One of Canada's fastest-growing chains Mary Brown's Chicken unveiled its new Tasty Mix series – an initiative built to shine a light on the distinct sounds of emerging Canadian DJs from coast-to-coast. This first of its kind project is launched in collaboration with world-famous (and Canada’s own) DJ Charlie B.
DJ Charlie B has had an outstanding career in music. His hit song "30,000 ft" with Northside Benji was nominated for Rap Single of the Year at the 2022 JUNO Awards, and is certified GOLD in Canada. He’s also worked with some of today’s leading performers, such as Cardi B, DJ Envy, DJ Drama, Roy Woods, YG & Punjabi Music Sensation Karan Aujla to name a few. Most recently, Charlie B performed at the iconic Rolling Loud festival, which took place in Toronto last summer.
Charlie B chatted with me about his history and passion in the music scene:
How are you doing these days, and getting through the end of winter? I’ve been doing well. Keeping up with new projects and I’ve also been prioritizing my health. Being a now world-famous DJ, what does it mean to work with a Canadian brand to showcase Canadian talent? It means the world to me. Although I’ve been touring different countries in cities all over the world; I never forget where it all started and where I come from. Mary Brown’s and myself have both started from humble beginnings and we share a common vision in supporting the local communities that have helped raise us. Can you share some more information about Saturday Love? How did this help DJ's, and do you have any plans for this project this year? The Story Behind Saturday Love- - After speaking with other DJs across the nation, both industry staples and those less experienced, it quickly became evident that the impacts of COVID-19 were far greater than a simple health-threat. The more influential and experienced DJs, such as myself, may have had a minor disruption in finances, whereas the newer DJs, or those that don’t have regular gigs, may have felt it much more. For some individuals, bringing nightlife entertainment to life may have been their primary source of income. Whether that was DJing, bartending or other roles in the industry, the pandemic brought their main source of income to a complete halt. This disruption was felt across the entertainment industry and did continue beyond the quarantine period, impacting much more than just finances as mental health issues often stem from monetary challenges. In different ways, many people lent a helping hand to lift me up when I was a young DJ and I felt obligated to pay it forward. We organized a 12 Hour DJ-A-Thon on Twitch and raised $25,000 which helped 50+ DJs across Canada from all different genres that got them through a tough month. Although Saturday Love was specifically geared towards helping DJs during the pandemic; I plan to organize other functions to continue to bring DJs together. Tell me a bit more about Tasty Mix, and what drew you to this project? Helping others and inspiring young creatives is in my DNA. The moment I had the opportunity to be apart of something like “Tasty Mix” I knew it was a perfect fit. Mary Brown’s and I came up with this idea to unite up and coming djs and encourage them to follow their dreams. “Tasty Mix” is an initiative to showcase DJs across Canada through social media platforms. We’re excited to put on a great show for the audience which will include a diverse group of talented individuals. What opportunities can participants potentially expect should they succeed in Tasty Mix? They can expect increased visibility which hopefully will lead to further opportunities for work. Can you offer a couple of short but effective pieces of advice to up and coming DJ's?
The audience will respond to a genuine performance. Stay true to your authentic self.
Never give up on your dreams.
Your reputation will always enter a room before you do, be kind to others.
Never forget “The Why”.
Lastly, what is your favourite menu item from Mary Brown's currently?
My favourite menu item would have to be the Big Mary Sandwich with Large Taters!
By: Gemma Mastroianni