DJ Vlad (born Vladislav Lyubovny,[a] June 28, 1973) is a Ukrainian-American interviewer, journalist, and former DJ. He is the creator of the news website VladTV.com. His namesake YouTube channel hosts interviews of prominent entertainers and celebrity figures, and has accumulated over five million subscribers. He is based in Calabasas, California.
DJ Vlad | ||||||||||
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 DJ Vlad in 2022 | ||||||||||
| Born | Vladislav Lyubovny June 28, 1973[1] | |||||||||
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley (BS) | |||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Interviewer, journalist, director | |||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2006–present | |||||||||
| Genres |
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| Subscribers | 5.91 million[3] | |||||||||
| Total views | 5.64 billion[3] | |||||||||
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Last updated: December 20, 2023 | ||||||||||
Early life
editLyubovny was born in Kyiv, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) to a Russian Jewish family and moved to the United States at the age of five, first living in Springfield, Massachusetts before his family settled down in San Mateo, California.[4][5][better source needed] He grew up in the Bay Area and became interested in hip hop in his youth when N.W.A released their debut album.[6] He went to university at UC Berkeley graduating in Computer Science and Engineering.[5]
Career
editLyubovny was initially making hip hop beats, but later quit when he realized he would not be successful at it.[7] He began DJing after experimenting with a friend's equipment. In a 2010 interview with Parlé Magazine, he stated: "I kinda reached this point where I was like 'I really wanna do music. Let me try and concentrate and do music as well'."[8] He directed on the American Gangster television series, as well as the documentary film Ghostride the Whip.[9]
Lyubovny later launched VladTV.com and initially uploaded MP3 files of DJ mixtapes.[8][when?] He moved to New York City and released the Rap Phenomenon mixtape series.[8][when?] He was also making hip hop DVDs, but was financially struggling as DVD sales began to decline. In 2008, Lyubovny turned his attention towards YouTube, which had recently launched its Partner Program which allows content creators to earn money. Lyubovny then decided to drop all other endeavours and focus on YouTube full-time.[7]
In August 2008, Lyubovny was assaulted by rapper Rick Ross's entourage after he covered a story on the rapper's former career as a corrections officer.[10] Lyubovny filed a $4 million lawsuit.[11] On April 15, 2010, a New York Federal Jury awarded Lyubovny $300,000 in his civil suit, finding Ross liable for setting Lyubovny up for the attack at the 2008 Ozone Awards in Houston, Texas.[10]
In April 2009, the Star & Buc Wild show joined the VladTV family to do a daily feature.[12] In May 2010, Lyubovny voiced himself for a cameo in The Boondocks episode "Bitches to Rags".[13]
In December 2016, Lyubovny interviewed Soulja Boy, who explained events surrounding a home invasion and shooting in 2008.[14] The interview went viral, with many questioning the validity of Soulja Boy's claims. Numerous people parodied Soulja Boy's interview online, including rapper Joe Budden, and comedians Mike Epps and D.C. Young Fly, in what was ironically dubbed the "Soulja Boy Challenge".[14]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "DJ Vlad. : I'll Start To Worry When They Stop Talking About Me". hiphoplt.com. March 19, 2013. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014.
- ^ "The DJ Vlad Interview". YouTube.
- ^ a b "About djvlad". YouTube.
- ^ "The DJ Vlad Interview". YouTube. No Jumper. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ a b Ju, Shirley (April 11, 2022). "It Pays to Be VLAD: How a Ukrainian Software Engineer Became a Top Name in Hip-Hop News". Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ "DJ Vlad on How to Become a Music Star". WSJ. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ a b "Rah Digga To DJ Vlad: "Your Platform Perpetuates A Lot Of Nonsense"". YouTube. Yanadameen Godcast. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ^ a b c Benoit, Kevin. "DJ Vlad - 60-Hour A Week Work Ethic Pays Off". Parlé Magazine.
- ^ "Ghostride the Whip". Debate. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014.
- ^ a b Gendar, Alison (April 16, 2010). "Jury orders gangsta rapper Rick Ross to pay $300k to DJ Vlad for entourage attack". NY Daily News.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (August 15, 2008). "DJ Vlad Files $4 Million Lawsuit Against Rick Ross Over Alleged Ozone Awards Beatdown". MTV.com. MTV. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Hinckley, David (April 28, 2009). "Star and Buc Wild get online with Vlad". NY Daily News.
- ^ "DJ Vlad Talks "Boondocks" Season 3 Cameo". Complex. April 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Coleman II, C. Vernon (December 31, 2016). "Soulja Boy Challenge Takes Over The Internet". XXL. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
External links
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