Doing it her way

> Deejay and singer Kirstie Maximus is a veritable powerhouse when it comes to music

Favourite actors: Meryl Streep and Idris Elba Favourite singers: Alicia Keys and Michael Jackson Favourite pastime: Watching Netflix Favourite politician: Nurul Izzah Favourite author: George Carlin qualifications to fall back on in case my music ambitions did not take off. So I took a diploma in sound and music to please them.”

What has been your biggest challenge in the music industry? “I am one of the few female rappers in Malaysia. As a female rapper, some people expect you to dress in a certain way and I do not believe music has a dress image. I do not listen to their suggestion. I stand on my own ground.”

What advice would you give to youngsters who want to make music their career? “Never sell yourself short. When you know what is your worth, set your price and stick with it. I wish somebody had told me [this] when I started my career.

“I had to learn to swim the hard way, otherwise I would have sunk.

“It is the dream of every singer to take their music internationally, and I am no different.

“[But] I won’t put a time frame on [my] dream. I always believe in living one day at a time.”

What motivated you to become a deejay? “People have this misconception that being a deejay is all about putting your finger on a play button. But there is a lot of art involved in deejaying.

“You have to get the audience immersed in [an] atmosphere where they will enjoy themselves. You have to make good song choices, and you can only do that when you understand the history of the music. You also need to be passionate about the music, and passion is something you cannot teach. What I like about my job [is that] I have freedom of expression. But you have to be ready, there will always be people who [may not] like what you spin.”

What is the best compliment you have received about your job? “Someone had said to me: ‘You are the centre of a party. Without you, no party can happen’. But I have not always been successful.

“I have learned my lessons well. I should not mix genres. I should stick to one genre. Success can only come from failure.”

What is something you hate as a deejay? “I hate requests. I think all deejays hate requests. We comply [with them] because we want to make the people happy. Deejays have planned their routines before the night began, and some requests can mess up their plans.”

What are your strengths and weaknesses? “My strength is that I am a perfectionist. I always overthink. That is also my weakness. When you overthink, it can be stressful and that is not good for your health.”

What do you do when you are not playing music? “I play futsal and go to the gym. I do a lot of cardio and some weight training.”