Another DJ's Rant

I hear artists complain about DJs all the time when DJs require payment for slots on a mixtape, among other things, but they all (radio spins/mixtapes/club spins) apply here I think. For the sake of this rant I will strictly focus on my most recent mixtape "Slap That Mix 5" which dropped yesterday.




There are a total of 21 artists on the mixtape with a mixture of indies and majors. I have hit 16 of those artists for drops, but only received drops from two: Roxx Ruger and Naturboy Rowe (I already had the Rick Ross drop).

I took the time to be sure every artist's twitter was added to the blast and hit every artist individually on twitter with the mixtape promo tweet with their name and song title included in the tweet (along with the mixtape title and link to the mixtape). It should have been a breeze for every one of them to (at the very least) simply click on "retweet". How many of the 21 artists did that? Two: Roxx Ruger and Naturboy Rowe.

Maybe all of them were busy all day Saturday and Sunday, but I look at their timelines and they're all tweeting actively so they have enough time to hit a retweet. Maybe they all didn't have the foresight to buy a cheap desktop microphone so they could record drops right at home using the free Microsoft Sound Recorder that is included and installed automatically with every sing PC/laptop purchase. But if you're an artist and actively trying to promote your music and get spins on radio or in the club or get mixtape placements - MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BUYING A $12 MIC FROM WALMART SO YOU CAN RECORD DROPS FOR THE DJS THAT CONTROL YOUR TARGET PLACEMENTS!

I gathered the tracks, mixed (and I mean actually MIXED the mixtape #realdjshit-check it out for yourself) the mixtape, knocked out the cover art, split the tracks, tagged each one, etc on Friday night. Saturday was my birthday, but I still took the time to upload the mixtape to 10 separate mixtape websites. For those that don't know, this can be time consuming and irritating as hell at times. Then I went out and bought a new washer and dryer, a new laptop, some games for the Xbox and Wii, a new ring for my babygirl, and some clothes. Had a great day with my family and an awesome dinner celebrating my birthday! Even with all that done and all of the running around shopping, I still managed to get in some promotion for the mixtape and get it posted up on another 27 websites. Of course twitter and facebook as well, but I don't even count that. I do that constantly. Oh yeah, and I also had a radio show Saturday night, which again I'll remind you was my birthday.

If I put in all that work, regardless of how busy I might be with my life, and the artists can't even click "retweet"? Why should I continue to run their music in my mixes? Why not just focus on majors only and keep it moving? I would love some promotion or at least some tweets from majors, but that's fairly rare. But an indie artist who's trying to get on? Hell yes I expect drops and tweets promoting a mixtape I included their music in. I checked the numbers today (24 hours since the mixtape release) and the mixtape is currently at 8,994 hits across a total of 37 different websites. And every artist in the mix got that exposure and promotion for free. Although Naturboy Rowe was good enough to hit my "Thank You DJ" link and buy me a 12-pack of Pepsi (thank you fam!) not one single artist had to pay for a slot or was even asked to pay for a slot. That's going to most likely change now. This is why DJs say "FUCK YOU PAY ME".



A DJ puts in work, regardless of the medium (mixtapes, radio, clubs), and our brand and reputation and future earning potential is on the line every single time. If an artist can't drive listeners to a radio station, hits to a mixtape, or paying customers through the club doors - why should a DJ support them? For FREE? How does it benefit the DJ to support indie music from artists that don't promote and don't pay?

Think about that the next time you open your mouth or tap your fingers across a keyboard to complain about DJs. Remember this entire rant the next time you ask me or any other DJ to spin your music on our radio shows, or bump your music in the club, or slide your music into a mixtape.

THANK YOU DJ

Thank you to Natureboy Rowe and Roxx Ruger for the drops and the promotion of the mixtape - Real DJ Shit

MIXSHOWLIVE 2012

This is one of those events that EVERY SINGLE ARTIST SHOULD ATTEND! Not just be there, but be prepared. Where and when else could an artist have access to over 900 DJs?! My Core DJ family gets it in like no one else (radio/clubs/mixtapes/touring/tv) but you get access to not only my Core DJ family, but ALL DJs. If you're an artist or work in marketing/brand promotions or you're in artist management/PR - this is your best opportunity to effectively reach into a massive gathering of DJs to drive exposure to your music/product. 900 DJs in one place at one time.

My tips for artists: start preparing now. Make sure you have merchandise (tee shirts, posters, CDs, stickers, etc), but step your game up and get some quality material. The last thing you want to do is hand 900 DJs a CDR with Sharpie writing scrawled on it. Get units pressed professionally (visit www.nationwidedisc.com for great quality and good prices or to just compare to others). As a DJ, I don't personally want to walk around with a huge stack of CDs all day so I prefer artists give me flash drives on a lanyard. Check out www.pexagontech.com to consider getting custom flash drives made with your name and logo. Everybody loves free tee-shirts and what better way to promote yourself than on the backs of 900 DJs?! Don't get that cheap and crappy press on/iron on garbage. Step your game up and get quality screenprinted tees made. They're not as expensive as you might think and they last forever. Personally I use www.teesfortexas.com for all of my tees. Their prices are excellent, turnaround time is fantastic, and the quality is second to none. You can visit www.teesfortexas.com to compare to a local screenprint shop in your area.

Get connected with #TheBigShow and follow @MixshowLive2012 on twitter.

#MIXSHOWLIVE (The CDJsR16), DALLAS, TX!!!! May 4th-7th, 2012, Dallas Renaissance Hotel (Downtown Dallas)

Call 877-333-9940 x2 for details. Over 900 DJ's from across the globe (over 300 already on hold for registration) & also stations from around the country broadcasting LIVE from the DFW!

