How to effectively submit music to a DJ

We’ll skip the process of connecting with a DJ and jump right to the point that you finally get a DJ’s email address so you can submit your music for possible spins. Ask the DJ how they prefer submissions. I prefer an attached mp3 of the full street version with the acapella and instrumental versions available either as attached mp3s or links to the acapella and instrumental. You can use your choice of a number of free file servers including zshare, hulkshare, divshare, box.net, mediafire, etc to save your DJ Service Pack (street, radio, acapella, instrumental versions). I’m not going to harp on the validity (or lack thereof) of massive e-blasts, but I will say it goes farther for an artist to email me direct rather than add my email to a list on the CC (please use BCC if you’re going to blast to a list) or add me as another line in a long line of forwarded emails.

So you finally connected with a DJ and got his email address. DO NOT SEND MP3s TITLED “01 track 01”!!!! You went through all of the steps to finally get an opportunity to submit your music and now you send an anonymous mp3 that will get deleted immediately or completely lost in the DJ’s thousands of other MP3s…that’s a complete waste of everyone’s time. MAKE SURE YOUR MP3’s ARE TAGGED WITH “ARTIST NAME – SONG TITLE”. Why is this such a big deal?

DJ’s literally have thousands of MP3’s in their catalogs. I have a folder with more than 350 drops alone. I have folders of old school R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, etc. I have folders of complete albums and folders specifically for clubs, radio, mixtapes, etc. The point is – I have thousands of MP3s. Once I download your attached MP3 I need to be able to find it when I get an opportunity to run it in the mix. If you want to get spins and actually get credit for your spins and get your name and song title accurately reflected on mixtape covers and radio playlists, you better make sure you have your mp3 tagged with your name and song title. Otherwise its just track “01 track 01”. How in the hell does that help you in any way? Quit acting like an amateur and get your MP3s tagged properly. Go from this nonsense that simply gets deleted:

To a properly tagged MP3 with your name and song title like this:

Just right-click on your MP3 and enter the correct and complete information then click on “Apply”. You only have to do this one time and you’re all set for every opportunity to submit your music. You can download Mp3tag (below) for free and even add your cover art or photo to your mp3s. Don’t go through all the trouble of getting a DJs contact info to just fall straight into the recycle bin or be lost forever or get spins with zero credit because your MP3 wasn’t tagged properly.

Mp3tag – the Universal Tag Editor: http://www.mp3tag.de/en/

Mp3tag is a powerful and yet easy-to-use tool to edit metadata of common audio formats where it supports ID3v1, ID3v2.3, ID3v2.4, iTunes MP4, WMA, Vorbis Comments and APE Tags. It can rename files based on the tag information, replace characters or words in tags and filenames, import/export tag information, create playlists and more.

Mp3tag supports the following audio formats:

Advanced Audio Coding (aac) Free Lossless Audio Codec (flac) Monkey's Audio (ape) Mpeg Layer 3 (mp3) MPEG-4 (mp4 / m4a / m4b / iTunes compatible) Musepack (mpc) Ogg Vorbis (ogg) OptimFROG (ofr) OptimFROG DualStream (ofs) Speex (spx) Tom's Audio Kompressor (tak) True Audio (tta) Windows Media Audio (wma) WavPack (wav)

Da' Hitman on his Grind

Two months into 2011 and the year has already spawned some nice accomplishments for Da’ Hitman. He has released 7 mixtapes which have already eclipsed 438,000 hits not including his Valentine’s Sex mixtape which was bought out by a local retail outlet to be used for promotion during the Valentine’s Day retail rush. His Unique Styles 2K11 mixtape series has enjoyed a successful launch with volume 1 hosted by Def Jam/We The Best artist Ace Hood on the heels of Ace Hood’s smash hit “Hustle Hard”. ThatCrack.com awarded the Triple Crown Award for Unique Styles 2K11 Volume 1 as the most viral mixtape, most downloaded mixtape, and featured mixtape; marking Da’ Hitman’s first Triple Crown Award honor of 2011 to follow the three he earned in 2010. Unique Styles 2K11 Volume 2 (hosted by former Ruthless Records artist Hopsin) was recently featured in the March issue of Garberri Magazine while Da’ Hitman also found himself in the fold in Wheels 2000 Magazine.

Along with the early success of Da’ Hitman’s 2011 mixtape catalog, his Unique Styles radio show run moved into its second year of airing every week as part of Swurv Radio’s coveted Saturday Night Live lineup. Da’ Hitman’s role as Music Director at Swurv Radio also accelerated with more control of the music, specifically independent artists, being added to regular rotation at the station. Yet another highlight is the co-branded campaign between Swurv Radio and Tagur Shoes which presented Da’ Hitman with the opportunity to be one of 5 DJs selected for Tagur Shoes endorsement.

