DJ VLAD

"Man, we just missed Diamond D," DJ Vlad says with genuine disappointment after being informed of the infamous hip-hop producer's recent departure from New York's Fat Beats Records. Upon his arrival to the longtime entry point to New York's indie hip-hop scene, Vlad inquires about Ego Trip's Big Book of Racism (Regan). The shop doesn't have it in, but Vlad does run into and discuss business with Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua, Jay-Z's A&R rep and an Atlantic Records executive. The occurrences mirror Vlad's career as a mixtape DJ: making the most of timely opportunities when they arise.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Vlad started as a producer before dabbling with DJing in the mid-'90s. He made a name for himself by embracing the Internet to make his MP3 mixes available to millions, but finding himself broke in 2002, he decided to move to New York, a virtual mixtape mecca, to make his mark. Combining his knack for snagging exclusive verses and his production skills to basically create all-new songs, Vlad was able to stand out amid the hypercompetitive - and grossly oversaturated - mixtape market.

"When I make the mixtapes, I try to bring a production feel to it instead of using the brand-new beats," Vlad explains. "I don't want to have some blend on there that 10 other DJs have. I want to create my own experience."

The success of his 2003 self-released CDs - The Notorious B.I.G. Rap Phenomenon, with Dirty Harry, and 2Pac: Rap Phenomenon II, with DJs Dirty Harry and Green Lantern - granted him the Mixtape of the Year accolades at Justo's Mixshow Awards as well as similar honors in various publications. He has since parlayed his mixtape notoriety into DJ gigs across the country and elsewhere, not to mention a spot as resident DJ to radio personalities Dr. Dre and Ed Lover's syndicated Jump Off show and his own Chop Shop Radio show on XM Radio.

Recently, DJ Vlad slightly modified his bread-and-butter mixtape operation by packaging a documentary-style DVD with his latest...