---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before my first album 'Born To Do It,' I…"
description: "\"Before my first album 'Born To Do It,' I used to DJ.\" — Craig David"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/craig-david-4655_album_before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-us_3194090.jpg"
---

#  Before my first album 'Born To Do It,' I used to DJ.

![“Before my first album 'Born To Do It,' I used to DJ.” quote by Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/craig-david-4655_album_before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-us_3194090.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/craig-david-4655_album_before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-us_3194090.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/craig-david-4655_album_before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-us_3194090.jpg)

> “Before my first album 'Born To Do It,' I used to DJ.”

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He started his music career as a DJ before releasing his debut album, showing a progression from behind‑the‑scenes to spotlight.

**In simple terms:** He was a DJ before his first album.

Key Takeaway

Leverage early experiences to launch new ventures.

Themes

career development music industry growth skill transition self‑branding

Mood

reflective optimistic

Type

inspirational career‑focused

When to use this quote

- music production
- live performance
- career pivot

Key Concepts

DJing artist evolution industry networking personal branding

Questions to Reflect On

- How did DJing shape his artistic style?
- What early skills helped his album launch?

A Different Perspective

Success depends on more than early roles; market changes matter.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Album](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/album/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/)

## Related quotes

> [I used to DJ in Atlanta, and that's how I kind of got into the music industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-jon/i-used-to-dj-in-atlanta-and-that-s-how-i-kind-of-got-into-the-music/)

[Lil Jon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-jon/)

> [My dad used to DJ too, so we used to hear music all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jme/my-dad-used-to-dj-too-so-we-used-to-hear-music-all-the-time/)

[Jme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jme/)

> [I want you to know , When I wrote my album Born this way even thought I didn't know you yet , But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-want-you-to-know-when-i-wrote-my-album-born-this-way-even-thought-i/)

[Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/)

> [An album is not like an hour-long DJ set, you know, hit after hit and then build up to one big climax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hardwell/an-album-is-not-like-an-hour-long-dj-set-you-know-hit-after-hit-and/)

[Hardwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hardwell/)

> [I never wanted to just press play on some DJ set and let the lights do all the work. I value old-fashioned performance a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-never-wanted-to-just-press-play-on-some-dj-set-and-let-the-lights/)

[Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/)

> [For me, it's a great thing to tell people anything is possible. When I was 15, people told me 'You're not going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afrojack/for-me-it-s-a-great-thing-to-tell-people-anything-is-possible-when-i/)

[Afrojack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afrojack/)

> [I'm not a DJ - I don't know how to scratch or mix records, but I know how to party, and I know music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rose/i-m-not-a-dj-i-don-t-know-how-to-scratch-or-mix-records-but-i-know/)

[Amber Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rose/)

> [People like RZA and DJ Premier are really on the balcony to scope my musical theories. They also help me focus on making sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/people-like-rza-and-dj-premier-are-really-on-the-balcony-to-scope-my/)

[Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/)

> [I consider myself more of a producer and a musician than a DJ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kygo/i-consider-myself-more-of-a-producer-and-a-musician-than-a-dj/)

[Kygo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kygo/)

> [It's tough when you're an artist because you get to go around the world and make a lot of friends, but guess what? One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flying-lotus/it-s-tough-when-you-re-an-artist-because-you-get-to-go-around-the/)

[Flying Lotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flying-lotus/)

> [I'm in a car so much on tour that I often just ask my friends to DJ and ask them what they like. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/i-m-in-a-car-so-much-on-tour-that-i-often-just-ask-my-friends-to-dj/)

[Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/)

> [I saw this DJ playing music and saying things to the kids. They would answer him back, and I say, 'That's a great idea.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-robinson/i-saw-this-dj-playing-music-and-saying-things-to-the-kids-they-would/)

[Sylvia Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-robinson/)

> [I was DJing for this party promotion called 1st Flight Entertainment, having to DJ on the weekends and then also going to school in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tay-keith/i-was-djing-for-this-party-promotion-called-1st-flight-entertainment/)

[Tay Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tay-keith/)

> [Raves when it was safe to be free &amp; wave your hands in the air, like you didn't even care! Not scared to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/progrezza/raves-when-it-was-safe-to-be-free-wave-your-hands-in-the-air-like-you/)

[Progrezza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/progrezza/)

> [I try to get the hip-hop aesthetic, most times without an MC. I don't use a rapper or a DJ to give it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/i-try-to-get-the-hip-hop-aesthetic-most-times-without-an-mc-i-don-t/)

[Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/)

