Prince of the Mix Tape - DJ Green Lantern Brings a Taste of Eminem to the Northcountry

A year ago, the word among music industry insiders was that rap/pop sensation
Eminem singlehandedly saved the recording industry. Ironically the rapper‘s
recent success has come from using the art of the “mix tape“ that has been
attributed to hurting the recording industry, since many music fans on the “street level“ share tapes and burn songs off the Internet to create their own private mixes. While Eminem has infiltrated the mainstream, much of his success comes from relying on what is happening on the streets.
What better way to stay connected to the streets then hiring the hottest
underground DJ? That is exactly what Eminem did when he brought in DJ Green
Lantern from New York to handle the mix for his live shows. DJ Green Lantern
joined forces with Eminem for the 2002 Anger Management Tour and has
remained in Slim Shady‘s camp ever since. Eminem has signed DJ Green Lantern
to a deal with Shady Records and the prince of the mix tape will release his
first album in February.

NO MONEY IN IT
While Eminem takes a break from touring, DJ Green Lantern is out on a tour if
his own which will bring him to Traverse City the night after Christmas,
when he bring his mastery of the mix to Streeters Ground Zero Night Club.
“Don‘t come at me on some ‘my song is on your tape‘ type shit,“ responds DJ
Green Lantern to critics who cry foul on the use of mix tapes. “Put it like
this: without mix tapes a lot of these artists will not be around. 50 Cent
just changed the game. He makes music from the street. 50 is making serious
songs about living in the streets. There‘s nothing that says music more than
music. If it wasn‘t for the mix tapes, they wouldn‘t have proper set up to
sell records. Mix tapes are more important than videos, and flyers won‘t do
it. So take all that legality and shove it. Mix tapes are for promotional
use only. There‘s no money in this shit. The money comes when you promote
yourself and you get your parties, your production deal. There‘s no money on
the streets. You might make your money back and a little more. You better
have something to promote ‘cus you ain‘t livin‘ off the mix tape.“
Originally from upstate New York, DJ Green Lantern started playing with
records 14 years ago at the age of 13 when he would go to a local
college radio station. It was there that he learned “how to make records
work.“
“I was into music early, making beats and I really wanted to be a producer
and not a DJ,“ said Lantern. “But I got a feel for it and the parties started
coming and before you know it I am a DJ.“

MAKING A NAME
DJ Green Lantern started making a name in the streets of New York when the
“mix tape phenomenon“ began.
“It was about 1995 when the mix tape thing started to happen,“ said
Lantern. “It was then I knew what I wanted to do. I knew I just didn‘t want
to play songs. I wanted to balance new exclusives and songs, perfecting how
to balance and knowing the time and place to play certain records.“
DJ Green Lantern a.k.a. The Evil Genius (his nickname for his work in “The
Lab,“ as he refers to his studio), quickly mastered the creative decision
process of taking a particular moment in time and making two songs blend or
transition into one another. He not only mastered it in the studio but on
the street as well. Word traveled and when Eminem was looking for a new DJ,
the Green Lantern quickly came to the top of the list.
“Apparently Em‘s manager Paul Rosenberg got my stuff off the street,“ said
Lantern. “You are talking about the player in the industry here and he doesn‘t need a crew; he needed someone to walk in and make music for him. It was a
big decision and Paul floated my name to Em and we connected and I have been
there ever since. Doing the mixes at the live shows, and they have been a
hit, so they signed me to do an album.“
DJ Green Lantern has quickly risen to the top of the DJ dossier since
joining up with Eminem. Those that have witnessed a live show know that DJ
Green Lantern was already a sensation before joining Eminem and was well
known on the streets. His day job however has put his name into the
mainstream.

MASTER OF THE MIX
“His popularity is such that he is able to ask for a performance fee in the
same range that we pay successful bands to play here,“ said Doug Street of Streeters Ground Zero night club. “DJ Green Lantern has proven that he is the master of the mix and well worth his fee.“
With several Eminem sightings in Northern Michigan in recent weeks it begs
the question, will the real Slim Shady stand up and be seen at the DJ Green
Lantern show?
“Sheeet, like I would tell you if I knew,“ said Lantern.
“We are preparing for him in the event he does come,“ said Street. “We have
heard that he bought a place on Torch Lake and will be up north during the
holidays, so we will have extra security if he does come, but no one has
confirmed that Eminem will be here.“
Eminem‘s presences doesn‘t seem to be necessary as DJ Green Lantern has been
filling nightclub dance floors with sold-out shows all over the world. Even
before connecting with Eminem, DJ Green Lantern had been making regular
appearances on MTV and has had a regular weekly radio show in New York.

DJ Green Lantern will bring his mastery of the mix tape to Streeters for a
night of non-stop dancing on Friday, Dec. 26. Advance tickets are selling quickly. For info or tickets visit www.streetersonline.com
or phone Ground Zero at (231) 932-1300.

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