Leor Dimant ( lv, Leors Dimants, russian: Леор Григорьевич Димант, ; born December 18, 1972), better known as DJ Lethal, is a Latvian-American turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups House of Pain and

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

Early life

Leor Dimant was born to a Latvian-Jewish family in

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

, when it was part of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. His first contact with music was through his father Grisha Dimant (1951–2007), who, along with his friends, played guitar in a rock band. In 1976 when Dimant was four, he and his family emigrated to Italy, where they remained for a year until they obtained a

visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

. His parents chose to move to the New York area. There, his father performed in various Russian clubs and restaurants, mostly in Brighton Beach. Dimant and his parents lived in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.hip hop culture, including breakdancing and

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

. Before learning to DJ, he started off as a beatboxer. He later practiced DJing using his friend's

turntables A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

and mixer.

Career

Everlast and House of Pain

In the late 1980s, Dimant became friends with a rapper who, at that time, dated rapper

Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage name Everlast, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter, who was the frontman for hip hop group House of Pain. He was also part of the hip hop supergroup La Coka ...

. When Everlast was about to go on a European tour with Ice-T and Rhyme Syndicate, he mentioned that he would like to hear Dimant beatbox, and they met. Everlast was impressed by his beatboxing skills, and he invited Dimant to be his DJ on the upcoming tour. Dimant, who was only 16 at the time, decided to do so and dropped out of school. After the tour, in 1990, Everlast's first solo album, including a track featuring scratching by Dimant, was released to both critical and commercial failure. Following that, Everlast and Dimant, now known as DJ Lethal, decided to start a group, and with the addition of Everlast's high school friend

Danny Boy "Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional Irish melody of "Londonderry Air". History In 1910, in Bath, Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly initial ...

, House of Pain was formed. The group's 1992 self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and is best known for the DJ Muggs-produced hit single "

Jump Around "Jump Around" is a song by American hip hop group House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of the hip hop group Cypress Hill, who has also covered the song. It became a hit in 1992, reaching number 3 in the United States. A 1993 re-release of the ...

" and the DJ Lethal-produced " Shamrocks and Shenanigans". A second album was released in 1994. In 1996, on the eve of the release of the group's third album, produced by Everlast and DJ Lethal, things began to go sour. DJ Lethal claims it started to become a hassle, and simply was not fun anymore. The day before the album came out, the group broke up.

Limp Bizkit

On House of Pain's final tour,

, an up-and-coming band from

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

was hired as a supporting act. DJ Lethal and the band became friends, and later, Limp Bizkit hired him to do some work on their recordings, eventually asking him if he wanted to join them. DJ Lethal accepted the offer, and the band became one of the most popular

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...

groups during the late 90s and early 2000s, selling over 40 million records worldwide. DJ Lethal wanted his contributions to the band recordings to be more original than typical DJs in bands at the time. "There are a couple of other rock bands that have DJs and they're just like, imics a chirp scratch'Hey, what's going on? Let me spin around a couple of times and show off that I can spin two records.' So I definitely knew I didn't want to be just another DJ in a rock band. I wanted to be another instrument—a part of the band, like another guitar player."DJ Lethal (Jan. 2000)
On March 17, 2018, five years after his departure from the band, DJ Lethal reunited with Limp Bizkit on stage during a concert in New Zealand. He later announced through

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that he had officially rejoined Limp Bizkit.

Features

Besides the work with his groups, DJ Lethal is producing records in his

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

based studio, working for artists such as Scott Harris, and is also preparing his long-delayed solo album, which is set to feature

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Chester Bennington, Kurupt,

Cypress Hill Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide and have multi-platinum and platinum albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast and 1990 ...

, Redman,

Tha Alkaholiks Tha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, is an American hip hop trio from Los Angeles, California, United States. Since the early 1990s they have produced party music with a hardcore hip hop edge, powered by the beats of DJ and producer E-Swift ...

, Adil Omar,

Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

of Heltah Skeltah, Pharoahe Monch,

Chino XL Derek Keith Barbosa (born April 8, 1974), better known by his stage name Chino XL, is an American rapper, and actor. He has released four solo studio albums, in which his most recent – ''Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary'' – won the 2012 HHU ...

