Lazaro Mendez, better known by his stage name DJ Laz (born December 2, 1971, in Hollywood, Florida), is a Cuban-American rapper and DJ. If you ever see DJ Laz on stage, you might notice his limp. Lazaro was born with a rare muscular disorder that caused his legs to be deformed as a baby. Doctors delivered a grim diagnosis to his parents, telling them that their son would likely never walk and would need to be fed and cared for in bed for the rest of his life. However, his mother, Benita, refused to accept this fate. With love and faith, she made a promise to “San Lazaro” that if her son could walk, she would wear only burlap clothes for a year.
From the time Lazaro was just 3 months old until he turned 12, he endured a total of 17 surgeries. The odds were always against him, and the surgeries were painful, but Benita and little Lazaro fought through every hardship. Slowly, he began to improve. By the age of 3, Lazaro stood for the first time, and by age 7, he took his first independent steps. His mother, overwhelmed with emotion, kept her promise, sewing her own burlap outfits and wearing them for a year. Even after the surgeries, Lazaro needed extensive therapy, walking with the aid of a cane and leg braces. He spent much of his childhood indoors, and when he did attend school, other kids would make fun of his braces.
Music became his escape. After his final surgery, he asked his parents for a DJ turntable set for Christmas, and despite their financial struggles, they got it for him. While other kids played outside, Lazaro was still healing, spending hours honing his DJ skills in his room. When his parents divorced, the family’s financial situation worsened. His mother worked grueling 12-hour shifts, six days a week as a housekeeper.
Though just a boy, Lazaro was determined to help his family. At age 14, he landed a job at radio station HOT105 and soon got his first DJ gig at the famous Club Strawberries in East Hialeah. Nervous, he nearly doubted himself, but thoughts of his mother’s resilience gave him strength. He stepped on stage and began his journey toward becoming a Miami legend, eventually earning the title “King of Miami Bass.”
Not only did Lazaro walk again (albeit with a limp), he transformed what many considered a disability into a source of strength. His nephew, Pitbull, famously dubbed him “The Pimp with the Limp.” Laz’s success was not handed to him; it took hard work and dedication. He recently completed a worldwide tour with Pitbull, and it’s clear he has no plans of stopping.