by Ben Wilhelm

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Hip Hop DJ

     Svetoslav Stoyanov is a 16-year-old DJ/record enthusiast living in Berlin.  Svetnik, as his friends call him, also works at the largest record store in Germany, Hip Hop Vinyl.
     He was born in Bulgaria and moved to Germany when he was 10 years old. In 2006 he began to become immersed in the hip hop culture of the city. He was landed a job at Hip Hop Vinyl where he makes enough money to feed his healthy record collection. He also gets a nice discount.
     “Sometimes I just want to go to a store and listen to the records but I don’t or can’t buy anything. I just want to hear the music,” Svetnik said.
     Through his job at the store, Svetnik has found a great connection to the hip hop community. Not only is Hip Hop Vinyl a popular place to dig for records, it is also a label that puts out records. One day Svetnik may have a place where he can put out his own music.
     Svetnik puts his records to use by DJing in Berlin.  Although many of the good hip hop clubs in Berlin are for those 18 and older, through his connections with Hip Hop Vinyl and the hip-hop community, he is often put on guest lists so he can get in.
     Having such great connections in an ever-growing and vibrant city at such a young age, Svetnik’s future looks bright.