Sucka DJs!

Yo party people in the house!!

I am as ol' school as the brotha in the picture, and as a DJ in the 90s, I worked with artists that would blow yo' mind! Okay, I'll chill with the ghetto-speak. Here's what's really on my mind:

There are some great DJs out there right now. There are some abominations out there too! Mine is not to judge what's hip, happenin' or who's fresh. My experience simply helps me identify the qualities that will keep you working, and the magic that will make you a legend!

DJs like Lil' Louis and Frankie Knuckles parlayed club appearances into studio projects that kept them rolling in the green for years. Some of us lived like rock stars; Sex, drugs and well, music!

Now excuse me for dissing the lazy DJs using Serato on your laptop, having never owned a record case. It's not your fault, and there is no shame in being where you are at the time that you are. Just be better! If you have the tools to slow things down, and create your own mixes with the computer matching beats that we had to do by ear, then just make sure they are that much better for it! A lot of young DJs think it's all about mixing everything to sound like one song. Not true! The key is to keep it flowing with natural progression, and not disrupt the groove. NOT MAKING IT SOUND LIKE ONE LONG TECHNO-BEAT! People want to hear songs they know. New songs, and old songs. The old songs may need to sound a little fresher, but it's okay if people get that it's old. That's the hook. The DJ should aim to please but he/she must have the confidence to make the rules on behalf of everyone at that party. I like to mix 3 or 4 of the newest freshest grooves in my style (every DJ must decide on a style. An identity.) and then stick in a slightly re-mixed, but still characteristically ol' school jam. 70s and 80s works best for me because my style is funk-based, but like any artist, if you're true to you, you cannot go wrong. Oh, you'll still be criticized, but that is rarely about you.

My true beef is with the professional clubber. The guy or gal with the silver lamee outfit baring lots o' skin, and even more attitude. The clubber that thinks they ARE the DJ, commenting on every choice of song and demanding what they think are the best new tunes. Listen up, "You people annoy us all!!" See, the rest of the folks at the club are there to have a good time and drink and dance. They allow the DJ to take them on his own trip. They hop on, they go along for the ride, and make their decision when they get off (no pun intended). These folks are rarely disappointed. At least not by me! Because you can't be the driver and the passenger at the same time, so all you DJs out there trying to make a name for yourself, my advice to you is the same as it is for actors, singers, dancers, and hell, probably even plumbers:

Do what you do for the right reasons, with passion and with pride, and you won't go wrong.

If you think, "Hey, I can make a couple extra bucks spinning some tunes at my neighbour's bar-mitzvah, that's all you'll ever do. Note: No disrespect to the bar-mitzvah DJ. Some of you do your thang! Some of you are just clowns.

But if you love what you do, and do it until it's second nature, you will improve, explore and discover. You will live for the journey and not the destination, and when you follow THAT path, you cannot fail! Believe that!

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This article is dedicated to my boys: Easy E, Cut-Creator and the late-great JamMaster Jay!