Meet William Hall a.k.a. DJ Will Da Thrill in North Miami Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to William Hall.

William, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m from Miami, FL. Born to migrant parents: Mother from Belize and Father from Jamaica. I grew up listening to Dancehall, soca, hiphop and a lot of R&B in the ’90s. Music is a big part of Caribbean culture and we always had music playing in the house. I vividly remember being in my dad’s car and there would be dancehall music blasting, with deep bass rattling my seats from subwoofers in the trunk. My father played a big role in my love for music. My dad’s musical knowledge is unmatched, even till this day, he knows all the latest artist and their music. My love for music leads to me writing songs. I never played any instruments but at one point, I considered making music by either singing or rapping. Even now, I still enjoy writing lyrics but I no longer want to aspire to be an artist.

I became fascinated with being a DJ late in high school. I discovered a free version of “Virtual DJ” online and figured I would give it a chance. My father’s friend who is a DJ really showed me the ropes and taught me the basics. Even before I had enough money for my own mixer, he would let me borrow his so I could go home and practice. Besides DJ’ing for family parties, my first gig came from a college picnic; I DJ’d for the Caribbean Student Association at my school, NSU. I was nervous, at the time, I didn’t even tell anyone on campus that I was a DJ, I had just been practicing in my room for a couple of months. To make a long story short, I killed it and everyone loved it. While I was mixing at the picnic, another organization on campus approached me to DJ their party later on that same day. And just like that, I became known on campus as a DJ.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I approach every gig like it’s my first one. I always prepare, practice, and inevitably get nervous. The nerves go away after I’ve played my first song. Then, I’m in my zone.

Some gigs have been difficult, some crowds are more receptive than others, but thankfully I haven’t had a bad day behind in the booth.

I would say the biggest challenge as a DJ coming up is valuing yourself. There’s a battle between wanting to get booked for gigs versus getting paid the amount you are worth. As a young DJ, I’ve undervalued my worth to get a few opportunities I thought would be beneficial to me. When people don’t know your name, they doubt you. I took those few gigs and did my best and knew I would never get paid that amount again because I deserve more.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
So, I go by the name “Will Da Thrill.”
I started off with a different name, but my sister suggested a change and I liked it, and I have kept it ever since.
I’m a DJ. I play music, I make people dance, I do my best to make sure people have a good time. I specialize in Dancehall, soca, hiphop/rap, and R&B. I’m most known for my versatility: I like to blend dancehall with hiphop a lot. I’m currently in the middle of making a new series for my Instagram that will be videos of me blending different genres of music together with connecting lyrics. A fun and challenging project I’ve been planning for some time.

In last February, I traveled to Colombia to DJ a wedding. I’m definitely most proud of that. I DJ’d the wedding and killed it. Everyone had an amazing time, the Bride and Groom continuously thank me for making that night memorable for everyone. When I think about that opportunity, being paid to fly to another country to do something I love, I’m forever grateful and proud of myself.

What sets me apart from others is my charisma. I love interacting with the crowd through music to create an experience. For me, it’s not always about playing the hottest records out; I enjoy connecting to the crowd and having people feel one with the music. One of my favorite things is playing an old school song that people love and really getting the hype.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could start over, I would have started earlier. I played sports all my life and never really got into physically doing something involving music till high school.

My journey has been fun and interesting. I wouldn’t change too much. I’ve definitely enjoyed myself DJ’ing.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 9547436370
• Email: dj.willdathrill@gmail.com
• Instagram: @_WillDaThrill_
• Twitter: @_WillDaThrill_
• Other: https://soundcloud.com/user-730306759/wdt_boasty

Image Credit:
Optical Abstractions, Nathalie Moreau Photography

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