Serkle k
I primarily have to play to mainstream/top40 crowds. So the majority of my library consists of that material. I am (as most of you have probably seen) starting to record my practice sessions and while I like to keep "fresh new" tracks, I like to throw in the occasional "old song". I often have concepts in my head to play blocks that make sense to me for what I like to hear.
How far back do you go when playing music, before you jump to the "old school" era?
I also wanted to know what you guys do when you don't particularly like the music that is out now, that you usually or used to like the genre?
Like I have always loved hip hop/rap/breaking music. I grew up in the 80's and that's when I really wanted to learn to DJ (just never had a real opportunity to do it as often as I would have liked until now) IMO, there just isn't really any good hip hop tracks out that I want to mix because I don't particularly like what out there. I really want to make a hip hop mix, and I definitely need to practice mixing it, but the music that is out doesn't really motivate me to do it... What do you usually do if this happens to you?
Thank in advance.
-K
How far back do you go when playing music, before you jump to the "old school" era?
I also wanted to know what you guys do when you don't particularly like the music that is out now, that you usually or used to like the genre?
Like I have always loved hip hop/rap/breaking music. I grew up in the 80's and that's when I really wanted to learn to DJ (just never had a real opportunity to do it as often as I would have liked until now) IMO, there just isn't really any good hip hop tracks out that I want to mix because I don't particularly like what out there. I really want to make a hip hop mix, and I definitely need to practice mixing it, but the music that is out doesn't really motivate me to do it... What do you usually do if this happens to you?
Thank in advance.
-K
Mensajes Tue 19 Jul 11 @ 10:29 am
synthet1c
Hip hop is pretty old now dj wise, so there is heaps of types of old school LOL, first you get the happy party stuff like stuff on sugarhill, flash, bambatta etc... at the start of the 80's, then late 80's you get the miami bass cheeky stuff and the fresh princey clean cut stuff into the early 90's. Then it move's to the East Vs West gangsta type shit LOL biggy, nas, deathrow mid to late 90's, for me next it was more rugged east coast stuff of busta rhymes, wu tang et al. mop, nas, hieroglyphics, dialated peoples, pharcyde etc... next is was the sell out stage early 2000's stuff like jay z, kanye west, snoop, game, fifty f@#kin cent (that is where it died for me), now its crunk and bubblegum crap , louda has some cool stuff but its mostly crap to sell to tweens with beats created on mobile phones, and far too much autotune on the vocals.
for me all of it has its place, but in a set I would not mix happy and rugged together, if it was old old school id keep the feeling the same, same as newer old school if I played a set primarily of the sellout top 40 period, I probably wouldn't play any raw stuff unless it was an anthem in it's day and I knew it was going to get some bodies moving or some people singing, but with most crowds listening to top 40 you job is not to educate you are there to entertain, that means at least 50 of your audience must know the song your playing at all times, save the education for people who wanna learn.
but to answer your question, for a top 40 crowd I'd say anything before 2000 is too old school. but if your making a mix play whatever you like your the dj, after all it's all about you enjoying yourself listening to music you love...
In saying that I don't follow hip hop too closely so I might of missed an era, so that is just a skinny white guys history of mostly club hip hop, but primarily I like breaks, and drum'n'bass historically.
for me all of it has its place, but in a set I would not mix happy and rugged together, if it was old old school id keep the feeling the same, same as newer old school if I played a set primarily of the sellout top 40 period, I probably wouldn't play any raw stuff unless it was an anthem in it's day and I knew it was going to get some bodies moving or some people singing, but with most crowds listening to top 40 you job is not to educate you are there to entertain, that means at least 50 of your audience must know the song your playing at all times, save the education for people who wanna learn.
but to answer your question, for a top 40 crowd I'd say anything before 2000 is too old school. but if your making a mix play whatever you like your the dj, after all it's all about you enjoying yourself listening to music you love...
In saying that I don't follow hip hop too closely so I might of missed an era, so that is just a skinny white guys history of mostly club hip hop, but primarily I like breaks, and drum'n'bass historically.
Mensajes Tue 19 Jul 11 @ 10:59 am
Blulite
im not reaally too fussed on the 2000's era of hiphop, and the turd snoop done around that era i thought was complete garbage. the older beats from snoop were the bomb. early 90's rap was the best you could get. snoop, tupac, biggie, fresh prince n jazzy jeff, bone thugs..the list goes on. from 90 - around 98 ish hiphop was smoth flowing and up beat. these days hiphop is all about banging bitches, drinking 40's, killing, rapeing, and all the crap no one wants to know about.
Mensajes Tue 19 Jul 11 @ 11:20 am
synthet1c
@blu tell me that's not an awesome beat, rest of it is crap though... Oh and you forgot songs about ryimms (translation - rims) for current crap... "I got's twinny faws on mi geep, I got's a gryiile on my teef" (translation - I have twenty four inch rims on my vehicle, I have dentures from smoking to much meth amphetamine, and my teeth have fallen out) that's all it was a couple of years ago LOL
Mensajes Tue 19 Jul 11 @ 11:38 am
The Lone Mixer II
"but to answer your question, for a top 40 crowd I'd say anything before 2000 is too old school."
