Bankin on LeBoomin

I had one semester left and my parents thought I was crazy when I dropped out of mechanical engineering school, but I had just signed to a label and thought that it would be the start to the future I had always wanted. It wasn’t. Having been producing music since I was 10, DJing in Miami for my entire life, I knew I had to follow my passion. Instead of fulfillment, my decision steered me toward engineering for A-list artists, and the “success” of producing epic tracks that were split between other producers higher in rank. The long hours in the studio left little room for my own creativity, I felt stifled. I missed creating powerful tracks and having the freedom to play anything I wanted to play. Something just kept feeling off, so I walked away, back to my greatest love, being a DJ. DJs are a dime a dozen in Miami, so I spent my days trying to book clubs or chase down payments. It was a miserable process that ultimately left me lost and irritated once more. Some part of me regretted leaving the life I had, and I wasn’t so passionate about my passion anymore. Engineering and music have one big thing in common that I also love, technology. I began producing for anyone and everyone on my own terms, and simultaneously invested more and more energy into learning crypto currency. I still wasn’t satisfied, and I felt like I was opening doors that just lead to more doors, that lead nowhere. Finally, I sat down and just thought; “How can I DJ whenever and wherever I want? How can I produce live, bring people together, to connect with people outside the walls of this studio and do it without a nightclub? How can I monetize and incorporate crypto?” I wasn’t sure. I soon realized that my passion isn’t just producing, engineering, or even DJing. My passion is creating unique music that can bring people together and allow them to share a feeling or connection, witness something completely unexpected and unplanned. I like to stir the pot, I like to amplify… and I also like cars. My passion had a name, LeBoomin, the pop-up party, crypto musiccar. I took everything I knew and loved and decided that creating a portable club/stage would be the only way to achieve my dreams. I grew up with my grandmother, Nanni, and she had a LeBaron, so I decided to buy the same one she had. It was old and beaten up and perfect for this project. To preface this, my dad had always dreamed of being a car mechanic but was encouraged to follow another path. It didn’t stop him from teaching me everything that he knew about cars. I thought I was ready with the knowledge and passion that I felt, but what I thought would take months, took years. What I was trying to do hadn’t been done yet so there were no tutorials to follow and trial and error became my go-to method. Mechanical engineering helped me tremendously while building LeBoomin and getting it to run. I used my experience in studio wiring and club audio to create its sound system.

I took out the back seat, scraped and sanded all of the paint off and repainted it black, filled the car with speakers and threw a bass in the trunk. My turntables fit in the back so I could pull them out of the car and set up. This was the start, but again, trial and error. By the time crowds gathered around me, the fun would last for a few minutes and then the cops would ask me to leave. I had to lug everything back into the car and move, so needless to say it was inefficient. Also, the sound couldn’t compete with louder neighboring noise. So, I took a lift-up coffee table hinge and welded it into the back of the car. So, when I pulled up to perform I’d lift the turntables, then easily pull them back down for a quick getaway. It became the LeBaron that booms, LeBoomin. There were a few more problems such as its appearance, its failing engine, short battery life and my back was not its best whilst hunched over and standing on the backseat floor of an old car. By now, I had been working with an artist in Nashville, Jillee Parker, for 3 years. She was creating these insane shows and music videos and I figured a trip to meet her in person would prove to be a creative success. Not only did we work unnaturally well together, but I fell in love with her in the process. We split our time between Miami and Nashville, and we figured that together LeBoomin would have so much more potential. In Nashville, we were making songs and company jingles, and she was creating our image, developing our brand, sewing outfits and linking with dancers. Her vision became an asset to LeBoomin’s future success. In Miami, I was wrapping LeBoomin, so it became holographic and had a galaxy overlay that I designed. I even added QR codes to the back so it can be tracked and tipped through crypto currency. Everyone thought it was a waste of time and money, but I knew this was going to be my ticket to freedom. Soon after, Jillee and I toured LeBoomin from Miami to Tennessee. It took us months to figure it out and learn from our mistakes.

The look was achieved, the music was a success, but my back and the sound still weren’t working. I hired someone to help me weld a steel plated floor down in the back and six foot poles on the sides to hold up the speakers. We were performing for months for massive crowds in Nashville, but it was time to head back to Miami. In Miami we created the Bang Energy theme song, “Go Out With A Bang” and that allowed us to upgrade the entire sound system. We had new microphones and in-ears and were on fire. I was DJing anything and everything, bringing everyone together. She was popping out of crowds and jaws would drop in disbelief. Leboomin was getting tons of traction, and I spent most of my days producing and marketing. We had a show in Wynwood called Madness 2 Magic. It showcased aerialists, dancers, hoopers and it was nothing short of magical. During the pandemic, I had the time to rebuild and remake LeBoomin. Locked inside, I was able to delve deep into the crypto-world and finally figured out a way to make a functioning coin based on LeBoomin. This is how I plan to monetize our shows, in addition to the Crypto tipping already available. The car is a guerilla marketing music mobile and is a candidate for sponsorships of any kind, it goes viral every time we perform and lives on local to-do sites. Monetization also comes from performing royalties, sync licensing, placements, commercials, jingles, bookings (I did several birthday quarantine parades too), events, live/streaming and apps like twitch. People should support my passion because it is cutting edge, my music and my musicar brings people together from all walks of life. Our potential for expansion is limitless, and I give music to the people, catering to each crowd individually. My music and passion represent freedom of expression and the belief in a more unified world. I can change the way we listen.