Today we’d like to introduce you to Andres Cadavid.
Hi Andres, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Medellín, Colombia, and moved to Queens, New York when I was six years old. Growing up between Colombian culture and New York culture had a huge influence on who I became. New York exposed me to so many different sounds, cultures, styles and forms of art. I was especially drawn to graffiti, street art and graphic design, and I eventually started doing graphic design myself. That visual side of NYC culture influenced my creativity just as much as the music did, and even today you can see pieces of that street-art mentality in my music, branding and ideas.
Music was always around me, and eventually DJing became more than something I enjoyed, it became the way I expressed myself. I’ve been DJing for over 13 years now. I started from the bottom, learning the craft, doing smaller events and taking every opportunity I could to get better. Over time, DJ Pipe became my identity, and I was fortunate enough to perform at clubs, lounges, private events and in different cities while building relationships with people throughout the industry.
But my journey hasn’t just been about DJing. I’ve always been an entrepreneur and somebody who likes to create. Whether it was music, graphic design, art or business, I’ve always had ideas and wanted to turn them into something real. I’ve tried different businesses, taken risks, had things work and had things fail. Every experience taught me something. There were definitely moments when life forced me to reset and really think about what I wanted my future to look like.
That ultimately brought me back to the reason I started in the first place: music and creativity. Today, I’m putting much more of my energy into being a music producer and creator, not just a DJ. I’m releasing my own records, including my latest track “POM,” creating original content through Pipología, and developing new concepts that bring DJs, artists, music and entertainment together.
I feel like I’m entering a new chapter now. I still love DJing and performing, but my goal is bigger than just being the person behind the decks. I want to create records, build original platforms, combine music with visual art, give other talent opportunities, and create something that can live beyond the nightclub.
I’m still growing, still learning and still creating. I think that’s what makes this part of the journey exciting. That’s me DJ Pipe
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, both personally and professionally. One of the biggest challenges has been learning that sometimes you can work extremely hard at something and it still doesn’t work out the way you imagined. I’ve taken risks with different businesses and projects, and some of them didn’t succeed. I’ve invested money, time and energy into ideas that I eventually had to walk away from. At the time, those moments felt like failures, but looking back, they taught me a lot about business, people, and also myself.
I’ve also experienced setbacks in music. At one point I lost a huge part of my music library after a computer failure. For a DJ, losing years of music and organization is almost like losing your toolbox and having to rebuild it from scratch. But I kept going.
Probably the biggest challenge throughout my career has been figuring out how to evolve. For years I was focused heavily on nightlife and DJing, but eventually I started asking myself what I wanted DJ Pipe to become longterm. I realized I didn’t want my entire career to depend on what club I was playing at that weekend. I wanted to own what I create. Those struggles changed my mentality. Now I look at setbacks differently. Sometimes starting over is exactly what pushes you toward the next version of yourself. I’m still building, but today I have a much clearer vision: create my own music, develop my own concepts, build my brand, and create opportunities that I actually own.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is all about energy and connection. I’m a DJ, music producer and creative, and I’ve spent more than 13 years learning how to read a room and bring different cultures together through music. My style comes from my Colombian roots and growing up in New York, so naturally my sound pulls from reggaetón, Latin music, house, dancehall, dembow and other international influences.
As a DJ, I’m known for being versatile. I don’t like to just play records back 2 back I like creating moments. I pay attention to the crowd, switch the energy when it needs to change, and find combinations people might not expect. To me, DJing is storytelling without having to say much.
Now I’m taking that same mentality into producing my own music. One project I’m especially proud of is my latest record, “POM,” with Saint F. It represents the direction I’m moving in: creating original music that combines my influences while still being made for people to dance and have fun.
What sets me apart is that I don’t see myself as only a DJ. I’m always thinking about the bigger picture… the music, visuals, content, concepts and experience around it. That’s also where Pipología comes from. It’s my creative world and a way for people to see more than just DJ Pipe performing at a party.
At this point in my career, what I’m most proud of is that I’m still hungry to reinvent myself. After more than a decade doing this, I’m not comfortable just relying on what I’ve already accomplished. I want to keep creating, take risks and build something that has my fingerprint on it.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about New York is the diversity. You can be around so many different cultures, different types of music, food and people all in one place. Growing up in Queens definitely influenced me as a DJ because I was exposed to so many sounds from a young age. I think that’s a big reason why I became such an open-format DJ.
What I like least is probably the traffic and how expensive everything has gotten lol. New York can definitely be stressful, but at the same time, that crazy energy is part of what makes the city what it is.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsopipe?stkn=bHR1dzkyem9oY2Fr&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thatsopipe?si=dJkWm-0NzKqnN2ar
