MAKING moves THROUGH music

Johnny Gregory, aka DJ Swagg, is an Augustan who as an entertainer, business advocate and entrepreneur, is striving to make the region more vibrant and responsive to the needs of its citizens.

He has been pursuing music professionally since 2008. He is an active member of Fleet DJs, Coast2Coast DJs, LiquidFire DJs and BurdSkool DJs.

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran spent time in Japan, Iraq, Italy and various U.S. cities where he had the opportunity to learn and master the craft of DJing while doing promotions during downtime.

A T.W. Josey high school graduate, Gregory credits his family for his love of music. He sang in the choir and began playing drums; he credits James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, and his grandfather, a member of The Georgia Jubilee Choir, as important early influences.

He is the owner of Round Here Radio, an online radio station that promotes local artists, and operates BottomLine Studios. He is a cofounder of Band of Brothers Augusta, and an official in the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce.

UPW: Are you an Augusta native?

DJ SWAGG: Yes, born and raised! Graduated from T.W. Josey Comprehensive High School in 1997

UPW: When did you first realize that music would be an important part of your life?

DJ SWAGG: Music has always been a part of my life. As early as 4 years old, I was up in the middle of the night, in the living room with my dad, drumming to Kool and the Gang, the Gap Band, Cameo, and quite a few others. It became even bigger in my life when I joined the Marine Corps. Music became my peace, it was the getaway I needed from life at that time.

UPW: When did you decide to become a deejay?

DJ SWAGG: December 28th, 2007. The death of a great DJ and friend is what finally made me go for it. We had talked often about me deejaying, but I never got the nerve up. Tomorrow isn’t promised to us, so rather than hate myself for never trying, I jumped off the porch! Also, it just so happened that the DJ world was shifting from vinyl records to mp3, and I had a lot of music in mp3 already so I didn’t have to go out and buy records like they once did. So the timing was just right all around for me to become a DJ.

UPW: Did you have a mentor or someone whose technique influences what you do today?

DJ SWAGG: Yes most definitely! Celebrity wise, DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ Kid Capri were my favorites, and still are! R.I.P to DJ LickEmLow and DJ Phinese, those two were the first to see the potential in me and showed me how to DJ. DJ Jamm was another awesome mentor and he was the first to let me DJ in the club and rock the crowd. DJ Kaoss, was the one I studied most often. Beyond the talking, scratching, mixing, and turntable tricks; it was the crowd control and the music journey he would take the crowd through that I admired the most.

UPW: What was happening in Augusta that attracted you to return to the city and begin your activities?

DJ SWAGG: I was newly retired from the Marines and not a job in sight for me in North Carolina, plus the cost of living in Augusta

From page 6 was cheaper than where I was, so moving was my best option. I needed to start fresh and get my life in some sort of order. Probably one of the best decisions I made for myself. The universe doesn’t put you anywhere you’re not supposed to be. You’re never where you are by accident, there’s always a reason, sometimes it’s for a lesson. How you handle yourself in all moments in life dictates what drama, karma, and trauma you will endure on your way to the next chapter or transition in your life.

UPW: Where did the idea for Round Here Radio come from?

DJ SWAGG: Honestly, two reasons, mostly because I got tired of hearing the local/independent artists in the city complain about not getting their music played on the air at the local radio stations and then there was the fact that I wasn’t on the air myself, but I was doing just as many events/clubs as some of the more prominent DJs here at that time. Killed two birds with one stone really, but never imagined it would get as big as it did.

UPW: Explain the format for the radio station and how our readers can check it out.

DJ SWAGG: Round Here Radio is a local/independent artist’s internet radio station, broadcasting to 193 countries, with over 400K monthly listeners worldwide. We are still rebranding a lot of our programming, but new music is uploaded bi-weekly. Saturday and

Sunday mornings from 6am – 12pm we switch the music up and play Southern Soul music from independent artists as well. We have an app available for all mobile devices, rather it’s for android or iPhone, simply visit your preferred app store and download it for free.

UPW: When did you start Bottom Line Studio and what kinds of services do you provide for Augusta entertainers?

DJ SWAGG: The idea of BottomLine Studios came about in 2010, but it didn’t completely manifest until, 2011. Working and then partnering with renowned producer Spxlly Oceans, in 2012 proved to be within the best decisions we could have made. In 2015, we decided that the home-studio model didn’t work for us any longer and expansion was needed, so we focused our efforts towards the latest studio we have now in downtown Augusta. BottomLine Studios is able to provide industry quality recording, mixing, mastering, music consulting and marketing services, commercial advertising services, podcast services, and internet radio services.

UPW: As one of the founders of Band of Brothers Augusta, explain the importance of the work that the group does for the community and explain how the concept come about.

DJ SWAGG: The Band of Brothers Augusta was formed during our efforts to bring a Juneteenth celebration to the city of Augusta. The work we do in the community is no more important than the work others like us do. We are just one of many non-government organizations (NGOs) in the city that truly cares about the community and consistently does community service work for the benefits of the community.

As a nonprofit we rely heavily on community donations, local, state, and federal grants, and both small business and corporate sponsors. Those funds help us to feed the less fortunate and provide home cooked meals for the families at the Ronald McDonald House quarterly, help other NGOs with back-to-school, Halloween, Christmas, and other events throughout the CSRA. As we are able to secure more funding we will further grow our mentorship programs and provide young entrepreneur scholarships for start-up money for elaborate business ideas/concepts.

UPW: How important has the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce been for you?

DJ SWAGG: The Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce (GABCC) has been one of the biggest reasons for the success of most of my endeavors over the years. The city of Augusta does not give enough credit to Ronic West, President of the GABCC and her efforts to ensure key resources and relationships are being fostered on behalf of the black community. As the Military & Veteran Affairs Director for the GABCC, I am working to ensure that veteran business owners in the area take advantage of all available training courses and certifications. These courses and certifications will allow our business owners to operate more efficiently and also open them to government grants and contracts.

UPW: The Juneteenth Celebrations have grown rapidly. Talk about the importance of that particular activity and any future activities that the group is planning.

DJ SWAGG: As the awareness of Juneteenth spread, the numbers of attendees grew significantly. We just wanted to provide a free event for the community to enjoy. Over the years, we have added pieces to the festival in an attempt to draw in more people from not only the city, but the surrounding areas as well. The Juneteenth Augusta Festival can become a staple tourism attraction for the city of Augusta with continuous support from the community and city leaders. More than anything, we want our community to recognize and celebrate Juneteenth, however they see fit!

UPW: You have noted in the past that James Brown and your grandfather, who sang with the Georgia Jubilee Choir, have been major influences in your life. How did they inspire you?

DJ SWAGG: They’ve been constant reminders to keep pushing forward no matter what is going on. What I got the most from the stories I was told of them together, is that no one could or would stop them from doing what it was they said they wanted to do. Same city with the exact same circumstances, friends who ended up on two different paths, but they both kept the same mind set. I just want to meet and work with more like-minded individuals who want to see change and are willing to do the work necessary to for that change to take place.