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Z-Trip commenting on DJs playing it too safe

dj_soo 8:47 PM - 19 June, 2009
Anyone check his twitter? Guess he hit up a bar the other night and was complaining about the DJ playing it way too safe with the tried and true.

twitter.com

Now granted, Z-Trip is in the kind of position where he can pretty much drop anything he wants and people will dig it on the strength of him being Z-Trip, but he raises some good points.

DJing has gone way too far in the direction of catering almost 100% to the crowd that it's prime for DJs to start breaking new tunes, educating, and taking chances again. At least that's my 2 cents...
dj_soo 8:54 PM - 19 June, 2009
some excerpts:

Quote:
Seriuosly what the hell happened out there people? Weren't DJ's supposed 2 take chances? We have the power! SO MANY SHEEP, so few superheros


Quote:
And enter Rob Base, It Takes 2.End scene! Fail!You get an F sir! Go back home N start over, U will never get ahead like this. STAND OUT!


Quote:
Last nite wasn't tryin 2 shit on the SONGS, just his arrangement of em. I hear the same sets from completely dif DJ's all the time now. WHY?


Quote:
Adapt AND stick 2 yur guns, just change yur bullets up. U have to learn how 2 give em what they need while givin em what they want


Quote:
Just sucks 2 hear so many DJ's sounding the same out there. I encourage all of 'em 2 find their own style & sound & push that to the top.
djbigboy 8:57 PM - 19 June, 2009
Hahah - i was reading it and i was thinking "was he listening to me". I had just gotten the SkeeLo video and hadn't played it in hella long. But i def didn't play motownphilly or humpty dance. its hard to take chances with OFFICIAL videos. But you can ghetto rig any song that has some flavor.

He does raise good points but also, he can't have that HiGH of expectations going into a local bar.
Dj-M.Bezzle 8:58 PM - 19 June, 2009
i guess you gotta listen to advise like this froma guy who has a track about eating cereal in the morning on his album LOL
dj poisonous handz 9:13 PM - 19 June, 2009
LOL steve dub
DJ CISC0 9:13 PM - 19 June, 2009
I think it's a little unfair to put another DJ on public blast like that without knowing the conditions.
dj_soo 9:15 PM - 19 June, 2009
well he didn't name names or places - and yea, i do think it's unfair to single out one guy when it's pretty much the entire industry that needs work right now from top to bottom.

That being said tho, shit like this needs to be heard and people are going to listen a lot more to someone like z-trip...
djbigboy 9:17 PM - 19 June, 2009
I think I would want to know conditions. Local bar. yeah, maybe the dj has to play it safe. To me, I didn't know I wish was a power recurrent, it doesn't seem over played to me. I suspect had he had to pay big bucks like people pay when they see him, he'd be right to have higher expectations...around here, if you walk into a local bar, you'd be surprised if you could hear half way decent mixing...most djs in these bars are treated no better then a jukebox and usually paid the same
djbigboy 9:20 PM - 19 June, 2009
btw- i am more critical of bigger name djs then someone just trying to learn. I hear people do the opposite. Bash the local club or bar dj just trying to get it all straight. Oh that wedding dj sucked, etc, he couldn't mix. You get what you pay for.
dj_soo 9:22 PM - 19 June, 2009
i think in a round-about way that's partially why he's so pissed. The current dumbing down of the scene in general. Likely it was a bunch of pent-up frustration about the scene being focused on this poor dude behind the decks.
DJ CISC0 9:24 PM - 19 June, 2009
Quote:
well he didn't name names or places


Wasn't he talking about Skeelo's set?
dj_soo 9:25 PM - 19 June, 2009
no, he was talking about the dj dropping skeelo
DJ CISC0 9:25 PM - 19 June, 2009
Ahhh.LOL.
mastermind 9:34 PM - 19 June, 2009
im the guy in town that likes to play crazy shit that makes people go "shit... i had not heard that EVER at a club!". I'll give u a perfect example. I dropped a song witch the Price is right use for back ground. I'ts called "Cue 86". people thought that was the coolest thing ever. I have made a name for myself in my town by doing this!

I AGREE 1000% with z-trip
DVDjHardy 9:54 PM - 19 June, 2009
First off, Z-Trip is one of my fav DJs out there, and I consider him to be probably THE best skilled DJ out there due to his versatility. Having said that....

I was pretty disappointed in reading that. A few points that were already made here and on Twitter:

1. He's playing videos. Anyone who has done videos will tell you its not as easy as dropping some obscure song. Videos are hard to come by, and even harder to make on your own.

2. Not everyone is Z-Trip, and can't get away with having their set full of songs that have never been popular to an average crowd at a club (21-30 year olds). As much as I love DJing, this is a business for 99.9% of working club DJs and some of them rely on this income to feed their families.

3. I'd rather hear all the songs he bitched about over anything being played on the radio. Any day. Any place. Any time.

4. I wish he would've gone up and introduced himself to the DJ. Not to brag about himself or anything, but to find out more about the guy and may be giving him a few pointers instead of putting him on blast.

5. I'm gonna play all 3 of those songs tonight at my gig where I normally play at least an hour worth of songs nobody besides me has every heard of...LOL.
Dj-M.Bezzle 9:55 PM - 19 June, 2009
lol...i played a ragein commercialremix into the sesame street theme, then beat juggled the counts countdown, all video mixed.....crowd didnt appreciate it


Von, Von Fired DJ
Dj-M.Bezzle 9:57 PM - 19 June, 2009
he said he wasnt complaining about the songs but the order in which they were played, well some soungs sound good in order and your average crowd isnt traveling the country listening to every dj there is to hear, i know hes got a point but him sayin it in that situatiion is like micheal jordan going to a 4-10 rec league game and twittering how he wants his 2 dollar entrance fee back becaust eh little fuckers cant dunk and miss layups
dj_soo 10:00 PM - 19 June, 2009
I don't think you guys are actually reading the statements. Of course he's not saying play a full set of obscure songs and get yourself fired.

