Meet Kutmaster Spaz | DJ/Entertainer, Marketing Guru, Teacher, and Sushi Lover

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kutmaster Spaz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kutmaster, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always been an out-of-the-box thinker. I branded myself a DJ/Entertainer, like organizing events and promoting people, so starting a multi-media company was a no-brainer.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
In the early 90s, I became a popular DJ in Hawai’i which eventually got me national attention. I DJed at some of the top nightclubs in the state. I eventually got my radio music mix show and got to tour and perform with local and national artists including MC Hammer, Cypress Hill, Brandy, Monica, and Ice Cube just to name a few. Using my notoriety I started promoting and producing my concerts and events. I managed and developed artists and DJs. In the early 2000s, I started my marketing company (DIS-N-DAT Media) which produced TV shows, magazines, events, and branded companies for local and worldwide audiences.

One of the things that set me apart from other media marketing companies was my mindset. I always told my staff “Under promise, over deliver.” I strive to go over and beyond. For instance, when I performed as a DJ, whether it was 50 or 5000 people in attendance, I gave the same energy and commitment to the job. As a leader of my company, I never expected my staff to do something I wouldn’t do myself. When it was time to clean up after an event, I was right there alongside my staff picking up trash and sweeping up.

Was it easy for me? Hell no! People say it’s so cool to own your own company, you get to make your own hours, work when you want to, and go on vacation anytime you feel like it. When you first start up your company, you don’t have the money to hire people so you are doing the job of four different people to keep your company afloat. Yes, you get to make your own schedule, but if you don’t work, you don’t pay the bills. For the first five years, the money I would have used to go on a nice vacation, I invested back into my company to take it to the next level.

But then the question remains – why do it? The answer is because you are working for yourself, the success of your company is yours and belongs to no one else. When you work for someone else there is a limit on how far you can go and regardless of your accomplishments, the person that owns the company reaps the benefits. When you own your company, the sky is the limit.

But how do you deal with the bad days and all the work that needs to be done? First off you get out what you put into your business. Second, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. Start your company with a passion to do what you love, everything else will fall into place.

I want people to know that you don’t need to know what lies ahead of you at the top of the stairs or what pitfalls await you at the next landing, you just need to take the first step. I always tell people “Conceive, Believe, and Achieve”. Conceive your dream, believe in yourself, and achieve your dream by putting a plan in place, because a dream without a plan is just a dream. By putting a plan in place, your dream becomes a goal.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Hawai’i’ there are so many different things to experience. If I wanted to show an out-of-town guest a good time, the first place I would take them is to my place… LOL! Let me explain – aside from music and helping people, one of my other passions is cooking. I have been cooking since I was seven years old, I even have my cooking channel on YouTube called “Cooking at Home With Spaz.”  So when I have visitors from out of town, I like to cook some of my favorite dishes that I have created and perfected including Lau Lau Lasagna, local-style baked beans, deconstructed dynamite furikake crab sushi, baked potato casserole, chicken adobo just to name a few.

I would then take my out-of-town guests to some local foodie hotspots like Maile’s Thai Bistro for a spin on Thai Food, Ginza Sushi at Ward, and Redfish Poke Bar, oh by the way even if you haven’t guessed it here in Hawai’i’ we love food. We don’t eat until we are full, we eat until we are tired, and then we rest and eat some more.

Of course, there are beautiful beaches and mountain views I would take them to in the day.

In addition, almost every month we have a block party in Waikiki or Kaka’ako and the nightlife downtown (Chinatown) is a place I would take them to. Then we would go to an after-hours place to eat…LOL!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I believe in the media and entertainment industry that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. So I always want to credit people who played a major role in my career. First off I want to thank all those people that told me that I couldn’t do it or that I wouldn’t be successful in life… that pushed me to work even harder.

My first break into the nightclub scene is credited to Alan Arato. Right out of high school I went to all the different nightclubs in Waikiki and submitted applications and demo tapes, no one called, and some even stopped taking my calls when I tried to follow up. Alan made one call and got me an addition at one of the hottest nightclubs at the time and the rest as they say is history.

James “Jimmy the Geek” Bender, introduced me to radio in Hawai’i’, which opened many doors of opportunity for me. We are still like brothers to this day.

Lianne Nishimura Killion believed in my on-camera broadcasting skills so she went to bat when I went to pitch my TV show to Time Warner (Now Spectrum).

My first Director and business partner Jake Akuna, was able to put my crazy ideas into a TV show (that lasted for 15 years).

Glenn Medeiros, President of Saint Louis School, encouraged me to use my years of experience in media, broadcasting, and entertainment to teach our youth and hired me to teach Digital Media, which started a new journey in mentorship for me.

Dan Nagami, Division Head at Maryknoll School, saw the potential of creating a Creative Media pathway and as he said it “cleared the runway” so I could take off. Shana Tong, President at Maryknoll School, also believed in my vision and approved the building of the “runway”… thank you, Dan and Shana.

One of the most important key people in my life has been Kelly Gray Marrotte, we met in our late teens, and she quickly became my ride-or-die being like-minded. It was only natural that she became my business partner. She helped me realize my full potential, write a book, build a successful media company, and create the curriculum for my Creative Media program.

There are so many other people that I want to mention but we would run out of article space.

 Most recently, I have taken all my years of experience, knowledge, and expertise in marketing, entertainment, and broadcasting to build and create the Creative Media program at Maryknoll  School for the middle and high school levels. Being an entrepreneur gives me the advantage of creating curriculums and lessons not found in textbooks or online. Although I am now in the field of academics, I am an educator by trade but always an entrepreneur at heart!

Website: www.disndatmedia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spazkutmaster/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kutmasterspaz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kutmaster1970

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kutmaster.spaz/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dis-n-dat-mobile-entertainment-honolulu

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cookingathomewithspaz1034

Other: https://www.disndatentertainment.com

Image Credits
Photos by: Mapuana Reed Photography