## More by Craig David

> [It's like a god-given gift that I've actually been able to go out and sing my songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/it-s-like-a-god-given-gift-that-i-ve-actually-been-able-to-go-out-and/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [I'm an only child, so I got spoilt a lot. Which was a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/i-m-an-only-child-so-i-got-spoilt-a-lot-which-was-a-good-thing/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [Writing for others is great cos you can tailor it for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/writing-for-others-is-great-cos-you-can-tailor-it-for-them/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> ['Born to Do It' took a kid out of a council estate and put my mum into a home of her own. It changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/born-to-do-it-took-a-kid-out-of-a-council-estate-and-put-my-mum-into/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [I wanna have a positive impact and bring in artists on the come-up. It gets me hyped!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/i-wanna-have-a-positive-impact-and-bring-in-artists-on-the-come-up-it/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [As much as money is important for security, for me, it is worth nothing without music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/as-much-as-money-is-important-for-security-for-me-it-is-worth-nothing/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [When I was 16, I didn't really know what intuition was as a word, even. It's one of those things you experience, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/when-i-was-16-i-didn-t-really-know-what-intuition-was-as-a-word-even/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [My mum made the best roasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/my-mum-made-the-best-roasts/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [When you first come out of the box, you want to play the 300-capacity place, then it's 1,600-capacity, then it's an arena - so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/when-you-first-come-out-of-the-box-you-want-to-play-the-300-capacity/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [Kasabian are wicked. They've got the hit songs, but it's the presence in the performance and the attitude with it that I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/kasabian-are-wicked-they-ve-got-the-hit-songs-but-it-s-the-presence/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [I'm a big fan of Usher, and I'd love for us to record together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/i-m-a-big-fan-of-usher-and-i-d-love-for-us-to-record-together/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [I bought a dodgy gold ring off a guy in Southampton. He told me to check it was real gold by heating it up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/i-bought-a-dodgy-gold-ring-off-a-guy-in-southampton-he-told-me-to/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [Everything around me is surreal. I get picked up in cars and go to celebrity bashes, and I get sponsorship on clothes, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/everything-around-me-is-surreal-i-get-picked-up-in-cars-and-go-to/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> ['Fill Me In' went to number one at the same time Destiny's Child released 'Say My Name.' Having a number one over Destiny's Child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/fill-me-in-went-to-number-one-at-the-same-time-destiny-s-child/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

> [I'd love to reach the pinnacle where you just can't wait to get the new album by Craig David.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/i-d-love-to-reach-the-pinnacle-where-you-just-can-t-wait-to-get-the/)

[Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

[Explore all 108 Craig David quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/)

## More Album quotes

> [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/)

[Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/)

> [I definitely want to put together an amazing debut album with some really dreamy collaborations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-runway/i-definitely-want-to-put-together-an-amazing-debut-album-with-some/)

[Bree Runway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-runway/)

> [I give you everything you want as an artist, for so long. Consistency. Wordplay. Wittiness. You can check the checklist. Only thing I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/i-give-you-everything-you-want-as-an-artist-for-so-long-consistency/)

[Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/)

> [Doing my own album provided me the opportunity to say whatever I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marx/doing-my-own-album-provided-me-the-opportunity-to-say-whatever-i/)

[Richard Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marx/)

> [I never thought I would be on the tour or that people would want to talk about my album. It was never about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-wave/i-never-thought-i-would-be-on-the-tour-or-that-people-would-want-to/)

[Rod Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-wave/)

> [I never do any album to beat it. I do it to extend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-never-do-any-album-to-beat-it-i-do-it-to-extend-it/)

[Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/)

> [My first album, 'Get Lifted,' was a hip-hop soul album that had some of its roots in the church, as far as the sonic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/my-first-album-get-lifted-was-a-hip-hop-soul-album-that-had-some-of/)

[John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/)

> [Yazoo was Vince's sound ultimately. At the time Vince and I got together he had only recorded one album with Depeche and Depeche were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/yazoo-was-vince-s-sound-ultimately-at-the-time-vince-and-i-got/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [A lot of the album 'The Definition' was made from two things: Pixar movies and J. Dilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bellion/a-lot-of-the-album-the-definition-was-made-from-two-things-pixar/)

[Jon Bellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bellion/)

> [I definitely consider 'Poses' - the whole album in fact - to be kind of a miracle. Like the last breath of that moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-definitely-consider-poses-the-whole-album-in-fact-to-be-kind-of-a/)

[Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/)

> [I remember I heard it in an interview with Michael Jackson one day, saying the art is gone, everybody makes records just to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/i-remember-i-heard-it-in-an-interview-with-michael-jackson-one-day/)

[Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/)

> [James Morrison just had a new album come out and I think he's incredible. I'd love to work with him, his voice is insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mchale/james-morrison-just-had-a-new-album-come-out-and-i-think-he-s/)

[Kevin McHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mchale/)

> [The first album I ever purchased and ever remember listening to in full length was 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doechii/the-first-album-i-ever-purchased-and-ever-remember-listening-to-in/)

[Doechii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doechii/)

> [I'm a huge Joe Nichols fan, and he put this song out an album called 'Real Things.' I was excited for Joe when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-shelton/i-m-a-huge-joe-nichols-fan-and-he-put-this-song-out-an-album-called/)

[Blake Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-shelton/)

> [We on the internet. That's such a small community. We think we're so huge. If you went up to people on the street and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/we-on-the-internet-that-s-such-a-small-community-we-think-we-re-so/)

[Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/)

[Browse all 1,266 Album quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/album/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Before my first album 'Born To Do It,' I used to DJ.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Craig David"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-used-to-dj/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Album"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-used-to-dj/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/craig-david-4655_album_before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-us_3194090.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/craig-david-4655_album_before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-us_3194090.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53b/craig-david-4655_album_before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-us_3194090.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Before my first album 'Born To Do It,' I used to DJ.” — Craig David",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Craig David",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Before my first album 'Born To...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-used-to-dj/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/before-my-first-album-born-to-do-it-i-used-to-dj/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
