A 2020 Lion graduate is making waves in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex as a sought-after DJ, and his stardom earned him a feature in Rolling Stone India Magazine.

Vamsi Kalakuntla, a 2020 graduate of Texas A&M-Commerce (now East Texas A&M) with an M.S. in Business Analytics, was one of a handful of Indian artists living and performing outside of their home country featured by the magazine. Described by Rolling Stone India as a “bankable Telugu DJ” spinning “infectious, dancefloor-friendly pop,” his music has also graced the silver screen, being featured in the third season of the Hindi-language Netflix series “Mismatched.”

As a student, Kalakuntla hosted his own program on the university radio station, 88.9 KETR-FM. “Friday Night with DJ VK” would bring beats from India and across the world to the Northeast Texas airwaves during the mid-2010s. He mentions in the Rolling Stone article that, after graduating and leaving the radio station, his passion for music didn’t fade, driving him to create his own music.

“When my education ended, the show ended with it — that's how campus radio works,” Kalakuntla is quoted saying in the feature. “But the thought wouldn't leave me alone. If I couldn't keep programming the bridge, I'd have to build it myself. That's what pushed me to start making my own music.”

Read the full feature from Rolling Stone India.