How I Spent My Summer: Walshy Fire

Words by Walshy Fire—

Miami “Prime Minister” Walshy Fire has been down with LargeUp since day one, contributing to the site on topics ranging from Shinehead to Miami Carnival. We even broke the news that he joined Major Lazer right here on LargeUp last year. And nothing has changed now that he stays on the road year-round traveling the world with Major Lazer. Thanks to our talks and his Instagram, we knew he was having the summer of his life, so we asked him to share some of the highlights. 

Hey, this is Walshy Fire from the Major Lazer crew checking in with the LargeUp family. Maaan, this summer I realized Imma Mexico City Nopales con Michelada-overdosing, English Rabbit-eating, St Martin stripclub-hustling son of a bitch. I’ve kicked other DJs off our tour bus for shitting on it, blamed Jeremy Scott for the immigrant bridge from Jamaica to England I built with the amount of shoes he’s given me, and saw a girl at Burning Man pull tootsie rolls out of her vagina, after her friend reminded her she put them in there earlier. Greatest summer of my life. Here’s some of the highlights. Check it:

1. Stage diving at the Rock Werchter Festival in Belgium

Photo: Headshot Photography

It was cool until I stage dove into a beer bottle…

2. Performing “Get Free” on Jimmy Fallon

Performing “Get Free” live on Jimmy Fallon was the second greatest moment of my summer. I never expected this when I signed on with Major Lazer. Babylon denied my bredrin Jillionare from skanking across dem face on stage, so me and Diplo held it down. It was also our first time ever performing “Get Free” with Amber Coffman and a live band. The Roots band has three real Jamaicans in it, so rehearsal was ten minutes, and we had it nailed.

3. Throwing this guy off stage and watching him barely make it

This is Belfort, France, at the Eurockeennes Festival. I told him not to, after he was mid air…

4 Coming back home to Florida for the Mad Decent Fort Lauderdale Block Party


The Mad Decent Fort Lauderdale Block Party was epic. It was great to be back in front of the hometown crowd, and they showed mad love. My name upside down on a twerk booty sit so right…

5. Hitting the desert for Burning Man

The Major Lazer crew went out to Burning Man, and it was the number one thing to happen for my summer. No baths, no money, no cell phones, crazy artist installations, generators providing sum light for the many sound system trucks and, out on the playa, huge stage productions sacrificing their equipment to the dust gods, all being circled by naked bike riders. We left before the Burning Man burned but nonetheless had the experience of a lifetime.

6.Riding motorcycles to the top of a favela in Rio


In Rio, we rode motorcycles up to the top of a favela called Complex Doaolo. Took us 30 minutes to get to the top of something that would have taken hours to walk, and is impossible for cars to drive. I Go Proed on the lo pro cuz I didn’t want anyone thinking I was Babylon, but proudly took this pic when I got to the top.

7.  Appearing on Canal Plus in Cannes, France

While we were in Cannes for Cannes Film Festival, we performed on French TV station Canal Plus. As they were introducing us, a suicide bomber shot his gun in the air, yelled he had a grenade, and cleared the block with us watching from the stairs to the stage. Police were there in seconds, tackled him, and called everyone back to watch the show. The show’s celebrity guest, Christoph Waltz, was not pleased to have to be there after that, or maybe it was cuz I had to sing Busy Signal’s verse on “Bumaye.” It did inspire this sitcom promo pic after the performance, tho.

8. Seeing Sweden’s Enough Crew twerk the roof off


At our show in Sweden, dancers Enough Crew grabbed onto the lights on the roof, twerking until the roof came down on the whole party, paused to take this pic, then got back to it.

9. Meeting Chuck D. from Public Enemy

It was an honor to meet Chuck D., aka Public Enemy No. 1. Public Enemy was one of the most influential political hip-hop groups of my time, and Chuck continues to fight the powers that be.