He's the DJ for the Bay area underground hip-hop act Red Tide. And he's anything but Lazy. Jerry DuFrain is his birth name, and in the last year or so he's been a key figure in bringing off-the-beaten-path hip-hop shows to the area. Prince Paul, Aceyalone, Ugly Duckling, MURS, Brother Ali, Zion I, Lyrics Born, Lifesavas, Odd Jobs, EL-P, Mr. Lif, Jungle Brothers and others have all played local stages because of Lazy's promotional efforts. It seems safe to say that few of these acts would've performed in this market without his initiative. Jerry didn't just book the acts; he made sure that the shows were well attended by tirelessly spreading the word. Which is to say he's not some trust-fund neophyte dabbling in concert promotion. Oh, and he's a terrific DJ, on top of everything else. Why the name Lazy? He used to work all night, sleep all day. A friend would always find him in the sack. Started doggin' him for being lazy. It stuck, but it doesn't fit.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.