Ask DJ Green Lantern to tick off his achievements in 2008 and there’s a good chance he’ll miss something. “I did Nas’ Nigger Mixtape,” he starts off. “The Barack Obama: Yes We Can mixtape. Royce Da 5′9’s Bar Exam 2. The Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Invasion soundtrack. Damn, I know I’m forgetting something… Oh, yeah, Immortal Technique’s 3rd World.” It was that kind of year for the Rochester, New York native also known as “The Evil Genius.” He didn’t even mention MTV naming him 2008’s Mixtape and Radio DJ of the year, producing the potent political anthem, Nas’ “Black President,” or earning the distinction of being the only man to ever be referred to as “My DJ” by the legendary triumvirate of Eminem, Jay-Z, and Nas, after spending the year as the Queensbridge king’s official DJ.

Ironically becoming a world famous turntablist was someone else’s dream. Growing up Green developed a reputation for being adept at chopping samples and having some of the hottest beats around. DJing was so far from his mind that he had to borrow crates from friends for his first gig, which he only initially agreed to do because it paid $500. Instantaneously finding that he had a knack for controlling the crowd, Green steadily built a reputation as the go-to party DJ in his area. However, his creative background and producer pedigree screamed for an outlet, which ended up being mixtapes. “Around ‘96, I made my first mixtape,” Green recalls. “I used four or eight-track recorders to do different shit. I never did a normal blend tape ever. I understood you have to stand out and so I started putting hooks in and switching stuff up.” Green’s trademarks quickly became his self-produced remixes, and a cohesiveness that had many of his mixtapes sounding like albums. The overwhelming critical acclaim made him a rising star with bookers requesting his presence on the tables everywhere from Connecticut to Japan to all over Europe.

His ascent into the upper echelon of mixtape DJs caught Eminem’s attention. Called on to helm the now classic Invasion mixtape series, Green provided a platform to showcase Shady Records’ impressive stable of artists. Eventually the synergy between the two led to Green becoming Eminem’s tour DJ on the “Anger Management” tour and an opportunity to once again pursue his initial goals. “From 1993 to 2002, I was focusing on DJing,” says Green. “But producing was so much my passion. The Eminem shit was a great opportunity to get back into what I loved and use the name I had to propel a production career.” His discography quickly swelled to include D-Block’s “2 Guns Up,” Immortal Technique’s “Bin Laden,” and Ludacris’ hit single, “Number One Spot.”

Finally established as a DJ and producer, Green spent the next few years strengthening his brand. He continued churning out mixtape classics’ like Jadakiss’ revered The Champ Is Here, manned the turntables for Jay-Z’s first international tour in 2006, and started hosting the popular “Invasion Radio” show. Then there was 2008. Green Lantern’s succinct summation of his accomplishments last year doesn’t exactly do justice to the magnitude of them. The soundtrack he produced for Grand Theft Auto’s fourth installment, Liberty City Invasion, featured Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Jim Jones, and Clipse, and served as the sonic backbone for a game that sold 3.6 million copies in its first day of release. Nas’ Nigger Mixtape was a rare official mixtape from the Queensbridge king that served as a middle finger to all those who opposed his controversial Untitled album. Royce Da 5′9’s Bar Exam 2 and Immortal Technique’s 3rd World cemented the idea that Green didn’t chase the biggest checks, but worked with artists he respected.

Coming off his phenomenal last year, Green will be venturing into writing pop and r&b records under the new songwriting deal he recently signed with EMI publishing. Also, he will launch Future Green Entertainment with a flurry of releases including new albums from his own artist, Johnny Polygon (who sang on “Black President”), Styles P, dead prez, Immortal Technique, and the debut from Internet sensation, Jay Electronica. “Everybody is like, ‘Yo, let’s do a mixtape,’” Green says. “I’m like, ‘Are signed to a major? No. Then let’s put a barcode on it.’ Fuck freestyles of you rapping over ‘Triumph.’ Send that to a blog. Let’s lock in and make a movie with all original music.”

It’s evident that Green’s passion for creating and giving people unforgettable aural experiences has not receded. “It’s been a very interesting ride,” he says. “Director Rick Cordero said the coolest shit the other day. He said, ‘People like Green Lantern care about hip-hop and add things to the culture.’ I’ve never been one to be in this game just to eat off of it. I always contribute and bring a dish to dinner.” Given the feedback, it looks like people are enjoying what Green’s been cooking.