, Diamond D, Dilated Peoples,

Yung Berg Christian J. Ward (born September 9, 1985), professionally known as Hitmaka, is an American record producer and former rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Ward began his career as a rapper under the name Yung Berg, having released his debut album '' ...

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He is also half of t ...

, Streetlife, Talib Kweli,

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with ...

and more, along with his La Coka Nostra bandmates.

Personal life

In a 2009 interview with the Latvian newspaper ''

Diena ''Diena'' (''The Day'') is a Latvian language national daily newspaper in Latvia, published since 23 November 1990. It is one of Latvia's largest daily periodicals and used to be considered as a paper of record. Following the change of ownersh ...

'', Dimant professed to still feeling "Latvian" despite his many years in the USA. This connection stems from the fact that he was born there, and has a grandmother, other relatives, and many friends of the family there. He mentions

Laima Vaikule Laima Vaikule (born 31 March 1954) is a Latvian actress, singer, director, and choreographer, best known in Europe and in the former USSR for such popular hits as "Vernisage" and "Charlie," among other songs. Biography Vaikule was born on 31 Mar ...

as an important family friend who encouraged him to maintain contacts with the country of his birth. During his early years growing up in Riga, Dimant spoke mainly Russian at home and at school. He says his parents could speak Latvian, but did not want their son to learn it, so that they could have private conversations without him being able to understand. Nevertheless, Dimant can still recall several phrases in Latvian, such as "''Nevajag viņam!''" ('He doesn't need t!').

Partial discography

– '' Forever Everlasting'' (1990) * Funkdoobiest – ''

Which Doobie U B? ''Which Doobie U B?'' is the debut studio album by Los Angeles-based Latin hip hop group Funkdoobiest. It was released on May 4, 1993 via Epic Records. The album peaked at number 56 on the US ''Billboard 200'' chart. The album title comes from a ...

'' (1993) * Sugar Ray – '' Lemonade and Brownies'' (1995) * Funkdoobiest – ''

Brothas Doobie ''Brothas Doobie'' is the second studio album by Los Angeles-based hip hop group Funkdoobiest. It was released on July 4, 1995 via Epic Records. This was the final album featuring back-up MC and hypeman Tomahawk Funk, who left the group after th ...

'' (1995) * Sepultura – ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

'' (1996) *

Biohazard A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bioh ...

– ''

Mata Leão ''Mata Leão'' is the fourth studio album by American hardcore punk band Biohazard, released on June 25, 1996, by Warner Bros. Records, their second and final album for the label. Upon release, it charted at No. 170 on the Billboard 200, charting ...

'' (1996) *

Tura Satana Tura Satana (July 10, 1938Some sources give her birth year as 1935, i.e. Dave Itzkoff"Tura Satana, Cult Actress, Is Dead" ''New York Times'', February 5, 2011; accessed January 8, 2014. – February 4, 2011) was a Japanese American actress, v ...

(aka Manhole) – ''

All Is Not Well ''All Is Not Well'' is the debut studio album by American band Tura Satana. Produced by Ross Robinson, the album was initially released in 1996 when the band was still performing under the name Manhole, which they were later forced to change due ...

'' (1998) * Soulfly – '' Soulfly'' (1998) *

Videodrone Cradle of Thorns was an American rock music, rock band. Formed in 1988 in Bakersfield, California by singer Ty Elam, the band was initially defined by their gothic rock style. After releasing their debut album, ''Remember It Day'', independentl ...

– ''

'' (1999) *

Powerman 5000 Powerman 5000 (also known as PM5K) is an American rock band formed in 1991. The group has released ten albums, gaining its highest level of commercial success with 1999's ''Tonight the Stars Revolt!'', which reached number 29 on the ''Billboar ...

– ''

Tonight the Stars Revolt! ''Tonight the Stars Revolt!'' is the second major label studio album by American rock band Powerman 5000. It was released on July 20, 1999 by DreamWorks Records. Having sold over one million copies and achieving platinum status, this would become ...

