Bio

Walking into a party with DJ Swing behind the turntables is bound to get your body moving. He has establishing his reputation on South Beach as a diverse, energetic, and enthusiastic DJ. He spends nearly every waking hour listening to music, listening for what the next hot thing will be, always perfecting his craft.

DJ Swing, a native New Yorker has been a fan of music since day one. From a very young age he was surrounded with a range of musical influence from jazz, funk, disco even classical. As a young man he studied the violin, and spent over 5 years honing his ear and perfecting the ability to mimic the music. You would never think that his classical training in music would have been such the addition to his future as a DJ, but there were many similarities. Remembering the notes, melodies, and music is universal; as Swing would say, “music is music – live it, love it, learn it, appreciate it”.

One defining moment was in high school during a school dance when the hokey wedding/ Bar Mitzvah/ high school dance DJ didn’t have any of the songs that the kids were into. Swing went up to him and let him know his songs were all misses. He wanted to see if he would play a tape that he had in his Walkman of songs that he had recorded of songs off the radio instead. The DJ said, “yes sir!” and in a few minutes young DJ Swing had arrived, tape in hand, and gave it to the him, who played the tape and the songs. The kids loved it! It was the start of DJ Swing as we know him: choosing songs that make the kids (and adults) move their bodies to the music.

Swing grew up walking distance from one of the best record stores in America: Rock and Soul. You could find him there almost every Saturday afternoon growing up, digging through white labels, checking out artists he never heard of, and even seeing some artists in the store promoting their new singles. As Swing says, “There’s nothing like it now a days, but going to the record store filled with other dj’s trying out new tracks for all to hear, is an amazing way to better your craft.” With radio influences at the time like Ed Lover & Dr. Dre (the skinny one), DJ red alert, Ron G, and Funk Master Flex, the Hot 97 school of music was happening in the ears of Swing through his trusty Walkman by day. It was the Palladium and the Tunnel where Funk Master Flex would mix live, and Swing would soak up the beat by night. After coming down to the University of Miami to attend college, Swing’s family sent down his equipment (on a moving truck), there was so much it almost filled his dorm room! He joined the University of Miami radio station WVUM 90.5 FM, where he produced, and eventually took over the famed Hip Hop Shop college radio show. He picked the cutting edge songs and interviewed stars the likes of 50 Cent, Guru from gang starr, Wyclef Jean, Masta Ace and local talent on the rise, Garcia and the entire CHP crew. Working in radio gave a definite new element to music for him. Learning to communicate with the people and using his ear to pick songs that the people would like helped more and more with his career as a night club DJ. Working in radio was also a terrific opportunity to meet other South Florida DJ’s that Swing would eventually work with: DJ Irie, Mark Leveanthal, DJ Radamas, Shawn Rudnic, JP Riguard, DJ Entyce, DJ finger prints and even DJ Laz, the pimp with the limp.

Mixing at night clubs was his next step, and he quickly found his place. His first gig was at a club called equuis, which is currently called B.E.D.. From eqquis it was all up from there. Swing has mixed at almost every club in Miami. From residencies to guest spots every dj booth in Miami has been blessed by DJ Swing: B.E.D. the living room, Mansion, Liquid, Crobar, Cameo, Pearl, Nikki Beach, Club deep, Zanzibar, Senior froggs, Mynt, Spin, Amika, Roc Bar, Park West, The forge, Glass at the Forge, Jade, Pure, Miami Velvet, Felt and many more.

With a wide range of clubs also comes a love of a wider range of music. Swing was raised in a time in NYC when Freestyle 80’s type music and hip hop were all the range, and the sun of disco (aka House) was all good, too. Those influences have stayed to this day. Not many dj’s can go to a club and throw down a huge hip hop set, followed buy an enormous house set, but Swing can. He’s got range! Funk, Disco, R&B, hip hop from old school to now, and house with a NYC / European / Miami flair is what he does! His events are not to be missed, they’re an adventure from song one till they turn the lights on in the early morning hours and they have to throw people out the front door!

…and he loves every minute of it!