Rising Stars: Meet Victor Manzano of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Manzano.

Hi Victor, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When people ask me where my journey in music started, I always go back to one moment when I was about five or six years old. I was in El Salvador visiting family with my mom and grandmother when my dad shipped me a Michael Jackson “Thriller” costume for a family block party. At that time, Michael Jackson was everything. He was the biggest star in the world, and like every kid growing up then, I wanted to be him. I remember opening that package and feeling like I had just discovered treasure. I threw the outfit on immediately and couldn’t wait for the party.

When the music started playing that night, I got up in front of everybody and started dancing like my life depended on it. I was spinning, performing, doing all my little Michael Jackson moves, and people were cheering. Then I did a spin into a split, and my costume ripped right in the middle of the performance. I was embarrassed and ran off, but honestly, that was the exact moment I realized I loved entertaining people. Even as a kid, I knew I wanted to perform, create, and make people feel something for the rest of my life.

Growing up in Venice during the 80s and 90s was an experience all by itself. Music was always around me. My mom played salsa, cumbia, merengue, and traditional Latin music around the house, while my dad played Santana, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and classic rock records on our old Panasonic system. So from a young age, I was absorbing rhythm, groove, melody, and energy from completely different worlds.

At the same time, hip-hop culture was exploding in Los Angeles. I grew up watching the rise of artists like N.W.A., Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Biggie, MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Tupac, and so many others. Hip-hop became the soundtrack of the streets, especially in LA during that era. But growing up then also meant being surrounded by gang culture and pressure to pick sides. I never wanted that life for myself. I loved sports, dancing, music, and creativity more than anything, so I chose my own lane even when it wasn’t the popular choice.

In middle school, I joined the percussion section in band, and honestly, that changed my life. I didn’t come from a family of musicians who played instruments, so this was my first real exposure to understanding music structurally. I learned about timing, rhythm, harmonies, sections, and arrangements. My teacher at the time was also a recording engineer, and I remember constantly asking him questions about studios and recording. I was fascinated by the idea that people actually created records behind the scenes.

By high school, I was living multiple lives at once. I played football, ran track, danced, promoted parties, and got heavily involved in LA’s underground house music culture. Back then, all-ages clubs like The Arena and Carnival were everything. Those places exposed me to house music, dance battles, DJs, fashion, nightlife, and people from every walk of life.
I became obsessed with dance culture. I would watch Saturday Night Fever over and over again and study John Travolta’s character, Tony Manero, like he was a blueprint. I practiced dance moves in my living room for hours, trying to understand confidence, swagger, movement, and how performers controlled a room.

Eventually, I fell in love with DJing too.

One of my friends in high school invited me to his house and pulled a pair of Technics 1200 turntables out from under his bed. The second I saw those turntables, I knew my life was changing again. He showed me how mixers worked, how records blended, and how DJs controlled the energy of a party. It reminded me of how I felt opening that Michael Jackson costume as a kid. It was another one of those defining moments where something just clicked inside me.

Around the same time, I also got into theater. Venice High School was doing a production of Grease for its anniversary celebration, and I auditioned even though I wasn’t really a singer. I ended up landing a supporting role, and being part of that production opened me up emotionally and creatively in a whole new way. Acting, performing, storytelling, music, dance, all of it connected for me.

But right before graduation, I hit a crossroads.

I had auditioned for the movie Crazy/Beautiful with Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez and made it pretty far in the casting process. At the same time, I had this deep desire to challenge myself physically and mentally. I told myself that if acting didn’t work out, I was going to become a Marine. When I didn’t land the role, I committed fully to the military path.

I joined the United States Marine Corps in 2000 and became an infantryman. Then 9/11 happened, and suddenly life became very real very fast. I deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom II, serving in numerous combat operations. Those years shaped me forever. They taught me discipline, leadership, resilience, and how precious life really is.