He's talking about not only sticking with only the tried and true.

And yes, as a touring, headlining DJ that regularly plays all over the world to anywhere from 200 - 50,000 people, he's going to have a bit of a skewed perspective of it but doesn't mean DJs could be a little more original or creative in their sets.

There was a time people looked to the DJ to introduce them to the tunes rather than only expecting the DJ to play what was on the radio only...
R-Tistic 10:09 PM - 19 June, 2009
I agree to an extent, but I donno why he even cares...leave the bitter soundin bickering to the DJ's who spend all day online complaining, or to the bedroom DJ's that swear they should be at the club and try to find ANYTHING they can to tear down other DJ's.

Some DJ's do play it too safe, and it can get hella boring and repetitive. Some DJ's are smart enough to know when to play it safe, and when they can take risks. When I am feelin myself and know that the crowd is with me, I might take hella risks that won't even be seen as "risks" at that point because I know what will work. But with those crowds where they ONLY wanna hear certain songs, or where the promoter/owner is almost forcing your playlist, it's like fuckit....I just can't do me tonight.
DVDjHardy 10:10 PM - 19 June, 2009
Quote:
i know hes got a point but him sayin it in that situatiion is like micheal jordan going to a 4-10 rec league game and twittering how he wants his 2 dollar entrance fee back becaust eh little fuckers cant dunk and miss layups


yep...

Soo, its just not the same with video. Artists and labels don't make videos for songs that had 25 downloads on itunes or beatports. And you can't find a video for that 1984 B-side gem that's in your huge vinyl library. It would take someone 3-4 hours minimum to make a video for a 2-minute song. How many average DJs (video or not) out there are going to be able to do it.

I'm not defending the guy for not being original, but I'm disappointed that Z-trip put someone on blast like that...with or without names.
Swizzle 10:21 PM - 19 June, 2009
Quote:

4. I wish he would've gone up and introduced himself to the DJ. Not to brag about himself or anything, but to find out more about the guy and may be giving him a few pointers instead of putting him on blast.



^^^^^ And the above point would have impressed me the most.

It's always easy to lie in the weeds and be a critic. Maybe it would have been humbling for both if Z-Trip would have dropped some knowledge and chatted with the young DJ.

That's like Bill Russell blogging after the Finals about "Centers" in the NBA and how they are all lacking fundamentals, leadership, & focus.
Swizzle 10:34 PM - 19 June, 2009
Quote:



Oh you mean Dwight Coward?? lol

GO LAKERS!! Back to back WITHOUT Shaq.


In my Bill Russell voice:

"I aint naming names Mr. Steven, but watching a certain Center play up close in the finals was very sad. He couldn't pass out of the Double Team, he couldn't read where the double team was coming from, he has no moves while facing the basket, he was limited to 3 dunks the entire series, he brings the ball down too low to gather himself...therefore getting stripped by Guards, he missed free throws in the clutch, and his self proclaimed dominance was non-existent against the Lakers"
phaeton 11:09 PM - 19 June, 2009
Quote:
Quote:

4. I wish he would've gone up and introduced himself to the DJ. Not to brag about himself or anything, but to find out more about the guy and may be giving him a few pointers instead of putting him on blast.


^^^^^ And the above point would have impressed me the most.

It's always easy to lie in the weeds and be a critic. Maybe it would have been humbling for both if Z-Trip would have dropped some knowledge and chatted with the young DJ.

That would of been great if he'd gone up and said hi, the Dj might of upped his game, I've been at clubs thinkin the Dj is terrible wishing i was behind the decks....but as Djs we have a higher standard (especially Z-Trip) and the people dancing are oblivious, they just dance........If i know there's a well know Dj in the house it makes me play better lol.
Rebelguy 11:44 PM - 19 June, 2009
Part of me agrees and part of me is like who cares. Some venues have set expectations or even rules as to what they want out of the DJ. Maybe this is one of them. Maybe the DJ was told to play familiar songs for the crowd, don't stray to the unknown, whatever. Maybe the DJ knows his crowd and what they will or will not tolerate. A lot of us can try to armchair quarterback all these scenarios but guess what, if you were in the same situation you could probably just as easily fail by "Keeping It Real" to the DJ Code and trying to break new music. Let's also factor in the variable that a lot of the music that DJs pick as probable hits never go anywhere. Just because we think it's off the hook everyone else has to love it? Lastly, it's only music at a bar. It's not dismantling a bomb where peoples live depend on it. If at the end of the night people left and had a good time then you did your job.
djchrischip 11:57 PM - 19 June, 2009
MY opinion on the subject. (please take with many many grains of salt.)

As a club/ bar/ lounge dj it is our job to
1. make people have a good time (by letting them hear what they want)
2. keep them there as long as possible
3. essentially play whats on the radio, classics that befit the situation in a bar classic rock like bon jovi or lik respect etc. <here is where original concept of mashups/ redrums came>

As a mixtape/ radio dj job is to
1. break new music
2. take the chances z trip is talking about.

U see the way i look at it it all falls back to radio and the djs station music directors need to correct the situation.

