Hip Hop's Coming of Age

With it's huge popularity spike in the late 1990's and early 2000's Hip Hop now is the predominant sound heard coming out of almost every major nightclub in America. Unlike many past generations where there has been a huge jump musically, Hip Hop has spanned several generations of fans. For many new fans it may be hard to believe that Hip Hop is as old as their parents that it actually started over 30 years ago in the urban ghettos of The Bronx and Queens New York. Given that the MC appears to be at the core of Hip Hop as we now know it, it may be hard for this generation to understand that it was always the DJ that ultimately was the heart and soul of Hip Hop music and its resulting culture. But as Hip Hop continued to evolve over the past three decades it commercialized and greedy profiteers tried to seperate the elements of Hip Hop (Deejaying, Emceeing, Breaking & Art/Graphiti) deeming the MC as more important than the DJ when it came to selling "the product" and would seperate the two. But in the end it would be inevitable that Hip Hop would One day mature and want to be reunited with the creators it ran away from. Today we are witnessing Hip Hop's new coming of age.

While in many ways it may seem that the DJ has practically been removed from the equation, there is a huge movement taking Hip Hop back to it's roots. DJs are now remixing many classics and adding more classic Hip Hop and disco era tracks back into rotation. They are breathing new life back into the staggnating beats and limiting views that "Rap Music" was starting to create.

While Hip Hop once was centered around loops created from pre-existing Funk, Rock, Soul & Disco records it moved away from this practice and as a result partially lost it's soul. Beats became stagnant, and lyrics also took a dive for commercial gains. Newer generations lost touch with the music of the previous generations and many of the old fans were left to wonder what happened to their favorite artists leading to NAS' question "where are they now?"

There are a select few from these eras that still put out albums and singles that have the strength to go the distance. Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, KRS One, Guru, Too Short, E-40 and a few others along with later generations like Nas, Jay-Z, and a handful of others. All others from those eras now exist only through their fans, their legacies and the Deejays that still have their records and still play them to thousands of new fans.

Hip Hop is still evolving, it once was all about the perfect party vibe or getting out an important message then branched out to its darker side with Gangster Rap, Hardcore and more violent lyrics. It now is again evolving, taking Techno and Electro head on by actually using and modifying Electro beats and sounds and incorporating it into the Hip Hop genre. The playing speed of hip hop has widened in range to now also include Electronic nightclub music speeds making it even more accesible and energetic for todays nightclub crowds.

So now we ask once again, "what of the original Hip Hop gurus, where are they now?" They're making a comeback from the unsung heroes that have been there for Hip Hop (and music in general) the whole time, the Deejays. Deejays are digging in their crates blending and mashing up the old with the new and the new with the newer, the Rock with Hip Hop and Techno. It is Hip Hop's coming of age, it has come full circle and now Hip Hop is being created again the way it was always intended, without the boundries we later labeled it with. Boundries like "Rap Music vs Techno vs Country vs Rock" the boundries have been erased and the music that is being re-created is purely amazing. Public Enemy gets remixed over a DJ Khaled beat, Eric B and Rakim classics remixed over newer Timbaland beats, LL Cool J over DJ Feli Fel Beats, Jay-Z over Hard Rock Hits you name it and someone has masterfully re-created it. DJ's like The Rockit-Scientists, DJ Sizzahandz, John Farrugio, DJ Emir, Victor Menegaux, DJ Z-Trip, DJ AM, The Klutch Beat Boutique and countless others.



While we as huge fans of Das EFX would personally love to see the boys back in the game, we will gladly listen to their classics and remixes of their classics again and again in the clubs, on the mixtapes and in mixshow sets across the globe, from the new breed of Deejays that are breathing new life back into the nightclub scenes and Hip Hop scenes of the world.

If you want to hear some hot classic cuts revisited there are several hot Deejays that we recommend you see live. DJ Z-Trip, DJ AM, DJ Emir, DJ Craze, DJ Riz and DJ A-Trak

Amongst those Deejays that create remix blends, mashups and mixtapes there are a few choice Deejay websites of note:

www.djztrip.com Z-Trip is one of the original mashup kings, and some consider him as one of the fathers of mashup mixes. He is an amazing DJ when seen live at the nightclubs.

www.djemir.com Home of one of the livest overall nightclub Deejays in the world. The site also features several hot mixtapes including personal favorites the Transformers mixtape , the Iron Man Mixtape and the Star Wars Mixtape

www.DJCraze.com home of the multi DMC world Championship title winning DJ. If you get a chance see him Live at the clubs, the boy is insane. Open your minds and listen, watch and observe a true DJ as he shows everyone the meaning of true skill and mastery of the turntables.

www.DJAM.com One of the worlds most sought after Deejays, AM is a Friday resident at Pure nightclub Las Vegas and also resident at LAX Sunday Nights. He travels the globe Deejaying the worlds top nightclubs and parties and really knows how to put down exciting DJ sets and performances.

