Complex sentence: He began his professional career as a cook, before changing direction and working as a DJ in the late 1980s, and then teaming up with Jam El Mar (a classically trained guitarist) in the early 1990s.
Split into simpler sentences: He began his professional career as a cook before changing direction and working as a DJ in the late 1980s. He then teamed up with Jam El Mar (a classically trained guitarist) in the early 1990s.