2.
djchrischip 11:58 PM - 19 June, 2009
where the f*ck did the extra 2 come from?
Swizzle 11:58 PM - 19 June, 2009
Quote:
If at the end of the night people left and had a good time then you did your job.
dirtbag filthy 12:20 AM - 20 June, 2009
it's always better looking down from the top
DJ Benny B 1:32 AM - 20 June, 2009
yeah hes right but maybe the guy played really interesting shit on the warm-up set - thats what i do. it also depends on the crowd. some places i dj at, if i played two or three songs in a row the people didnt immediately recognize it would clear the whole floor. everyone would walk off.

BUT if your crowd is cool you should play some interesting stuff. maybe the crowd was cooler than the DJ. in that case the dj is in the wrong.

also skeelo and rob base isnt the most obvious shit. no one plays skeelo in ny. hes playing old school. if it hadve been like britney, lady gaga, billie jean, journey, that wouldve been different.
DJ Sniffles 4:50 AM - 20 June, 2009
What's funny is all you guys screaming "but it's so hard to play it safe" "I need to know the conditions" "that's easy for him to say"

baaaahhh baaaahhh. Follow the herd
frost-9 7:10 PM - 20 June, 2009
I think he's just voicing frustration with the scene in general.. Spoon feeding sucks.. Some dj's thrive on catering to the crowd's every want and desire, and feel it is their duty to provide them with every last iTunes hit, regardless of how shitty, with the sense of duty not unlike that of an over-zealous mall cop. They really believe they are doing their job, and that's fine. It's not the least bit creative, but it's fine. People of the 'catering to the crowd' school of thought won't understand the dj's who consider what they do an "art" and vice versa. Different minded people. I completely understand Z-Trip's frustration, considering how long he's been at it.

I can only really speak for the scene in NY, but people here expect to hear crap they know all night. Just the way it is. Also, there are so many mixed clubs where every nationality wants to hear "their" music. You basically have to take your entire library and throw it in a blender to keep everyone happy. Doing that creatively is an art in itself.
DJ d.range 8:12 PM - 20 June, 2009
Quote:
Also, there are so many mixed clubs where every nationality wants to hear "their" music.


Is it just me, or are there not any genre-specific clubs anymore, it seems all all clubs have this same situation. If clubs were more genre-specific(and yes iknow there are exceptions) we'd be able to break more music, and drop those obscure tracks b/c the crowd would appreciate it
dj_soo 8:17 PM - 20 June, 2009
there are still genre-specific nights, but I doubt there are too many clubs left that will cater to a specific genre anymore - I just don't think there's a market for a lot of these clubs. The most you might see are clubs that cater specifically to electronic music (there's still a handful here in my city) but those are also few and far between. I do find that there are a couple of clubs in every city that steadfastly refuse to cater to the top40 mainstream scene and remain underground. Wish there were more tho...
frost-9 8:35 PM - 20 June, 2009
There are def. some genre specific clubs in NYC. Latin Quarter is one off the top of my head, where I personally wish I could refer all my reggaeton requests.. There are venues that just play house, though few and far between. The old schoolers will remember places like Filter 14 and it's many clones (basically dive bars with ridiculous sound systems).. Cielo is really the only one I hit with any frequency, and it's rare at that. As far as what would be deemed "urban" -- that's hard to say, one of my fondest memories of a real urban scene moment was stumbling into a little dive in SoHo in '99 or so and watching the crowd react to ODB's "Got Your Money.." -- I'd never heard the track before, and never seen a crowd react like that.. I just remember feeling the floor shake and hearing everyone sing along. Ah.. bottle service.. top 40.. The Hills... lil wayne... what else can we blame for everything sucking so hard?
DJ d.range 9:02 PM - 20 June, 2009
the goose^
frost-9 9:12 PM - 20 June, 2009
blame it on the au-au-au-au-au-auto-tune...
DJ d.range 9:38 PM - 20 June, 2009
I knew electronic/house clubs would be brought up....

but what about genre-specific nights?
frost-9 10:00 PM - 20 June, 2009
In NY? Sure.. With a promoter you can throw a freakin calypso night if you wanted to..
DJ d.range 10:05 PM - 20 June, 2009
i know that, but it seems to me that, in the past, there were more genre-specifc parties @ better venues for my liking, and it wasn't necessarily genre-specific, just better quality in the music and the crowd
frost-9 10:19 PM - 20 June, 2009
I know what you mean man, and I left the majority of that stuff in the past.. I just stopped looking. I think there's a definite correlation between the quality of music being released (the last 3 - 4 years have been insufferably sucky in my humble opinion) and the parties that are going on. NY has become Disneyland... as if Times Square just jizzed itself all over Manhattan.. dunno about the scene in the outer boroughs.
DJ CISC0 10:29 PM - 20 June, 2009
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Latin Quarter is one off the top of my head, where I personally wish I could refer all my reggaeton requests


I remember back in the days I would hear every type of genre in one night at LQ. Is it not like that anymore? I haven't been there in ages.
mastermind 11:20 PM - 20 June, 2009
I play nothing but tribal(after 2am) house(early) and top remixes(prime time) at my sat night gig. The thing is that the whole night is high tempo! nothing less than 123 bmp. No Hip Hop(just dance remixes)!. in this night i could play some new dance records that will only work on this night!! all out dance crowd that expects to dance till about 4am. I can brake records left and right given the type of the crowd. It also helps that its fucking slammed with people that go there because its one of the very few places in town that plays no Hip Hop! That crowd only comes out to this place and only on sat night!! by far, the most fun i have all week long is playing at this spot from 2am to 4pm. People are already open minded, they are drunk, and who knows what other shit they are on!! so with about 800 people all dancing to some dark tribal house, the place dark as fuck!!! it makes for a great experience for a dj to play whatever he/she wants and people are going to eat it up!!!!