March 1st also marked the official launch of Da’ Hitman’s own clothing line under the Unique Styles brand with the premier of two tee shirts geared towards artists and DJs with his “Unique Styles” tee and his “Real DJ Shit” tees. Da’ Hitman is offering his tee shirts at a low price of $19.50 (regardless of size) and has even absorbed the cost of shipping to any state within the continental US.

Da’ Hitman also facilitated the placement of independent artists Eclipse and Miss Marianna with Mims and his Open Bars project with both artists collaborating with Mims on singles which are both currently available on iTunes.

*Mims featuring Eclispe “Dangerous” and Mims featuring Miss Marianna “Vroom Vroom”.

Looking forward, Da’ Hitman has an upcoming mixtape titled “Substance Abuse” set for release on March 21 and Unique Styles 2K11 Volume 3 hosted by Poe Boy/Konvict/Interscope artist Billy Blue right on the heels of Billy Blue’s much anticipated “Blumanatti” release. Da’ Hitman has already scheduled release dates for volumes 4 and 5 of his Unique Styles 2K11 mixtape series with volume 4 hosted by Aftermath Music’s Nikki Grier and volume 5 hosted by Zoolife/G-Unit’s Big Bad 40 (aka 40 Glocc). Da’ Hitman will also be the official DJ for Swurv Radio’s annual Independents Day “Airplay” mixtape which will be released on July 4th.

Da’ Hitman is also a contributing writer for a magazine launching first half of 2011 along with several websites.

Contact Info:
Da’ Hitman
www.dahitman.com
www.twitter.com/dahitman

REAL DJ SH*T

Real recognizes real and there are really a lot of ridiculously wack DJs out there absolutely clogging up the game with no DJ skills. Because I do so many mixtapes I see all the mixtape sites clogged up with a massive catalog of mixtapes that don’t even have a simple mix. This is, and always has been, one of the most laughable things to me that a so-called ‘DJ’ would have the nuts to put a playlist together, sprinkle in a grip of loud ass sound effects and scream all over the music – then call it a mixtape. If a DJ can’t even blend from one song to the next with the beats actually mixing ON BEAT they should have all upload privileges revoked from every single mixtape site. What really bothers me most about this is that Serato will group songs by BPM for the DJ. If the DJ isn’t using Serato and hasn’t practiced enough to just recognize what songs will blend together well, there are free applications that will analyze BPMs as simple as drag-and-dropping the MP3 files into the application. Nothing sounds worse than two songs clanking against each other all off beat. That makes me just want to scream “JUST PUSH THE CROSS FADER OVER TO THE LEFT AND GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY!” I hear this on mixtapes, on the radio, and the worst possible place – in the clubs. My advice to the wack so-called ‘DJs’ that are too lazy to master the craft of simple mixing: rip the tonearms off your turntables and jam ‘em down your throat.

There should be a DMV-type driving test for all wanna-be DJs to prove they are capable of driving two turntables before they are allowed to add the coveted “DJ” to their name. A written test should be part of the process too. If you don’t know who Kool Herc is –application denied. If you don’t know the names DJ Red Alert, Jam Master Jay, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kid Capri, DJ Premier, etc – application denied. I would even force applicants to sit and watch videos of DMC Battles. A whole “So You Wanna Be a DJ” course requiring in-class lab hours learning simple chirp scratches, crab scratches, transforming, beat juggling, etc. Throughout the course there would be 3 written tests covering the birth and growth of the craft and who the main players have been, just so they would have respect for the real DJs that laid the groundwork for all of us today. The wanna-be’s that finished quickly would be treated to sitting and watching Beat Street while the others sweated out the tests. For the final I would assign a 2-page essay on the integrity of the craft. Then finally the driving test. You have to stand in front of the entire class with two turntables, a mixer, Serato, and a flash drive of 20 songs and perform a 30 minute set.

I have complete disdain for wack DJs and it disgusts me that they have somehow qualified for honors that should be reserved for real DJs only. We are right in the middle of the SEA Awards and the JUSTOS nominations so if only for one month I wish people would actually listen to these DJs on the ballots. If no one else will do it, I implore the people responsible for the SEAs and JUSTOS to please protect the integrity of our craft and listen to the works of the DJs being considered for any award. If a DJ isn’t an absolute turntablist that’s okay, but there has to be some kind of minimum standard to even be eligible for any DJ awards.

