By day, Mayfield senior Ricky Murphy is a quiet, laid-back student waiting to graduate.

By night, he is the well-known, outgoing DJ Slikk Rick, an ever-present figure at parties across Bowling Green.

Murphy is an elementary education major who balances a busy college life with MTV dreams.

“I look at TV and see DJs like Kid Capri and Funkmaster Flex,” Murphy said. “I see what they’re doing, and that’s what I wanna do. I wanna be known as a person that if you want your party done right, you wanna call DJ Slikk.”

Though he is now a successful disc jockey, he began his career by accident.

“I was in eighth grade, and one time somebody needed a DJ at a party,” Murphy said. “I just happened to have a lot of music.”

Once he started deejaying, he realized there was more to it than just pushing play. Murphy said that the crowd reaction inspired him to make a job out of it.

“I love the music, I love the hip-hop culture,” Murphy said. “Whenever I’m in the party and I play a song everybody likes, that’s the reaction I like.”

Party- and club-goers alike enjoy Murphy’s connection with the music and his audience.

Louisville freshman Britton Spence said the parties that feature DJ Slikk Rick “feel like home.”

“It’s the music I listen to when I’m sitting in my room,” Spence said. “He plays stuff that I like.”

Spence said that unlike other DJs, Murphy plays new, familiar music. He said that any time DJ Slikk Rick is the DJ, the audience can expect a “smackin’ good time.”

Nashville sophomore Rae-

londa Wynn agreed.

She said Murphy plays popular, enjoyable music and she thinks he’s a great DJ because of his timing.

“I think he plays all the upbeat music at the right time,” Wynn said.

Murphy said it is not easy or cheap to be a good DJ. He has to keep up with what is popular – whether he likes the music or not. And the equipment alone is expensive to maintain.

“Just for a turntable, mic, mixer and headphones without all the music, it’s about $1,500,” Murphy said.

Deejaying is only half of his life. Murphy is the president of his fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, and he said balancing school and his music career is a challenge.

“My major is elementary education,” Murphy said. “I look at (music) as a sport. If my sport doesn’t work out, I can always fall back on my major.”

Murphy said he would love to work with first graders if he pursues teaching career, and would use music as a learning tool.

Though he has a back-up plan, Murphy is not giving up on his dreams.

He has made major steps in the deejaying world. Murphy has worked with rappers like Lil’ Flip, Juvenile and BG. He said his greatest collaboration was with his idol Kid Capri.

Murphy has deejayed in Nashville, Bowling Green, Lexington and Louisville. He plans to continue deejaying in Bowling Green after graduation.

“I wanna put Kentucky on the map,” he said.

Reach Stephanie Toone at [email protected].