The rest of my week i play top 40 and hip hop which is still cool and pays the bills but no comparison to my sat nights!!!
frost-9 11:38 PM - 20 June, 2009
Quote:
I remember back in the days I would hear every type of genre in one night at LQ. Is it not like that anymore? I haven't been there in ages.


My ex gf bartended there for years and said it was always salsa, meringue, etc etc etc (I don't personally have a problem with latin tunes btw, I just don't want to spin them, the same way I don't expect someone of latin descent to have an affinity for Billy Joel. I will however confess that I absolutely loathe reggaeton)
DjSugarDaddy 2:02 AM - 21 June, 2009
everytime you see ztrip
request rob base & skeelo
LOL
DJ Sainte 2:10 AM - 21 June, 2009
At his level, I'm guessing Z-trip doesn't take many requests...
DJ d.range 4:32 AM - 21 June, 2009
RT:
Quote:
DjCocoaChanelleThere was a time N hiphop when djs had 2 hav skills 2 b respected. times hav changed SMH. Do U care if a dj can scratch and/or mix? Lemme no
Proto J 7:06 PM - 21 June, 2009
tho i see where z-trip is coming from, he needs to realize not everyone is a famous dj like him and has creative freedom, in fact, people come to hear his creative freedom.

but back down on planet earf, most normal dj's are stuck playin' what they gotta play, which is mostly music everybody knows, to keep from clearing dancefloors, and losing your job.

i try to break new songs (i do it mostly earlier in the night), but it's tough to do it and not lose people. people only want to hear stuff they know (old and new). i typically have to wait until a song hits our local radio b4 i can really start playing it around here.

so the moral of my story is, i couldn't care less if z-trip, or any dj was up in the club, hating on me on his twitter... kinda lame to just be sitting there doing that really. if you don't like it, just leave. until i get on where everyone comes to a spot to hear me and what i like strictly, i gotta play whatever i gotta play to get my paper at the end of the night, period.
DPR250R 7:10 PM - 21 June, 2009
Ever notice how easy it is to tell someone what they should be doing?

My favorite is when people tell me what I should be doing with my money... invest it here... there... whatever...

If you want to start a musical revolution with your realness... do it on your own dime...

Do it in someone elses bar/club... clear the floor or get the patrons to start complaining and see what happens. I am assuming that the person PAYING your ass explained what music they expect and layed out your boundries.

Your gonna complain about a random DJ playing a random bar? What do you expect? Do you think a bar is place you go to seek new groundbreaking sounds? Get over yourself...

Now if I went to a bar/club/party where music is expected to be pushed to the limit... then maybe I could see where he is coming from.
Dj-M.Bezzle 3:14 PM - 22 June, 2009
As an experiment what I would have liked to see is Z-Trip go into the booth and unannounced play an hour set of his kind of music without the crowd knowing theres a world famous DJ in there spinning. If this is the average top 40 type local dive bar i can almost garentee the dancefloor would have been cleared a line formed at the door to reqest\bitch and several local sluts running to the owner bar manager to turn in petitions to have the DJ fired
DJ Benny B NYC 3:27 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
As an experiment what I would have liked to see is Z-Trip go into the booth and unannounced play an hour set of his kind of music without the crowd knowing theres a world famous DJ in there spinning. If this is the average top 40 type local dive bar i can almost garentee the dancefloor would have been cleared a line formed at the door to reqest\bitch and several local sluts running to the owner bar manager to turn in petitions to have the DJ fired

best post
Dj-M.Bezzle 3:31 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
As an experiment what I would have liked to see is Z-Trip go into the booth and unannounced play an hour set of his kind of music without the crowd knowing theres a world famous DJ in there spinning. If this is the average top 40 type local dive bar i can almost garentee the dancefloor would have been cleared a line formed at the door to reqest\bitch and several local sluts running to the owner bar manager to turn in petitions to have the DJ fired

best post

id like to thank the academey for this award, my mom, dad, and all the crowds of close minded musical sheep who dont hesitate to let me know how much they dont appreciate what im playing....THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!
AMF 3:57 PM - 22 June, 2009
DPR250R & Dj-M.Bezzle have the best posts countering Mr Trip.

BUT in all fairness.... I'm not so sure Z Trip got to where he's currently at by playing Rihanna, Britney and T.I. So he kinda has a little room to pop some bulls**t from time to time if he wants. I think he's a great tablist (never seen him at a club gig). =P

But I'm with you guys....
DPR250R 5:34 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
BUT in all fairness.... I'm not so sure Z Trip got to where he's currently at by playing Rihanna, Britney and T.I. ....


I bet your right...

Trying to build a name for yourself at someone elses place through pushing your music and style on random bar patrons is risky IMO. Risky if you depend on your DJ gig as steady income. If your are trying to piss off potential employers and patrons... go for it.. and make sure you send me a flyer!!!

If a manager gives you the freedom to develop your own night... you better at least try to start a new scene!!!

It's been my experience that they really only care about $ though and usually give you a short leash...
dj_soo 6:01 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
As an experiment what I would have liked to see is Z-Trip go into the booth and unannounced play an hour set of his kind of music without the crowd knowing theres a world famous DJ in there spinning. If this is the average top 40 type local dive bar i can almost garentee the dancefloor would have been cleared a line formed at the door to reqest\bitch and several local sluts running to the owner bar manager to turn in petitions to have the DJ fired


I would say he would rock the shit out the joint.

You people are idiots.

the man is like a 25-year veteran behind the decks. you think he got to where he was by not being able to read a crowd and adjusting?
dj_soo 6:01 PM - 22 June, 2009
it's not like playing top 40 to a bunch of sheep is difficult.
AMF 6:10 PM - 22 June, 2009
Calm down dj_soo.

