DJ Lethal - Early Life

Early Life

Leor Dimant was born to a Jewish-Latvian family in Riga, Latvia, when this country was still part of the Soviet Union. 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 1979, when Dimant was seven, he and his family emigrated the USSR for Italy, where they remained for a year until they obtained a visa. They were then allowed to go to either Toronto, Los Angeles, or New York City. His parents chose New York. There, his father performed in various Russian clubs and restaurants mostly in Brighton Beach.

Dimant and his parents lived in Jersey City for a time. His family later moved to Los Angeles in 1987 when his father got a job at a new Russian restaurant there. His first introduction to hip hop was in Jersey City, when his school held a talent show with several students performing a rap song, and Dimant was amazed. Once he moved to Los Angeles, he quickly became interested in hip hop culture, including break dancing and graffiti. Before learning to DJ, he actually started off as a beatboxer. He later practiced DJing using his friend's turntables and mixer.