Kingdom Knock

yo JJ as a dj I have a question ….what do u think matters quantity or quality ..from a mixtape perspective …or do u see a difference? My reason for asking is that ive listened to a lot of mixtapes on datpiff and one thing ive noticed a lot of these dudes have mixtapes with like 40 joints and u read the list of joints like ooooh snap this should be dope but then its like 59 seconds or a bar and a hook of a joint and soon as u get into the joint its over and their getting their wiggy wiggy on to the next joint, maybe im missing something but why is this formula considered hot?

Great question and this may have to be transitioned to the blog!...lol…I believe quality matters. DJ Kev and I were talking about this quantity factor that has come in as of late. From listening it seems as though it came from NY radio dj’s…You can accredit some of this to DJ’s wanting to get right to the hot verse of a song that may be dope, but has so many features and only one person really stands out…This spilled over even in dope old school songs when you may have heard every verse be tight, now you’re at the mercy of the dj and their opinion of the hottest verse…This has really put pressure on the DJ because now the majority of the young crowd has become accustomed to this style and cannot even listen to a song all the way through and the grow impatient…So you have to get in it and out of it really quick and hit them in the head with several joints that bang to them to keep them going…We are dj’ing to ADHD crowds basically. So now, you dj can go through darn near 100 songs in one night at the club b/c they only played a verse and maybe 2 hooks of the song or more than likely a verse and a hook. Personally I know this…When you as a listener want to listen to some dope hip hop, you want to hear the jam’s you love or loved and have them blended tight (quality) with little to know wiggie wiggie…I want to get there…Jazzy Jeff does that but he’s Jazzy Jeff meaning he gets away with more wiggie wiggie than J. Lone. A DJ like myself would love to get my wiggie wiggie on, but I have to dumb it down for lack of better words to please my crowd. I have no problem with that b/c once you rockin’, I’m rocking with you! Then the occasional wiggie can accentuate the mood keeping it hip hop without ruining the song…That’s the perfect blend to me :)

This is some great insight right here --> “This has really put pressure on the DJ because now the majority of the young crowd has become accustomed to this style and cannot even listen to a song all the way through and the grow impatient”
Great perspective that is rarely ever discussed in detail as some of the other points to why mixtapes are done in that format.

Ok I have a follow up question too for the both of you on this perspective in which I agree with completely. Would you say that the perspective that is on the table right now is a bi product of the true intentions of the mixtape game. Sort of like Mixtape=Crack; You get to hear all that is hot “now”= The High; Listening only for what hot=Addiction. When all the DJ was trying to do is Make Money doing what they are good at.

It’s possible…I believe the mixtape game still has the elements of truly trying to give people what’s not in the mainstream, but b/c people like Lil’ Wayne, Drake and Nikki Minaj have changed the mixtape game b/c they took it away from a DJ bringing you that new new to, I’m bringing you my new new to hype who I’d like to be but you won’t get this when you by my album b/c it’s not the “industry standard”…DJ’s like Drama continued what clue was doing and commercialized it to an extent. Basically, the mixtape was supposed be the best of who’s up next or what someone who’s already on has on deck next, hyped by the dj. Nice blend tapes, and dope remixes. DJ’s get your shine on then b/c it’s fresh, it’s not everywhere…I’m not mad at the brothers making their money…I just want the artistry back. Not some kid sitting behind a laptop beat matching and blending with the point and click of a mouse…I’ll take cdj’s and mp3 controllers…At least you have to do some work to show your skill…