I had never given it any thought, but in many ways DJs are similar to professional wrestlers. We are both entrusted with entertaining large crowds of screaming, rowdy fans, and we’re required to use or charisma and personality to win over those crowds. We even adopt colorful stage names. Why am I pointing this out? Because I just spoke with Miami entertainer DJ Epps, and he referenced John Cena as a source of inspiration. According to Epps, Jon Cena taught him “to never give up, to keep on pushing, to be humble, and to talk to your fan base. Don’t go in acting like you know it all or you’re all that, and instead keep hustling and practicing.” Epps also pointed out that, like Cena and other wrestlers, as a DJ “your performance is a big factor.” You can’t just play music, you have to entertain.

Who is DJ Epps? You may already know– he has achieved global fame over the past decade and change. When he began to learn about DJ’ing he was in Harlem, where he listened to some masters of the artform on the radio, and noted how energetic and personable DJs like Red Alert and Kid Capri were. He took those memories with him to Miami, where he met DJ Craze, another DJ noted for his outgoing nature behind the decks.

Something else he found in Miami was an open lane to create his own format. Unlike New York, which was saturated with DJs, Miami was more open, and he had more opportunities to perform. He took full advantage of those opportunities, and is now among Miami’s top DJs, and has performed all over the world, including shows in China, Germany, Russia, and more countries than I can list. He’s famous enough now that he sometimes travels and creates his own shows, without a promoter, and draws large crowds. He’s also making a splash as Montel Williams’ DJ on his Lifetime Channel show Competitive Edge, making him the first in-house DJ on that station.

Epps attributes some of his success to his fearless attitude towards music. Where many DJs are afraid to break new songs, and stick to tried and true hits, DJ Epps regularly plays new songs for his audiences. “Playing new music for the world is kinda cool,” he told me, “especially when everyone expecting the same old same old.” Now he’s known for breaking records, which makes it even easier for him to sneak some great new sounds into his mixes. “Most DJs are afraid,” he continued, “but crowds appreciates how I do it, because I’ve learned how to sandwich a new record within hits.” That skill, he says, helped him get where he is today. He’s always looking for new music, and when he travels, he makes it a point to contact local top DJs to learn what’s hitting in their city.

What is his go-to set-up in a club? Turntables is his top choice, but he rarely finds those. “Nowadays it’s mostly controllers in clubs, replacing the CDJs, but I’m comfortable playing on any equipment.”

His entire life isn’t only about being a DJ, and Epps definitely enjoys his down time. He spends that time with his family, including a 12-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. He watches TV, including, as you may expect, a lot of wrestling. He also enjoys documentaries.

DJ Epps spoke a lot about the next generation of DJs, and how important it is for veterans to make way for new performers. He made it a point to mention the large number of skilled female DJs he has seen lately, and noted that they are “all of a sudden now taking crowds to a new level. It used to be Paris Hilton and that type, but now some serious female DJs are behind the decks.”

Lastly, as he is know for breaking new songs I had to ask him what songs he thinks are poised to become hits. He offered a few picks:

1. Rowdy Rich’s new joint with Kodak Black and 21 Savage is gonna hit
2. Jim Jones with Migos We Set the Trends should be a hit for New York
3. Rick Ross has a new one called Wiggle that should be big in the South

You can follow DJ Epps and watch his livestreams on Instagram @DJEpps, where he streams Monday through Friday at 10:00pm Eastern Time.