If you ask DJ Kittysayword “Everyone is worthy of a good time.” Kitty, aka Catherine Capellán, is an all-around taste and palette curator. She “thinks of [DJing] like a meal. A good party has a bit of everything…it creates a diverse and filling feeling.” Whether it be her finesse for fusing hip-hop, house, disco, and Afro-Caribbean sound, or her pop-ups where she sells homemade flan to the people of LA, she believes that every good party is just like a good meal.
Kitty is primarily based in LA, but don’t get it twisted, she is a New York City Vet. She grew up in Washington Heights and cut her teeth in the fashion industry working as an assistant for legendary model, agent, and fashion activist Bethann Hardison.
It was during those years when Kitty started DJing, spending her nights taking on any gig she could get, eventually flipping her roster into an impressive list of high-profile clientele, ranging from HBO, Audemars Piguet, and our very own Family Style. “I used to carry all my equipment and take the train all the way from uptown,” Kitty said. “But I remember walking towards [my first gig] like, I’m going to give myself three years for people to take me seriously in what I’m trying to do.”
We last touched base with Kitty back in December 2024 for our “Where Do You Hangout?” feature in Complex Magazine Issue 001. She put us on to the joys of touching grass and hitting up the Silver Lake Reservoir, because “people underestimate a good walk!”
Now, back with a curated queue for the summer, After Dusk, Kitty lets us know how to build the perfect playlist, spend a summer in a city, and more.
Listen to Complex Summers presented by @complexinprint with Kittysayword now on Spotify.
So, before DJing full-time, you were an assistant to legendary model, agent, and fashion activist Bethann Hardison. What was it like juggling that full-time while building your career as a DJ?
Bethann is my second mom. I’m so grateful for her because she was always supportive of me DJing, from me playing in the Lower East Side. I just slowly started telling her, “I’m going to start to do this.” That was really helpful because my parents don’t understand this world, especially coming from an immigrant household. They were trying to protect me by wanting me to choose a safer path. But I always knew instinctively what I wanted for myself, and I was determined. I bet on myself.
Then I DJ’ed one time for Disney, and slowly started upping my ranks of clientele. I was approaching a birthday, and she was like, “Be independent, you got this.” She was always so encouraging because she just comes from entertainment—models, management—and has always been such a great point of reference for someone who works for themselves. She’s a huge part of who I am today, because I worked with her for a decade. I always had a lot of little jobs here and there, but that was something I always remained constant in because I always knew my purpose working with her, and it wasn’t until I moved [to LA] that we stopped.
The sentiment of ‘this is my path, and this is what I’m doing now,’ When did you make that switch?
I remember going to one of my earlier gigs at Beverly’s [Bar], and I used to carry all my equipment and take the train all the way from uptown—so many transfers, and it was heavy. But as I walked towards it, I thought, “I’m going to give myself three years for people to take me seriously in what I’m trying to do.” At that time, there were many people trying to start DJing. And in New York—you know how it is—everyone’s a DJ, and you want to be taken seriously. I remember seeing some friends overseas and how they were moving, and I felt like I could create that path. There are so many ways you could go about being a DJ, but I did see myself working with high-end clientele and being able to share my music in that way—having a balance of DJing for community, for corporate, and then also just grassroots. People knew what I was about and how pure my approach was. I decided early on that I’m going to do this, and I’m sticking with it. I just DJ’ed everything to make it known that I’m really trying to do this.
I love hearing you say, “I DJ’ed everything.”
It took a while, but it really did start picking up on that third year. I used to walk around with my sticks, and my flash drive like, “Yo, you need a DJ? I could DJ on the spot right now.” I put myself in that position. The biggest thing I needed to get over was being from New York and never wanting to be perceived as whack. You just needed to accept being whack in the start until you get better with each set. I always just wanted everybody to have a good time. I think that you’re never mad when you’re moving your body on the dance floor. It’s so healing; people need a way to release stress and the challenges of life through movement. The quickest way to decorate a room is with music. Sound is free, and that’s beautiful.
Your major skill is your ability to weave between and blend genres. You mix with influences that include hip-hop, disco, house, and more. How did you build your sound?
It’s so funny because when you start, people get caught up in playing the top 40 hits or the most-known tracks. The way that I like to play, I like to tug at heartstrings and make it so a song comes up when you’re about to leave, and you’re like, “Oh, I can’t leave.” Now you’re there an hour extra. And I love to play in that way. I think that the responsibility of a DJ is to put you onto something new. There are so many ways to deliver it, whether it’s a mashup, a fun edit, or just playing the song. The idea is that, “if you like that, I think you’re going to like this other song.” I think of it like a meal. A good party has a bit of everything. It creates a diverse and filling feeling when you leave, you’re like, “Wow, I feel full.”
What made you make the switch from New York to LA? I feel like it’s very difficult for New Yorkers to go to another city, especially in the US.
Completely. We’re so diehard about where we’re from. During the pandemic, I just started to realize the lack of natural resources. I was living in [Bedford-Stuyvesant], and I remember going to Herbert Von King Park, and it was just so crowded. This is insane. This is the only park we have that’s easily accessible to us, and it was just so crowded. It really made me sad. I was traveling to LA a lot because the flights were cheap, and it just opened the possibility of me being here. I was able to visualize [being] here.
That makes a lot of sense. My family is Caribbean, and I feel like the idea of not being around natural resources is very jarring.
Completely. I’m Dominican and Puerto Rican, so it’s a very similar thing. The Caribbean is so rich in different cultures, and just worlds within these islands. I think of the climate, the food, and the flowers—we share a lot of the same things.
Leaning off of that, because we were talking about New York and also you being raised in the Heights earlier, which has a predominantly Dominican and Afro-Caribbean community: If you were to name what a quintessential New York summer is to you, how would you identify that?
It’s just the summer energy of feeling like anything is possible and having the pumps open, kids playing, and the streets are just vibrant with energy. You see the older guys playing dominoes, the women at the salons, and people shopping at the grocery. I grew up in an area where, just walking down the block, I was stopped all the time by elders, friends, and that sense of community. You feel it. It’s palpable. You feel like everything’s alive. It has a color to it, and it’s hard to describe.
What do you think makes a good playlist?
I feel like a good playlist has a theme, whether it’s the narrative being told by an instrumental, highlighting an instrument, or just a feeling. I like to go off a feeling. I gather certain things that inspire a thought, something I may be going through, read, or a conversation I had with a friend.
I’ll start with one song, and live with the music. Sometimes, I’ll continue to add. I’ll travel, and hear something I really like. Then I’ll go [somewhere else] and I’ll be like “this song is amazing.” Building in that way, where it’s really organic, and then I’ll eventually order everything. Order for me is very important because I care about the flow. Having a beginning, middle, and end is important.
How do you feel like would you describe or name your sound?
Girl, it is hard. I love everything. But I think I always play with the intention to uplift energy and create a connection. I believe everybody’s worthy of having a good time. I always play with that in mind—you’re worthy to be in this room and to hear these beautiful sounds through a beautiful sound system.
And the energy of the playlist you’ve curated for Complex Summers?
After Dusk captures the warmth of the sunset when time slows down and everything feels possible. It’s the slow-burn feeling that something is about to develop.
Listen to Complex Summers presented by @complexinprint with Kittysayword now on Spotify.