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Lil Wayne Disses the Mixtape DJ's

Lil' Wayne: "F*ck All Mixtape DJs...
I'm not into all that sh*t. I don't know no mixtape DJ"

In this week's Pulse Report the streets are buzzing about Lil' Wanye disrespecting all mixtape DJs.

More DJ Drama:

Lil' Wanye is at it again. The self-professed "best rapper alive" is once again pushing the envelope on the outrageous things rappers say, by insulting hip-hop's scared DJ fraternity.

During an interview with Foundation magazine (a mixtape publication) Weezy F. Baby, who is no stranger to outlandish interview quotables, went nuts and cursed out the entire mixtape DJ fraternity. He even went as far as to compare himself to the founder of the Nobel Peace prize, while claiming to have created the "mixtape game".

When asked who were some of the first mixtape DJs he remembers, Mr. Carter had this to say:
"I ain't into all that," said Wayne. I don't remember no mixtape DJs. Tell this dude who he talking to right now. I'm not into all that sh*t. I don't know no mixtape DJ. I'm the orignator of something. I'ma give him some history. I'm like Authur Nobel. Or whatever his name is. You know the Nobel prize peace (sic) person. You know him? He created gunpowder and all them mass destruction things that killed millions of people. But before he died to clear up his name he, to make his name better, instead of people knowing him for that sh*t he began giving out peace prizes to people that do humanitary good. So now when you hear the Nobel Peace Prize; what you think that is.? That's all good, great. But that n*gga was a mass...that's who I am. I'm him. I created the mixtape game, but I'm not into that no more. I'm doing Dwayne. I'm against it. I'm anti-mixtape dude. I don't know no mixtape DJs. f*ck ya if you a mixtape DJ. I'm not ino ya'll selling me out. I ain't with that. I'm on 25 Top 25 and I ain't even put out 25 mixtapes. f*ck ya'll! f*ck that piff! f*ck mixtape DJs! f*ck all that!"

Weezy, Wezzy Weezy. I'm at a loss here. First let me commend on your valiant effort to school the interviewer with your wealth of world history knowledge. If I may, allow me to get some of your facts straight. Just so the readers are clear. Dude's name is Alfred Nobel not Authur. And those mass destruction things...well they're called dynamite. Don't worry, George W. Bush once mistook a few muskets and bee-bee guns in Saddam Hussein's backyard as WMDs and bombed an entire country.

Ultimately, I've always taken your outlandish talk as nothing more than a drunken stupor. I know you've probably already forgotten you've said this, and I strongly doubt there will be any unified DJ backlash for it. The game is oversaturated with too many self-serving DJs to even think there will be a mass Lil' Wayne blackout.

T.I. Takes The High Road, Shakes Off 50 Cent Jab

written by Brandi Hopper for SOHH
The rumor mill has been buzzing about a possible new rap beef since 50 Cent's song "You So Tough" hit the net.
As SOHH previously reported, Fif seemingly took aim at T.I. on the track, accusing him of getting a sweetheart deal in his federal gun case because he's a snitch.
On the track off the upcoming G-Unit album Terminate On Sight, 50 raps:
"Nowaways this rap sh*t ain't adding up / How n*ggas get caught with 10 machine guns, only get 12 months? / Oo-weee, don't talk to me / If you talking to him, you talking to them.../ I got the best lawyers that money can buy / they say at best they woulda got me 10 or maybe 9 / I said, how do you explain how the homie breezed? / They said, you keep your mouth shut or you eat the cheese."
T.I. responded, without really responding at all when SOHH's Atlanta blogger Gyant caught up with him in the A recently.
"He politely told me that it's unlike Fiddy to say stuff in songs and not just say it directly, and that he really doesn't want to perpetuate any negativity, so he wasn't going to respond to it," Gyant said.
As previously reported by SOHH, The self proclaimed King of the South is currently serving a year on house arrest and putting in at least 1,000 hours of community service. He'll also serve a year in jail and pay a $100,000 fine behind his guilty plea in the federal gun case.
[For more on your favorite ATL artists peep SOHH Atlanta]

Beta Nightclub Denver Colorado

Beta
Beatport gives birth to a new club.
By Jon Solomon
Published on March 13, 2008
Westword Magazine

Denver-based Beatport.com pretty much dominates the world of electronic and dance-music downloads through its online store. The guys behind Beatport know the music inside out and have been booking some of the world's best DJs for the past decade — so it seems only fitting that they've finally opened their own club. They bought the 16,000-square-foot building at 1909 Blake Street that had held Rise, overhauled it and this past weekend showed off their new spot, Beta Nightclub.

