Sarita Ambawatte/ Edge reporter

About Boogey the beat:

Lesley Boulanger, an Anishinaabe DJ and producer from Winnipeg Canada, has become a prominent feature of the Indigenous music industry. With his remarkable skills in DJing, he found himself landing on stages for Indspire Awards, Canada Day 150 Main Stage in Ottawa, National Aboriginal Day LIVE presented by ATPN, and multiple festivals across Turtle Island. His first single, HOKA, had also reached number 1 on the National Aboriginal Music Countdown, with his SoundCloud pushing him to over 200,000 plays raising him to become one of the top producers in the city.

Being a long-time lover of hip-hop and rap, the fusion of styles and bringing together different types of music, have always been in his comfort zone. Boogey repeatedly mentions his love for indigenous culture, and the efforts he puts in to incorporate a piece of his heritage and life into something he’s passionate about.

About his music:

According to Chosic, a site to discover new music, ‘Canadian Indigenous hip hop music is a genre that blends traditional Indigenous music and culture with modern hip hop beats and lyrics. It often addresses social and political issues faced by Indigenous communities, such as colonialism, residential schools, and environmental concerns.’

While indigenous culture starts to gain the recognition it deserves, through the influence of media, the music industry shaves a pathway that has allowed Indigenous artists to share their own perception of music.

Boogey the Beat uses his platform to transform the view on traditional hip-hop music by adding his own homage to the sounds of Sundance. To him, the sound of the drum spoke so loudly that he included the percussive heartbeat to his songs. The drum “represents the heartbeat so it’s keeping the tempo of the song and it’s keeping the tempo of essentially me and keeping me on the right track” “my spirit and my creative being really connects to that” says Boogey.

Letting the beautiful sound of the drums carry the rhythm and lead the way, Boulanger also adds vocals and other instruments to generate his work.

‘It was at Sundance’s and powwows where he says, “I first heard a beat I really connected to, which was the big drum” – Boogey the beat quote from Amplify.

Boogey is most  ‘known for his cuts that oscillate between tradition indigenous rhythms and hip-hop and electronic sounds’ – Amplify

Though Lesley strived for his music to resonate with all ages, he hoped the light would shine a little brighter on Indigenous youth and would create a connection to the powwow and Sundance songs that inspired himself growing up.

 Boogey the Beat’s connection to Gleneagle Students:

While many of us are on the way to finding the career paths we aspire to follow during these few years in high school, Boogey the Beat had also discovered his love for music production. Much like us, having fun with our friends has been a part of his high school life, but what Boogey did not know yet, was that while his friends took part in creating rap songs for fun with him as a producer, it would eventually lead to the production of his own music in the future.

With his music, Lesley Boulanger always attempts to go above and beyond to impower the youth with culturally important music that was once banned, by taking parts of it and honouring them in a blend of popular styles from today’s young music industry.

As students in a new age, we are given the constant opportunities to allow our creativity flow in any way possible. With Boogey the Beat’s story as inspiration, we should endorse the chance to pursue some of our overlooked hobbies and turn them into promising careers.

Overall, I believe that Boogey the Beat’s creation and impowering take on music should be listened to by everyone. Through the beats, the lyrics and instruments, he finds different ways to payback the music that was once lost and return his form of tribute back to the community.

“It’s important to not forget that at one time it was illegal for us to sing these songs, play these drums, and go to these ceremonies,” he says. “Now it’s a time for celebration, and for us to take over the main stage.”

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