I believe that a DJ’s hustle and grind should be recognized and applauded, but just being popular on twitter is not enough to qualify for an award. Twitter groupies will swear a DJ is dope if they are sexy or funny as hell, but those same groupies don’t even listen to the DJ’s work. I don’t care if a DJ is a fat slob who’s gut keeps pushing the cross fader on accident or if the DJ has the sexiest avatar you’ve ever seen. In the words of Rakim “I can go on for days and days…” but the bottom line is I don’t give a damn what a DJ looks like, I just want to hear how they sound in the mix. Red Alert hasn’t exactly aged well (yeah I said it) but damn he can still flip wax like a mad scientist! Follow him on twitter and watch him do his live video feeds of him mixing for hours….incredible! Some of the illest DJs in the game are noticeably quiet on twitter (DJ MLG, yeah you sir lol) but push play on any one of his mixtapes he dropped in 2010 and you will immediately recognize he is a real DJ with real DJ skills. Listen to DJ Ykcor take a simple acapella phrase and twist his needles around on it until the words are chirping like an instrument – that’s some real DJ shit! Google DJ Revolution and download one of his incredible breaks mixes and you will get am ultimate lesson in not just crate digging, but some seriously dope blend skills. Visit YouTube and search for “DJ Frantic” and watch how he put it in before his tragic death. I once watched him intentionally drop the needle on the label of a record (for those who have never put your fingers on vinyl – that’s the paper circle in the middle with all the writing on it) and scratch it until I was convinced it was an optical illusion. Tune in for one of DJ Parallax’s radio shows and you’ll hear a real DJ at work.

I could ramble on for pages and pages about DJs I respect and admire. There are a lot of honestly dope DJs that honestly deserve awards and recognition. I know that fans of music can be swayed by personalities and flirting and common interests in sports or fashion. It is what it is and I’m not mad at that. The ones I would hope would judge a DJ based on their abilities as a DJ are the websites that host mixtapes. I hope that the SEAS and the JUSTOS protect the integrity of our craft and take ownership of their responsibility to award DJ honors to those who deserve it based on at least minimum standards. I wish artists could maneuver through the politics of getting their music spins and reserve their ‘cosigns’ for DJs that really get it in. If you’re an artist, by all means give many thanks to any DJ giving your music some spin, but don’t blow smoke up their asses like they’re dope if you know damn well they should snap a record in half and use the jagged edge of wax to slit their wrists. Real recognizes real and I know damn well wack DJs know they are wack (but of course would never admit that publicly). Big Boi said it best ‘You ain’t no DJ!”

Da’ Hitman (DJ, Radio/Mixtapes/Touring)
“Kick a hole in the speaker pull the plug then I jet”

Your Word is Your What?

Everyone has heard the expression “my word is my bond” but that expression has lost weight and the essence of the phrase is lost as well. As a DJ we hear a lot of “I got you” or “Anything you need I got you” or “On my Momma – I got you for whatever you need”…but you have no idea how many times those words are the last ones you hear from an artist until they have a new single they want you to push. Then *POOF* they reappear like you never asked them for a verse or hosting for a mixtape or even a simple drop.

There are a good number of artists that do follow through with requests and those are the artists I ride for when I’m on the radio, or dropping a new mixtape, or spinning a club gig, or even when I see an opportunity that isn’t even related to me – I shoot it to them. This is how you develop a relationship with a DJ and truly build a solid network of DJs that will lean on your music.

Here’s the funniest thing about the things like drops and mixtape hosting – it costs the artist nothing and can be done from home with a simple microphone and simple pre-installed program like windows sound recorder. I’ve even had drops and one time even full mixtape hosting done directly from an artist’s phone. Sure, I prefer studio quality drops and pieces for mixtape hosting, but a quiet room and a cheap mic and windows sound recorder work just fine. I don’t suggest using your phone for drops and hosting pieces, but I have had one artist provide mixtape hosting while on tour by simply sliding into a quiet setting and recording the hosting pieces on his phone. If you don’t have any kind of recording capabilities at home then the exclusive verse for a mixtape or collaboration request could cost you studio time. The point is it takes a laughably small amount of time and money to knock out drops and mixtape hosting pieces. If you give a DJ your word that you “got him” for drops or hosting a mixtape or exclusives, etc, then follow through on the word you gave and get it done.

Here’s one way to look at it so you can grasp the value of following through on your word: it will never cost you more than 1 day to knock out drops and hosting drop pieces for a DJ, but once you’ve done it you now have the DJ working your music long term and most likely across every medium (mixtapes, radio, clubs) that DJ touches. Even if once a day for an entire year you took 1 hour of each day to record drops and mixtape hosting for a DJ, that’s a small price to pay to have 365 DJs riding for you like they were on your payroll. What would it be worth to you to have more than 300 DJs you can count on to spin your music? A drop for every one of them? 7-10 drops for mixtape hosting for 20 of those DJs? I know that your name is your brand so by all means, be selective. Do a drop for any DJ, but don’t say that DJ is “the best”, just do a generic drop that say’s you’re in the mix with that DJ. I know there are a lot of wack DJs dropping wack mixtapes so by all means, be selective with your hosting and reserve that for DJs who drop mixtapes that you wouldn’t be afraid to endorse as a hot mixtape DJ. Honestly, I would respect you even more if you did that since I do drop mixtapes along with everything else I do as a DJ. You could help us separate the bullshit from the bosses and draw more attention to mixtape DJs with actual mixtape skills.

