Issue 003: Cover Story With DJ Buxley

“If someone on those few times they go out and they choose you, they've utilized whatever resources they have to come. Imagine now putting on a sick experience for them; maybe I think too deep into it, but it's like you’re actually impacting people's lives, giving them a moment for them to forget about their problems and have fun”

For event entrepreneur DJ Buxley, what started as an early passion for DJing became the foundation for creating one of Birmingham’s valuable and culturally significant grassroots movements. A natural connector with a deep love for music and a genuine passion for bringing joy and good vibes. That passion gave rise to Boxout UK; a brand that has redefined what parties can look and feel like for young Black communities in the UK. What’s perhaps most inspiring is not just the growth from 30-person parties to 1000-strong day events, but the intention behind it all.

The emphasis on nurturing talent, celebrating diversity in sound, and supporting community-led giving, from sports days to homeless outreach, the brand’s a blueprint for how events are a vessel for care, culture, and collective memory. With offshoots like Nolly Way, showcasing Afrobeats and amapiano, and karaoke night, a low-stakes playground for emerging DJs, Buxley continues to create access points for creative collaboration. Beyond a dance, initiatives like Boxout Community bring people together through free networking events, charity drives, and wellness-focused socials all fuelled by the same spirit of joy that sparked the very first party.

BLK Brit speaks with Ehi Oboite, professionally known as Buxley, to reflect on his journey, the values that drive him, and why making space for people to feel free, seen, and celebrated will always be at the heart of his work.

How did you come to build the Boxout brand we see today?

I'm originally from London, did my postgrad at Aston University, did Business Studies - that’s the reason I moved to Birmingham. I was a student DJ; I've been DJing since I was like 11, 12- I've always been passionate about music and bringing people together. Obviously, during life, you have to do some traditional things, like going uni, finishing A-levels, all that stuff. I was DJing here and there, then one day it just clicked to me; why not put on your own event instead of constantly just trying to DJ nightclubs and so on, because I honestly wasn't enjoying that so much. So I decided to start Boxout. It started off around 7 years ago with I'd say probably about 30 people in attendance. Selling tickets for like £1, I was even doing the doors alongside DJing, I was doing all sorts, content; it was actually a one-man show. I wasn't really doing it for the money, hence the price at the time, I was doing it 'cause I wanted people to have a good time then started realizing people were really liking it. Rather than it being the traditional party set up, we were playing games, we still do that now, playing musical chairs, gigantic Jenga and Connect 4, just so people can have fun. Going from 30 to 50 people coming on a monthly basis, to our most recent events like the day party which has over 1000 people. It's grown, but we've maintained what we stand for.

How did you settle on the brand name Boxout, and at what point did you realize, actually, I need to start building a team around me? Did you build because it's scaling up or did you build a team because you wanted to upscale?

The reason why it’s called Boxout was a play on thinking outside of the box, so thought it was a great fitting name. In terms of building a team it came organically. The reason I say that is because it's actually my friends that were helping me, the people that I work with were either my friends or we've developed a friendship along the way. It's not a transactional relationship, we were able to build a team; some stuck around and wanted to get involved in events- I still have support from the same very friends from the start but people maintained who actually want to be involved in events. I'm fortunate to have good friends, but it might not necessarily be their dream or their passion so they can only help you for a period of time.

But support could come from buying tickets, helping me do the barbecue, doing the doors, you know, nothing is more important than any other thing, if that makes sense. I was able to develop a team, initially I think there were about 3 of us. Now we've gotten to the position where the last event we had about probably about 18 people working with people doing specific roles that they're passionate about, but also they're really good at it. Even outside the team, like if photographers reach out to us or videographers we never say no, we just say yeah, you can come grab content. We don't even use the content, but we offer using our space to get in some work experience or test out your camera or whatever, you're always more than welcome to do any creative ideas- because at the end of the day we're more than an event, we're a community. The events we do are just a space for a bunch of like pretty cool creatives, music lovers and just fun people in general having a good time expressing themselves.

I agree it's a beautiful space at events and a great environment. I definitely nearly got knocked over at one of the events with musical chairs- I wasn't even playing (both laugh) that's how competitive it got. I obviously got too close-

Have you noticed people are just like, happy?

Absolutely, that's what I love about the events.

Yeah, people are genuinely happy. It's one of those things where I am very much aware that I have influenced how people behave and feel, but I think there's also something bigger than that; it must be God, it's bigger than me, it's bigger than my team. We really try to represent Birmingham and we have so much out of town people come, it's hard to explain-

You’re saying it's something that you have to experience to understand, I agree you'll just feel the vibe, the synergy, and then the conversations that people are having as well.

Like a social club, isn't it? Yeah.

It really is. And it's nice because then if you go to more than one event you start to see familiar people, then when you see them outside of Boxout, it's like a starting ground for relationships and conversational points. You’ve thrived on bringing the communities together- you've got Boxout, then you've got Nolly Way, embracing different types of Black communities within Birmingham. How did you decide where you wanted to branch out in terms of different types of events?

