![\"Quino](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5d0b9f66abf131ef8b69d70db982ea47.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nGary Hardie, known professionally as DJ GQ, recently hosted a Bob Marley birthday celebration from a SiriusXM studio in Miami Beach, moving between the mixing console and the microphone throughout the broadcast. Between songs, he cued classic dancehall records, interviewed\u00a0Quino McWhinney\u00a0of\u00a0Big Mountain, and entertained a small live audience gathered for the taping.<\/p>\n
Hours later, he was back behind the decks at a South Florida event, shifting from reggae to hip-hop to Top 40 without missing a beat.<\/p>\n
More from Spin:<\/p>\n
For DJ GQ, that split schedule \u2014 part radio host, part working DJ \u2014 has become routine.<\/p>\n
Based in South Florida, DJ GQ has spent more than two decades carving out a career that reflects Miami\u2019s musical identity: Caribbean rhythms, American pop and club culture blended into one sound. Today, he hosts programming on\u00a0SiriusXM\u2019s\u00a0Bob Marley\u2013branded Tuff Gong Radio and serves as a mixshow DJ on\u00a0iHeartRadio\u2019s\u00a0Y100 Miami, giving him both national reach and a steady presence on local airwaves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always tried to play everything,\u201d GQ said. \u201cThat\u2019s what this city sounds like.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born in Miami to Cuban and Chinese-Jamaican parents and raised in Jamaica, he grew up around reggae and dancehall sound system culture before returning to South Florida as a teenager. By the 1990s, he was DJing house parties and clubs, developing an open-format style that moved easily between genres.<\/p>\n
That versatility led to early radio opportunities while he continued performing live. Over the years, DJ GQ has shared stages with artists including\u00a0DMX, appearing at festivals, nightlife venues and private events.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Quino Of Big Mountain & DJ GQ<\/p>\n
More recently, he has shifted focus toward original music. In 2020, DJ GQ released the EP\u00a0Is It You?, which reached No. 10 on the\u00a0Billboard\u00a0Reggae Albums chart \u2014 his first appearance on a national chart.<\/p>\n
The project marked a turning point, he said, from playing other artists\u2019 records to producing his own.<\/p>\n
Now, DJ GQ is working on a new EP. The upcoming release blends traditional reggae influences with contemporary club production.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s still reggae at the core,\u201d DJ GQ said. \u201cBut it has a current feel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the studio work, radio remains central. On Tuff Gong Radio, he curates dancehall and reggae programming for a national audience, while his Y100 mixshows introduce Caribbean sounds to mainstream pop listeners.<\/p>\n
\u201cRadio lets you reach people who might not step into a reggae party,\u201d GQ said. \u201cYou can introduce them to the culture through the music.\u201d<\/p>\n
After decades behind the decks, DJ GQ says his goal hasn\u2019t changed much: reflect the city he represents.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiami\u2019s always been a crossroads,\u201d he said. \u201cMy job is just to soundtrack that.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Lou](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/b8b83051ea182aa8f36c5c6b837d42d7.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Lou Simon (Senior Director Of Programming at Sirius XM), Mr. Vegas, DJ GQ, Ed Robinson<\/p>\n
SPIN Magazine newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.<\/p>\n