DJ Fly Guy is a visionary, a dreamer, and a burst of raw talent in the music scene.Blending impeccable taste with a feel for the moment, Fly Guy channels his unadulterated passion through his musical performances, bringing a surge of energy to any room he plays. Celebrating 10 years in the business in January 2019, this DJ may be one to watch for in 2019.
1. When did you realize you wanted to be a DJ?
I’ve been a rapper since I was 15 years old. Writing and recording music, performing in front of large audiences; finding a home on a stage. When I left Brooklyn in 2008 and moved back down to Miami, I was having a tough time figuring out what I was going to do with my life. At that point, I had never really made any money being an artist, and there weren’t many outlets for Hip Hop acts to get known down here, except for MIAMI LIVE. My daughter was about to be born, and I needed to figure something out, quick. To pass the time, I would go hang out every Sunday night at this small bar on South Beach called Love Hate. That’s where I met and established rapports with DJ Self Born, Mark Gordon, and Johnny Walker aka Ferg Fresh. It was literally music to my ears because what was being played was Old School hip hop, funk, r&b, reggae, and soul. That night/party became my place of refuge once a week. Every week. Like church service. Even though I have two older brothers who DJ’d as well, this was the first time I was able to have a bird’s eye view on what it was like to control a room people with music selections. It was at that point in December 2008 when I said I want to do THAT. Those guys gave me my first opportunity to get my feet wet and learn how to move a room of people on the “fly.” It really was trial by fire and on the job “training.” For me, it was a natural evolution from MC to DJ, since those are two of the 5 elements that make up Hip Hop culture. And I am a child of Hip-Hop. I thought about guys like Run (RUN-DMC) who started out as a DJ then became a rapper. Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, who Raps and DJs, D-Nice, Questlove, and the list goes on; so many people who embrace different parts of the culture and reinvent themselves. I felt like I could do the same. And do it well. 10 years later… here we are
- Where did the moniker DJ Fly Guy come from?
Circa 2006/2007 I was still living in Brooklyn, and my friends and I were throwing these very popular parties in Washington D.C. One of them, my man Scottie, aka G4 Scott, went to law school out there and he became known for having incredible house parties. Those shindigs later became club/lounge parties, and we were known as the G4 Crew: We Only Fly with a Few. Every Friday we would leave NYC, bound for DC, throw the party on Saturday, then come back to NYC on Sunday. One weekend, we all decided to dress for the party in tuxedos with jeans sneakers. I added a Yankees fitted hat to my ensemble with some red Marc Jacobs sunglasses. When we got to the venue to set up for the night, our door girl stopped me as I was walking in and said to me, “you know something, you’re a really FLY guy.” The light bulb went off. A few days later when I was back in Brooklyn, I bought the domain name aflyguy.com and launched a blog site. Even on my rapping mixtapes, it would say RAHSAAN aka “A FLY GUY.” So I was Fly long before I ever became a DJ. But when I started deejaying, I didn’t want to use my government name like I had been using for my rapping; so I decided I may as well use my blogging name.
- Who were your musical influences growing up?
I was, and still am, influenced by so many different artists, for various reasons. When I’m on stage or in the booth, I’m like a combination of Maxwell & Big Daddy Kane. Growing up, I was influenced by artists like Scarface, Jay-Z & Bob Marley. I was also entranced by the way Bob would look like he was catching the Holy Ghost during his LIVE performances. I feel like that happens to me often times when I’m deejaying. I lose myself in the music and in the moment.
- What’s the most requested song or artist?
Requests change as the times change. Artists and songs lose their appeal after a while. But one thing I’ve learned over the past decade of being a professional DJ is that, at some point in the night, somebody will request to hear Reggae music. But for 2018, I can say the most request I received was for Cardi B. We’ll see if that changes for 2019.
- If you weren’t a DJ what would you be doing?
If I weren’t deejaying or making music, I would still be involved in the nightlife industry in some capacity. It’s hard to envision myself not in the business at this point. Even though it has its major ups and major downs, I love it.
- One thing about you people don’t know about you.
What a lot of people don’t know about me is that I have an infatuation with Formula One racecars. I wanted to be a racecar driver when I was a teenager. I have still had dreams about being on a racetrack somewhere going 175 mph.
7.Favorite place in Miami to chill…
When your life is as consumed with music as mine is, even on my off nights I find myself chilling in small bars or lounges. One of my favorite spots is the SHH Lounge on South Beach. It’s like my own little hideaway.
- Favorite tech gadget you can’t live without?
I can’t live without my laptop or my cell phone. They both go hand in hand for the industry I’m in. It sounds kind of cliché’ they both really are vital to staying on top of this business. But I am coming up on my very first vacation ever since getting into the business a decade ago, and I’m totally disconnecting from all social media, and everything work related for one month. No phone. No laptop. A lot of mediation, reading and detoxing.
- Personal career highlight?
The most notable highlight of my career thus far would have to be being one of 12 DJ’s chosen out of thousands to star on a DJ reality show on VH1 called Master of the Mix. Being viewed by millions of people every Monday night for 6 weeks, competing for $250,000 and getting the respect of legends like DJs Kid Capri and Irie after only being in the game 5 years at that point, was monumental for me. It changed everything…for the better.
- What’s next…..?
I have short-term goals and long-term goals in and out of the nightlife business. I have plans to open my own lounge one day. 2019 will be the year I pursue my acting, which has been another hidden passion of mine for a long time: Films, docu-series, etc. And I’m also working on a book. There’s more… in due time.
About Fly Guy
Simple roots and a scrappy attitude helped raise Fly Guy to the top. At 15 years old, the young MC spent his days and nights hustling, eager to translate his energy from DJ booths to dance floors. Without a single piece of equipment to his name, Fly Guy did his name justice — and learned the art form truly on the fly. Once the self-taught talent got his start, there was no turning back; he learned briskly and with ease, taking every gig as a learning opportunity. He quickly became known for his masterful ability to connect to crowds. With his energetic presence fueling the motion on the floor, Fly Guy began to make a name for himself as a versatile, impassioned, top talent DJ.
Despite raw ability and the accolades to back it up, Fly Guy remains humble and dedicated to perfecting his art form. Now a global sensation highlighted by an appearance on VH1’s “Master of the Mix” DJ competition, it’s no wonder that the likes of Drake, Erykah Badu, A$AP Rocky, J Cole, and Robin Thicke have chosen Fly Guy to DJ their private events. He’s made waves at events during Miami’s Art Basel weekends year after year as well as playing in national athletic stadiums across the country as an official DJ for Copa America Centenario Soccer Tournament, nationally-renowned festivals, and nightclubs from Tokyo to Switzerland, Asia, and Toronto. Through all this, Fly Guy is still a Miami staple as a DJ for Headliner Market Group (the company behind two of Miami’s and the country’s biggest parties, LIV on Sunday at LIV nightclub, and STORY Thursday at LIV’s sister club). Just like his DJ style, his brand has no limitations. Fly Guy sets himself apart with accolades like a mobile app and upcoming clothing line.
In this world, there’s no faking it, and Fly Guy is as genuine as they come.
