Cue the Record was founded by Mustafa Ali-Smith and Sem (Semaj’) Davis in 2024.
Mustafa is a Chicago native and is the co-founder and host of Cue the Record. He leads the brand’s creative direction, collaborations, and community engagement. Mustafa’s work has always been about public service and has formerly worked in the social justice nonprofit and government space. He is an avid vinyl collector and Dj’s vinyl only sets in his spare time.
Ross Thompson is a Houston native currently living in Houston, TX with a deep passion for music and building community. His love for records began in his grandparents’ game room, digging through their collection and discovering sounds that would shape his own journey. Over the past three years, Ross has built an extensive vinyl collection spanning soul, funk, jazz, R&B, and hip hop. Since moving to New York, Ross has come to value community more than ever. He’s hosted events centered around music, golf, and finance—bringing people together through shared interests and creating space for meaningful connection. On weekends, you’ll likely find him browsing a local record store or out on the golf course, always sharing what he loves with the people around him.
Motunrayo “Motun” Olusa is a Hudson Valley, NY native with an immense love for music and bringing people together. Her first generation Nigerian upbringing heavily influences her love for music and physical media, introducing her to a range of genres such as jazz, Afrobeat, R&B, and highlife. Over the last 5 years she has amassed a diverse collection of vinyls in an effort to keep that tradition alive. She looks forward to connecting over the next concert she’s heading to, a random musical fact, or her most recent vinyl find.
Trav Lee is a Jersey-born, Bronx-based artist with a lifelong love for sound in all its forms. Over the past decade, he's produced more than 20 albums—including two on vinyl—and curated and DJ'd over 300 events. In early 2025, he launched No Song Found, an audiovisual collective exploring longform DJ sets, documentaries, beat breakdowns, and carefully crafted digital and physical releases. Now joining Cue The Record, Trav brings his deep rooted passion for music history, analog textures, and storytelling to create shared experiences and keep building community through sound.
Cue the Record was founded by Mustafa Ali-Smith and Sem (Semaj’) Davis in 2024.