DJ 20/20's Page

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About Me:: DJ 20/20, THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE INFAMOUS, THE LEGEND

TO ALL THOSE THAT DON’T KNOW PLEASE READ, Born in Tallahassee, Florida,In 1970 Raised in the South Bronx, New York since 1973, Lamar Gardner P. K. A. DJ 20-20 has endured many trials and tribulations to find his way into the game of music, from just playing records for my mom’s get together at home, to spinning records outside in the New York City school yards with the likes of DJ Putt Putt and the Legendary Grandmaster Flash in the 1980‘s, then working the house party circuits around the neighborhood’s, to conducting and developing the musical play list and scores for all his Jr High and High School talent shows and also working in the various nightclubs in and outside New York as a main attraction, back up disc jockey or sub, Dj 20/20 has shown that determination and persistence is definitely a main factor in life when you choose a profession that you love. Working on his craft since the age of thirteen, Lamar Gardner P.K.A DJ 20/20 earned the title of one of the best R-n-B/Hip-hop producers in the South Bronx area, but without real industry recognition his chances turned out to be slim of being 'discovered.' Talent shows, Radio Interviews and other promotional tactics were just not working at the time. DJ 20/20 p.k.a Young Dr. Dre has been making music for 28 years. He was signed to Vintertainment Records in 88 - 90, All City Records in 92-93, GeeStreet/Island Records in 93-95, Flat-top Records in 96- 97, and Big East Records in 97 - 2001 and is presently working at his own label Comatose / Universal / Sonic Wave Recordings.

In 1992 a childhood friend Ulyssess Quintana P.K.A. Mysterme of Mysterme and DJ 2020 and DJ 20/20 had trooped to the West Coast, San Francisco to record demos with producer Mc Sway, Joe Quixx and King Tech (KMEL - big-time radio DJ's in California), together we made a song called “Unsolved Mysterme”. At this time Mc Sway (who now works doing a news commentary for MTV) was working on a single of his own called “Bust Your Rhymes” with their group in Cali, but due to the fact the “Unsolved Mysterme” track was so hot Joe Quixx decided to add it as a b-side to their single project. The track was then released on All City Records in California.

In 1992, with a real vinyl recording under their belt, DJ 2020 and Mysterme came back home, while their manager Kevin Glenn of Uptown Bounce Entertainment searched out a New York recording deal for the duo‘s other recordings. Manager Kevin Glenn in due time hooked onto a deal with Island Record’s new independent label Geestreet Records who was very interested in the B-side single “Unsolved Mysterme“. After the matter was discussed the deal was signed and we were now signed recording artist with Geestreet Recordings, with a deal on the table, it was time to make it happen. We re-released the track “Unsolved Mysterme” with Geestreet Recordings, which was brought out rights and all from Mc Sway and Joe Quixx by Geestreet / Island Recordings. “Unsolved Mysterme was released in 1993; it was an automatic underground hit, even though it was previously recorded by All City Records in California. The Island Record label went all out on the single (video, radio, college radio, video talk shows, stickers and posters, pictures, videos of stage shows, record pools, clubs tape masters and independent retailers, etc.) and sent the group out on a 10-state, all expenses paid promotional tour.

Upon returning from the tour, Mysterme and DJ 20/20 headed back into the New York City’s recording studio’s to begin recording the album “Let Me Explain”. The group was bumped up from Geestreet Recordings to Island Recordings (Geestreet‘s mother label), due to the success of the re-released single “Unsolved Mysterme”. The group achieved many magazine write-ups: Billboard (May 28, 1994), The Source (June 8, 1994), Spice (June 17, 1994), Era-Rap Bitz (1994), Street Sound (November 1994) and One Knut Mag (January 14, 1995), Word Up! (Summer 1995), the Rap Pages (Sum / Fall 1995), etc.

In the fall of 1995 the group's record deal was terminated from the label -- even though they had sold over 65,000 copies and had developed a nice fan base; the president of the label cited irreconcilable differences between the group and the label.

