DJ GQ
Encyclopedia
DJ GQ is a Miami-based disc jockey recognized as one of the first to blend Hip Hop
and Reggae
to create a unique sound. . DJ GQ was born as Gary Hardie in Miami, Florida. DJ GQ has been a sponsored DJ since he was 14 years old and has been the official DJ for Kevin Lyttle, Mr. Cheeks, Akon and Mr. Vegas. DJ GQ currently works at Y100, a hit music station in Miami, Florida.
and moved to Jamaica
as a child. His parents were of Chinese and Jamaican/Cuban heritage. Hardie began spinning in Jamaican clubs, launching his career. DJ GQ worked as a promoter as well in Jamaica, before attending Broward Community College from 1996 to 1998 for an associate degree in Graphic Design/Business .
DJ GQ also spent two years studying business at Florida Atlantic University from 1998 to 1999, then received an associates degree in Audio Engineering from Miami Dade College after studying there from 2003 through 2005. Hardie is currently attending City College, where he is expected to finish an associate degree in Broadcasting in 2013.
Hardie has been running DJ GQ, Inc. since 1995, and his event bookings have turned into an impressive list including the Super Bowl Official After Party in 1999 in Miami, Florida, the Heavyweight Explosion in 2000 in Manhattan, New York, after parties for Usher’s Tour in 2002, Kevin Lyttle’s European Tour in 2004, the Sony Ericsson WTA NASDAQ-100 Tennis Red Carpet event in 2006, Pepsi’s Stage for the DUB Custom Car Show in 2007, the Main Stage for the DUB Custom Car Show in 2007, The Diplomatic Club in Qatar and more. In addition to Kevin Lyttle, Akon, Mr. Vegas and Mr. Cheeks, DJ GQ has spun for Pee Wee Kirkland and DMX.
In 2009, DJ GQ won the Film Recording Entertainment Council (FREC Award) for Best DJ Of The Year Since January 2010, DJ GQ has been working for Y100 in Miami, Florida, a hit music station. In 2011, DJ GQ was rated the sixth-best radio DJ in the United States by Radio Facts. DJ GQ dubs himself “Mr. Let Em Know,” and most of his mixtapes include a recognizable sound bite of the rapper DMX yelling “GQ… let ‘em know!”
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
to create a unique sound. . DJ GQ was born as Gary Hardie in Miami, Florida. DJ GQ has been a sponsored DJ since he was 14 years old and has been the official DJ for Kevin Lyttle, Mr. Cheeks, Akon and Mr. Vegas. DJ GQ currently works at Y100, a hit music station in Miami, Florida.
Early Life and Education
Hardie was born on August 10, 1978, in Miami, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and moved to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
as a child. His parents were of Chinese and Jamaican/Cuban heritage. Hardie began spinning in Jamaican clubs, launching his career. DJ GQ worked as a promoter as well in Jamaica, before attending Broward Community College from 1996 to 1998 for an associate degree in Graphic Design/Business .
DJ GQ also spent two years studying business at Florida Atlantic University from 1998 to 1999, then received an associates degree in Audio Engineering from Miami Dade College after studying there from 2003 through 2005. Hardie is currently attending City College, where he is expected to finish an associate degree in Broadcasting in 2013.
Career
Hardie first gained major recognition in the early 1990’s, when he received DJ sponsorships from companies including Pepsi and Appleton Rum. DJ GQ has distributed more than 300,000 copies of his mixtapes around the world, which have shared the title “Let ‘Em Know,” and given volume numbers. His work has received positive reviews from well-known publications including USA Today, Hip-Hop Weekly and The Source magazine.Hardie has been running DJ GQ, Inc. since 1995, and his event bookings have turned into an impressive list including the Super Bowl Official After Party in 1999 in Miami, Florida, the Heavyweight Explosion in 2000 in Manhattan, New York, after parties for Usher’s Tour in 2002, Kevin Lyttle’s European Tour in 2004, the Sony Ericsson WTA NASDAQ-100 Tennis Red Carpet event in 2006, Pepsi’s Stage for the DUB Custom Car Show in 2007, the Main Stage for the DUB Custom Car Show in 2007, The Diplomatic Club in Qatar and more. In addition to Kevin Lyttle, Akon, Mr. Vegas and Mr. Cheeks, DJ GQ has spun for Pee Wee Kirkland and DMX.
In 2009, DJ GQ won the Film Recording Entertainment Council (FREC Award) for Best DJ Of The Year Since January 2010, DJ GQ has been working for Y100 in Miami, Florida, a hit music station. In 2011, DJ GQ was rated the sixth-best radio DJ in the United States by Radio Facts. DJ GQ dubs himself “Mr. Let Em Know,” and most of his mixtapes include a recognizable sound bite of the rapper DMX yelling “GQ… let ‘em know!”