The DJs will even make it easy and provide you with drop scripts to work from when you’re doing the drops and hosting. If you’re an artist then you should already have at the very least a microphone and some sort of simple recording capabilities right from home. If you give your word on anything to a DJ then follow through on your word. Word up.

BANGLADESH Making Lil Wayne's 6'7"

This is a treat to see Bangladesh in the lab creating what would immediately become a smash hit single for Lil Wayne and Cory Gunz. It goes without saying that Bangladesh is and has been one of the hottest producers in the game. "6'7" further solidified the imaginative greatness of Bangladesh. Peep the footage.





I first got this new Lil Wayne and Cory Gunz "6'7" back in early December and it is still absolute dope - I ain't even trying to hear from the Lil Wayne haters on this one. Stop frontin' and lace this in your mix awready.

15th Annual JUSTOS Mixtape Award Nominations

As a Mixtape DJ, this is the ultimate honor I could hope for – to win one or more Justos Awards. The Justos embody the essence of our craft by representing for the DJs who actually have legitimate DJ skills. I complain all the time about these wack ‘DJs’ who can’t blend or mix, much less cut, scratch, transform, beat juggle, etc. They hide behind corny sound effects and hide their horrible transitions by screaming all over the music and blowing the entire flow of the mixtape. The Justos provide hope that real DJ skills are still recognized and rewarded. Please visit THE JUSTOS website and sign up for your own page, get connected with my page there, and visit the Nominations page to help me bring home the most coveted award a Mixtape DJ could possibly want.

I’m on my campaign trail and asking for nominations for six of the Justos categories:

Internet Radio Mixshow DJ of the Year: My Unique Styles Show has been running every Saturday night on Swurv Radio (9 to 10pm EST) for nearly 2 years now. What separates my show from so many others is I actually mix from start to finish with a blend of majors and indies/unsigned artists ranging from coast to coast. I pride myself on breaking new music with the hopes of being the first DJ with the hottest records, whether it’s Hip-Hop or R&B (and occasionally twisting blends from older generations and other genres of music). I was honored with the position of Music Director at Swurv Radio in 2010 as well. Spin you URLs over to Swurv Radio on a Saturday night and hear my Unique Styles Show for yourself. Come and get ya’ Swurv on!

Dirty South Mixtape DJ of the Year: Not only do I hail from Dallas Texas; I represent for the Dirty South with my radio shows and my mixtapes. In 2010 alone I released 12 mixtapes representing the Dirty South and numerous mixtape with the Dirty South’s own artists such as Wreckamic, Eclipse, Lou Writer, Deonte, Dreak, Nice Major, etc. My goal is to expand the exposure of the Dirty South to a global audience.

Emerging Mixtape DJ of the Year: I especially love how this category is defined by the Justos as “the DJ who has been around and is emerging as the next big DJ”. I jumped into the mixtape game in 2009 and did some respectable numbers with some highlights such as my mixtapes with Keith Sweat, Atiba, and my Tapwire Magazine mixtape. In 2010 however, I burst through with a catalog of 39 mixtapes exceeding 2.5 million hits. I was nominated for an SEA for “Best R&B Mixtape of the Year”, received 3 Triple Crown awards from ThatCrack.com (featured, most viral, most downloads), and began seeing my mixtape appear on top Hip-Hop sites. 2010 was definitely a breakout year for my mixtape game and I am eager to launch into my 2K11 ART OF WAR mixtape campaign to further build upon the success of last year.

Underground Mixtape DJ of the Year: This is something I pride myself on with a passion. I love to find new talent that is on the verge of greatness and launching into projects with them to push their exposure even further. Eclipse, Epademik, Lou Writer (winner of 106 and Park Wild’n Out Wednesday), Deonte (widely known for the hooks he has done for so many other artists), Wreckamic (who landed placement on EA Sports MMA), etc. Any DJ can run a catalog of mixtapes with mainstream artists already heavy on the radio, but a real DJ breaks new artists and takes them from the underground to a level playing field with the majors.