Even during deployments, music still found its way back into my life. I remember talking to my Marine brother about Daft Punk, house music, and production while overseas. One day, I came across Scratch Magazine, which featured producers like Timbaland, The Neptunes, Dr. Dre, and Cool & Dre. That magazine completely opened my eyes to what producers and engineers actually did behind the scenes. I became obsessed with learning recording and production.

When I came home, I bought my first beat machine and started experimenting. I didn’t know what I was doing at first, but I loved it. Then another Marine showed me Reason software, and that changed everything again. I realized digital production was the future and that music was still my real calling.

After leaving the Marines, I enrolled at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. I threw myself into recording, engineering, beat-making, and studio culture completely. I barely slept. I recorded everybody I could. I was determined to figure out the business from the inside out.

That grind eventually led me to an internship working around legendary producer LT Hutton and icons like Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Too Short, and E-40. Being in those rooms was surreal because these were artists I grew up listening to. I got to see firsthand how records were made, how artists carried themselves, and how the business actually operated behind the scenes.

Later, I joined what would become Cashmere Agency under Ted Chung, who worked closely with Snoop Dogg. That experience changed my perspective completely because I learned the business side of entertainment, branding, marketing, management, strategy, partnerships, and artist development. That’s when I realized music wasn’t just art; it was also business, storytelling, and culture.

Over the next two decades, I worked across production, engineering, artist development, publishing, management, and A&R. I opened studios in Studio City, Hollywood, Venice, and Downtown LA, helped develop artists, secured publishing deals, worked on placements, and collaborated in genres ranging from hip-hop to reggaeton and K-pop.

Miami also became a huge influence on me creatively. Spending time there exposed me to reggaeton and Latin music in a completely different way than what I grew up hearing in LA. It reconnected me deeply to my Salvadoran roots and expanded my understanding of global music culture.

Then COVID happened, and like a lot of people, I was forced to slow down and reevaluate everything. During that time, I asked myself what I truly loved. The answer was simple: creating music, DJing, and entertaining people. So I went back to my roots and started producing house music again. I bought new equipment, rebuilt my setup, and fully committed to becoming the artist I had always wanted to be instead of staying behind the scenes.

Today, I’m fully focused on building Victor Von Boom as an artist, producer, DJ, and brand. I’m releasing music consistently, building my YouTube audience, DJing, developing visual content, and growing my label, Applesauce Records.

What excites me most about today’s music industry is that independent artists finally have direct access to audiences. You don’t need permission anymore, but you do need discipline, originality, work ethic, and vision. Anybody can upload a song now, but not everybody understands branding, storytelling, performance, and what it really takes to create something timeless.

For me, every chapter of my life, growing up in Venice, dance culture, the Marines, combat deployments, recording studios, artist development, and entrepreneurship, prepared me for this moment. And honestly, I feel like I’m just getting started.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all.

Having no access in the beginning, a lack of funding, and timing.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m known for being an entrepreneur, music executive, A&R manager, producer, and now a Producer/DJ, but more than anything, I’m a student of the culture and the business.

What I’m most proud of is having the opportunity to build a lasting career in the music industry and continue thriving in it. Growing up, music wasn’t presented to us as a realistic career path or a sustainable future. To not only break into the business but remain relevant, impactful, and consistently evolving throughout my career is something I never take for granted.

What sets me apart is my genuine love and obsession with music. That passion fuels my work ethic, my creativity, and my commitment to understanding every side of the business. I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the art, the culture, and the art of the deal. Combining business knowledge with creative instinct has allowed me to move through multiple lanes of the industry while continuing to grow, adapt & overcome, and leave an impact.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Books:

Rich Dad Poor Dad, Do You, and Let it be easy.

Podcast:
The Ken McElroy Show, I will teach you to be rich, School of Hard Knocks

Apps:
Suno, Reason, Splice, Youtube, Chatgpt

Contact Info:

• Website: www.victorvonboom,.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevictorvonboom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevictorvonboom/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicmanzano/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thevictorvonboom
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thevictorvonboom
• Other: https://www.applesauce.world

Image Credits
Image credit to: Lidia Manzano
https://www.instagram.com/iambatmanswife88/