Vic Latino
Some might call it the “Vic Latino Effect”...
The ability to create a moment where moments are seemingly fleeting. The directing of music in a way that not only sets the tone, but it sets the mood. The uncharted gift of always bringing a party to any setting—from the beach to the club, and especially to the radio. Victor Canales (better known as Vic Latino) is not only a famed DJ, music curator, and radio executive. He’s a legend and force within the music industry, where for over three decades he has crafted a career in Dance music that has transcended radio airwaves into boardrooms and arenas. With the release of his upcoming project “Cielo," Vic Latino is geared for more than a triumphant return. It’s a homecoming.
Vic’s journey to the top began on a golf course. “I worked on a golf course out in Eastern Long Island, cutting greens and stuff,” he recalls. With a college major in Chiropractic Studies and a minor in Golf Turf Management, Vic clocked over 15 hours a day during the summertime on the green, however, the universe had other plans for him. While on leave for a dental procedure (which ultimately derailed his clinical fellowship), he took an internship at MTV. “My first job at MTV was to pick up Dr. Dre in Westbury every morning and drive him to 1515 Broadway,” Vic remembers. While working with Dr. Dre, Vic expanded his network, even learning how to deejay. When Dr. Dre and Ed Lover moved over to New York City’s Hot97 radio station, Vic moved over with them. “I started falling in love with radio, and I started doing personal appearances and promotions with them, because I was everywhere Dre was,” he adds. “It just became a snowball effect.” As Vic continued to network and grow his local celebrity, he expanded his base from Hip-Hop to Freestyle, building a community with acts like DJ Skribble and K7. At just 21 years old, Vic landed his first shot at radio: part-time on-air at WBLI. “I never went back to Chiropractic school,” he says. “I never went back to Golf Turf Management, and I left all of that to make $5 an hour working overnights at WBLI.”
He maximized his time—using his growing radio persona to promote signature nights at various clubs across the greater Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut), sometimes bringing in crowds of over 1,000 people. His reach was obvious, leading to the offer of a lifetime to start the famed WXXP, better known as Party 105. This was the origin story of the “Vic Latino Effect,” as he catapulted a new New York City station straight to the top. The next several years were spent on a rollercoaster ride of high demands and Vic changing the radio game. First, he moved over to 95.3 Party in Orlando, dethroning flagship station XL1067 from the top spot after over a decade at Number One. His buzz continued to build, leading to a return to New York City for the primetime spot at WKTU. The Vic Latino Effect continued, and in one month he became the most listened to jock on the NYC airwaves—beating radio’s longtime king, Hot97’s Funkmaster Flex. “I was doing mash up mixes at night of Hip- Hop, Dance, ‘60s, ‘70s…everything mashed up together.” Vic adds. “I would have Local NY DJs join me each night to do these mash up mixes, this gave birth to the now famed Dj Riz and SizzaHandz “The Crooklyn Clan”, Dj Riddler, Bobby Dee, Johnny Budz. It was so different. People loved it.”
He continued building his brand, first with compilation projects for Tommy Boy Records and later ULTRA Records and Thrive Records. Vic Latino arguably curated an entire lifestyle, fueled by Dance music and his signature way of blending sounds together. He eventually took his talents to television, making regular appearances on A&E’s Growing Up Gotti and the in-house DJ for the Emmy Award winning Ellen DeGeneres Show, making the hard decision to leave radio and build his TV presence.
By the time he returned to radio in 2007, everything had changed. Gone were the days of House and Freestyle infused Dance music, replaced by the high energy EDM movement. “I wasn’t used to losing on radio,” Vic admits, holding a post at then XM Radio’s BPM station. He learned the ropes of the new genre and rose up again.
However, after years of going strong and burning the candle at both ends, Vic had to recalibrate. He turned toward the business side of radio, acquiring several radio stations over the years while also learning the ins and outs of the live music experience, even starting Long Island’s Pennysaver Amphitheater. “We brought nightlife to live music,” he adds.
In 2023, after focusing on live music and managing radio stations, Vic had the itch to be back on air, locking a slot on Miami’s Hits 97.3 where he continues to have his own show. After being the conductor of vibes for thirty years strong, Vic Latino is back with a new single, “Cielo,” a song that is primed for his triumph return to recorded music.
“When I was in the driver's seat being a DJ on the radio, you hear a lot of songs,” Vic explains. “But then you hear a song that gives you goosebumps. The hair on your arm stand up. You feel it in your soul. You just feel it like those lyrics. They just resonate with you. They just warm your body. When you hear that song, you know you have a hit, right? So, when I'm when I'm making music, I shoot for that. That’s how I feel about ‘Cielo’. The track blends Latin vibes with Dance, in a way that only can be crafted at the hands of a music legend. It created a buzz even months before its release at Miami’s Winter Music Conference. Flipping a nostalgic interpolation of DJ Sammy’s Dance cover of Brian Adams’ “Heaven,” and mixing it with Spanish, the bilingual Dance track is geared to set the Summer on fire. While this is the first of more releases, it promises to usher in a new era for the King of Airwaves. “I have one more Vic Latino Effect in me,” he humbly advises. “And this one is it.”