People are just conversating.
Logisticalstyles 6:23 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
it's not like playing top 40 to a bunch of sheep is difficult.

You'd be suprised at how many 'DJs' can screw that up.
dj_soo 6:30 PM - 22 June, 2009
It's definitely harder keeping a fickle top40 crowd happy but i'd say it's more challenging playing to that kind of crowd and actually breaking some new music than it is strictly playing what the crowd wants. The hard part is in the balancing act between playing the tried and true and the new shit.
DPR250R 6:43 PM - 22 June, 2009
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I would say he would rock the shit out the joint.

You people are idiots.

the man is like a 25-year veteran behind the decks. you think he got to where he was by not being able to read a crowd and adjusting?


Umm... and if he "adjusted" to start playing the top 40 stuff the "average" people in the "average" crowd want then wouldn't become the exact DJ he/you is/are complaining about?

We are not talking about a crowd of trendsetters like yourself... we are talking about your average Friday night gig.

I will take you calling me an idiot as a compliment :)
dj_soo 6:47 PM - 22 June, 2009
a great dj would know how to cater that crowd while still taking chances (and knowing when to take those chances) instead of being too terrified to stray from the top 100 hits from the last 20 years all night long.
Rebelguy 6:51 PM - 22 June, 2009
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a great dj would know how to cater that crowd while still taking chances (and knowing when to take those chances) instead of being too terrified to stray from the top 100 hits from the last 20 years all night long.


I have seen a lot of supposed great DJs and they have all kept it pretty safe in club settings. Those that didn't had no problem emptying out the crowd early.
dj_soo 6:55 PM - 22 June, 2009
incidentally, i'm not saying that i'm a "great" dj - but I've seen great ones (not "name" guys) and they can cater to any type of crowd (top40 donkeys included) and can still rock it without playing it safe all night long.
dj_soo 6:57 PM - 22 June, 2009
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Quote:
a great dj would know how to cater that crowd while still taking chances (and knowing when to take those chances) instead of being too terrified to stray from the top 100 hits from the last 20 years all night long.


I have seen a lot of supposed great DJs and they have all kept it pretty safe in club settings. Those that didn't had no problem emptying out the crowd early.


again, there's a difference between playing only underground tracks or only the top40 tracks.

The top guys know how to figure out how to balance between both.
CMOS 7:02 PM - 22 June, 2009
On his next tweet Z-Trip will tell you how much he didnt like the food he ate, and that the chef should have taken more chances.


You guys really put a lot into what these big name DJ's say. Everytime one of these "superstars" says something on their page or anywhere online, theres a 1000 post thread the next day picking apart what the guy said, and why he said it.

Then theres an argument about how he shouldnt have said it, hes a douche, no hes not, yes he is, he sucks as a dj, hes the best dj ever you suck, no you suck, i been spinnin for 30 years you suck more.

Buncha friggin washwomen in here.



lol


(ok back to my shitty job)
DPR250R 7:02 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
incidentally, i'm not saying that i'm a "great" dj - but I've seen great ones (not "name" guys) and they can cater to any type of crowd (top40 donkeys included) and can still rock it without playing it safe all night long.



Well... by saying "all of you people are idiots" gives the impression that you know something we don't.

We are all just BS'ing.... shooting opinions.

Who knows who is right and wrong??

All I know is Monday Morning Quarterbacks ain't cool....

So... playing the same top 40 tracks but arranging them differently makes you not a sheep DJ?
DJWALDO 7:08 PM - 22 June, 2009
What is the big deal with this thread? Ok so a "name brand DJ" goes to a small bar and hears a kid doing what more than likely the "name brand DJ" started out doing. Now since the "name brand DJ" is the "shit" he is gonna bash a kid for trying to make a dollar. Yay.... grow up Z you've been in this game for a long time... You're great and greatness comes from time and practice. Let the kid practice and make some gas money. If you hate the mix that bad find another bar....


This is why I do not follow a lot of recognized Dj's on twitter...... I'll stick with the guys that are still out there dealing with bar owners and drunken morons who want to hear apple bottom jeans as if there were such a song.
dj_soo 7:12 PM - 22 June, 2009
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Quote:
incidentally, i'm not saying that i'm a "great" dj - but I've seen great ones (not "name" guys) and they can cater to any type of crowd (top40 donkeys included) and can still rock it without playing it safe all night long.



Well... by saying "all of you people are idiots" gives the impression that you know something we don't.

We are all just BS'ing.... shooting opinions.

Who knows who is right and wrong??

All I know is Monday Morning Quarterbacks ain't cool....

So... playing the same top 40 tracks but arranging them differently makes you not a sheep DJ?


I'm just of the opinion that it totally sucks that so many djs just plays the same shit night-in -night-out regardless of how they mix it.

Especially when people have tens of thousands of songs at their disposal nowadays...

i'm not saying it's "wrong" I'm just saying I don't like it.
DPR250R 7:12 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
Let the kid practice and make some gas money. If you hate the mix that bad find another bar....


Why did you take what took me 19 paragraphs to say and turn it in to 2 sentences???

In other words... that is exactly how i feel....

