DJ Vlad

Thrasher Magazine, May, 2005 by Shel Black

RIGHT FROM THE GET GO, DJ mixtapes have been an essential part of hip-hop culture. All the hottest tracks break on mixtapes. All the hottest new artists break on mixtapes. All the dopest MC battles take place on mixtapes, and most of the big name DJs like DJ Clue, Kay Slay, Whoo Kid, Green Lantern, Tony Touch came up by dropping mixtapes. It's pretty much how a no-name DJ can get into the game and become a household DJ name. The hip-hop mixtape industry has grown into a black market, multi-million-dollar-a-year global industry sold by street teams and offshore mixtape websites. And it looks set to continue growing--despite a huge organized effort by the RIAA to shut it down and federally prosecute anyone caught selling mixtapes. The RIAA will never be able to stop mixtapes because the labels and artists know the best way to promote a legit album is to leak exclusive tracks to a mixtape DJ right before their album drops. One DJ who has blown up through the mixtape game is the Bay Area's own DJ Vlad. Vlad came on in the last year with the release of the Rap Phenomenon Mixtapes featuring exclusive Pac and BIG tracks, selling 100, 000-plus copies. Illegal business controls America.

What up DJ Vlad?

Chillin', homie.

What's crackin'-a-lackin in the Vlad mixtape game?

Just dropped that Devils Advocate Mixtape and DVD with The Game and Nu Jerzey Devil. The response is crazy.

Who's your favorite mixtape DJ, other than yourself?

I'm feelin' my man Sickamore.

Why?

Sick really tries to get creative with the concepts of his mixtapes. He doesn't follow what everyone else is doing.

How do you feel about the state of the mixtape game right now?

I like where it's going. The mainstream media and the public is finally seeing the importance of what we do. MTV just did this whole segment on the Devils Advocate that I did with The Game and Nu derzey Devil. They were showing interviews, clips from the DVD, everything. That never would have happened five years ago. How has it changed since you began?

The line between freestyles and actual songs are getting blurred. DJs are taking freestyles, putting original production behind them, making hooks, and getting them played on the radio. That's crazy.

Do you think the RIAA and their strict new anti-mixtape measures are going to make the game bigger and badder or are they going to squash it?

Let me let you in on a little secret: the RIAA has no money of its own. All they do is find shit and then run and snitch to the record labels. It's on the record labels to do anything, and me and the other major mixtape DJs work very closely with the labels. So it's all good, homie.

What makes a dope top selling mixtape?

A big mixtape has to be an event. There has to be something about this tape that's going to get everyone talking about it. Like on the Hot in Here 5, my man Shaq dissed Kobe in a freestyle on my mixtape. The next thing you know it's on ESPN! Then every other major news agency and newspaper start writing about it.

You are originally from the Yay Area?

Hell yeah. Oakland, Mateo, all over that.

When did you move to New York?

In 2002. I'm always going to represent the Bay and the West Coast, but New York had all the resources I needed like MTV, BET, all the major magazines.

Tell us about the time you had to make a choice between a bed and an air conditioner when you first made that move east.

I was living deep in the 'hood in Brooklyn--Church and East 18th--sleeping on my man's couch. I had scraped barely enough money to get into my own apartment. I was so broke that I had to choose between a bed or an air conditioner. It was like 110 degrees so I chose the air conditioner. A couple days later I brought a girl back to my place and had to fuck her on the floor. My knees were all bruised up and shit.

Who you feeling from The East right now?

50 Cent.

Who you feeling from The West Side?

The Game.

Who you feeling from Dirty Dirty?

TI.

You used to be a reggae DJ, right?

Yeah, that's how I officially started out in the DJ world. Shortly after that I became the DJ for Barrington Levy.

What reggae DJs you feeling?

Dexterity, Black Chiney.

How do you think DJ Vlad going to change the game?

I can't tell you that, homie. Bad boys move in silence. Check out www.djvlad.com for breaking news on my sneaky ass.

Shout outs?

Nu Jerzey Devil, Game and everyone at Black Wallstreet, AG, Pal, Dexterity, Tapemasta, Ikonya, Ro, my crew from the Bay--Larry, Frank and James--Zaira, Romie Rome, my man Rahman and Shahiem, Kurt WiUiamson and David Levine, my manager Pro, DJ Backside, DJ Fingaz, DJ Semi, Sickamore, everyone at the Jumpoff Show--Rick Martin, Ed Lover and Dr Dre and Keith Shocklee, my man Leo G at XM Radio.