Initially we did Boxout, which was a day party, it got to a stage where some of my friends who are African were saying we don't really play a lot of Afrobeats or amapiano and I took that on board how best to try it out, because majority of the audience Jamaican, Caribbean or even just British culture; 2, 3 years ago I think British culture understood dancehall and that sort of music better in comparison to Afrobeats. I was just like you know what, it's not really hitting off in Boxout, so why not create something else they can be proud of, and people who are into Afrobeats but not necessarily from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, but if you're into it this event [Nolly Way] is for you. At Boxout, we're one of the few organizations that really push emerging DJs, they get photography, videography, they get content, they get that we really look after them. On the flip side there is that expectation from others sometimes, like why am I not putting them on, and then there's that sort of animosity, like a responsibility that I didn't really ask for. I'm only one man and it can be overwhelming. Because of that, the beautiful thing about Nolly [Way] was that I was able to help even more DJs; we don't use the same DJs for Boxout that we use for Nolly, we have a whole different pool of African DJs. One of the reasons why I created karaoke night was because I wanted to hear other DJs and karaoke night was the was the best way for me to listen to upcoming new talent because it's less risk; there's only about 150 people and no one can really complain if you're coming to a free event, it's like a testing ground. That's what led to me doing different things, because there's so much talent in Brum, and different music tastes and communities.

It's creating that variety in the event space, because sometimes people don't know that they like something until they test it out, that's how things grow, but a lot of places are hesitant to do it unless they know that it will do numbers, but then it almost never will if people haven't had that exposure to it.

We're constantly trying new things and in all honesty the events I enjoy the most are the smaller ones, the ones where you can have a conversation with people. I love the networking events, the karaoke nights, the one with Pirate- intimate things where you can really feel the energy, it's the wholesomeness, you know?

Is there anything memorable from one of your much earlier DJ sets starting out, a song you played or a mix you did and you were like, oh my gosh, this is definitely what I want to do?

Those moments when I'm DJing and I'm seeing a crowd reaction, just knowing you've played a pivotal part in someone's night out. How I see nights out is a bit different to what my competition or other event organizers see it as. Most people have a leisure budget, what you can afford to spend in that month, right? How I see it is not everyone's blessed to have a never-ending leisure budget, so if someone on those few times they go out and they choose you, they've utilized whatever resources they have to come. Imagine now putting on a sick experience for them; maybe I think too deep into it, but it's like you’re actually impacting people's lives, giving them a moment for them to forget about their problems and have fun.

Yes! And believe it or not, you're becoming part of people's core memories. So when people say, ‘Oh, what did you do in 2025-’ you're becoming part of that conversation of having been within those spaces you’ve curated. There's a great book by Caleb Femi The Wickedest which captures what events feel like. So, how important do you personally find providing networking opportunities and community?

It's in our logo, our phrase; good people, good vibes. We've always made sure that fun has been at the forefront of what we do. With karaoke night, that's actually a Boxout Community thing because it's a free event; we had conversations internally about moving it towards the community page. You come meet people, have a laugh, hop on a mic, and come vibe. So the Boxout Community is basically an extension of all our charity and us wanting to give back to the community. It just can't be living on our day-party or Boxout UK page, having that separation allows us to do more for the community, but also be visible.

I always tell people, especially the DJs who I work with, if you don't post, it hasn't happened. You could have done a really sick event, but if you don't post and no one sees it on social media, it hasn't happened, that’s how it is in this age. Some of the things we do, the homeless runs, the free networking events, the sports days, some people might say, ‘Oh, you don't need to post all your good deeds.’ But someone has to, there has to be a trend to be set and spark others. I feel like that mentality is changing in terms of support and I feel that Boxout has had a part to play. DJs are coming and they're no longer seeing each other as competition because they are part of something. I don't charge DJs and event organizers because what we're trying to encourage is for them to be in the same space and network and potentially collaborate. We're also very unapologetically Black, you know. So it's one of those ones where if venues don't really want to mess with Black people, then we're all right, we're not bringing our events here. But we are also very intentional with where we hold events, like Digbeth, which is a safer space for our community; people with different sexualities, different backgrounds, different, whatever it may be, they're more than welcome to come to our space, we've been so intentional.

I feel like your brand is a product of the energy that you have put forward into it which is why I understand why you say it feels bigger than you, because of what you've come into it wanting to do, focus on community. How has your background influenced your outlook when it comes to community?

I feel I had that sense of community firstly within my family, I think a lot of stuff is attributed to my dad. My dad's a very understanding, welcoming person; my friends have always gravitated towards him. When I was younger, I never understood why my friends were like, ‘You're always confiding in your dad,’ and it's because they might not have had anyone that would really listen, if that makes sense. But I was fortunate to have someone that was always listening, and wanted to pour into others. So that's basically more or less formed me to be this person, but I've only realized this later in life. Because sometimes unfortunately, especially with Nigerian culture; I was actually born in Nigeria, we came to the UK when I was 5- the man is commonly perceived as the dominant one, doesn't really listen to people. My dad's the total opposite, that's had an influence on how I have been towards people or being towards this community.

Lastly, how did you find the shoot with BLK Brit and the team?

It was really good you know, very wholesome. The part I played, I feel like I had an impact on that day, right? The reason I'm saying that is because I realized, do you know who I feel really supported that environment for me, besides the team? Que; he really made me feel welcome enough to be myself. Yeah, everyone was great to meet and work with.

And that’s what coming together and community is meant to feel like; safe spaces.

INTERVIEW: Charlene Haylette - @charlenes_media
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Raissa Coulibaly - @therealraissa
ART DIRECTOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER: Tobi Sobowale - @shobo_photography
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Charlene Haylette - @charlenes_media
SET DESIGNER: Vanessa Koranteng - @brantuostudio
STYLIST: Tele Awo - @teleolaaa
HAIRSTYLIST: Jamique Webb - @jaamique
MUA: Mia Bolaji - @flawlesstouchbymia