How come he doesn't critique AM? Bad for bidnis I presume...
DVDjHardy 7:22 PM - 22 June, 2009
Quote:
grow up Z you've been in this game for a long time... You're great and greatness comes from time and practice. Let the kid practice and make some gas money. If you hate the mix that bad find another bar....



amen.
DJWALDO 7:51 PM - 22 June, 2009
And believe me I am no one special... if I break anything in the bar I spin at the owner is UP MY ASS.... and it is the only income I have so it's whatever he wants and what he wants sucks. I so wish some asshole would come in and tell me how bad I suck or talk about me behind my back! I would thank them for paying that much attention to what i was doing. I bet there are teachers and professors out there that wish they could hold someone's attention like that!
nik39 11:22 AM - 23 June, 2009
Quote:
First off, Z-Trip is one of my fav DJs out there, and I consider him to be probably THE best skilled DJ out there due to his versatility.

The best skilled DJ?? I don't think so.

Quote:
1. He's playing videos. Anyone who has done videos will tell you its not as easy as dropping some obscure song. Videos are hard to come by, and even harder to make on your own.

Yup. It's a lot of work, unless you user your own clips.

Quote:
2. Not everyone is Z-Trip, and can't get away with having their set full of songs that have never been popular to an average crowd at a club (21-30 year olds). As much as I love DJing, this is a business

True.
nik39 11:26 AM - 23 June, 2009
Quote:
Part of me agrees and part of me is like who cares. Some venues have set expectations or even rules as to what they want out of the DJ. Maybe this is one of them. Maybe the DJ was told to play familiar songs for the crowd, don't stray to the unknown, whatever. Maybe the DJ knows his crowd and what they will or will not tolerate. A lot of us can try to armchair quarterback all these scenarios but guess what, if you were in the same situation you could probably just as easily fail by "Keeping It Real" to the DJ Code and trying to break new music. Let's also factor in the variable that a lot of the music that DJs pick as probable hits never go anywhere. Just because we think it's off the hook everyone else has to love it

Well said, Rebelguy.
djchrischip 11:34 AM - 23 June, 2009
nik 39 i agree with u on the above two posts, this is extremely infrequent and some what odd... I might go play lotto, or take an AC trip bc this ish doesnt happpen too often lmao

I watched a z trip set on youtube at some venue and let me tell u if he worked any where i worked song selection wise, he would be in trouble...

Now it doesnt say that i didnt think he had some dope mixing n creativity i am simply speaking on song selection on the 4 or 5 videos i saw.
nik39 11:39 AM - 23 June, 2009
Quote:
The best skilled DJ?? I don't think so.

Just before the fan boys start crying - I am not saying he is bad or anything close to being bad, but for me he is not the best skilled DJ (even when it comes to variety).
DVDjHardy 1:11 PM - 23 June, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
The best skilled DJ?? I don't think so.

Just before the fan boys start crying - I am not saying he is bad or anything close to being bad, but for me he is not the best skilled DJ (even when it comes to variety).


Combination or programming, combining different genres that very few are able to do. Decent turntablism skills. Really good on the mic...only other "big name" DJ who does as well on the mic, IMO, is Premo. Pretty solid producer/remixer too...I'd say that doesn't matter, but he's now using his MPC live in his sets. Kinda like Enferno's LRP, but kind of a different show overall.

And you missed the most important part, Nik.

Quote:
and I consider him to be probably THE best skilled DJ out there due to his versatility.
nik39 1:53 PM - 23 June, 2009
I was alos saying... *I* don't think so :)
dj cubicle 2:02 PM - 23 June, 2009
Quote:
show


Key word.


There's a big difference between DJs I want to LISTEN to and DJs I want to ROCK OUT to. With Z-Trip, AM, and some of the other big name guys....their stuff is so different than the norm that I'd rather just sit and listen to it to hear what's really going on. If I'm looking to get drunk and party, I'm listening to something by Panic City or Bandoma (among others on here).
Dj-M.Bezzle 2:05 PM - 23 June, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
show


Key word.


There's a big difference between DJs I want to LISTEN to and DJs I want to ROCK OUT to. With Z-Trip, AM, and some of the other big name guys....their stuff is so different than the norm that I'd rather just sit and listen to it to hear what's really going on. If I'm looking to get drunk and party, I'm listening to something by Panic City or Bandoma (among others on here).


lol....hey guys i heard revolutions in town spinning tonight, lets all go down to the front row and stand around and stare at him while hes scratches all night....SCRATCH NERDZZZZZZ
Dj Ruckspin 12:55 AM - 19 October, 2009
"Seriuosly what the hell happened out there people? Weren't DJ's supposed 2 take chances? We have the power! SO MANY SHEEP, so few superheros"


Hypocrite...yeah your really taking chances with G thang, and Usher Yeah



Watchwww.youtube.com
DPR250R 1:39 AM - 19 October, 2009
You must be new...

Z-Trip is everything a DJ could ever be... you cannot speak ill of him on this forum.

He is allowed to bag on another DJ for doing the same thin he does be cause he is he.

Get it?

Awesome.
TheMasterOfCeremony 3:21 AM - 19 October, 2009
I say the guy should stop cursin on the freaking microphone... :D

It's like everytime he's on the mic he's gotta say 'Goddammit' or 'fuck'
DVDjHardy 3:51 AM - 19 October, 2009
Quote:
"Seriuosly what the hell happened out there people? Weren't DJ's supposed 2 take chances? We have the power! SO MANY SHEEP, so few superheros"


Hypocrite...yeah your really taking chances with G thang, and Usher Yeah



Watchwww.youtube.com


Haha...is that not the worst go-go dancer you've ever seen in a club? LOL
C. William 5:02 PM - 19 October, 2009
Quote:
"Seriuosly what the hell happened out there people? Weren't DJ's supposed 2 take chances? We have the power! SO MANY SHEEP, so few superheros"