Blends Mixtape DJ of the Year: This is often one of the first things others say separates me from so many DJs. I pride myself on digging in the crates and twisting Etta James, Ray Charles, Nirvana, Humble Pie, Marva Whitney, Led Zeppelin, the Delfonics, RL Burnside, Howlin Wolfe, etc into a mix with today’s hottest beats and blending them into one mad funky mix. Remembering the roots of our craft and DJ Kool Herc flipping a break from old disco records is still a part of our craft as DJs that I embrace.

R&B Mixtape DJ of the Year: I am nominated for this very category with the SEA’s nomination of my “Valentine’s Sex” mixtape and over the second half of 2010 I really dove into R&B mixtapes with incredible songstress Kim Joyce “TomBoy Swag”, and former Lyfe Jennings backup singer Lou Writer “Prelude 2 Love”, and Deonte “Grown Man Shit”, and of course with platinum-selling artist Donell Jones and our “Platinum Status” mixtape. I also launched the “Rated Sex” mixtape series along with my “The Sexy Truth” mixtape. One thing I learned about mixtapes is that R&B mixtapes are almost always hot downloads with a definite audience eager to get their fix of R&B.

Please visit my MIXTAPES page and pick any one of my 2010 mixtapes to hear and/or download. I'm proud of the work I've done and the artists I have worked with in 2010 and look forward to the exciting potential 2011 is already showing. I hope I can count on you for your nominations for me for the JUSTOS awards.

360 Deals: Deal or No Deal?

Recently I was asked my opinion on 360 Deals and I think this is a great topic to touch on since 360 Deals (or Multiple Rights deals) are very common now, but still largely misunderstood. In a nutshell, I think a 360 Deal is not necessarily a bad deal for a new artist or unsigned artist, but doesn’t make sense for a well established artist (i.e. Kanye West, Beyonce, etc).

Major artists who are already well established have a much easier time booking shows or tours, securing merchandising/advertisement; selling units/digital singles/ring tones, etc. They are already well branded and their name alone is enough to drive interest and secure product placement along with radio spins, packed venues, media attention, etc. An unknown artist would struggle to match the marketing, branding, and promotional budget and power of a major label going a completely independent route.

Let’s assume that an unsigned artist has a legitimately hot album and even HONESTLY has their city behind them (shows are packed, units are selling, merchandise is selling, the artist is getting club/radio spins) and is ready to make the push to a national level. What connections does the artist really have outside of their own city or region to get them booked for shows AND consistently pack venues? How will the artist get from once city to the next? How are you going to get product placement in each city’s stores? Any artist can secure a distribution deal with a multitude of different companies, but beware that a lot of these companies are going to charge anywhere between $1500-2500 per city. On that same note, do your homework on any distribution company before you sing a deal with them. At the very minimum find out what other artists they have done distribution for and check the numbers on those artists. You’re going to need a budget and publicity (i.e. radio interviews, in-store appearances, etc).

What connections does the artist have to get them print magazine publicity and promotion? What will it take to get banner space on 10 high-traffic Hip-Hop websites? Do some research on your own and you’ll find that a very large number of nationally circulated magazines are owned by the same parent company – yet ad space in each of the magazines is handled individually, and accordingly, charge their own rates. Just pick 3 magazines (XXL, The Source, and Vibe) and call their office to ask about rates for ad space. You are REALLY going to need a budget now. Just those three alone are going to hurt your budget hard and we’re only talking about a one-time run of ads in all three. Multiply that by a three-month campaign. Now factor in smaller publications like Ozone. We haven’t even touched on the cost for banner space on say HipHopDX.com or AllHipHop.com or WorldStarHipHop.com.

What connections does the artist have to get them radio spins in other cities? College Radio and Community Radio stations are easy, but those #1 and #2 stations in major markets is going to require a lot more to make it happen. You can complain about Clear Channel and Radio One all you want, but you can’t ignore the fact that you will need them if you want to play on the same field as the majors. I’m not talking about a handful of mixshow spins; I’m talking about heavy rotation. This is going to require serious connections and like it or not (legal or not), there is a very good chance it will require some budget.

What about music videos? What about movie placement, video game placement, TV placement? What about sponsors and endorsements? Any artist can network and accomplish quite a bit on their own if they have any networking skills and business sense, but can an unsigned artist accomplish ALL of that without a major label behind them? Very rarely does that happen successfully and even more rarely will an unsigned artist accomplish all of that with any longevity. Beware of self-proclaimed “Twitter Superstars” that try to convince everyone they are doing it big on their own. 90% of them don’t even have a passport and at least 60% of them have never done shows in more than 6 states.

This leads me to two things to add that are crucial. Never take advice from anyone that hasn’t accomplished or experienced what you are trying to do. You will get opinions from everyone – literally, but advice has to come from a source that actually knows. I’ve done two traditional label deals and wish I would have done those differently. Advances are nice and feel like real accomplishments, but that advance money gets chewed up fast and royalties (publishing) is a whole other topic. Get an entertainment lawyer of your own. Rather you are going to try it on your own or sign with a major (360 Deal or not), get your own lawyer.

