Say Yes Scared: Toronto Hip-Hop Legend DJX on Courage Before Confidence

DJX was handed the number one hip-hop radio show in the country and was too scared to open the microphone. He stayed silent for the first two hours.

Signature Quote

"Having no choice but to walk through the fire. Sometimes that's the only way."

DJX

Why this quote matters: it captures the heartbeat of this conversation. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is movement inside it. DJX built a legendary career not by waiting to feel ready, but by walking through the fire anyway.

Before he was a Toronto hip-hop legend, Adrien King was a shy kid hiding behind the turntables, practicing ten hours a day in the basement. Then one phone call changed everything. Ron Nelson told him, "Forget that guy, man. Come do my show with me." Overnight, DJX went from a good show to the number one show in the country, and straight into the fire.

In this conversation, DJX takes us inside those early CKLN Power Move days: the fear of opening the mic, the weight of deciding which local artists got heard, and the slow realization, years later, of how deeply the show shaped a generation. He also shares why he believes the culture has only gained from how it evolved, and what still pulls him back behind the decks.

At its core, this is a conversation about audacity in its purest form. As DJX puts it, he says yes and figures it out later. If you have been waiting to feel ready, this episode is your permission slip.

This episode is for you if...

• You have been waiting to feel confident before starting something big

• You grew up on Toronto hip-hop and want the inside story of the Power Move era

• You want to understand the difference between preparation and permission

• You are curious how legends handle fear (they feel it too)

• You need a nudge to say yes before you feel ready

About DJX

Adrien King, known to generations of hip-hop fans as DJX, is a Toronto hip-hop legend who hosted the iconic CKLN Power Move show in the late eighties and early nineties. Taking over from Ron Nelson, he turned Saturday afternoons into appointment listening, introducing the city to hip-hop in its infancy and championing local Canadian talent when few others would.

Behind the legend was relentless preparation: ten-hour practice days, DJ battles, and a work ethic he compares to the Karate Kid's training. Today, Adrien still has his foot in the music as a touring DJ, runs a marketing business he started in 2007, day trades, and is a devoted husband and father. He joins the show to talk about courage, culture, and what it means to say yes scared.

Connect with DJX

🌐 Website → https://adrienking.com

📸 Instagram → @adrienking

🎧 Mixcloud → https://www.mixcloud.com/adrienking/

Listen on Major Platforms

🎧 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2jVR6V7X2kRiCCDXE0FTyl?si=IR3TsfEWR3WA6BzfBRnVXQ

🍎 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-audacious-living-podcast/id1547447345

📦 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/9f7902bb-dec8-4bd9-918d-d1fef21b7c67/the-audacious-living-podcast?ref=dm_sh_pGv57yQvAmAQVp2IIaXoDwtFt

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