CORRECTION
anything before 2011 is considered old skool...check and see how many tunes are played on the radio wit out it being a "flash back" "rap" is the bastard child of Hip Hop...basically "rap" is Hip Hop stripped of the elements... Breaking Dj-ing Graffiti and social commentary ....#jus sayin
CORRECTION
anything before 2011 is considered old skool...check and see how many tunes are played on the radio wit out it being a "flash back" "rap" is the bastard child of Hip Hop...basically "rap" is Hip Hop stripped of the elements... Breaking Dj-ing Graffiti and social commentary ....#jus sayin
Mensajes Tue 19 Jul 11 @ 10:20 pm
synthet1c
alright that's all true but I said "club hip hop" for lack of a better word... I have never been to any hip hop clubs in australia that don't have strictly have aussie hip hop, but I would be very surprised if a tribe called quest, ugly duckling, J5, kool keith, immortal technique, Jedi mind tricks, army of the Pharaohs etc... were played in clubs and definately not in top 40 clubs... I hate small minded top 40 people as well, but that is why I wouldn't be caught dead playing that crap... LOL
Mensajes Tue 19 Jul 11 @ 10:45 pm
coach k
Serkle k wrote :
I really want to make a hip hop mix, and I definitely need to practice mixing it, but the music that is out doesn't really motivate me to do it... What do you usually do if this happens to you?
Thank in advance.
-K
Thank in advance.
-K
There are a few pearls still left in hip hop music, but it'll take you really digging deep to find it! Unlike when I started, where I can just turn on the radio and find quality hip hop, today it takes more than that! Something has to really capture your ear and find out what are the masses listening too. I am sure you'll find people have similar taste and it should work for you.
I mean honestly, I grew up in listening to everything hip hop to rock, etc and I find it easy to mix pretty much anything and can turn garbage into a classic and no I don't produce mash-ups, I create them on the spot! So don't be afraid to experiment, I would say, because I remember how I hated songs like no hands and look at me now, but mixing them to my liking has seen common ground from my following.
Happy Mixing,
DJ Coach K aka The Mix Monster
Mensajes Wed 20 Jul 11 @ 9:29 am
Serkle k
Thanks for the input so far guys...
I should clarify one thing though... when I was talking about new vs. "old school" i mean for all music in general... Like I noticed I may got back as far as 2, maybe 3 (and that's a BIG maybe) years for most of my music because I feel like most people will remember it and still want to hear it. Sometimes I think if I go from 4 to say 6 or 7 years back, people would hear it and think, "Um this song is so old no one wants to hear it" and then I think I can easily go back maybe 10+ years and people would say, "Oh I remember this song, good song!" Hope that makes sense.
As for hip hop... yeah generally I wasn't really big into the gangster rap of the 90's... during that era I always found myself listening to later 70's early 80's hip hop tapes (and yes, I mean literally tapes. In a tape deck) I was always more into the rap and what I liked to call "Party Rap" that was nothing but about having a good time, having fun, and just artists talking about so many different things. Not like most hip hop from the 90s to today... it's all about the same thing... $$, jewelry, cars, clothes... I mean tell me a story, lay down some hot lyrics on a hot beat and make it fun or intelligent... I will say though the late 90's early 2ks had some nice beats, especially the Neptunes. Mid to late 90s also had a lot of resampled tracks, mostly out of the Bad Boy camp...
I should clarify one thing though... when I was talking about new vs. "old school" i mean for all music in general... Like I noticed I may got back as far as 2, maybe 3 (and that's a BIG maybe) years for most of my music because I feel like most people will remember it and still want to hear it. Sometimes I think if I go from 4 to say 6 or 7 years back, people would hear it and think, "Um this song is so old no one wants to hear it" and then I think I can easily go back maybe 10+ years and people would say, "Oh I remember this song, good song!" Hope that makes sense.
As for hip hop... yeah generally I wasn't really big into the gangster rap of the 90's... during that era I always found myself listening to later 70's early 80's hip hop tapes (and yes, I mean literally tapes. In a tape deck) I was always more into the rap and what I liked to call "Party Rap" that was nothing but about having a good time, having fun, and just artists talking about so many different things. Not like most hip hop from the 90s to today... it's all about the same thing... $$, jewelry, cars, clothes... I mean tell me a story, lay down some hot lyrics on a hot beat and make it fun or intelligent... I will say though the late 90's early 2ks had some nice beats, especially the Neptunes. Mid to late 90s also had a lot of resampled tracks, mostly out of the Bad Boy camp...
Mensajes Wed 20 Jul 11 @ 11:29 am
djnutz
I have dropped R Kelly's "Bump & Grind" in a club before..That song came out in 1994.
As well as:
Humpty Dance ...1990
Shoop ...1993
This is How We Do It ...1995
Baby's Got Back ...1992
These are fun songs that always seem to work...and they are 15-20 years old!
I wonder how many of you were still in diapers when these songs came out...
As well as:
Humpty Dance ...1990
Shoop ...1993
This is How We Do It ...1995
Baby's Got Back ...1992
These are fun songs that always seem to work...and they are 15-20 years old!
I wonder how many of you were still in diapers when these songs came out...
Mensajes Wed 20 Jul 11 @ 11:41 am
jbart19
It always depends on the crowd. Seems like early 20's want just the top 40 - last 18 months tops - late 20's early 30's top 40's plus hot songs from 10 years ago, stuff that was killer when they were in high school but nothing in between because they will just think it is played out but not yet "classic" Personally I find the mixed crowds the hardest to read. One of the bars I play is a neighborhood place that on a Saturday night has everyone from young kids (21) coming in after softball games to 50+ blue collar men and women and there is always a booth full of shot takers. You never know how that place will turn out.
Couple of older songs that I like to throw in late to help everybody get a ride home ;)
"Pony" - Ginuwine 1996
"Doin it" - LL Cool J 1995
Couple of older songs that I like to throw in late to help everybody get a ride home ;)
"Pony" - Ginuwine 1996
"Doin it" - LL Cool J 1995
Mensajes Wed 20 Jul 11 @ 12:44 pm
mgphotos
Can I pre-program the various start and end points (times) for the songs in a playlist then run the in Automix - so as to allow then to start and end as pre-programmed?
Mensajes Wed 20 Jul 11 @ 1:35 pm