The advantages a major label can offer are impossible to ignore. I know it is fashionable to bash on the majors and independent is the most commonly advised path, but you better weigh the pros and cons of indie versus major for yourself and by all means, do your own research. You may find that a 360 Deal is not the Devil so many want to say it is.

iKandy Magazine interview with Da' Hitman

Kishez and iKandy Magazine showed me a lot of love with the interview for iKandy Magazine, covering topics from advice for female DJs to dream projects I would like to do to lessons I have learned and more. Visit iKandy Magazine for the full interview.

DJ 2 DJ with DJ Ykcor

As a DJ and with an avid love for Hip-Hop and specifically our craft as DJs, I learn from a lot of other DJs in the game – both past and present. It ranges from actual DJ skills to their grind and hustle to their marketing and promotion and branding. Even though I do a lot of mixtapes, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend DJ Ykcor for anyone’s mixtape project. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed with his mix skills and his scratch game is bananas! I once sent a drop to DJ Ykcor for a mixtape he and I were doing together (DJYkcor.com Members Only vol 2) and what he did with my simple acapella drop (track #6 on the mixtape posted below) was nothing short of amazing. He’s that dope on the decks. DJ Ykcor not only gets it in with the actual mix, but his numbers (hits, downloads, etc) are good for business.

Mixtape | ThatCrack.com | Download

While you listen to the mixtape we did together you can read the Q&A between myself and DJ Ykcor and get to know him better. Trust me, if you don't already know him - you need to know DJ Ykcor.

List the equipment you use as a DJ

Tech 12's, Rane TTM-57, Serato... What else is there?! LOL

Some DJs are known for their scratch game while others are known for their blend/mix skills, screwed & chopped skills, etc. What DJ skill do you feel is your signature, or your best?

All the above, I think that question is more for the people to decide.

The politics of the industry can get slippery for DJs trying to navigate between ongoing label drama, legal proceedings between artists and websites, artists beefing with each other and/or specific DJs, etc. How do the politics of the music industry affect you as a DJ?

Everything is politics now a days. It completely took away from the art and respect of the DJ culture. It’s like in everything else, once politics comes into play it downgrades whatever it’s involved in.

Every DJ has a pet peeve, whether its requests when you’re spinning a club gig or submissions for mixtapes and/or radio shows. What is your pet peeve and how can people avoid triggering a negative response?

One is definitely the labeling of songs from artist. I just think to myself sometimes *people CANNOT be that stupid*. You take the time to make a song, write it, record it, then you don’t even put your name on it when you release it...WTF?! Its common sense but yet I forget that’s something the newer generation seems to lack... Well, that and RESPECT!

Another one is people naming themselves after each other, Young this and Lil that. When I get a record from anybody with those stupid titles it gets deleted ASAP. In a world where everyone follows the next man YOU need to be more original or NOBODY will pay attention to you...

Looking back to when you first fell in love with our craft, what DJs would you credit as influences?

DJ Ran, Revolution, Jay-Ski, Sat-One, Funk Flex. I can go on and on but those I would have to say were the keys players in my motivation to DJ.

For anyone who doesn’t already know you are monster in the mixtape game, how many mixtapes have you dropped in 2010 and what are your personal top 5 picks from your 2010 catalog?

ALOT! I have no idea the total, but I released a lot this year! I would have to say my Best Of Baltimore House Music is one of my fav's; that new Jack Swing is another... As far as the other 3 goes, I would have to say my Members Only Vol. 2 that we did together, and...I’ll let the people pick the other 2 lol. There are too many I like for me to pick and choose...

What are your goals for 2011?

Without naming specifics; just to be better at what I do and more positive then the last.

If you could have total access to any artists across all genres of music, who would you like to do projects with – or let’s narrow that down to the top 3 artists you would like to work with?

Lady Gaga, Eminem, Joe Budden, Beanie Sigel, Peedi Crakk, L.O.X, Black Eyed Peas. I can’t name just 3 lol

From DJ to DJ, what do you see as the pros and cons of DJ Coalitions?

The good part is the music and promo if they’re on there job. The bad part is sharing a name with DeeJays that don’t do shit or create a bad name for themselves... Coalitions need to be more careful about who they co-sign bottom line.

If an artist wants to work with you on a mixtape project, what material do you need from the artist for the project itself, how can they get at you for booking you for a mixtape, and what do you want from the artist once the mixtape is released?

