'I quit successful job for risky new career – people threw eggs but I had last laugh'

DJ AG, whose existent sanction is Ashley Gordon, went viral for DJing successful the mediate of London streets and has performed with a big of stars - but it hasn't each been plain sailing

If you’ve walked done the streets of Brixton oregon taken a bid from King’s Cross successful London, chances are you whitethorn person travel crossed DJ AG. The TikTok prima – besides known arsenic Ashley Gordon – tin often beryllium heard earlier helium is seen, playing euphony from his decks successful the mediate of the street.

This unconventional acceptable up has landed Gordon much than fractional a cardinal followers connected TikTok and the honour of being named Time Out’s Londoner of the Year. He invites radical disconnected the thoroughfare to execute with him and has adjacent handed the microphone to stars similar Idris Elba, Skepta, Jorja Smith and JME.

But things weren’t truthful casual erstwhile helium archetypal started. “I had eggs thrown astatine me, h2o thrown astatine me, I was heckled, it was tough. But I deliberation that’s due to the fact that radical didn’t recognize what I was doing, they thought it was a joke,” helium told The Mirror astatine TikTok Live Fest.

This didn’t halt Gordon, however. He added: “I’m rather fearless and I deliberation a batch of that comes from moving successful income which is rather a pugnacious situation and coming from Tottenham which is pugnacious arsenic well, truthful however atrocious could it beryllium being outside.”

Fearless is simply a large mode to picture the DJ, who near his firm occupation astatine a FTSE 250 institution to DJ afloat clip connected TikTok. He added: “I was doing truly well, but I had go a spot disgruntled with my job.”

It was Gordon’s children who suggested helium effort retired TikTok successful 2022, but the now-39-year-old said it was an app for kids and “they don’t privation to perceive to what I’ve got to say”. He continued: “But I tried it 1 time and realised determination were radical my property connected TikTok and the remainder is history”. He was peculiarly inspired by DJ SUAT, the roaming YouTube performer.

For 3 months, helium would aftermath up earlier enactment and DJ connected TikTok Live for hours earlier heading to his job. In the evening, helium would acceptable up his camera again and instrumentality to the decks. Then helium did the fig crunching and realised helium could past connected TikTok alone. “I thought I tin spend to survive, I’m getting older truthful alternatively than unrecorded with regret, wherefore not conscionable effort something. If it fails I tin spell backmost to work,” helium said.

Fortunately, Gordon hasn’t had to spell backmost to a accepted occupation and has present performed with a scope of stars connected the street. Idris Elba, helium said, was an “amazing man”. He added: “For idiosyncratic that has achieved truthful overmuch successful his beingness and fixed truthful overmuch to inactive beryllium truthful humble, truthful down to earth, having that willingness to help. It’s large to conscionable radical that are similar that.”

Elba adjacent gave Gordon immoderate advice, telling him to “just support going”. “He’s a large instrumentality of what I bash and what I basal for and my message, we’re precise aligned with our message,” the DJ said.

Gordon’s emotion of euphony comes from his puerility and his family. But they didn’t ever recognize what helium was doing with TikTok. He explained: “When I told my mum I was leaving my job, she astir had a tense breakdown. My mum took it badly. She was like, you got a mortgage, you’ve got kids, what are you going to do? It was hard connected her but she’s blessed now.”

Despite having 3.6 cardinal likes connected TikTok, not everyone is simply a instrumentality of DJ AG. In January 2023, helium was fixed an ASBO successful Shoreditch. He sadi: “I spell wherever I want, you hazard it for a biscuit. There’s challenges with things similar permits, I don’t judge successful permits and volition never, ever successful my beingness wage for a permit, not for going retired and giving radical joy. If I get moved connected I get moved on.”

Gordon is passionate astir giving backmost and volunteers astatine attraction homes, DJing for the residents. He said: “My gran had dementia and I thought erstwhile I got to a constituent wherever I was financially capable to unpaid that it made consciousness to bash so. Many radical don’t sojourn attraction homes, immoderate attraction location residents don’t get immoderate visitors.”

His attraction location raves are palmy some connected TikTok and with the residents. “With dementia, euphony is precise powerful,” helium said. “My gran forgot my sanction but if we played her a hymn, she’ll cognize it connection for word. I thought let’s spell into attraction homes, we’ll instrumentality their requests and springiness them enjoyment.”

In the future, Gordon hopes to instrumentality the format to Jamaica and Africa to showcase the endowment there. He besides has a pursuing successful Brazil, truthful that is besides connected the list. “We should beryllium taking that level around, showcasing talent, but not forgetting to springiness backmost wherever we can,” helium said. “We request to amplify the connection and promote that positivity, that fulfilment.”