ABOUT DJ LEAD
DJ Lead was given the title “King of Japan” for good reason.
Born and raised in old-world Kyoto, Lead embodies the spirit of traditional Japanese culture with a strong spike of Hip Hop flavor. Storming the scene as a teenager in the mid-90s, Lead made his name by living and breathing all things Hip Hop in his native Kyoto.
Inspired by his DJ cousin (who gave him his first set of turntables) Lead sharpened his style by playing small parties and clubs in Kyoto, until opportunity in bigger cities pulled him to Osaka. There he paid his dues working hard in the clubs and gaining a solid following. Lead’s uncanny connection to modern NYC Hip Hop and his ability to read the crowd, feeding them exactly what they craved, got him noticed.
Already successful and packing huge clubs in Europe (France, Italy, Belgium, Germany), Taiwan, China (Shanghai, Beijing) Vietnam, Singapore, Korea, Macao, Thailand, and Japan, DJ Lead hit New York City like a typhoon – cramming the premier clubs and best parties all over New York and opening-up for the top DJs in the city. His style and presence caught the eye of many NYC-based “Heavy Hitters” (an exclusive coterie of top international DJs) including Camilo, Kast One, Big Ben, and Kanye West. In 2009 DJ Enuff, (President of Heavy Hitters and Biggie Smalls’ original DJ) after watching Lead spin many times, asked him to join Heavy Hitters as the first and only Japanese DJ in the group. Lead, now in very hot demand, appeared at birthday bashes for DJ Envy, DJ Self, as well as DJ Enuff.
Lead’s resume of clubs includes S.O.B’s, Green House, Taley, Tai Lounge, Cain, Element Manor, Room Service, and Abyss, in addition to many guest DJ gigs. He has released several mixed CDs with DJ Enuff and most recently released the tune “Live My Dreams” recorded with Maino and Anarchy on Warner Records. “Live My Dreams” went to the top of Japanese iTunes charts beating out Lil’ Wayne and Nicki Minaj for six weeks straight. As a key member of R-Rated Records, (which was launched in Lead’s native Kyoto and remains one of the top labels in Japan) he is credited with invigorating the city’s Hip-Hop scene. Lead became the only Japanese DJ to host a program on A-List Radio (worldwide internet radio, which started in 2009) and hosted a program on Alisradio.net. As his popularity crossed the ocean, he was invited to DJ on Hot97 in New York City, a station with millions of listeners.
In the pipeline for Lead is a mixed CD with Universal Records and to continue his international spinning career with a vengeance. Not that the “King of Japan” has any plans to rule the global empire — if he could simply spin every day for the rest of his life he’d be one very content emperor.
