The Fleet Mag is taking time out to recognize one of our own, DJ L-Boogie. He is an intricate part of the Fleet DJs family and plays a vital role in the success of the worldwide Fleet DJs coalition. He currently serves as the Fleet DJs President, and is the creator of Fleet Radio Network. Plus, he’s the I.T. expert that keeps our numerous Fleet brand websites secure. The Fleet Mag reporter DJ Swag 100, sat down to have a candid conversation with DJ L-Boogie. They discussed his love for music, life as a DJ, and how he became a valued member of the Fleet DJs empire.
DJ L-Boogie was born and raised in Galveston, Texas. Though it wasn’t a music city at the time, he would travel nearby to Houston which was part of the music scene. He developed a great passion for music, especially hip hop at a young age. Growing up in the 80s, hip hop was not a genre that was widely heard on the radio or television. Time to time on Saturday’s, he would catch a two hour block of hip hop music on a college radio station.
As a teen, DJ L-Boogie became drawn to the art of DJing. He admired their creativity when scratching and mixing. It was evident that DJs played a prominent role in crowd control, and they were the ones that set the tone of an event. Music has a way of influencing someone’s emotions, mood, and even bodily movements. DJ L-Boogie reflected on the importance of DJs in the 80s era.
“DJs were a major part of the groups as far as the popular rap groups that were out at the time. Run DMC, Jam Master J, LL Cool J had Cut Creator, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. DJ Jazzy Jeff was the name of the group, ‘DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince’. That gives you an idea of how the DJ was viewed in the industry at the time.” He went on to say, “Coming up during that era, that was my spark. I saw people doing what I loved and what I wanted to be able to do.”
At the age of 16, DJ L-Boogie talked his mother into purchasing a set of turntables for him. He then started a side job to obtain the financial backing to buy records to spin and hone his skills as a DJ. Every pay day he headed to the music store and spent his entire check on records. For several hours each day, DJ L-Boogie sharpened his DJ skills, shortly after, his hard work paid off and he became known as the best DJ in the city.
After graduating high school, DJ L-Boogie attended Prairie View A& M University. This was a life changing moment, as he met the best DJ he had ever seen, we know him today as DJ Premier. DJ Premier had a style like no other. For over two years, DJ L-Boogie studied, listened, and learned from the legendary DJ Premier. After spending so much time under his adviser, DJ L-Boogie turntable skills improved catapulting his talent to another level. He then felt he had the knowledge, skillset, and tools to share his craft with the world as a proficient DJ.
DJ L-Boogie began to expand his brand and build a worldwide following. He became a radio mix DJ and his mixes were heard in several states and countries. In the process of searching for more platforms to syndicate his mix show, he stumbled across the Fleet DJs and Fleet DJ radio. He listened to Fleet DJ radio and thought it was amazing. He reached out to Fleet DJs CEO Klassik, to inquire about getting his mix show on Fleet DJ Radio. Unexpectedly to DJ L-Boogie, Klassik extended the invitation to him to join the Fleet DJs coalition, and he eagerly accepted. DJ L-Boogie was enamored with the Fleet DJs culture and family orientated atmosphere. When he joined in 2010, he was the only Fleet DJ in Houston, Texas, so he recruited others to join. After single handedly building his Texas Fleet family, he started having events to give back to the community under the Fleet DJs brand, which he continues to do today.
With over four decades of experience as a DJ under his belt, DJ L-Boogie now serves as a mentor by providing advice and knowledge to others interested in becoming a DJ. He describes himself as “the DJs DJ,” and emphasizes, he’s a jack of all trades. When asked about his DJing style, he stated he’s a “Party Rocker,’ and went on to speak about the importance of being versatile. “You got to have that diverse music knowledge. I can do Latin, afro beats, country, pop, dance, hip hop, old school and new. It doesn’t matter. I can do all of those genres but really what it is, it’s about knowing how to create the story and take the audience with you and create the vibe, and keep the vibe, and build it up throughout the night.”
2024 marks twelve years DJ L-Boogie has been a proud member of the Fleet DJs family. During his tenure, his hard work was noticed and he’s moved up the ranks holding several key positions within the organization.
“Going from DJ, to state manager, to general manager, to vice president and now I’m the current president of this wonderful organization and this all happened in a little over a decade and its’ been fun. It’s been a great run. I do a lot of work but it doesn’t feel like work because I’m doing stuff I love to do. I love technology and I love DJing and I get to do them both,” DJ L-Boogie said.
DJ L-Boogie’s primary profession is Senior Level Technical Consultant and Cyber Security Architect. He used his expertise to create the Fleet Radio Network which encompasses a wide variety of online radio stations on one platform, including hip-hop, R&B, rap, EDM, gospel, Caribbean, jazz, southern soul, and much more. All stations are digitally tracked, which means every time a song is played the recording artist will receive royalties. This is very important especially for independent artists. Fleet Radio Network has over 90 stations and continues to grow. It is the largest online radio station network of any DJ crew.
The conversation then turned to Fleet DJs resources and what the organization offers to assist recording artists, as well as anyone pursuing a career in the entertainment industry to succeed. The Fleet DJs host dozens of events each year in numerous states and countries. The biggest event is the annual Fleet DJs Music Conference. The event draws attendees from across the U.S. and abroad. DJ L-Boogie spoke highly of the much anticipated conference.
“For the last four years we have sold out the host hotel in every city we’ve done this. If you are serious about music, entertainment, about the industry we’re bringing all these DJs in one place, producers, program directors from radio stations. A lot of the opportunities I’ve gotten over the years from so many huge platforms on FM radio. I can’t even count the number of states. It came from networking and relationships that I’ve built from being at this conference. It’s a huge opportunity to network to get where you want to be.” He went on to say, “The conference offers a lot of knowledge, you can get a lot of info from the panels and much more. You’re there to one, have a good time, and two, network. I’ve been going for 13 years, there’s not one single year I didn’t learn something I did not know.”
Fleet DJs is a powerful organization with over 600 talented professionals. It is comprised of DJs, graphic artists, videographers, writers, host, models, promoters, gamers, radio station owners, and much more. Some of the services offered include, music distribution, video production, music promotion, music production, magazine features and interviews (thefleetmag and straightofficial), music email blast, and radio airplay, just to name a few. Reach out to us to get the services you need to succeed. at fleetdjs.com
Wrapping up the interview, DJ L-Boogie had some wise last words. “Don’t look for what Fleet can do for you because that’s going to come, look for what you can do for Fleet, put in some work, and be smart and use the brand for your advantage.
If you are interested in joining the worldwide Fleet DJs coalition, we are always seeking talented professionals with a love for music and entertainment. You may also join our family as Fleet entourage and promote the brand. Fill out an application on fleetdjs.com and an administrator will reach out to you.
Interview by DJ Swag 100 / Written by JP