Leor Dimant (Latvian: Leors Dimants; born December 18, 1972 in Riga, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) better known as DJ Lethal, is a turntablist and producer and is best known for his position of DJ in the rap metal band Limp Bizkit for fifteen years, which he departed in 2013. He is also well known for previously playing in the Irish-American hip-hop group, House of Pain. Lethal is currently (November 2014) touring Europe with La Coka Nostra with other former House of Pain member Danny Boy O'Connor, Non Phixion member Ill Bill and Boston rapper/actor Slaine.
Leor Dimant was born to a Jewish Latvian family in Riga, Latvia, when it was 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 to 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 some time. They moved to Los Angeles in 1987, where his father got a job at a new Russian restaurant. 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 started off as a beatboxer. He later practiced DJing using his friend's turntables and mixer.
By the late 80s, Dimant became friends with a female rapper who at that time dated rapper Everlast. When Everlast was about to go on a Europe tour with Ice-T and Rhyme Syndicate, he mentioned that he'd like to hear Dimant beatbox, and they met. Everlast was impressed by his beatboxing skills, and he invited Dimant to be his DJ on the upcoming tour. Dimant, who was only 16 at the time, decided to do so and dropped out of school.
After the tour, in 1990, Everlast's first solo album, including a track featuring scratching by Dimant, was released to both critical and commercial failure.
Following that, Everlast and Dimant, now known as DJ Lethal, decided to start a group, and with the addition of Everlast's high school friend Danny Boy, House of Pain was formed. The group's 1992 self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and is best known for the DJ Muggs produced hit single "Jump Around" and the DJ Lethal produced "Shamrocks and Shenanigans". A second album was released in 1994.
In 1996, on the eve of the release of the group's third album, produced by Everlast and DJ Lethal, things began to go sour. DJ Lethal claims it started to become a hassle, and simply wasn't fun anymore. The day before the album came out, the group broke up.
In a 2009 interview with the Latvian newspaper Diena, Dimant professed to still feeling "Latvian" despite his many years in the USA. This connection stems from the fact that he was born there, and has a grandmother, other relatives, and many friends of the family there. He mentions Laima Vaikule as an important family friend who encouraged him to maintain contacts with the country of his birth.
During his early years growing up in Riga, Dimant spoke mainly Russian at home and at school. He says his parents could speak Latvian, but did not want their son to learn it, so that they could have private conversations without him being able to understand. Nevertheless, Dimant can still recall several phrases in Latvian, such as "Nevajag viņam!" ('He doesn't need [it] !').
