Meet DJ BASE

Today we’d like to introduce you to DJ BASE.

Born in Washington DC and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, “Bassel Naaman” got nationwide recognition when he became Lebanon’s youngest on-air talent at the age of 16, and one of the main orchestrators of the Hip-Hop scene in a country that knew record breaking slow Internet speeds.

After making his rounds in Monaco, Dubai & AbuDhabi, BASE left the Middle East for Los Angeles, where he became, alongside DJ Skee, one of Sirius XM HipHopNation’s most listened to on-air DJs. He has since toured alongside today’s biggest artist and hosted a large number of Mixtapes that put him on the map of the West Coast HipHop industry.

In 2017, BASE launched his record label & Creative Collective OHVERGROUND. Under the Ohverground umbrella BASE has been having independent music releases from himself and a number of his artist friends from LA to Beirut. In 2018 BASE, created the first OHVERGROUND merchandise, some hoodies and hats that immediately sold out online, which made him want to venture deeper into the clothing industry and create a broader line.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s never a smooth road, but it’s not a hard one either. Like any other industry, there are ups and downs. Most the time it is related to Money. I see money strictly as a means to an end, it make things easier and helps you achieve your goals by delegating, hiring etc..Like any other indy venture, you have your good and bad days, and aside from that I can’t think of any major obstacle. I believe that you create your own struggles and when you go thru your bad days and all the emotions, it only gets easier the next time.

Tell us more about what you do. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a DJ & Music Producer from Beirut Lebanon. I went to a French School and graduate from the American University with a degree in Economics and a minor in Political Science. I have been playing the guitar since I was 13 years old and have been DJing professionally since I was 18. I got my own radio show in Lebanon at the age of 18 and have been DJing in club ever since that helped propel my name in the region and earn my residencies all over. At the age of 22, I moved to Los Angeles and have been working in music since. I did everything from being an intern at the radio station to becoming their official videographer to running around and taking pictures of every rapper in LA at the time, to becoming the director of the radio station, to having my own studio and starting my own record label.

Throughout it all, I never stopped DJing and it will always be my first love! And that’s what I am proud of the most. I am always creating, whether its music or videos or merchandise, I believe that the more you create the better your taste becomes and the clearer your vision is. I am proud that I am able to inspire young kids from Lebanon to Los Angeles to follow their dreams and just DO. The only way to learn is by trying, and the more you try the more confidence in yourself you have and clearer your vision becomes.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always shy but very curious, I was interested in a lot of things, mostly artistic and people related. I always need stimulation, always need to be outside, traveling and doing new things. I was not great at school but also not that bad, I was never a bad kid and I was very polite. Growing up in Lebanon is not as easy as growing up in the USA. A Lot of the ideas you have are frowned upon because they are not part of the norms. Being a DJ at the age of 17 was not the popular option, but doing it in parallel with my studies and making sure I was passing all my classes and graduating with a degree made it more acceptable.

I grew up observing the American culture, the music industry in particular, I was huge fan of Music videos and I would watch them literally all day on MTV, it was the only way we were able to consume new American music, that and the radio (sometimes), I would always listen to music every chance I got and I needed to have my daily dose no matter what. I was a huge Metallica, Nirvana, Blink 182, Linkin Park, RHCP fan and later got really into Rap (Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, etc.). I always knew one day I would be working in music and in studios in the USA, and sure enough.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: BASE
• DJ BASE: [email protected]
• Merchandise and Label Website: Ohverground.com
• Email: [email protected]

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