Since Beta will showcase heavy-hitters in the DJ world, it has a hell of a sound system: Beta is the first club in North America with the new Dance Array 4 Speaker Stack System by Funktion-One, the award-winning English company. Taking advantage of this killer system will be New York's DVDJ Unique, who'll bring his audio-visual mash-ups on Fridays, and the Triad Dragons crew (residents Dragon, Trajikk and Kostas), with top-notch acts like Paul van Dyk and Armin van Buuren on Global Thursdays. On Saturday nights, the club will feature such internationally celebrated DJs as Jesse Rose (March 29) and Dimitri From Paris (April 26), as well as Beatport.com's resident DJ, Jonas Tempel. Also on Saturdays, the Beatport Lounge will host DJs Clark Warner and Wyatt Earp. Essentially a club within the club, the lounge has its own Funktion-One sound system and is 100 percent green. For that matter, all of Beta is designed to be environmentally friendly, and recycling centers will be installed at major traffic points.
Watch for Beta's VIP grand-opening party on Wednesday, March 19, with Z-Trip. And over Memorial Day weekend, the club will dedicate its 5,000-square-foot patio with some help from Bad Boy Bill, DJ Vice and James Zabiela.

Gemini Birthday Blast at Theorie Nightclub:
DJ Emir & Kevin Kains Birthday Party at Theorie Thursday June 19th



Free Mixtapes for the sexy dressed
Ladies Free til 11pm
Hip Hop, Reggae and Remixes by Denver's Hottest Deejays.
Jam to the sounds of DJ Emir, DJ Big Spade, DJ Sabotage & DJ Fatal

YellowPages.com Bad Business Practices

So we come across an unscrupulous company that has taken advantage of several of our associates. It begins with a simple listing and escalates to a full blown contract which according to them is impossible to get out of. The real question is, If their service is good why do they need to resort to full year contracts? Second question: If someone decides they need more coverage why is it necessary to also extend the contract when they upgrade the account?

Our associates basically got caught up by the second problem. They weren't getting enough coverage in their city and wanted to upgrade the account to include the entire city and not just the small rural area they lived in. Otherwise the advertisement would not be able to pay for itself. Unfortunately yellowpages.com was not very clear that they were going to have to extend the contract another full to re-start at the date of the upgrade. So rather than just add a few features and more money to the account they also extended the amount of time on the contract by a whole year.

Trying to resolve the situation our associate only wanted to be able to cancel the contract after the original contract date of completion which would have been back in march completing a full year of payments from March 2007 to March of 2008 but Yellowpages.com refuses to honor that original contract date stating that the n"new contract cancels out the old one and that essentially now the contract runs all the way into September of 2008.

After explaining that the client was not happy with the Yellowpages.com performance and that he would like to make sure the ads were cancelled as soon as possible, the sales associate assured him that the ads would be cancelled and no more bills would come in after the end of the contract which was set to expire in March 2008. He had specified that the ads would stop in March of 2008, but then the bill for March came so another phone call was made to the sales rep. and the sales rep explained that it runs til the end of the month so there would still be a bill for March but that should be the last one.

Fast forward one month later same situation, The April bill arrives for another $200, At this point our associate has had enough and refuses to pay until the situation is resolved. The sales rep promises to look into it and take care of the problem. No return phone call is made however and one month later phone calls from the collections department verify that the problem still exists. More Bills come in the mail for May, and every time our associate explains the situation to their collections department they all say the same thing, your contract was renewed and extended to September. Trying to resolve the issue our associate made more phone calls to his sales rep and to his sales reps manager. Phone calls were not returned so he filed a grievance with the BBB (Better Business Bureu) Stating that all he wanted was for the Yellowpages.com people to simply honor the original contract dates and cancell the Ad contract in March of 2008 rather than September.