Lord Jamar

Lord Jamar, born Lorenzo Dechalus on September 17, 1968, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor, and podcaster. He gained recognition as a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, formed in 1989. Jamar's influence in the music industry extends beyond his own career, as he discovered and signed Dead Prez to Loud Records in 1996. Born in The Bronx, New York City, but raised in New Rochelle, New York, Jamar has Afro-Guyanese heritage on his father's side. Introduced to hip hop in the 1970s, Jamar's early influences included The Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and The Sugarhill Gang. Despite a turbulent youth involving selling crack cocaine and dropping out of high school, Jamar persevered to become a prominent figure in hip hop culture.