Good music and a budget is what IS required. We as DeeJays need to see YOU as the artist working just as hard, if not HARDER, then we do on YOUR project. Artist can send me music and info to: dontsendmewackmusic@gmail.com or can hit me on twitter.com/DJYKCOR

Get connected with DJ Ykcor at:

http://www.djykcor.com/

Twitter.com/DJYKCOR

Facebook.com/DJYkcor

Myspace.com/DJYkcor

Tune in to hear DJ Ykcor do work:

Swurv Radio every Sat. at 6pm EST

Revolt Radio Mon.-Fri. 9pm EST

DJ Ykcor is nominated for a 2011 SEA for "Best Screwed & Chopped Mixtape" for the mixtape he did with Tone Trump called "GOOD COMPANY". Go to SEA Ballot to cast your vote for DJ Ykcor.

Be Careful Who You Vouch For

There a lot of artists that I like, but very few that I will personally cosign and endorse with my name and reputation. I will always protect my brand so I am extremely selective when I consider endorsing an artist to listeners, fans, other DJs, companies looking for music or potential sponsors, etc. A lot of artists have a dope single and there are quite a few that have dope catalogs of music, but for me to endorse and cosign an artist 100% it takes more than just a hot single or a dope album. For an artist to get my endorsement the artist has to bring a total package.

What separates one artist from another is a mix of crucial components that too many ignore. The first thing I listen for is the music and specifically the artist’s flow and cadence and delivery. Is the artist working with unique styles that are far different from the majority? I listen for a signature sound that is easily recognized as that specific artist. Take the speedy tongue twisting flow of Eclipse for example. While I know that he is not the first or the only artist rapping at warp speed, he is the best – especially in the current pool of artists. Most of them are swimming in the shallow end of the pool and Eclipse is simply rapping circles around them. Listen to Future as he takes his flow up and down like a lyrical yo-yo. His name fits his flow and the way he constantly flips from one cadence to another and slides his pitch from screwed to normal to robotic. Yes, I vouch for both Eclipse and Future.

The second thing I listen for is overall flavor. Is their overall swag something that I believe is on some next level shit? This is something I pay attention to when listening to the artist’s entire music catalog. Do they have a unique style overall with not only their flow, but their subject matter? Most rappers fall into lyrics built around lies about 3 things: money, women/sex, and/or street shit. I’m not mad at songs with that content, just bring it with some kind of unique style and keep it real. Eclipse and Future both have not just unique styles, but the way they deliver their subject matter is refreshingly honest and something that I can endorse with a straight face to any age group, any crowd, and form of media.

The third thing I look for is marketability. Is the artist marketable, meaning – would they be successful endorsements for products & services? Do they have the looks and demeanor to reach across other media forms like video or print? I’m not going to endorse an artist that just looks out of touch with the target audience. Future and Eclipse are both extremely marketable artists from their looks to their clothes to their overall style. Both of them could easily represent a clothing company/store for example. Neither will embarrass a potential sponsor with the things they say or do or deliver in their music.

Once I have found an artist with all of the above, then I check their work ethic. This is the number one thing that separates the artists I honestly support and those that I actually endorse and cosign across the board. Real life can get in the way for an artist so it’s important for an artist to set priorities and handle the top priorities quickly, but with their very best. It may be something as simple as drops for DJs, or a verse or hosting for a mixtape, or a collaboration, etc. For me as a DJ, if I bring a project to an artist requesting a verse or collaboration - that artist can be sure that I only brought it to them because I saw it as an opportunity I didn’t want the artist to miss. It may be working with an established artist like platinum-selling Donell Jones or a verse for a mixtape that is being sponsored by a potential endorsement for the artist, or simply something that is a top priority of mine and I reach out asking for help. I have to move fast often so I need to know the artists I cosign can keep up. I bring things to an artist, but I also watch to see what the artist does on their own. Are they booking shows? Are they promoting live gigs, radio shows, mixtapes, etc that they are a part of? I see a huge number of artists that don’t promote things that include them and I can’t wrap my head around that laziness. If your name is on the track listing or on the bill for a gig or your music is in the mix on radio stations it is in your best interest to promote heavy. Build your resume with mixtapes, live gigs, magazines/website features, radio spins and prove that you are good for business to those that are trying to represent for you. I will never endorse a lazy artist or one that can’t see priorities when they are juggling their daily life schedules. I see the grind from both Future and Eclipse and appreciate the work they put in and THAT is what separates them from so many other artists that I really do support, but just can’t endorse and cosign. I have to protect my brand so I won’t vouch for anyone that might flake on something that will eventually come back to reflect poorly on me because of my endorsement.