Hypocrite...yeah your really taking chances with G thang, and Usher Yeah



Watchwww.youtube.com


no shit dude. every video i see of z-trip he's playing stuff like led zeppeliln, ac/dc, dr.dre, etc....as in NOTHING new or inventive at all. maybe i just haven't seen the right youtube clips??
DouggyFresh 5:11 PM - 19 October, 2009
Quote:
"Seriuosly what the hell happened out there people? Weren't DJ's supposed 2 take chances? We have the power! SO MANY SHEEP, so few superheros"

Hypocrite...yeah your really taking chances with G thang, and Usher Yeah

Watchwww.youtube.com


Come on, the guy has an ACTUAL ring of fire going in the middle of Ring of Fire... how dope is that?
AMF 5:23 PM - 19 October, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
"Seriuosly what the hell happened out there people? Weren't DJ's supposed 2 take chances? We have the power! SO MANY SHEEP, so few superheros"


Hypocrite...yeah your really taking chances with G thang, and Usher Yeah



Watchwww.youtube.com Watchwww.youtube.com


no shit dude. every video i see of z-trip he's playing stuff like led zeppeliln, ac/dc, dr.dre, etc....as in NOTHING new or inventive at all. maybe i just haven't seen the right youtube clips??

This is my exact feelings too...
sacrilicious 6:05 PM - 19 October, 2009
Might be the venues he's playing--when he played in Portland I had never heard the majority of music he dropped. Vegas might be forcing him to play more accessibly. Also, could be the bias from what people chose to capture and upload.

/fanboy
Millz 6:07 PM - 19 October, 2009
I remember my first beer.
Dj Ruckspin 3:31 PM - 24 November, 2009
this is my z-trip impression on the mic "oh fuckin shit...god damn pussy ....yeah lets, muthfafuckin do this shit the fuck...shit..oh assfucker.....yeah....ugh hu....cock O son of a dick...yeah" Im sorry dude is STILL playin it safe.

www.urb.com

www.facebook.com

Stop Cursing soo much on the mic and I guess your impression of playing it safe is only when your on the other side tweeting it.... Also whats up with your hand, you can only scratch with one hand? The crowd looks dead
DVDjHardy 4:08 PM - 24 November, 2009
Quote:
I guess your impression of playing it safe is only when your on the other side tweeting it....


I was gonna say the same thing.
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
The best skilled DJ?? I don't think so.

Just before the fan boys start crying - I am not saying he is bad or anything close to being bad, but for me he is not the best skilled DJ (even when it comes to variety).


Combination or programming, combining different genres that very few are able to do. Decent turntablism skills. Really good on the mic...only other "big name" DJ who does as well on the mic, IMO, is Premo. Pretty solid producer/remixer too...I'd say that doesn't matter, but he's now using his MPC live in his sets. Kinda like Enferno's LRP, but kind of a different show overall.

And you missed the most important part, Nik.

Quote:
and I consider him to be probably THE best skilled DJ out there due to his versatility.


Also, I take this back...after seeing that clip.
DVDjHardy 4:09 PM - 24 November, 2009
This clip that Ruckspin posted - www.facebook.com
DJ Doug Collins 4:49 PM - 24 November, 2009
The guy is a beast on the decks, one handed scratching ability or not. He started out like we did playing house parties and playing for horrible crowds too, I'm sure. He just took it to the next level by being good enough to get the crowd to go along with him. Can't hate him for that!
Dj-M.Bezzle 4:59 PM - 24 November, 2009
Quote:
He started out like we did playing house parties and playing for horrible crowds too,



Are you sure about that, I know he started out with Bombshelter DJs and got famous releasign albums...i think hes almost always been a performance DJ
DJ Doug Collins 5:03 PM - 24 November, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
He started out like we did playing house parties and playing for horrible crowds too,



Are you sure about that, I know he started out with Bombshelter DJs and got famous releasign albums...i think hes almost always been a performance DJ


You don't just start out playing for big ass crowds doing stuff more creative than any working DJ out there. That video of him playing on a radio show earlier this year, he talks a little about how he got started.
Dj-M.Bezzle 5:07 PM - 24 November, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
He started out like we did playing house parties and playing for horrible crowds too,



Are you sure about that, I know he started out with Bombshelter DJs and got famous releasign albums...i think hes almost always been a performance DJ


You don't just start out playing for big ass crowds doing stuff more creative than any working DJ out there. That video of him playing on a radio show earlier this year, he talks a little about how he got started.



how many residencies has A-trak held?
DJ Doug Collins 5:16 PM - 24 November, 2009
www.kcrw.com 21:30 in.
DJ Doug Collins 5:25 PM - 24 November, 2009
Quote:
A-trak's a fluke!

Lol, I don't know if I'd throw him under the bus quite like that! But he just comes from a different school of DJ'ing. I wouldn't lump him and Z-Trip into the same category. One is a turntablist, one is a party rocker.
DJ Super Mario 5:19 PM - 26 November, 2009
For those that don't know... and think they do...

www.djforums.com

That's what's up... Call me a fan boy if it makes you feel better. But he's the truth and if you're hating then maybe some of this is what's lacking in your set...

