Wednesday, February 17, 2010

DJS & PARTY PEOPLE.. LEND ME YOUR EARS!!!



DJs and Party People lend me your ears!

(I know that everything that I’m about to say has been said many times over)

The term DJ has become very popular in recent years & everyone seems to be one now a days. Or at lease think they are. There was a time not too long ago when it seemed that if you were a DJ, you were amongst a selective group of people that had their ear to the street & the club, someone who took this music thing very serious.

You were the one with the most important job at the party. In charge of the music!!! Keeping everyone’s good time going thru your selections, skills, technique & knowledge of music. (Long before the crowds were annoying sheep, requesting every terrible ass top 40 song or asking you to play some Old School every 5 seconds) But I’m leaving in 10 minutes! Can’t you play it next?

The game is ever changing & evolving. From the tools we use, music, format, marketing, etc. I always say the DJ Game is kind of like the sports game. You have your superstars & legends and then you have your rookies & everyone in between. The funny thing is how the money still never seems to progress for the guys who are not jet setting. This is mainly due to the abundance of people willing to spin for free & undercut someone that relies on the spinning as their livelihood. (Imagine if you had people like that in your profession) People who dressed like doctors & nurses that talked their way in to hospitals dressed like the real deal. Pretty scary huh? Not to say these guys and gals couldn’t be good with some time devoted to the craft, the problem is we live in a time where no one wants to wait for anything. They want to skip over all that. Based on all the reality shows, this is also the mentality in the new DJ world. Show some skin, date the manager, take some kool DJ promo shots, etc & you’re the new resident
at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (insert name of the new hot club here).

Ohh.. We forgot to tell you that DJ Shanna or DJ KOOL GUY is spinning on Thursday night now. Sorry I thought ___________ (insert manager or owner’s name here) talked to you. You’re welcome to stay & hang out. This new DJ is really good! Sound familiar?
: D

As we all strive to move forward, we see some take the long road & others take the short. Some DJs have been at it since nearly the very start of things & still do not get the praise or recognition they truly deserve. Others have found their way to the front of the line in record time. Funny thing is a lot of them were never DJs to begin with.. but they all want to tell you they were spinning years ago.. back with ____________ (Insert legendary DJ’s name here).

Spinning to me is a very personal thing. I enjoy sharing my music with people & turning them on to new & older stuff. Over the years I have played a lot of different sounds & have met a lot of great people. This all has shaped the way I spin & the things I like to play now.

Some people get in to it for many different reasons: the popularity, to get laid, a hobby, passed down from other family members, some from just going to parties, you name it.

If you decide this is what you want to do.
KNOW YOUR HISTORY! (Locally & internationally)


In recent years I have traded spinning in the big nightclubs for smaller intimate settings & more private events. This allows me to spin what I feel vs. what the kiddies want to hear. I can be a bit more creative and do different themes & parties that my friends & I would like to go to.


To be continued… JDLP 2.16.10 4:30am

3 comments:

JDLP said...

Hey guys. Thanks for all the positive feedback of the FB page.

Vince Brown said...

Jesse, you couldn't have said it any better.

I get very annoyed when I keep seeing folk who want the same ol' tired BET 106 and Park stuff over and over... as if that show is Bible.

No one trusts the DJ anymore to break a record because they SWEAR they've got the latest stuff on a CD.... FROM ANOTHER CITY. You know, no disrespect to that city, but F'em. We ain't there, we're here. And if you can't learn to respect what the DJ is doing here, in trying to get you newer music that everyone else isn't playing, maybe you need to be at another club.

Groove-Bunny said...

I'm hoping positive,real action will come of this....if not, at least open up some ears and minds and people cant get back on track with quality music...producing...promoting and a better exposure of this, for the new generations...