Miami, FL – October 14, 2019 – DJ Fly Guy is known as one of Miami’s most notable DJ’s, but what you don’t know is how the entertainer is expanding his “Fly Guy” brand with his newest venture “The Fly Guy Show“. Season one of the show is part audio and visual. For the next eight weeks, guests can listen in every Monday, as Fly Guy puts his spin on topics ranging from Miami, to music, culture, life, and art.

We caught up with Fly Guy at IPIC to celebrate the screening of the very first episode of the podcast. Read the full Q&A below as we learned more about what makes him such “A Fly Guy”.

By Marissa Scarpulla

WRE: How did you get your start in the Miami nightlife scene?

FG: I got my start in Miami nightlife at a small local bar called Love Hate (originally owned by the guys from the TV show Miami Ink). I developed close relationships with the guys who started an old school Hip-Hop party at Love Hate on Sundays and they gave me an opportunity to spin with them every week… that was the start of it all. I’ve always had a high musical IQ, especially from being a rapper first. I grew up in a household where one of my older brothers was Editor-In-Chief of THE SOURCE magazine. My other brother was signed to a label, rapping, and producing his own music, sampling from classic records of the 70’s and 80’s.

However, the actual skill of learning the craft of DJing, learning the equipment, and the art of spinning, originated from Love Hate Classic Sundays. DJing at Love Hate was on-the-job training for me, as opposed to many DJ’s who spent years practicing in the comfort of their bedrooms or basements. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

WRE: How long have you been a DJ?

FG: In January 2019, I entered into my eleventh year as a professional DJ. To celebrate my tenth anniversary, I threw an anniversary party because I never envisioned myself having a career as a DJ when I was younger. Somehow, by the grace of God, I’ve been on an amazing ride.

WRE: You’re known as DJ Fly Guy. How did you come up with this name?

FG: I was Fly Guy before I ever became a DJ. Actually, a girl gave me that name based on the way I dressed for parties my friends and I were throwing in Washington D.C. circa 2007. One night, we threw a party where I wore a tuxedo with a Yankee fitted cap and Marc Jacobs sunglasses. While we were setting up for the night, she just looked at me and said “You’re such a Fly Guy.” At the time, I was starting to do a lot of blogging and I needed a moniker for what I was writing. I decided to go with A Fly Guy. A year and a half later, I left Brooklyn and moved back to Miami. From there I started going to Love Hate and learning to DJ, but I was still deciding on a name to use. I thought of a few different names (that I won’t share), but ended up going with Fly Guy again and just put “DJ” in front of it.

WRE: What inspired you to start your self titled podcast, “The Fly Guy Show”?

FG: Evolution and expansion are things that define the way I live my life. I look at the creation of “The Fly Guy Show” as just another aspect of Fly Guy, as a brand, continuing to evolve. A decade in this business, the experiences I’ve had, the relationships and bonds I’ve been able to form and maintain, are all reasons that led me to want to start a podcast. From a content perspective, there is a lot of negativity out there for consumption at our fingertips. I wanted to offer something with a more positive approach, from an introspective vantage point, for the social media community. I named it “The Fly Guy Show” because branding is something I take very seriously. I didn’t want to use the word “podcast” in the title because I wanted to leave room for it to become something bigger, without having to re-brand it.

Evolution and expansion are things that define the way I live my life. I look at the creation of “The Fly Guy Show” as just another aspect of Fly Guy, as a brand, continuing to evolve.

DJ Fly Guy

WRE: What is something we don’t know about you? 

FG: This is something that may surprise people who have known me for a while. On July 21, 2019, I made a decision to stop drinking alcohol. I had sort of an epiphany during a 3 week hiatus from the industry that I spent back in Guyana.  While I was away, I thought to myself how I spent the past ten years straight, four to five nights a week, drinking heavily every night, at every party, making poor decisions…I found myself at a crossroads where I felt like I needed to make a change. I reached a point where I was making myself believe that I “needed” to drink excessively just to be able to function in the DJ booth. Alcohol became my coping mechanism for the bad side of the nightlife business that no one ever talks about. The anxiety, the lack of sleep, terrible eating habits, etc.

By the time people read this, I will be around 90 days with 0 alcohol in my body. I remember telling some friends of mine when I first stopped. They asked me how long it had been, and I said “12 days”, they laughed in my face; as if they expected it to not last very long. That was motivation for me to keep it going for as long as possible. It also made me wonder that if it was a different substance I was trying to quit, would they have been so quick to find it humorous? I’m not saying I will NEVER have another drink because I don’t know. What I can say is that where I am right now, mentally, and spiritually – I no longer have the desire for alcohol. I guess we’ll see. I think people should do a wellness check on their friends sometimes (especially the ones who work in nightlife, like myself). There’s a lot that we deal with that you don’t see; while trying to make everything seem glamorous and “LIT” on social media.

From a content perspective, there is a lot of negativity out there for consumption at our fingertips. I wanted to offer something with a more positive approach, from an introspective vantage point, for the social media community.

DJ Fly Guy