Like the Drake song, Kalika Moquin started from the bottom. But now she’s the owner and founder of her own company, Blackout Artists.
Moquin began her career as a street promoter for Ice Nightclub before climbing her way up the industry ladder, landing marketing coordinator gigs at Jet, Bare and other then-Light Group properties. In 2012, she partnered with Jack Colton to launch Blackout Artists, a DJ agency she now runs on her own.
“When I worked at the Light Group I worked with some really talented resident DJs, and at the time they didn’t have representation,” Moquin says. “I really felt like some of these guys were the best I’d ever seen, but they didn’t have somebody behind them to really market them and get their name out there. So I started with just a couple of guys, and it went really well, so I added more DJs and we grew pretty quickly.”
The first two DJs she signed were Ikon and Karma. They’re still with her today—and are two of the best-known names in Vegas clubs. Since then, Blackout Artists has continued to grow, and in November, it merged with SKAM Artists with the plan to continue bringing open format to the masses.
“SKAM was our No. 1 competition, but all the guys were friends and [we] got along really well. Now we’ve just combined forces, and it’s been a great partnership so far,” Moquin says.
What does the merger actually mean for both companies? “I try to explain to people: If an airline were to merge, you’d still have your brands that you prefer even though they’re both working together,” she says. “We’re two separate brands with two separate rosters, but we ultimately offer a really great product—top of the line, open-format DJs. Any time you book a SKAM DJ or a Blackout DJ, you know you’re going to get a really great DJ that’s going to throw an amazing party.”
