Green latern

Right about now, there’s two things you should know about DJ GREEN LANTERN aka “The Evil Genius.” Number 1: He’s at the top of his game. His creatively innovative and intricately assembled mixtapes have established him as a leading hip-hop tastemaker and sound scientist, while his job manning the turntables for Eminem has given him worldwide mainstream recognition. Number 2: He’s about to do a whole lot more. The LOX-laced and DJ Green Lantern-produced street heater “2 Gunz Up” (from Sheek Louch’s upcoming D-Block LP) is a startling first shot of what to expect from the Evil Genius’ own upcoming album for Shady Records. And you’d better believe that the hype is real.

2003 was undoubtedly the Year of the Mixtape for hip-hop (thanks mostly to labelmate 50 Cent), and DJ Green Lantern has been right at the forefront of this revolution. His underground “for-promotional-use-only” joints like the two Invasion tapes (which showcased Eminem’s well-publicized verbal squabbles with Ja-Rule and Benzino) and The Best of In The Lab Volume 1 (a collection of his unique, original mixes featured on NYC radio station Hot 97) have outshined the majority of rap albums released this year. In a game based on exclusivity, Green has prevailed by placing priority on how things are put together over simply what he plays.