DJ Lethal

DJ Lethal (2011)

DJ Lethal (also: Leor (Lee) DiMant , real name: Leors Dimants , born December 18, 1972 in Riga , Latvian SSR ) is an American DJ of Latvian descent.

Life

Leors Dimants was born in Riga, Latvia, which at that time still belonged to the Soviet Union . He got his first contact with music through his father Grisha Dimant (1951-2007), who was a guitarist in a rock band.

In 1979, when Lethal was seven years old, he and his family left the USSR illegally for Italy , where they stayed for a year before applying for visas . They were then allowed to move to either Toronto , Los Angeles, or New York City . His parents chose New York. There his father performed in various Russian bars and restaurants, especially in Brighton Beach .

DiMant and his parents lived in Jersey City for a while . It was there that he first came into contact with hip-hop when his school put on a talent show in which several students performed a rap song, which DiMant loved. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1987 when his father got a job in a new Russian restaurant. There he quickly became interested in hip-hop culture, u. a. Breakdance and graffiti . Before becoming a DJ, he started out as a beatboxer . Using a friend's turntables and mixer, he later worked as a DJ.

In an interview with the Latvian newspaper Diena in 2009, DiMant affirmed that despite his many years in the USA, he still feels “Latvian”. This connection comes from the fact that he was born there and his grandmother, other relatives and many friends of the family live there. He mentioned Laima Vaikule as an important friend of the family who encouraged him to keep in touch with the country where he was born.

After visiting Latvia twice after its independence, Dimant expressed positive feelings for the country.

During his childhood in Riga, he spoke mostly Russian at home and at school . He said his parents could speak Latvian but didn't want their son to learn it so they could have private conversations without him being able to understand them. Even so, Dimant can still remember several sentences in Latvian, for example “ Nevajag viņam! “('He doesn't need [it]!')

Career

Everlast and House of Pain

In the late 1980s, DiMant befriended a rapper who was dating rapper Everlast at the time . When Everlast was about to go on a European tour with Ice-T and Rhyme Syndicate, he said that he would like to hear DiMant beatboxing and they met. Everlast was impressed with his skills and invited DiMant to be his DJ on the upcoming tour. DiMant, who was just 16 at the time, accepted and finished school.

After the tour, Everlast's first solo album, including a song with DiMant, was released in 1990. It fell through with both critics and sales.

Everlast and DiMant then decided, now performing as DJ Lethal, to form a band, and House of Pain was formed with the addition of Everlast's high school friend Danny Boy . The 1992 debut album of the same name went platinum several times and is best known for the hit single Jump Around produced by DJ Muggs and the song Shamrocks and Shenanigans produced by DJ Lethal . A second album was released in 1994.

In 1996, the night before the release of the group's third album, produced by Everlast and DJ Lethal, things stalled. Lethal claims it started to get on my nerves and just wasn't fun anymore. The day before the album was released, the band broke up.

Limp Bizkit

Limp Bizkit , an up-and-coming band from Jacksonville , Florida , was the opening act on House of Pain's last tour . DJ Lethal and the band became friends and later Limp asked Bizkit Lethal to work on their recordings. Eventually the band asked him if he wanted to join them, which Lethal assumed. Limp Bizkit became one of the most popular Nu-Metal bands of the late 90s and early 2000s, selling 35 million records worldwide.

DJ Lethal wanted his collaboration on the band's recordings to be more original than typical DJs in bands of the time. On Limp Bizkit albums he is credited with "playing" the turntables, just as Wes Borland is ascribed "playing" the lead guitar.

On April 1, 2012 Limp Bizkit announced on their official Facebook page that DJ Lethal and drummer John Otto are no longer part of the band. According to the band, this is due to drug problems and their "destructive lifestyle".

On April 3, Fred Durst announced that things were going in the right direction with John Otto. So Limp Bizkit only separates from DJ Lethal. On October 12, 2012 it was announced that DJ Lethal was back in the band after he officially apologized. Shortly afterwards, however, he left the band again.

La Coka Nostra

At the moment, DJ Lethal is also working on the underground hip-hop project La Coka Nostra . There he works with his former House of Pain colleagues Everlast and Danny Boy as well as Ill Bill ( Non Phixion ), Slaine (Special Teamz) and Big Left (Underground Professionalz) as well as other artists.

Features

In addition to working with his bands, DJ Lethal produces records in his Hollywood studio . He works for artists like Scott Harris and is also preparing his long-planned solo album, which will feature contributions from will.i.am , Ol 'Dirty Bastard , Chester Bennington , Kurupt , Cypress Hill , Redman , Tha Alkaholiks , Rock by Heltah Skeltah , Pharoahe Monch , Chino XL , Diamond D , Dilated Peoples , Yung Berg , Method Man , Talib Kweli , Bun B and a few more.

Controversy with Eminem

In 2001 there were more verbal arguments between Lethal and the American rapper Eminem . The reason for this, according to Eminem, was an interview with Lethal, in which he said: "I respect Eminem very much, but I think he would lose in a physical fight between him and Everlast." Eminem then released the diss track Girls , which was on the album Devils Night of his hip-hop formation D12 can be heard.

Web links

• DJ Lethal at Discogs (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.myspace.com/djlethal
2. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ http://www.eminemlab.com/eminemenemies/limp%20bizkit.html