The local Miami luminary, Jesse Perez, is a DJ and producer influenced by Miami bass and has woven his sonic tapestry across various labels like Dirtybird, Defected, and Hot Creations in addition to his very own imprint, Mr. Nice Guy. In a retrospective look at his journey, the insightful musician emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment and shares insights into the changes he envisions for the competitive music industry.

In his extensive DJing career that spans over two decades, Jesse has witnessed the evolution of electronic music, for the industry is placing an emphasis on visual content over musical artistry and is overshadowing talented artists who may not conform to social media trends. “Music has changed so much in the last few years, and it feels like no one cares about the music anymore, but rather who the better model or better actor is. There’s pressure to create reels to capture people’s attention, and it seems like we’re pushing for who has the best content now instead of the best music. I see a lot of badass artists being overlooked because they’re not doing selfie videos or utilizing high-end photographers. That’s where the industry is right now, and it seems to be more important than the art itself. ” The pragmatic individual predicts a challenging future for artists as the industry prioritizes self-promotion and ticket sales over musical talent, and he acknowledges the pressure of social media and the dichotomy between being an artist and content creator. “There’s this pressure with social media to keep posting. You know that you’re either an artist or a content creator, and it’s hard to be both. Before the pandemic, that was already stressing me out where you know you have to post something and now you have to create something else. It’s insane.”

As an observer looking in at the evolving musical landscape, Jesse notes the transformative shifts in music over the past few years. He remembers back in 2011-2012 how he was irritated that people were hitting the sync button, and that’s a topic that’s unheard of nowadays, which is now okay. “There are so many gigs where people have it on now that I don’t even judge it anymore, and I don’t even know how to turn the button off. There’s always something people are upset about, whether it be vinyl DJs against CDJs or USBs vs CDs, and then you become a dinosaur and realize you have to adapt to the times.” The sensible character predicts the future of music will be actors who will be really good at selling themselves and sees it already happening now. “The younger generation like the early 20-year-olds control the scene, for whatever they like is what they’re going to make popular. In the next few years, visual shows will be the future, and we’ll see a lot of good artists fade away. EDM has taken over where it’s not even a subgenre anymore; it’s one big entity now. The difference now is that people show up to events not just for the music itself, but to prove that they were physically there as it goes on social media.”

Something he’d love to see differently in the Miami music scene and even globally is having parties start and end earlier. The native Miamian advocates for the change and takes into account the long-term health effects of late-night events. “The pandemic changed my schedule. I had no mornings and didn’t know what that was like, and now I wake up at 6am and love my mornings. I was a vampire then, and I’m physically not there in that headspace anymore. We’re groomed to do that as DJs. I spent all my 20s and most of my 30s like that, and no one speaks about the long-term effects it creates on your health. Parties don’t necessarily have to end at 2am, because there can also be an afterparty.” In his experience here, it’s been difficult getting parties to start earlier. “We’re blessed and live in such great weather, but it’s really hard to get people to come out during the daytime. Do you ever see how in NYC in the summertime, everyone comes out to rooftop day parties? They’re grateful for those 2 months of the year when they get to do that, but it seems that people mostly do it here only with Art Basel or Miami Music Week.” Jesse envisions a shift towards earlier events, allowing a broader audience, particularly the older demographic, to partake without compromising work or family commitments. One example of an artist who’s already incorporating this trend is Annie Mac with her popular club night series Before Midnight in Europe.

Learning to be content with his achievements in life, the devoted artist emphasizes the need to resist the constant pursuit of “the next big thing” that occurs quite a lot in DJing. Having experienced the relentless pace of touring, Jesse appreciates the value of stillness and autonomy in his current schedule. “I toured so much and didn’t realize that I did until COVID happened. Before, I always felt like I had to keep moving and now I want to stay still for a little bit.” If granted the chance to traverse time, Jesse would impart the wisdom of staying present to his younger self. “I was always thinking about the next thing and not realizing that things are happening right now. Not just in music, but in all aspects of my life like my kids. I missed so many things with my first child that I learned from all those mistakes and became more present with my second child.” Recognizing the impact of his past choices, the family man advocates for being more attentive to life’s unfolding moments.

His journey, deeply rooted in his Cuban American heritage, is a testament to his parents’ resilience and the opportunities they carved in a new land. “The whole story of my parents getting here, having the opportunities to do things they couldn’t do, and knowing their struggle makes me proud to be a Cuban American. They were able to get over the hurdle and make their way over here, so it makes me proud to wear that on my chest.” In his downtime, the laidback fellow immerses himself in diverse musical genres and finds inspiration beyond the confines of house music. He likes to listen to chill music like Sade and a Florida Keys playlist that includes everything from Jimmy Buffet to The Police. “I don’t listen to a lot of house music. Everything I listen to outside of house music influences what I make. It enables me to step out of my zone and go into my world.”

For the upcoming year, he’s focused on releasing a couple of remixes and getting ready to tour again. “I’ve taken so much time off that I’m ready to get back in and do it differently. I want to do it enough where I’m happy as an artist, but not too much where I’m taking time away from my family.” The bright soul hopes to be remembered in this industry as Mr Nice Guy. “Not only as a nice dude but as someone with integrity and passion. I’m very passionate about everything I do.” Support the bold, diligent artist now on Beatport and Instagram.