Today we’d like to introduce you to Lalit Devraj.
Lalit, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
February 2007 – in California while in middle school – I witness my friend and his brother do a duo act in a talent show with them both beatboxing. I asked him how he does it and couldn’t do it for the life of me do the same. I moved to India a few days later (where I was from 2007-2012 before I returned to the US) and beatbox is what I brought along for the journey and it would change my life forever.
Adjusting to the fact that I would not return to America for the next five years, I tried to practice what my friend had taught me as the basics of beatbox, and at the same time, with no one else physically that I knew who beatboxed, the internet was my outlet. From the early 240p quality of YouTube videos which would take time to buffer regardless of where you were in the world at the time and forums which were still trendy, I sunk deep into learning all that I could relate to beatbox. From learning all the sounds with what tutorials there were out there, to rewatching performances online a gazillion times, this was my daily in and out when I wasn’t doing the day to day of school, homework, etc. Socially, the standard remarks would flow, especially with me being the new kid, that what I was doing was truly weird and not appreciated. It was not until a couple of years that I had developed my skill to a level that was deemed OK by others, that beatbox was associated with my identity. With no physical presence of beatboxers, online was what filled the void. Ventrilo- a proprietary VoIP software that includes text chat, where beatboxers would meet from around the world, and with no video involved but pure audio, it still allowed us to greet each other, teach each other, jam and battle.
I was eager to meet a potential beatbox community in my city (Hyderabad, India at the time) and with no Facebook groups existing back then, I made a Facebook Fan Page in efforts to meet anyone who did beatbox – and so it happened. I gradually started meeting more and more beatboxers, as well as others in the hip hop community in the city and for the first time, all the time and effort and trudging through the societal pressure to ‘be normal’ was worth it. I met those that understood me and vice versa. From here, the first in-person battles for me, first public performances, first of many happened in those final years before returning to the US, including me being a part of my high school’s student council, with the title of “Cultural Secretary”.
Now, I return.
I co-founded “GT Buzzbeats”, the premier beatbox organization for Atlanta at Georgia Tech. From teaching, mentorship, performing, philanthropic initiatives, and organizing battles Buzzbeats was the reason I am still here today, strong and still going. There is so, so much which can be further clarified, but fast forward to today and we host America’s biggest/largest international beatbox battle (Legends Beatbox Championship) right in Atlanta, GA. This will be the 3rd year in a row and the talent that competes and judges are always in the band of Top 5-Top 10 in the world gracing us with their presence. I am here today and so, so glad that Beatbox, like hip in general, has more than contributed to who I am, as well as impacted individual’s lives and the communities both in Atlanta and across the world.
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?
Individually, it has always been rough in the beginning due to a heavy cultural difference/non-acceptance on a grand scale in my rudimentary years when learning to Beatbox. 2012 onward (Buzzbeats and forward), as the years go on, earning new members to associate themselves with Beatbox and retaining them too has been a challenge due to socially, it comes down to the majority regarding Beatbox, not as a refined art. And as members/people get older, it becomes vital their skill be a certain level, or else socially, it is not taken well. (Seen as adults making farting sounds, spitting all over, etc.) Regarding sponsorship for events or even more general ‘reaching out for performance opportunities’ at the beginning of Buzzbeats’ inception was tougher than not, as Beatbox, although seemed ‘cool’, was not assumed to be OK at official professional events. It would come down to the group, whether together or individually, needing to truly show in person the level we were at, where beatbox is truly music and not just the gimmicky side of what stereotypically, it is understood as.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Choicebeats story. Tell us more about it.
We currently host America’s biggest and largest international Beatbox Battle and do not plan to stop. We were formed unofficially in 2012 and to this date have always been growing in both significance and reach globally.
I specialize as an Organizer/Finance for the event, bringing together Marketing, Production, and other aspects to make not just this event, but Beatbox as a whole known more to the community and world around us.
I am most proud of the strides we have taken and how hopeful and promising our outlook looks like. I am proud of the fact that we have impacted so many individual’s lives and helped communities by partnering with so many different organizations to help their initiative. We can do this because Music is universal and and are happy that we have the credibility now to be taken more seriously, where we don’t need to keep breaking the barrier of what Beatbox is and how it can be taken not as a positive, to now being able to skip that step and dive straight into what we can do to make the goal/situation at hand that much more attainable and successful.
I am so happy that all we can see is an upward path, as there are people to come into this world as the days, months and years go on, and we can always be present to meet and greet potential beatboxers and otherwise to serve as a club/organization/haven/anything else that it can be for them. From mentorship within to outreach in general to those around us, I am proud of everything we stand for, regardless of the day to day to make it happen, because its all worth it as we consider ourselves positive for the community and the world 🙂
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I feel it was lucky that I was there at my friend’s talent show performance to witness beatbox live, which is what inspired me to begin. I feel lucky that certain pieces of the puzzle fit in and came into play when they did over the years. I consider nothing really as bad luck, because either which way, I and the business are here through thick and thin and true colors of how amazing certain individuals can be shown through even the roughest of times.
When there is bad luck, it’s the best some times, to remind us how to be humble and grounded, but still remind us of how both sides can be, which is why I feel we are still successful today- because we have seen ups and downs, and are still trucking along, with a positive mindset and attitude (both individually and as a business).
Contact Info:
- Phone: 6789493575
- Email: atlbeatbox@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendsbeatbox/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ATLBBX
- Other: https://beatboxlegends.ecwid.com/
Image Credit:
Humanbeatbox.com, ATL Beatbox, Buzzbeats
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
