Today we’d like to introduce you to Appolonia Chukwu, also known as DJ BAD APPLE.
Hi Appolonia; we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I had grown up in the choir and theater, dreamed of being a “popstar” as a kid, and took my dream seriously, writing music, working on my vocals, and eventually laying down tracks with a friend of mine in college. Still, I had that moment most people do in college when they feel like they need to “grow up and get serious” about what they want to do with the rest of their life, so I took a step back from music and focused on finishing school at Texas State University. Fast forward a few years later, and after a slew of jobs that resulted in unfair pay and long hours, coupled with a laundry list of personal hardships that resulted in some dark moments regarding my mental health, I had had enough. Everything changed when I decided to do more of what made me happy. I decided to go back to school and get my master’s and began learning how to DJ because I used to daydream about it, and music had always made me feel happy and connected. I quickly realized I was good at this and wondered if I could DJ and re-enter into music and make a living off of doing the things I loved. When I started to teach myself how to DJ, I worked full-time at UT Austin, leading the Undergrad program for the Black studies department. I continued to work full-time during my first semester of grad school, pursuing a Master’s in Women and Gender Studies at UT.
The following semester I left my position at UT to do grad school full-time. It was 2019, and I planned to put myself out there for DJ gigs the next year. However, I had to put things on pause because of the COVID pandemic. I was initially discouraged but trusted that this was an opportunity to work more on my craft. By 2021, I went from doing my first paid gig (djing a friend’s birthday party) to picking up my first gig at Outer Heaven Disco Club, to DJing at Volstead Lounge (a long-time favorite spot of mine) and quickly became one of Volstead’s resident DJ’s alongside DJ’s I’ve been a fan of for such a long time. Since then, I’ve DJ’d all over Austin, playing gigs at different bars and clubs and spinning at public and private events. My biggest gigs to date have been FORMULA 1 and opening up for DVSN at Stubbs Amphitheater. My first festival and show out of town will be at Fuel Fest in Forth Worth on April 15th, which is extra special cause I’m from Dallas originally. I should also mention that I finished grad school and wrote an award-winning thesis about Black Women’s cultural production in the music space, where I explored the work of Black cis and trans DJs and producers, weaving in an auto-ethnography of my experience as a Black female DJ in Austin, Texas.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
It hasn’t been a smooth journey, but it’s been rewarding. But of course, my position as a Black Nigerian American woman affects everything I do, how I move through the world, and how others view me. On the one hand, I’ve seen so much success, opportunity, and exposure so early in my career, but boy did I put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get here. There was a lot of work I had to do on myself long before I became a professional DJ that has helped me navigate this space, set boundaries, take up space, and ask for (if not demand) fair and proper compensation for my time, energy, and talent.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I’m a DJ and event curator, a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller, passionate about creating diverse and inclusive spaces and equitable opportunities for those on the margins. I pride myself on curating genre-bending DJ sets that explore my multifaceted identity as a Black woman. On a deeper level, DJing allows me to embody all sides of myself, and I feel that it is tough to do that as a Black woman, especially when you add the additional layer of being the daughter of immigrants. Your parents make all these sacrifices, leaving their homes to give you opportunities, hoping you can have a life that offers you some stability. So it’s difficult to say, “Hey Mom, hey Dad, I wanna do the most unstable and unpredictable thing and be an artist, forge my own path.”
Being Nigerian, I always felt like a black sheep, not into the status quo, and never wanted to entertain respectability politics. Sometimes feeling different feels like a hindrance, but more times than not, it gives me the ironic ability to exist in multiple spaces. I consider myself a multi-genre DJ, but these days, my DJ sets are grounded in different iterations of house and techno, and I’ll weave in other genres that I love, like Afrobeat, disco, hip hop, and pop. I aim to create space on the dancefloor for those on the margins and invoke feelings of euphoria within the crowd, ultimately fostering a moment of reprieve and connection for us all.
I’m super proud of the Megan Thee Stallion Party I threw with my friends and fellow amazing DJs Majesty of Divinity and Orya at Cheer Up Charlie’s last April. It was a packed house and an unforgettable night, for sure. It was beautiful to see folks from all walks of life embrace this confident and sex-positive side of themselves, and it was lovely to see so many black bodies take up space and exude this unapologetic black joy that night. I consider the party and my work as a DJ to be an extension of my black feminist public scholarship. Aside from DJing and event curation, I am a songwriter, freelance culture writer, budding music producer, and music supervisor for tv and film. My first music supervision job was for writer, comedian, and director Meghan Ross’s short “Here to Make Friends.”
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check?
Two things I turn to when I need a little grounding are “The Law of Attraction” by Esther and Jerry Hicks and my “Moonology Oracle” moon deck and book by Yasmin Boland. When I need a laugh or mental escape, I turn to some of my favorite Bravo podcasts like “Andy’s Girls,” “Come Thru Queen,” and “Bitch Sesh,” And when I need some work-related advice, “Girlboss Radio.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/dj_bad_apple
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dj_bad_apple/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dj-bad-apple-842798066
Image Credits
Julian Smith, Patrick Wayne, Roger Ho, Isaac Barnhill
