My first entry on these pages was regarding the appalling DJ my brother had at his wedding. This time, I am revisiting the premise again, but diving into it on a completely different spin. And I truly might get into a heap of trouble from some of you, nonetheless, I feel I need to be the trouble maker in the peanut gallery.
Since I’ve been here in NYC, I’ve been exposed to some of the best and worst DJs in the city. And it is unfortunate for me to say, especially being in one of the greatest cities for nightlife culture, the art of DJing has become a farce of sorts. I can count on my hand how many DJs really bent my ear and had me applauding at the end of a night of intense, sweaty, no holds barred dance floor musings. I'm not talking about those who are learning the craft as they go along, I am talking about those who swear blind they are a factual DJ and have the nerve to play in public, when they should still be practicing in their basement. Lately, the term DJ is used so loosely, it can be used as a pun on words once you hear a ‘self-proclaimed’ DJ's work. I am a huge fan of DJ Scratch, Questlove, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Red Alert and The X-Ecutioners to name a few. Their music knowledge cannot be surpassed, their techniques on turntables are simply phenomenal and their craft is unmistakable. In reading Thembisa Mshaka's Put Your Dreams First, she stated, "Being an extraordinary DJ requires a vast knowledge of and openness to music, but it also requires a level of technical expertise." With that said, the insurgence of new technology i.e. Scratch Live (Serato), has made everyone's lives a tad easier and some, perhaps a bit lazy. And yes, with the movement in music from vinyl to mp3's, we do have to evolve. I understand that. Even some of my favorite DJ's use a Serato, however the difference is, if they are placed in front of two turntables, they will be just as fierce with vinyl. I believe it to be important and essential that a DJ be versatile and know how to rock all mediums - vinyl, CD and Serato and obviously know how to mix. My pet peeve is: the art of actually mixing a set has been replaced with messy chopping, sound effects and a blatant disregard for what was once seen as an art form. A lot of us are okay with that...I am not.
I have a few questions I ask myself everyday: "In this day and age, what do we expect from a DJ?" Now, I ask that frequently because the way I have seen people go insane and giddy while a Club DJ is slaughtering a mix truly baffles me. It is one of the many reasons why I don't go out anymore. "Do we care how mixes sound and are presented?" Personally, I am very picky about mixes. To me, there are podcasters and then there are DJ's. "What can we do about it?" I remember a DJ whom I admire told me just voicing my disdain of a wack DJ is not enough, but to speak up to the venue and let them know how we feel. That could be the only way a change could be made. I know some of you might think I'm a bit left field, but this is how I feel. And you have no idea how light my chest feels right now. I think DJ Kuttin Kandi said it best in Thembisa's book, "If you don't know the foundation [of turntablism], it will kick you in the ass in the long term..." I am not a DJ, but I am a lover of all things music. And like anything else you are passionate about, you research and learn about the intricacies involved. Therefore, I wholeheartedly agree with Kandi’s statement.
Let me know what you feel in the comments!
