DJ SPOTLIGHT: Meet DJ CRANK

Christopher Thomas-Worsley 

Better known as “DJ CRANK”

From Philadelphia 

Graduated with Bachelor’s in Mass Communications

Focus in (TV/Radio/Film & Journalism) at Delaware State University 

TMP: What type of music attracts you?

DJ: The Music that attracts me the most is usually anything upbeat that I can dance too! I grew up liking R&B & Pop before Hip-hop, but I love almost anything with good production.

TMP: What inspired you to join the world of music?

DJ: My love for dance has always been my connection and inspiration to music. I think the marriage between Rhythm and music creates something special in various ways. Therefore, growing up with entertainers like MJ and Chris Brown always inspired me to do what they do as a performer far before even the thought of being a DJ! Nevertheless, it was simply my love for radio that was a key bridge to becoming a digital musician.

TMP: How did you come up with your name?

DJ: The story to my 2nd name “Crank” is probably the most popular of questions asked when referring to its origin story. To keep it brief, growing up Philly was known for having plenty of Dance groups, party groups, and teams that were all about being the “Littest” and taking over the party seen through dance and events as much as they could! Within these groups the members always had some type of nickname or an attachment to their regular name that they were known by. Long story short, me and some of my friends had a group in Highschool and everybody had a nickname besides me. So, I thought about what could be a name that represented me that wasn’t cliche and would stick, and boom CRANK was born. LOUD, High Energy, And an Experience Above all is What describes Me as CRANK!

TMP: What is the biggest misconception about DJ's?

DJ: The biggest misconception about DJs is that everything is well paid, super cool, and it’s all about playing popular songs “anybody can do it easily” WRONG!!!

TMP: How do you keep yourself outside the box?

DJ: I’ve always Kept myself outside of the box by simply being myself! I also love to tie in fashion as a DJ to highlight my brand and my Individuality! I think being such a good performer also adds to the experience ppl get when they see me create.

TMP: How important was it to add social media content to how you market yourself?

DJ: Social media is such a crucial tool in today’s world. It’s also so much easier to share and put yourself out there in whatever your endeavor is! I for one love to maximize that tool by putting out mashups, mixes, and videos that get to represent everything CRANK has to offer. It’s literally the best version of a resume you can ask for.

TMP: When did you know you had something and that this was working?

DJ: Feedback and engagement is everything! I think once ppl started to really make it their business to let me know that my event or set was good is when I kinda got that idea that things were clicking! Also just the reactions I would receive in real time during a set or event! You can tell everybody doesn’t get this experience I am able to provide when they’re under somebody else’s entertainment supervision. 

TMP: What advice would you give the younger boy or girl who is watching and wants to do what you do?

DJ: ACTUALLY, LIKE IT!!! AND THEN PRACTICEEEE!!! Have the want to be your absolute best and be a student to the game of it all! Trust yourself and take chances during your journey! You got to be your biggest fan!!

TMP: What inspires you?

DJ: I find inspiration in a lot of things…but ironically THE MUSIC! Good music that I can connect to is really what sparks my creativity! It brings out all the best ideas and I go from there! A specific inspiration of why I actually DJ comes from hearing DJ Diamond Kuts on the radio growing up! She solidified my choice without a doubt!

TMP: What else can we expect from your brand next?

DJ: You can expect me (CRANK) to always be a 1stop shop that’s versatile and will give you THEE Experience! To be able to combine me as a performer, model, DJ, entrepreneur and voice all into one sellable package is the ultimate goal.

TMP: How can people book you?

DJ: You can book me off of IG, my bio has all the information you need, and I also am a great communicator when it comes to responding specifically! I carry business cards at every event as well. 

TMP: Are you social? FB? Twitter? IG?

DJ: I’m on almost every platform “DJ CRANK”, Email is - thatscrankthedj@gmail.com