By Stefan Anderson / @SportsWithStef
DJ Drewski was going through his phone, checking his notifications when suddenly he received a call. He thinks it's just a routine checkup from one of his closest friends, Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, but this time he had a proposition.
“He was like while I’m up here let’s do something,” said Drewski. “He told me ‘I’m working on a radio show right now and we don’t have a live DJ or anything.’ At first, I thought it was going to be a little something where I’m DJing and he’s going to talk then that’s it. But honestly, the feedback that we got back from everybody was crazy.”
That idea formulated into what the public now knows as Andre Drummond’s Quarantine Radio series. DQR, Drummond’s Instagram show, where Drewski provides the soundtrack, gives fans a view of how music has been the driving force during this pandemic.
With the series attracting thousands of views daily, DQR is making itself a must-see on Instagram Live. If you hop on the former All-NBA player's live at any point, you can get a bevy of options. The live series features segments ranging from a DJ Drewski battle with another selected DJ to a theme night like R&B Tuesdays or Throwback Thursday.
“We’re just using our time wisely to put out a quarantine radio show every day,” the Hartford native said. “I know people love playing music and we're giving other opportunities to artists to play their music as well. This is us just putting Dre out as an artist, not just a basketball player, and giving whoever tunes in to a live show.”
Drummond, the two-time All-Star, who is known for cleaning up the boards and his defensive prowess, is using the quarantine to work on his other passion, recording music. Under the moniker, Dre Drumm, the Cavs center has released a few freestyles on Soundcloud and is currently working on a new mixtape.
“Basketball is always the number one priority, but now that basketball is put on hold, Dre wants to go to the studio,” said Drewski. “We go to the studio and feel out the vibes. From me down to the driver, is in the studio creating the vibe with us to make some hits. His upcoming project out of his three projects that he has is probably one of my favorite projects because I’ve seen the whole process.”
Cookouts and a summer tour brought together two guys from Hartford, Connecticut and now they're getting thousands of people into their bond with experience of DQR. Having Drummond in his corner is something Drewski is eternally grateful for.
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EP 28: DJ BATTLE!! @dj_drewski TOOK BACK TO BACK LOSSES 🥺😔 SHOUT OUT TO @iamdjdoe GOOD WIN BRO! @jblaudio @__thendrix @iamlodavis_ @gstress @mikeboorn
“I’m honestly blessed,” Drewski said. “Not a lot of DJs have this platform to DJ on an NBA’s players live every day and now I got new fans I’ve never had. I thank Dre after every live, but that’s what brothers do. I don’t even look at Dre as a basketball player. I look at him as an older brother.”
Music and Instagram Live have provided the escapism that we all need during this time of uncertainty. With platforms like Verzuz and or DJ D Nice’s Club Quarantine, we’ve all found a way to see the light in this dark period. With music being the corridor to keep fans in tune with sports and music on DQR, this is something Drewski continues to savor.
“I appreciate everything,” he added. “I look on the live and when they show me, I feel like I’m doing the right thing, I’m working. I feel like music brings all people together, music is like the untold language that everybody knows.”
This article first appeared on sportswithstef.wordpress.com and is used with permission.