The ability to create a moment where moments are seemingly fleeting. The directing of music in a way that not only sets the tone, but it sets the mood. The uncharted gift of always bringing a party to any setting—from the beach to the club, and especially to the radio. Victor Canales (better known as Vic Latino) is not only a famed DJ, music curator, and radio executive. He’s a legend and force within the music industry, where for over three decades he has crafted a career in Dance music that has transcended radio airwaves into boardrooms and arenas. With the release of his upcoming project “Cielo," Vic Latino is geared for more than a triumphant return. It’s a homecoming.
Vic’s journey to the top began on a golf course. “I worked on a golf course out in Eastern Long Island, cutting greens and stuff,” he recalls. With a college major in Chiropractic Studies and a minor in Golf Turf Management, Vic clocked over 15 hours a day during the summertime on the green, however, the universe had other plans for him. While on leave for a dental procedure (which ultimately derailed his clinical fellowship), he took an internship at MTV. “My first job at MTV was to pick up Dr. Dre in Westbury every morning and drive him to 1515 Broadway,” Vic remembers. While working with Dr. Dre, Vic expanded his network, even learning how to deejay. When Dr. Dre and Ed Lover moved over to New York City’s Hot97 radio station, Vic moved over with them. “I started falling in love with radio, and I started doing personal appearances and promotions with them, because I was everywhere Dre was,” he adds. “It just became a snowball effect.” As Vic continued to network and grow his local celebrity, he expanded his base from Hip-Hop to Freestyle, building a community with acts like DJ Skribble and K7. At just 21 years old, Vic landed his first shot at radio: part-time on-air at WBLI. “I never went back to Chiropractic school,” he says. “I never went back to Golf Turf Management, and I left all of that to make $5 an hour working overnights at WBLI.”
He maximized his time—using his growing radio persona to promote signature nights at various clubs across the greater Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut), sometimes bringing in crowds of over 1,000 people. His reach was obvious, leading to the offer of a lifetime to start the famed WXXP, better known as Party 105. This was the origin story of the “Vic Latino Effect,” as he catapulted a new New York City station straight to the top. The next several years were spent on a rollercoaster ride of high demands and Vic changing the radio game. First, he moved over to 95.3 Party in Orlando, dethroning flagship station XL1067 from the top spot after over a decade at Number One. His buzz continued to build, leading to a return to New York City for the primetime spot at WKTU. The Vic Latino Effect continued, and in one month he became the most listened to jock on the NYC airwaves—beating radio’s longtime king, Hot97’s Funkmaster Flex. “I was doing mash up mixes at night of Hip- Hop, Dance, ‘60s, ‘70s…everything mashed up together.” Vic adds. “I would have Local NY DJs join me each night to do these mash up mixes, this gave birth to the now famed Dj Riz and SizzaHandz “The Crooklyn Clan”, Dj Riddler, Bobby Dee, Johnny Budz. It was so different. People loved it.”
He continued building his brand, first with compilation projects for Tommy Boy Records and later ULTRA Records and Thrive Records. Vic Latino arguably curated an entire lifestyle, fueled by Dance music and his signature way of blending sounds together. He eventually took his talents to television, making regular appearances on A&E’s Growing Up Gotti and the in-house DJ for the Emmy Award winning Ellen DeGeneres Show, making the hard decision to leave radio and build his TV presence.
By the time he returned to radio in 2007, everything had changed. Gone were the days of House and Freestyle infused Dance music, replaced by the high energy EDM movement. “I wasn’t used to losing on radio,” Vic admits, holding a post at then XM Radio’s BPM station. He learned the ropes of the new genre and rose up again.
However, after years of going strong and burning the candle at both ends, Vic had to recalibrate. He turned toward the business side of radio, acquiring several radio stations over the years while also learning the ins and outs of the live music experience, even starting Long Island’s Pennysaver Amphitheater. “We brought nightlife to live music,” he adds.
In 2023, after focusing on live music and managing radio stations, Vic had the itch to be back on air, locking a slot on Miami’s Hits 97.3 where he continues to have his own show. After being the conductor of vibes for thirty years strong, Vic Latino is back with a new single, “Cielo,” a song that is primed for his triumph return to recorded music.
“When I was in the driver's seat being a DJ on the radio, you hear a lot of songs,” Vic explains. “But then you hear a song that gives you goosebumps. The hair on your arm stand up. You feel it in your soul. You just feel it like those lyrics. They just resonate with you. They just warm your body. When you hear that song, you know you have a hit, right? So, when I'm when I'm making music, I shoot for that. That’s how I feel about ‘Cielo’. The track blends Latin vibes with Dance, in a way that only can be crafted at the hands of a music legend. It created a buzz even months before its release at Miami’s Winter Music Conference. Flipping a nostalgic interpolation of DJ Sammy’s Dance cover of Brian Adams’ “Heaven,” and mixing it with Spanish, the bilingual Dance track is geared to set the Summer on fire. While this is the first of more releases, it promises to usher in a new era for the King of Airwaves. “I have one more Vic Latino Effect in me,” he humbly advises. “And this one is it.”