#REALDJSHIT Wack "DJs" Can Drink Bleach

Today I noticed that the epidemic of wack DJs has risen to new absurdity. Let's be clear; the root word of "MIXTAPE" is "MIX". I hit play on two different mixtapes today that included five DJs. FIVE! Between five DJs and 2 different mixtapes how is it fuckin possible that neither mixtape had even a hint of MIX?! These no-mix 'mixtapes' should be slapped with a huge sticker that reads "NO TURNTABLES REQUIRED". Websites dedicated to mixtapes should shoulder some responsibility and add an asterisk or something to indicate the tape is just a bunch of music, sound effects, and screaming - NO MIX INCLUDED.

How or when this became acceptable is baffling to me. Would you prefer to dry chew some sour koolaid then stop and sprinkle some sugar in your mouth instead of actually adding water and mixing it all together? Wouldn't you be upset if you hit the fridge to pour some koolaid in your cup and the dry ass ingredients slid to the bottom of your empty cup? How in the hell am I supposed to digest this bullshit as a real DJ? It leaves a real bad taste in my mouth to say the least. Yet artists gobble up the opportunity to be on a wack no-mix 'mixtape' then have the nerve to tweet shit like #salutetheDJ or even worse; #realdjshit.



I hit play on another no-mix 'mixtape' yesterday and when I asked the DJ why there was no mix he explained that the artist asked for that. I would love to have an artist explain to me why in the hell you would ASK a DJ to host your mixtape, but don't mix any of it?! Why not just release a street album with no-DJ so that at least if a DJ does hear it and like it he can just download it and run it right into the mix? I thought it was obvious, but I feel obligated to let you artists know - DJs will not mix your music in their mixes with some other DJ's tags or talking all over it. That would be like Pepsi allowing Coke to advertise on their cans.

A lot of you mu'fuckas are using the term "DJ" with reckless abandon and total disregard for the craft. DJ is a title you must earn. Drink bleach and die with that wack bullshit. You are destroying the credibility of the term "DJ" and what it means to our Hip-Hop culture. You should be ashamed for what you have done to our craft and THAT is some #realdjshit.

Every DJ's Homework Assignment - Scratch (the Movie)

The movie has been out for years, but the turntable skills are timeless and this specific element is paramount to our craft as Hip-Hop DJs. If you haven't seen the movie yet - watch it. If you're a DJ then you should actually be required to see this movie - watch it. If you're like me...you watch this as much as you probably watch Beat Street and can vocalize every single scratch in the whole damn movie. No clips or previews - this is the full movie. Enjoy

Burned-Out by Wack Shit - Send New Heat

Hip-Hop and R&B are really beginning to bore me with the flood of new music streaming out and I can't find anything to motivate me. I've been digging through all the submissions and new music leaks every single day - even made a rare visit to facebook to open up submissions. The best thing I heard is Liv Warfield's album "Embrace" which is new to me, but was actually released back in 2006. J Green's "Eyes on Me" is a nice laid back record with production, delivery, and hooks that I really dig, but the song is super short with only 1 verse. Where are the unique styles? Who's doing something unique and legitimately dope? Maybe it's burnout from the flurry of work I did in July with 4 mixtapes, live sets for 2 different artists, weekly radio shows, etc.

I have zero interest in any 'remixes' of the "Otis" record (all remixes actually - stop being so fuckin lazy) or another Lex Luger beat driven over the same drum kits and synth patterns. The Freddie Gibbs "Rob Me a Nigga" record is getting some buzz, but really? I can't get through the hook of him saying "Rob me a Nigga" over and over and over and over. I respect that Big K.R.I.T. produced the record (been seeing more and more of his production work popping up lately), but the production is lazy - let's be honest. It's basically the same loop on repeat for 3 and a half minutes. I see Game flooding every possible outlet with tracks from his "Candy Coronas" project, but I have never been able to get into his flow or delivery or even just his voice. Never have liked Game. The J Cole EP is a disappointment since it's not new music at all. Drake's "Headlines" record is the same old crap I fully expect to hear from Drake. The Consequence and Pusha T drama is boring as hell and screams publicity stunt. I wanted to get excited for Cherlise and her "Love U Right" record with Lil Wayne, but we've already heard this same flow, sound, direction too many times. Love her voice...bored by the record. I recognize all the buzz for Frank Ocean, but nothing really groundbreaking original or unique there either. I do like the new Bei Maejor "Can't Believe" record but I don't know what kind of reaction I'm going to get when I spin it up. I think it's a great college crowd record. We'll see. And why does anyone give a shit if Soulja Boy buys a plane? That being a big news conversation is a sign of the apocolypse. Last year's summer was identical, but thankfully Big Boi saved Hip-Hop with his album "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty". I'm crossing my fingers someone will drop a big album like that soon so I can get excited about music again. In the meantime I'm falling back on my collection of Teleoso records and leaning more and more towards dropping a full mixtape of nothing but old school shit twisted in with every sound that has ever caught my attention.

If you have some new HONESTLY dope shit, please send it and revive my interest, but please only send it if you honestly stand behind it as something unique. Even DJs are letting me down lately with endorsements of wack shit. If you're getting paid to endorse and promote music - get your money, by all means. But please, from DJ to DJ, reserve your endorsements sent my way to music you truly believe is unique and hot and music that you would spin without a single dime in return.

See what happens when a DJ get's frustrated with the stream of new music? Maybe it's just burnout. Maybe you feel the same way, but just didn't want to say anything. Maybe tomorrow I will hear something that turns all of this into pure bullshit and I'll launch into another 4 or 5 mixtapes for August...carry on.