Tell us about yourself!
Hey everyone! My name is Yetti. I go by DJ Fibonacci. I am a first-generation Nigerian American woman born in the Southern Midwest. I am in my late 20s. I've been living in the Bay Area for about three and a half years now. I've been DJing for about six years. I like music. I like science. I like coding. I like data science. I am a stem-head.
Can you talk about the beginning of your DJ journey?
I got really into SoundCloud my senior year of high school. I wanted to make music that reflected how the music I listened to made me feel. In 2016 I bought a little MIDI keyboard to produce beats. The learning curve was hard for me, I was a bit impatient. So, I bought a little turntable. I figured mixing music would be easier, and I could still produce the vibes that I wanted to via the MIDI keyboard.
I went from DJing for myself to DJing small gatherings and school events. Eventually I started taking it seriously. I dropped my first mix in 2017 for this girl named Mickey who was having a three-series birthday party called Birthday Cake and Tacos. She reached out to me because she wanted a female DJ. That was when I was like, “Oh shit. This is turning into a real thing now.”
Were there specific turning points where you began to see you could make it as a professional DJ?
When I moved to the Bay, I connected with an old friend. [He] hooked me up with this really big DJ gig for Google called Google Beach Day, which is hosted by their BGN network. (BGN stands for the Black Googlers Network.) Everything in me was scared shitless. But I said yes to the opportunity, because why the hell would I ever say no to [Google]?
That event prompted me to buy a more professional turntable. It also prompted me to invest in the software I was using. It really solidified the fact that I was DJ Fibonacci.
Why did you decide to become a DJ?
Because I love music. And I think that DJing is a skill that allows [me] to really connect with [my] audience. After high school, I knew I still loved music, and I still wanted to be involved with music somehow. DJing allowed me to do that.
Where did the name the DJ Fibonacci come from?
I had this affinity for the Fibonacci sequence. It encompasses a lot of the things I'm interested in and things that I like. I love the mathematical element of it. I love the architectural element of it, and the musical element. DJ Fibonacci came from a lot of nerding around. Or should I say blerding?
Who are your influences? And what about them inspires you?
Top two for sure are probably Kelela [and Solange]. Their sound is what prompted me to even go down this path. I honestly hope that one day I can produce something that makes someone feel [they way their music makes me feel].
There’s a lot of female DJs out there that I really love Bae Bae, a DJ down in LA. Another one is DJ Brittney Sky. I really loved her because she reminded me of me: kind of shy, dark skinned. Then DJ Siobhan Bell, who's a DJ based out of London. I see these women and it's like, “damn, they're doing the damn thing, really making a way for themselves.” That's really inspirational.
What do you want people who attend your events to feel?
I want them to feel moved. I want them to be able to leave my events thinking “Wow, I was put on to so much new music,” or, “That was a spiritual experience. I want to go back to something that DJ Fibonacci is spinning at, again.”
What inspired you to start hosting your own events?
I think I've always wanted to host an event that was my own, where I could play whatever [Iwanted] and curate the music. The vibe is set in the way that I want it to be set.
Another thing is this feeling that I won't necessarily feel legitimate as a DJ until I have my own events. Finally being able to host my own event makes me feel more legitimate as a DJ.
Where did the idea for Wanderland come from? And can you describe what it is?
I want Wanderland to be like a Joe Kay experience. I want people to be able to listen to music that they might not have heard before in this space that we'll be in. I want them to allow themselves to explore sounds as the essence of this event.
[Wanderland] is not going to be a typical turn up. I want it to be something that people can really sit with and contemplate. It is obviously a play off of Alice in Wonderland. It's kind of going down this rabbit hole, you're in this world that's upside down, or it's just different. I called it Wanderland because I want to go down a rabbit hole of music and take the audience with me.
I haven't experienced an event like this, where Afro-futuristic sounds are center stage. I want it to be a space where people can be encapsulated in great music.
You’ve described your event as “a curated music experience centered around Afrofuturistic sounds encompassing alternative R&B/soul, dance, and electronic vibes.” What about Afrofuturism appeals to you, and why?
I think for me, Afrofuturism is this whole idea of Black individuals being there in the future, continuing to curate the experience of spirituality [in] music. Making music today that you'll play 20 years from now, and it will still sound like it could be made in that day and age. Afrofuturism has a mainstay about it. Black people are here now and we're gonna be here in the future. I really feel like the type of music I listen to reflects that. Afrofuturism allows me to be freer with the type of self-expression that I have.
What's next for you?
I'm planning on making Wanderland a series. I would love to bring it back in the spring of next year, hopefully in a bigger space. I'm also hoping to drop some produced beats that I've made.
It would be super cool to make this [Wanderland series] a big city thing. Like maybe have one in the Bay, have one in LA, one in New York, one in Austin, Texas. I'm really excited to learn from the experience and to just share space with people who love dope music and sounds.
Is there anything else that you'd like to add?
If you'd like to stay in touch with me and keep up to date with the things that I'm hosting or events I’m spinning at, check me out on Instagram @thedjfibonacci. I also have a website -www.thedjfibonacci.com - where you can see my past events, upcoming events, and some of the mixes I've released. Stay tuned. I hope to bring some great things to you all in the future!
