Ambassador

A native of Compton, California, Lonzo began his career as a mobile DJ and Event Promoter through his company Disco Construction. After much success, he opened his first night club, Eve After Dark in 1979, where he hosted weekly showcases to break records for new artists and local DJ’s.  

In the late 80s, Lonzo helped to shape the early sound of hip-hop with the launch of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, featuring Dr. Dre, a young aspiring DJ at the time. As the group gained traction, Lonzo also discovered R&B singer, Michel’le who was featured on the groups hit single Turn off the Lights. 

Lonzo’s nightclub and music studio became an experimental playground for the new waves of hip-hop surging across America, including “Reality/Gangsta Rap” made famous by N.W.A., comprised of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, D.J. Yella, Eazy E., and MC Ren. Since then, Lonzo has produced and managed local artists such as DJ Battlecat, Rodney O’ & Joe Cooley, and Compton’s Most Wanted.  

Over the next 20 years, Lonzo garnered a reputation for breaking new artists and delivering quality entertainment to a string of successful venues including Skate Land U.S.A., The Penthouse, DooTos, The Current Affair, and Club Hall of Fame. During this time, he amassed a unique collection of music memorabilia that he has exhibited at the Grammy Museum, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as The Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture. 

Lonzo’s raw, charismatic, and humorous approach to storytelling, has also made him a highly sought-after commentator on all things hip-hop. He has been featured in the documentaries, Welcome to Death Row, Hip-Hop Evolution, Streets of Compton, The Defiant Ones: Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine and UNSUNG: Michel’le. He has also been portrayed in the biopics, Straight Outta Compton and Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge and Michel’le. 

In 2015, Lonzo made headlines when he released his memoir, N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo: The Roots of West Coast Hip-Hop, which debunked the many myths surrounding the beginnings of hip-hop on the west coast. Lonzo also revived his career as a broadcaster by relaunching his popular radio show “Issues in the Hood” via his new company The Lonzo Infotainment Company/The L.I.C Network. The show, which he created in the late 1990s, provided a safe space to discuss police brutality, poverty and gang violence in Los Angeles. As Lonzo saw a need to continue these conversations, he added The N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo Show, and The G.A.M.E. Podcasts in 2017. 

Today, Lonzo is an internationally recognized speaker and music consultant who teaches youth about the history of hip-hop and the entertainment industry at-large. Through his non-profit, The Lyrical Revolution, Lonzo raises funds scholarships and promotes special events that help members showcase their talent. Lonzo also serves as a board member for the Compton Conservatory of Music which helps students gain access to arts education.  

Since his Prostate Cancer diagnosis in 2011, Lonzo has also partnered with the Men’s Cancer Network Inc. and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to raise money and awareness in underserved communities across California. In 2018, he partnered with ACS’ Relay for Life to present The Hip-Hop Classic Celebrity Golf Tournament, where a portion of the proceeds fund cancer research and programming for The Lyrical Revolution. To learn more about Lonzo visit his website www.lonzowilliams.com.