Lifestyle

DJ Stacks shares his secrets for success

Published

6 years ago

July 2, 2020

Breaking into the music industry is no easy task. Just ask Staten Island legend DJ Stacks; he’s been on the scene since the age of 12, when he started making and selling mix-tapes around New York City. Today he’s a resident DJ at celebrity clubs like 1Oak, Tao and Up & Down, has a regular spot on HOT 97’s Radio Mixshow and is a member of the Heavy Hitters, an exclusive DJ organization. We sat down with the rising music star to find out his secrets for success.

Promote yourself

In the music industry, name recognition is everything, which is why DJ Stacks was out every night, distributing his mixtapes to security guards, club managers and anyone who would listen. “Sometimes I’d be outside a club and I would see a celebrity walking in so I would give a mixtape to their management,” he said. “Even on my nights off, I would still go out because I wanted to show people that I was motivated. I was hungry.”

Networking is key

“Over the years, there are a lot of celebrities and people that I’ve built a relationship with just because they kept seeing me at the same club every time they went,” he explains. However, he stresses the importance of being respectful and understanding people’s boundaries. “It’s all about how you approach people, because if you approach people in the wrong way, you’re gonna be remembered in a bad light.”

Choose your circle wisely

The phrase “it’s all about who you know” is a cliche for a reason. “You always want to make sure you’re surrounded by people that motivate you and have the resources and tools to help you make more connections and grow further,” he explains.

Always be available

According to DJ Stacks, he never turned down a gig. “I was always available. If promoters called me I would always say yes, because then it puts the pressure on me to fit it into my schedule,” he says. Promoters will remember your work ethic and are more likely to hire you again.

Show dedication

“I was always on time,” he says. “You have to show how much you want it. You have to be dedicated and you can’t complain. Many who complain will be replaced because there is always somebody else willing to do the same thing better and stronger than you,” he says.

Take risks

When DJ Stacks was first offered an assistant position at HOT 97, it meant giving up his job deejaying at a local restaurant that was his main source of income. Although it was a huge financial risk, it had the potential to open up other doors for him, and it paid off. He’s been at HOT 97 for 10 years now, and on-air for five.

Never Take Anything Personally

According to DJ Stacks, perseverance is key in the music industry. It took him almost five years before he got his foot into celebrity clubs. “There were times they didn’t want to hire me. There were times they didn’t know who I was. There were times that the doorman wouldn’t let me in,” he says. “But I never took it personally. It actually motivated me.”

Lifestyle

How Critical-Thinking Skills Will Enable Your Kids to Battle Misinformation

Published

4 days ago

May 20, 2026

Michelle Langton

Photo: Tuttle Twins

Michael Currier of Massachusetts is an unvaccinated gastroenterologist and entrepreneur, and he’s seen misinformation firsthand. He’s long been teaching his kids how to spot misinformation, but they were naturally skeptical when they didn’t hear it from anyone but him. However, the right books taught his kids how to combat misinformation, and they will teach your kids too! If you’re wondering how to raise independent thinkers who can spot misinformation, the Tuttle Twins books are essential tools for your toolbelt.

How Critical Thinking Combats Misinformation

When kids can think critically, they become able to evaluate the credibility of sources and look for evidence, also identifying their own and others’ biases. Critical thinkers don’t just passively absorb information; they take it apart piece by piece to see what makes it “tick.”

Critical thinkers question the credentials of an author or source, alongside their motivations and whether they provide supporting evidence that goes beyond just statements that require trust. Kids who can think critically also spot confirmation bias, which is the tendency to believe something that fits in well with the thinker’s current belief system or worldview. This reduces demand for fake news that simply elicits an emotional reaction.

When your kids can think critically and independently, they will also be able to spot logical fallacies, like drawing causal conclusions from data that’s simply correlational. Critical thinkers can also tell the difference between scientific evidence and someone’s opinion.

Independent, critical thinkers don’t just read a page. They look up information from other trusted sources to verify that the original source is accurate. Critical thinking also encourages a healthy skepticism that causes independent thinkers to pause and assess emotionally charged content before they spread it around, realizing that misinformation frequently exploits outrage or fear.

Critical thinkers can also recognize propaganda tactics such as loaded language, false dilemmas, and “alternative facts.”

Photo: Tuttle Twins

Seeking Out Books that Teach Critical Thinking

At this point, parents wondering how to raise independent thinkers will want to look for books that teach critical thinking, like the Tuttle Twins series. The Tuttle Twins books explain things like misinformation, freedom of speech, and even the World Economic Forum while explaining that certain people get to decide what is and isn’t misinformation.

Books that teach critical thinking don’t just present facts. They encourage kids to analyze, evaluate, and put together arguments, frequently shining a light on logical fallacies and biases while calling for active application instead of a passive taking-in of information. Books that teach critical thinking will help you with how to raise independent thinkers by guiding you and your child through reasoned questioning and requiring evidence behind facts.

The Tuttle Twins series wraps every lesson in an engaging story that doesn’t just teach the information presented. The Tuttle Twins books also encourage all the above elements found in books that teach critical thinking. You can even enhance the critical-thinking skills embedded in all the Tuttle Twins books by pausing throughout the story and asking open-ended questions such as: What do you think the character should do next? What were some alternate solutions to the problem? What do you think could have been the consequences of those solutions?

Books that teach critical thinking like the Tuttle Twins series will go a long way toward helping you learn how to raise independent thinkers. They will also help you create special moments with your kids that they’ll remember forever! Join the growing number of parents who don’t want their kids to just be passive absorbers of information.