After the split, Mysterme went on to get signed by Fever Records P.K.A. Puzzle man and DJ 20/20 went on to produce the groups The BluntHeadz on Flattop Records, The Ice “Kreem” Man on Ichiban Records in Atlanta and Reckless Youth on his own New York based label Comatose Recordings in 1996. There wasn’t much to be done with these group’s projects because the funding and promotional expenses were limited, at this time DJ 20/20 had creative control but no real money to back up retailer’s and radio demands for the material. Then in 1997 “The Specialist formerly of the group “The BluntHeadz” hooked a deal with Big East Records and released an album called “Life Itself“, at the same time he was recording and promoting the labels group “The Henchmen” We didn’t like the contract we were offered so we released that album with Big East Recordings and then left the label entirely (we did a KRS-ONE, remember he was signed there to when it was B-Boy Records)

In the winter of 1997, DJ 20/20 went to school (Monroe Community College) and took several courses in Business / Administration Management. DJ 20/20 has received numerous awards during his enrollment (College Scholarship, Deans List and a 3.5 GPA in his first two semesters), and an associates Degree in Business Administration / Management. After school he went back to intern at Big East Recording's Studio (B.A.C) / Rock Candy Muzik. He worked with the likes of KRS-ONE & Scott La Rock (R.I.P.), Castle D, Narkim the Rhythm Maker, Willie D, The Persuaders, RoBO Cop Boys, D-Nice and The Henchmen. 20 has also worked with Eric B and Rakim, DJ Red Alert, PM Dawn, Doug E Fresh, Ultramagnetic's Kool Keith & Ced Gee, T La Rock an Dj "My Uncle" Chuck Chillout.

Today, 2009, DJ 20/20 owns his own label Comatose / Universal Recordings (He's C.E.O) and now has produced many instrumental tracks and many compilations, receiving a lot of light radio work (91.9, 90.3, Hot 97, 103 jamz and 105) for The 20 Sack Experience Volume 1 and The 20 Sack Experience Volume II Compilations featuring various artists from the 20 Sack Entertainment, ASCAP family. Now starting his new website @ Myspace.com/20LG20 for those Artists who need music, email contacts or any other information an artist may need when dealing with him musically. DJ 20/20 is now has expand his studio business and sells hot off-the-press instrumentals to aspiring Artists on the Internet looking for music to write lyrics to and even adds their demo packages to various promotional project, A and R‘s and record labels. DJ 20/20 has also attended "The Institute of Audio Research" in 2007-2008 during the daytime receive his engineers license and audio recording professional certificate. , and works at "In Da Streetz Studio at Night (Manhattan based)" 2007 - 2008, now more than likely you will find DJ 20/20 at his own recording and graphic arts studio Dexter's Lab Studio's in Far Rockaway, Queens. Dj 20/20 has recently appeared on 91.9 FM with D.W.I. AND THE SEXY MZ HILL in the BX, and on 99.9 FM with DJ Young Tech in Park Place, New Jersey, Rockland World Radio.com in NYACK, N.Y., AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST ON OLD WESTBURY RADIO WITH DJ CASSIUS CLAY. DJ 20/20 has also had his own radio show on Vonfenceradio called “Word On Da Streetz / Wide World Wednesday’s”, which aired December 5, 2007 to April 8, 2008 and on February 27, 2008 received the F.C.C / VFR award for best new internet radio show and on November 6, 2008 started his own radio show on Nowlive.com “DJ 20/20’s Word On Da Streetz Radio which still airs today. DJ 20/20 in January 2009 is now embarking on a new mission with OVN.com Television and MTV 3 to form and invent “Word on Da Streetz Television” for 2009 - 2010.

DJ 20/20 also shoots and edits film on my Power Macintosh computer. He uses Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier 7.1 to do my editing and add transitions for clips, a DV camera, Camcorder and a16 bit movie film camera.