Meet Rey Fernandez | Music Producer & DJ

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

Hi Rey, why did you pursue a creative career?
My decision to pursue an artistic and creative career completely stems from my love for music. Growing up I was obsessed with discovering new music and listening to it 24/7, and this naturally progressed into me eventually making my own music once I got to high school and creating music became an outlet for me to express my personality and tastes in music.

For a while this was just a hobby and something I purely did for fun (and it still is). But what changed this into an actual career choice was when I started to see actual comments on videos I’d post of my music. People online, complete strangers started to actually comment and tell me that they enjoyed the music I was posting, and it blew my mind. The idea that my work could connect with people across the world was something I didn’t think was possible, and made me realize that this was the way in which I could actually serve a greater purpose.

Through music, I’ve been able to really create a lot of things I’m really proud of, and I’ve also grown in so many ways through my music. But something that’s more important and bigger is the fact that through my music, I’ve been able to reach so many people throughout the world and bring them joy. this it’s a privilege I don’t take for granted, and it’s what motivates me to continue creating art every single day.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What I’m most proud of in my art is that everything I create is genuine. I’ve always made music purely for the love of it, and that fact has allowed me to connect with people across the world in a real way. Through my work, I’ve had the honor of meeting people I admired growing up—something I still can’t quite believe.

I can’t say the journey hasn’t been easy. Doubts, both my own and from others, have been constant. Also the money won’t always be there; it’s been a constant chase to find opportunities to keep my head above water. But deep down, I knew I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. The main lesson I’ve learned is simple: do it for the love of the art. When you pursue something solely for money or fame, it’s hard to keep going when the going gets tough. Loving what I do keeps me in a grounded place and makes the struggles easier to deal with because I know it’s a part of the greater purpose I’m serving.

I want the world to know that my work is created out of pure love, inspired by the amazing music that has influenced me in my life. I’m just human, like everyone else, and I believe that anyone can do what I do—but at the end of the day, all you have to do is just follow what feels right to you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my friend were coming to visit for a week, here’s how I would make sure they got the best possible experience personally:

Day 1: The San Diego Taco Tour & Balboa Park

We have to get tacos as the first order of business, SD really has anything you need in terms of tacos. My personal favorite is TJ Oyster Bar for their fish tacos along with their smoked tuna fries, and there’s always the more popular Tacos El Gordo. But even then you can literally go to any taco truck or taco shop in San Diego; you can’t go wrong. I’m living in Mira Mesa at the moment, and I’ve been going to the Rapido Y Sabroso taco truck every Tuesday for their al pastor tacos. Also if you’re looking for something more unique, a spot I’ve been going to a lot lately is Lola 55 out in downtown.

Next we definitely have to go to Balboa Park. There’s so much to see and marvel at, and it’s such a great place to just walk around and enjoy. I personally really love the Japanese Friendship Garden, especially when you can see some cherry blossoms.

Then we could end the day and watch the sunset at Mt. Soledad. This spot has always been one of my favorite scenic areas in San Diego, it looks great during the day, during sunset, and my favorite, at night. I always go here whenever I want to just reset and ground myself and it’s especially great if you go with some good company.

Day 2: Beach Day

Morning at La Jolla Shores: La Jolla is perfect for a relaxed beach day. We’d walk along the shore, check out the sea lions at La Jolla Cove. Downtown La Jolla is also nice to walk around and vibe to!

Lunch at Pacific Beach: More tacos, can’t go wrong with Oscar’s fish tacos. A must whenever I’m in PB area, or if they’re in a different mood I also really love Homestyle Hawaiian! We can then walk around and check out the beach as well of course.

Dinner: One of my favorite dinner spots recently is Cesarina. The food is really good and the vibe is just as great. Definitely the top Italian spot in SD in my opinion!

Day 3: Padres Game

If we’re anywhere in between the months of April and October, we’re most definitely checking out a Padres game. Petco Park, especially in the past few years has been the best place to be in San Diego for a great time. We’d grab some ballpark food, enjoy the game and after the game, we can hit up Gaslamp if we’re in that type of mood.