Then again... just my $0.025 LOL
SUBSTANCE 5:42 AM - 28 November, 2009
I found Z-Trips live set to be busy technically but lacking funk in the music selection.
dj shadow from detroit 9:28 AM - 28 November, 2009
anyone can sit back and pick out whats not perfect.

dj ztrip is the best all around dj in the world.well rounded in every part!

playing it safe means doing what everyone else is doing.not song selection. lol!

he mixes with perfection with different genres.like a live producer on the spot.alot of djs have better skills on the tables but not as clean and versatile.for example u have atrak super dope dj that can scratch,mix and do tricks but he can not fuze the music together as creative as ztrip.dj am was really good at similar stuff as ztrip,but not as clean.regardless all these djs i mentioned are super dope djs with different styles............
frost-9 12:49 PM - 28 November, 2009
Regarding the clips from Rain... I've heard stuff from Z-Trip that's on point and fun and other stuff that's pretty pedestrian.. I mean, Ring of Fire is a 15 minutes till close kinda song, not something I'd play in the middle of the night. I've seen clips by DJ Premier, AM, Jazzy Jeff, etc. at Rain, and they all seem to have the same thing in common... older classics being played, hired dancers looking completely lost, a disconnected crowd.. maybe it's just Vegas, and the fact that everyone there isn't actually from there. We have that problem in New York. You have nights where no one is on the same damn page. It's incredibly difficult to dj for people that are musically closed minded, and only want to hear their thing... I have bitches asking for Miley Cyrus OR some Soca... then the girl behind her wants Ace of Base and Empre State... next some dude walks up and wants to hear R&B during peak hour... It's maddening.. It just makes you not want to dj anymore. I'm only speculating, but I figure it's the same rules that apply in New York apply in Vegas... keep it short because they have absolutely no attention span, play a little bit of everything, and keep it familiar. Fucking facebook generation... no music they can call their own... and there's no pleasing them either..
Kadilac 2:41 PM - 28 November, 2009
www.urb.com

Am I the only one who felt this set contradicted his point?
Not that hot IMO.

I'm more of a Jazzy Jeff cat.
DJ Doug Collins 8:10 PM - 29 November, 2009
Quote:
Fucking facebook generation... no music they can call their own... and there's no pleasing them either..

Exactly. Don't blame Z-Trip or any of the other heavies for playing it safe. Blame the idiot crowds.
dj shadow from detroit 8:51 PM - 29 November, 2009
all djs have to play hits sometimes.its about how and when u play them that matters.

i know alot of djs that play the same 100 songs.thats playing it safe!

a dj that does homework before gigs is the most important of performing.( along with skills )
Dj Ruckspin 7:56 PM - 30 November, 2009
Quote:
www.urb.com

Am I the only one who felt this set contradicted his point?
Not that hot IMO.

I'm more of a Jazzy Jeff cat.



EXACTLY!!! Where is the "revolution" in usher yeah and know dr dre tracks? Play some fucking Morrisey if you wanna make a revolution and mix it up
Serato
Aroha 8:45 PM - 30 November, 2009
Quote:
a dj that does homework before gigs is the most important of performing.( along with skills )

I have to agree - when Z-Trip was in New Zealand earlier this year he picked our brains about the hot NZ tracks which would excite the crowd. When he played at the Big Day Out the next day he mixed in a dope remix he must've made in his hotel the night before of one of our biggest acts here. I thought that was pretty cool
dj_soo 9:03 PM - 30 November, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
www.urb.com

Am I the only one who felt this set contradicted his point?
Not that hot IMO.

I'm more of a Jazzy Jeff cat.



EXACTLY!!! Where is the "revolution" in usher yeah and know dr dre tracks? Play some fucking Morrisey if you wanna make a revolution and mix it up


since when has vegas ever tolerated revolutionary music?
Dj-M.Bezzle 9:07 PM - 30 November, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
www.urb.com

Am I the only one who felt this set contradicted his point?
Not that hot IMO.

I'm more of a Jazzy Jeff cat.



EXACTLY!!! Where is the "revolution" in usher yeah and know dr dre tracks? Play some fucking Morrisey if you wanna make a revolution and mix it up


since when has vegas ever tolerated revolutionary music?


the definition of revolition is going against the norm\whats tolerated....if it was tolerated it wouldnt be revolutionary
dj_soo 10:20 PM - 30 November, 2009
norm =/= what's tolerated

it's all a matter of who is doing the tolerating
BIG DJ PHAZE 11:39 PM - 2 December, 2009
Watch this one
www.kcrw.com
Audio1 12:38 AM - 3 December, 2009
Quote:
EXACTLY!!! Where is the "revolution" in usher yeah and know dr dre tracks? Play some fucking Morrisey if you wanna make a revolution and mix it up
Im saying..... Morrissey be making people go wild!
Audio1 12:38 AM - 3 December, 2009
then again, Im the one who almost got shot for playing RAMONES at a HYPHY club. LOL
Billy18bm 5:30 AM - 3 December, 2009
lmao @audio1
DjWoody 6:55 AM - 3 December, 2009
Quote:
Im saying..... Morrissey be making people go wild!


At my spot people go wild with Morrissey.
Audio1 5:02 PM - 3 December, 2009
Quote:
lmao @audio1
Im good at managing to piss people off... Nothing like a big fuck you to a rowdy crowd than playing Take On Me by A-Ha. LOL
DJBlisk 6:24 PM - 3 December, 2009
I'm a Z-trip fan.
Uneasy Listening by him and DJ P was mindblowing to say the very least.
Making blanket statements are empty without knowing the history. you can't watch a youtube video and make a decision.

Z-trip is a beast. Yes he has to play some mainstream shit for his Vegas shows, but watching a youtube video doesn't say shit. Who the fuck drops Lady Saw in Vegas? I've heard a lot of djs in vegas... and Z-trip was the only one. I've also heard him drop TOOL for the love of god.

He might not be technically the best DJ. But his legendary status was made through his DJ skills. Ztrip was playing all of that Rock bullshit when it wasn't popular.
dj shadow from detroit 6:34 PM - 3 December, 2009
ztrip = original pioneer of what he does and what he does is creative.and the he is the best all around dj.i been saying this for years.

he deserves everything that he wins and everything that he gets.