'' –

Good Times Roll "Good Times Roll" is a song by American rock band the Cars released as the first track from their 1978 debut album ''The Cars''. Written by Ric Ocasek as a sarcastic comment on rock's idea of good times, the song features layered harmonies courtes ...

(1999) * Coal Chamber – ''

Chamber Music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

'' (1999) * Dope – ''

Felons and Revolutionaries ''Felons and Revolutionaries'' is the debut studio album by the American nu metal band Dope. The album was released in 1999 on Epic Records and has sold over 236,000 copies in the United States, making it their best-selling album to date. It w ...

'' (1999) *

Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows have be ...

– '' American Made Music to Strip By'' (1999) *

Run-DMC Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...

– '' Crown Royal'' (2001) * Kurupt – '' Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey'' (2001) *

– '' The Sinister Urge'' (2001) * Dope – ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

'' (2001) * Professional Murder Music – '' Professional Murder Music'' (2001) *

Shihad Shihad are a rock band formed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1988. The band consists of founders Tom Larkin (drums, backing vocals, samplers), Phil Knight (lead guitar, synthesiser, backing vocals) and Jon Toogood (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), ...

– '' Pacifier'' (2002) * Slaine – ''The White Man Is the Devil Vol 1'' (2005) *

Street Drum Corps Street Drum Corps is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 2004 by Bobby Alt, of S.T.U.N. and Faculty X; Adam Alt, of Circus Minor; and Frank Zummo, of TheStart. To date the group have released four albums and have been part of tours su ...

– ''Street Drum Corps'' (2006) * DMC – ''

Checks Thugs and Rock n Roll ''Checks Thugs and Rock n Roll'' is the debut solo studio album by American musician Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels from hip hop group Run-DMC. It was released on March 14, 2006, through Romen Mpire/Rags 2 Riches Records. He was inspired to put out t ...

'' (2006) * Dead Celebrity Status – '' Blood Music'' (2006) *

Jamie Kennedy James Harvey Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He has played Randy Meeks in the ''Scream'' franchise (1996–2000) and a multitude of characters in ''The Jamie Kennedy Experiment'' (2002–2004) on The WB. His othe ...

& Stu Stone – '' Blowin' Up (Theme music)'' (2006) * Main Flow – ''The Flowfessionals'' (2006) * Evanescence – '' The Open Door'' (2006) * Ill Bill – ''Ill Bill Is the Future Vol. II: I'm a Goon!'' (2006) *

– ''We Are Machines'' (2008) * Ill Bill – ''

The Hour of Reprisal ''The Hour of Reprisal'' is the second studio album by United States, American hip hop music, hip hop musician Ill Bill. It was released on September 16, 2008, by Uncle Howie Records. Featured guests on the album include Howard Jones (heavy metal ...

'' (2008) * Adil Omar – ''

The Mushroom Cloud Effect ''The Mushroom Cloud Effect'' is a street album by Pakistani hip-hop artist Adil Omar consisting of compiled tracks and previously unheard demos. It was released digitally on March 22, 2013 and features Omar's early underground work (mostly affili ...

'' (2012) * Vinnie Paz – ''

God of the Serengeti God of the Serengeti is the second studio album by American rapper Vinnie Paz. It was released on October 22, 2012. Background This effort follows up 2010's ''Season of The Assassin''. The album is said to include production and MC skills fro ...

'' (2012) * La Coka Nostra – '' To Thine Own Self Be True'' (2016)

Accolades

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, " Take a Look Around (Theme from '' M:i-2'')" , rowspan="2", Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance , , rowspan="4", , - , rowspan="2",

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

, " Nookie" , , - , '' Significant Other'' ,

Grammy Award for Best Rock Album The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sever ...

, , - , align=center,

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, "

" ,

Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. The award was discontinue ...

, , -

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lethal, DJ 1972 births Latvian Jews Living people Limp Bizkit members Musicians from Riga House of Pain members La Coka Nostra members Latvian record producers Jewish heavy metal musicians Jewish hip hop record producers American people of Latvian descent Soviet emigrants to the United States American people of Latvian-Jewish descent