Day 4: Convoy & UTC

We definitely have to go to Convoy for some food: If you want asian food, Convoy has everything. Korean? There’s Friend’s House, Grandma’s Tofu House, etc. Korean BBQ? You have Manna, Taegukgi, Olleh, whatever you want. Ramen? There’s Nishiki, Menya, Tajima, and many, many more. And don’t get me started on desserts and boba, we got Happy Lemon, Ootea, Gongcha, etc. and ice cream spots like Sunday ice cream and Bing Haus. UNDEFEATED.

Shopping at UTC: After Convoy, we can go to Westfield UTC for shopping, including a stop at Uniqlo. UTC is my personal favorite mall in San Diego to go to without needing to buy anything; it’s just a vibe!

Day 5: Hiking and Scenic Views

Hiking: There’s plenty of hiking options in SD depending on your mood; I like Cowles for a more easygoing hike but if you want something more challenging there’s spots like Iron Mountain and Potato Chip, whatever you’re feeling we can do!

Sunset at Gliderport: For anyone that I’ve ever brought around San Diego, my absolute favorite place to take people is Gliderport to see a sunset. The cliff view of the beach is unlike any other I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to a lot of places around the world. Whenever I take people to this spot, they are always blown away by how beautiful it looks.

Day 6: Chill Day

Brunch: My favorite brunch spot is Breakfast Republic, and it helps that there are so many locations throughout San Diego. I always get one of their scrambles, and their jurassic pork is a given for me.

Liberty Station: Liberty Station is another area that I really love to just walk around and vibe out to; the architecture of it is really nice to look at and there’s so many cool spots to go to. We can go to Liberty Public Market for some more food, or even go to Corvette if we want to feel like kids and play at an arcade.

Kate Sessions: We can then end the day at Kate Sessions to just have a nice relaxing time at the park with a great view.

Day 7: Free Day

This last day could be anything but I’d say we could go to the beach again; I’d probably pick Coronado just due to how iconic it is. We can also go to a couple of my favorite spots lately to eat, The Friendly or the Taco Stand: SD specific spots with really great food! I would also recommend an omakase if they don’t have a budget because I feel like SD’s omakase selection is unmatched. There’s so many great options, Soichi, Kinme, Tadokoro, Hidden Fish, and many more to choose from. Sushi is also my favorite food so actually, this is a must. We’re definitely doing an omakase.

By the end of this week, I’m guaranteeing that they’re thinking about moving here. Hands down!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to the freestyle dance community in San Diego, as well as the hip-hop freestyle dance community across the world. When I first started making music, I was focused on creating hip-hop beats that I simply thought sounded cool, but I didn’t really have a distinct sound or style to my music. But over the years, as my career started to progress, dancers began to gravitate toward my music. My drum-heavy, bouncy style to my beats resonated with dancers, and this connection helped drive me to the current sound I have in my music today.

The freestyle dance community has not only influenced my musical direction but has also become an important part of my life. Many of my closest friends are dancers in the San Diego scene, shout out to everyone that I’ve met at all the local dance battles and events; special s/o Wild Nation, s/o to Culture Shock Dance Studio and Studio FX, along with the UCSD dance community as well. I’ve also met so many great dancers at events I’ve DJed outside of San Diego, and I’ve even been able to connect with dancers I’ve been fans of my whole life because they’ve danced to my music on social media. The reason I have a relationship with Larry from the Les Twins is because he made a dance video to my Fatman Scoop Drop remix on Instagram. And the reason I had a relationship with the late great Fatman Scoop himself is because he discovered that remix through someone dancing to it on TikTok. Seeing dancers across the globe using my music in their videos is something that still amazes me and inspires me like nothing else.

So, this shoutout goes to all the dancers out there who have ever gave my music a listen, danced to it, and shared it with others. Your support has meant the world to me, and I’m truly grateful to be a part of this community.

Website: https://www.reyrzy.com/

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

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

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

Image Credits
Jayne Chong, Seagge Loy Abella, Jian Tanedo, Chris B