DJ Vlad

{{Short description|American interviewer, journalist, and former disc jockey (born 1973)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = DJ Vlad

| image = DJ Vlad, 2022.png

| caption = DJ Vlad in 2022

| birth_name = Vladislav Lyubovny

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|6|28}}{{cite news|url=http://hiphoplt.com/dj-vlad-ill-start-to-worry-when-they-stop-talking-about-me |title=DJ Vlad. : I'll Start To Worry When They Stop Talking About Me|publisher=hiphoplt.com|date=March 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325221217/http://hiphoplt.com/dj-vlad-ill-start-to-worry-when-they-stop-talking-about-me|archive-date=March 25, 2014}}

| occupation = {{Hlist|Interviewer|journalist|director}}

| years_active =

| birth_place = Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine){{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgnGKcgowEw|title = The DJ Vlad Interview|website = YouTube}}

| spouse =

| children =

| alma_mater = University of California, Berkeley (BS)

| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality|embed=yes

| channel_display_name = djvlad

| channel_id = UCg7lal8IC-xPyKfgH4rdUcA

| years_active = 2006–present

| genre = {{flatlist|

Entertainment
news
interview

}}

| subscribers = 5.91 million

| views = 5.64 billion

| network =

| silver_button = yes | silver_year =

| gold_button = yes | gold_year =

| diamond_button = no | diamond_year =

| stats_update = December 20, 2023

}}

DJ Vlad (born Vladislav Lyubovny,{{efn|{{langx|ru|Владислав Любовный|{{transliteration|ru|Vladislav Lyubovny}}}}; {{langx|uk|Владислав Любовний|{{transliteration|uk|ukrainian|Vladyslav Liubovnyi}}}}}} 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.

Early life

Lyubovny 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.{{cite web |title=The DJ Vlad Interview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgnGKcgowEw&t=167s |website=YouTube |publisher=No Jumper |access-date=22 April 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Ju |first=Shirley |date=2022-04-11 |title=It Pays to Be VLAD: How a Ukrainian Software Engineer Became a Top Name in Hip-Hop News |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/vladtv-vlad-lyubovny-founder-interview-1235228593/ |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Better source needed|date=December 2020}} He grew up in the Bay Area and became interested in hip hop in his youth when N.W.A released their debut album.{{Cite web |title=DJ Vlad on How to Become a Music Star |url=https://www.wsj.com/video/dj-vlad-on-how-to-become-a-music-star/9AA59843-4286-4A87-AC33-C81579697A9F |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=WSJ |language=en-US}} He went to university at UC Berkeley graduating in Computer Science and Engineering.

Career

Lyubovny was initially making hip hop beats, but later quit when he realized he would not be successful at it.{{cite web |title=Rah Digga To DJ Vlad: "Your Platform Perpetuates A Lot Of Nonsense" |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUehylbT-zE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/QUehylbT-zE |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |publisher=Yanadameen Godcast |access-date=29 August 2019}}{{cbignore}} 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'."{{cite news |url= http://www.parlemag.com/2010/09/dj-vlad-60-hour-a-week-work-ethic-pays-off/ |work= Parlé Magazine |title= DJ Vlad - 60-Hour A Week Work Ethic Pays Off |first= Kevin |last= Benoit}} He directed on the American Gangster television series, as well as the documentary film Ghostride the Whip.{{cite web|url=http://www.debate.org/reference/ghostride-the-whip |title=Ghostride the Whip |publisher=Debate |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407080124/http://www.debate.org/reference/ghostride-the-whip |archive-date=2014-04-07 }}

Lyubovny later launched VladTV.com and initially uploaded MP3 files of DJ mixtapes.{{when|date=May 2020}} He moved to New York City and released the Rap Phenomenon mixtape series.{{when|date=May 2020}} 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.

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.{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/jury-orders-gangsta-rapper-rick-ross-pay-300k-dj-vlad-entourage-attack-article-1.168709|title=Jury orders gangsta rapper Rick Ross to pay $300k to DJ Vlad for entourage attack|last=Gendar|first=Alison|date=April 16, 2010|publisher=NY Daily News}} Lyubovny filed a $4 million lawsuit.{{cite web |last1=Kaufman |first1=Gil |title=DJ Vlad Files $4 Million Lawsuit Against Rick Ross Over Alleged Ozone Awards Beatdown |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1592890/dj-vlad-files-4-million-lawsuit-against-rick-ross-over-alleged-ozone-awards-beatdown/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116094110/http://www.mtv.com/news/1592890/dj-vlad-files-4-million-lawsuit-against-rick-ross-over-alleged-ozone-awards-beatdown/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 16, 2014 |website=MTV.com |publisher=MTV |access-date=28 May 2020 |date=15 August 2008}} 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.

In April 2009, the Star & Buc Wild show joined the VladTV family to do a daily feature.{{cite news |url= http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/star-buc-wild-online-vlad-article-1.365266 |title= Star and Buc Wild get online with Vlad |first= David |last= Hinckley |date= April 28, 2009 |publisher= NY Daily News}} In May 2010, Lyubovny voiced himself for a cameo in The Boondocks episode "Bitches to Rags".{{cite web |url= http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2010/04/dj-vlad-talks-boondocks-season-3-cameo |publisher= Complex |title= DJ Vlad Talks "Boondocks" Season 3 Cameo |date= April 9, 2010 }}

In December 2016, Lyubovny interviewed Soulja Boy, who explained events surrounding a home invasion and shooting in 2008.{{cite web |last1=Coleman II |first1=C. Vernon |title=Soulja Boy Challenge Takes Over The Internet |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/12/soulja-boy-challenge/ |website=XXL |access-date=28 May 2020 |date=31 December 2016}} 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".