By Ismael AbduSalaam
Already a power player in the mixtape world, multi-faceted DJ Vlad has now set his sights on conquering the website and film markets.
In October DJ Vlad launched www.vladtv.com, an already fast growing Hip-Hop based video site birthed from the success of Vlad’s YouTube channel and website, Vladtv.com.
“Vlad TV as an entity has been around for about a year as a YouTube channel, and was quite frequently a top 100 channel,” DJ Vlad explained to AllHipHop.com. “With YouTube you have a very strict structure. Hip-Hop is a raw art form and a lot of time they don’t go along with that.”
Along with a 15-man brain trust, Vlad oversaw the inclusion of movie trailers, fights, models, sports, and general news to balance out the site’s Hip-Hop content.
Vlad also recently aligned with Complex in an advertising alliance.
While Vlad aims to keep the site diverse, he realizes that the direction of Vladtv.com rests with the viewers.
“Ultimately it’s the viewers who tell us what they want on there. We’re constantly experimenting with new types of footage and content,” Vlad told AllHipHop.com. “Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. [Regarding controversial content] if people’s feathers get ruffled sometimes, so be it. Doing this Hip-Hop s**t you have to put yourself on the front lines, basically not give a f*ck.”
Vlad ‘s talent as a director will be showcased in January 2009, when the season finale of BET’s America Gangster, which focuses on late Bay Area star Mac Dre and the infamous Romper Room Gang.
The DJ is hopeful viewer interest in the piece can spark an even bigger event, a feature length Mac Dre movie.
“I want to turn the Mac Dre story into a movie. The whole thing about the American Gangster is that the Romper Room Gang, Mac Dre’s crew, robbed like 50 banks,” Vlad revealed. “I’ve never sat around and waited for someone to make me an offer. If I were to do a Hollywood type movie, I’d do it myself.”
The American Gangster season finale premiers January 15.