Be careful who you endorse because those you cosign reflect directly on you and your brand. I say this all the time, but I have watched so many DJs jump too fast to throw their names behind an artist that later comes back to make them look like straight ass. If the artist does or says something stupid then you better believe the second person I will distance myself from after the artist is the person that endorsed that artist. Now I question the DJ’s judgment and will always keep my guard up when that DJ comes back with the ‘next big thing’. I will also hesitate to attach my name to anything that DJ does because I don’t want to look like I’m on the team with some bullshit. This is why my list is a short and selective list. I am extremely protective of my brand and won’t vouch for anyone unless I am confident they are bringing unique styles and a work ethic that matches mine. With that said, I fully cosign Eclipse and Future.

For the Love of Hip-Hop

Wack has reached epidemic proportions and has seemingly seeped into the very fabric of my greatest love; Hip-Hop. Oh, this pestilence is widespread and is slowly wiping out the talents that built Hip-Hop. Once upon a time not long ago…Slick Rick may have unknowingly coined the perfect phrase for Hip-Hop. Maybe I should pour a little out on my turntables and play Pete Rock and CL Smooth’s “T.R.O.Y.” or Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.”. I wonder if Jam Master Jay and Scott La Rock look down upon us with tears streaming down their cheeks at what has been done to our craft as DJs?

There have been huge advancements in technology that make it so much easier for DJs today, but it might have backfired and allowed the wackness to invade our craft. For those of us who have bounced the suspension out of our cars thanks to all the crates of wax in the back, thankfully that is no longer necessary. Serato has been by far the greatest advancement for DJs; eliminating the days of powerlifting 6 crates around to gigs. Here’s what is ironic about Serato; it maps out BPMs for the DJ, but apparently DJs are no longer held to a minimum standard of at least – wait – AT LEAST mixing and blending from one song to the next. Turntablism has never been a ‘requirement’ for our craft, although I respect a DJ that can actually lay his hands on wax and play any record like a true musical instrument (see DJ Ykcor). Once upon a time not long ago…

I would bet most DJ’s don’t know how to calculate BPMs with their ears and a stopwatch, but I’m not mad at that. Serato maps BPMs out for the DJ. Even the DJs who are not using Serato can download a free BPM Analyzer. Technology has made the art of mixing so simple, but unfortunately even a simple on-beat mix from one song to the next is no longer standard. Now “DJs” use sound effects, drops, or simply scream over transitions to mask the fact that they are either incapable or simply too damn lazy to master the most basic of all DJ skills, mixing. For DJs on radio, I’m not especially mad at the lack of mixing, or at least I don’t expect it (unless your show is supposed to be a mixshow). For Club DJs I still hold the faith that mixing is a requirement for the simple fact that you have to keep the music rolling to keep the crowd on the floor. But the ultimate slap in the face to our craft is the oxymoron that mixtapes have become.

I love that technology has allowed the conversion of ‘tapes’ into CDs and numerous sites provide online widgets and a platform for mixtapes. This is not just acceptable to me, I embrace it 100%. What I cannot accept is the lack of an actual MIX in so many MIXtapes. Who is to blame though? I think there is a lot of blame to spread around, but obviously the blame has to start with the wack “DJs”. Some of you know who you are and are and hide with shame accordingly. I know of one “DJ” who acknowledged the fact that he did not mix and under the boot of several real DJs he made changes to his title and the title of his compilations. Him doing that gained my respect although I still hate to see his compilations pop up on the same sites my mixtapes can be found. That brings us to the next perpetrators of Hip-Hop and our craft, the sites that endorse these so called ‘mixtapes’.

I understand the need for web traffic and hits so from a business standpoint I can acknowledge the value of the wackness from that standpoint. What I cannot accept is that wackness somehow gaining the site’s endorsement as a featured mixtape. Continue to allow the wackness to run traffic to your site by all means, but hold featured placement to only those MIXtapes that are actually mixed. You have the power to credit our craft and acknowledge and more importantly, endorse the talents of the REAL DJs who drop REAL MIXtapes. You can set a standard and force the wack “DJs” to step it up if they want featured placement and promotion. You can add value to your featured placement with a standard you uphold on behalf of REAL DJs and REAL MIXtapes. For the millions of blogs and e-zines and other Hip-Hop sites, I would challenge you to have the courage to divide the wackness from the REAL. Establish categories or even more impressive, have the courage to add one line to the beginning of the post: This is an actual mixtape with an actual mix -or- This is a compilation. Mixtape or compilation – it’s that simple to divide the wackness from the craft of real DJs.

As much as I complain about the wack “DJs” and the sites that endorse them, I hold an equal amount of disdain for the artists that cosign the wackness and the listeners that accept it without even a word of chagrin*. Chagrin is the perfect word to describe my feelings in reference to the wackness that has crept in to disease the craft of being a DJ.

*cha•grin (sha-grin’)
n. A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event

In the words of Rakim…I can go on for days and days….