone and myself at the same time. I just do my best to make time for what’s truly important to my happiness, health, and success. I try to stay organized and plan out my priorities and write down my goals of what is most important to me on any particular day. Calenders, Scheduling, Goal-Setting is the best way to balance obligations, my phone and laptop are revolutionary because it allows me to do it all in one very convenient location.

You attended college for music business. How was it?

It was a very eye-opening experience. I can say “I came, I saw, I conquered”. I learned a lot about myself. I was able to excel and actually graduated with honors becoming Salutatorian of my class, Straight A’s and perfect attendance. It’s not to brag but to prove that no matter where you come from you can really attain anything you want in life as long as you give it your all and put your mind to it. I was always a mediocre student but when I went for my Master’s I told myself I would give everything I have inside myself to achieve the best grades, be accountable and never miss a day, and learn everything I can to take my life and career to the next level. I learned about creating Business Plans and preparing for Business Plan Presentations to pitch to potential investors and business partners. I learned about a ton of important topics like Mastery of self, Personal Development, Leadership, Project and Team Management, Business Storytelling and Brand Development, Business Finance, Digital Marketing Contract Negotiation, Product and Artist Management, Advanced Entertainment Law, Publishing, and Distribution. I really can’t wait to apply all the Entertainment Business Master’s Degree program expertise and knowledge I’ve attained towards my entrepreneurial career going into 2018.

Would you suggest most upcoming artists attend school to further their education in music?

I would suggest furthering your education any way possible. Whether be a degree program, a certificate program, an internship or apprenticeship. It’s always important to keep growing your knowledge and skill set to your craft. Do you have to go to school and acquire a ton of student loan debt like I did? That’s your call and decision to make lol Do I feel like it was all worth it? Yes! And I would do it all again if I could in a heartbeat. All my best job opportunities resulted from me attending Full Sail, and the reason why I was able to meet “JST” at Blast Off Productions. If it wasn’t for going to school to learn engineering I would have never been able to record and mix music the way I know how, and have developed into the artist I am today. I learned so much by attending school to further my education and I know eventually It will all pay off in the long run. I have my own route, maybe it’s not the best route for anyone else and that’s okay! Some of the most successful wealthy people never even went to college or even finished high school! I just felt like it was a part of my calling to attend Full Sail, everyone’s path is unique and different but if it’s in your heart to go to college and obtain a degree for your passion than I’m all for it and suggest you do that, if you want to do it your own way and grind all the way till you make it without schooling and only hands-on experience then do it! As long as you’re pushing yourself to be the best version of yourself possible and applying the knowledge, advice, and wisdom from others along the way, that’s beautiful. It’s what you do with the education that matters… There’s a saying “Knowledge is power” but I always disagreed with that statement because knowledge can only become powerful when it’s actually applied.

What do you have coming up this year?

2018 is all about manifesting everything into reality that I’ve been wanting to do this all these years. I want to establish my production company, my merchandise brand, my music career and keep independently releasing content, songs, music videos, and doing photo shoots. I want it to be the most successful year I’ve ever had in my life up until this point. I’m always striving to outdo my past self. It’s always been me against me, eye on the prize and never taking no for an answer. I have to prove to myself I can do everything I set out to do. I would love to do more interviews such as this one too, I need to break free and just let go of any fears or inhibitions, that’s what this year is all about for sure.

In three words, describe your sound.

Love. Poetry. Consciousness.

If you could pick one lyric from one of your records to encourage someone today what would that lyric be?

“I'm never giving up, never giving up, Life is harder than a mother f**ker…Said I’m never giving up, Always rising up going harder than a mother f**ker… I’m never giving up, I don’t give a f**k, Never listen to these other f**ker’s…F**K THAT! I’M NEVER GIVING UP! F**K THAT! I’M NEVER GIVING UP!”

Connect with Day Luv
Soundcloud.com/DayLuv
Instagram.com/_dayluv_