Taking Sides: Bad HipHop DJs vs. Bad House/Techno DJs

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This is not a question of musical choice but rather technique...

If you were going to a party, and you found out the DJ had only bought his/her turntables six months ago, would you hope that they were spinning house or hip hop?

I am inclined to say the former, because bad scratching can ruin enjoyment of the other record, whereas a bad mix might only occur every six minutes or so, imposing less on my ability to enjoy myself.

Your thoughts?

("Is hiphop DJing more difficult than house DJing?" is *another* thread)

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Saturday, 31 August 2002 19:55 (twenty-three years ago)

and why is it that bad hiphop DJs get more credit than good house ones, at least here in them States? (becuse it looks harder, and more people like hiphop, but still...)

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Saturday, 31 August 2002 19:57 (twenty-three years ago)

what about hiphop mix/club djs, who typically stay away from tricks and scratching? their primary task is to mix/blend well, ie the same thing yr house dj does.

― boxcubed (boxcubed), Saturday, 31 August 2002 20:20 (twenty-three years ago)

one part of your question that seems silly to me is seemingly equating hip-hop dj-ing with scratching. i think you've over-simplified this, no offense... i suspect the answer might be that if you are less knowledgeable about hip-hop you'll be more tolerant of a bad hip-hop dj. vice versa, same for the other, etc.

― ron (ron), Saturday, 31 August 2002 20:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't mean to oversimplify. I know that hiphop is not only scratching. I guess I wasn't explicit enough when I said "party" and "six months" cause I don't mean pro club djs, whether they mix or not, or whether they scratch or not. most kids just starting out that I have met who spin hiphop always learn to scratch, but like any beginner, do it badly.

I think this is a shitty thread and I apologize.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Saturday, 31 August 2002 23:07 (twenty-three years ago)

As someone who's experienced the full-on Lol Hammond DJ experience, I can confirm that abysmal mixing isn't solely the premise of amateur house-party DJs. It can be hugely amusing though, like watching crap comedians die on their arse.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 1 September 2002 12:48 (twenty-three years ago)

bad hiphop DJs get more credit than good house ones

I always thought that the DJ-as-superstar thing was mainly on the house/trance/techno/hardstyle/etc side of things rather than hiphop - are there hiphop DJs in the US with the kind of status that, say, Oakenfold, Tiesto, Jeff Mills, Paul Van Dyk or Sven Vath have over here?

― Siegbran Hetteson (eofor), Sunday, 1 September 2002 14:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Surely the DJ-as-superstar thing applies more to hip-hop DJs who are in actualy rap groups?

Where do Shadow and friends come into this, anyway?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 1 September 2002 15:11 (twenty-three years ago)

"I always thought that the DJ-as-superstar thing was mainly on the house/trance/techno/hardstyle/etc side of things rather than hiphop - are there hiphop DJs in the US with the kind of status that, say, Oakenfold, Tiesto, Jeff Mills, Paul Van Dyk or Sven Vath have over here?"

I don't think that anyone has that kind of status in the US, and I think that rap/hiphop is more popular than dance, and that everyone that I meet my age seems to know what scratching is, but not, say, beat matching or key mixing. whenever people see me carrying my records they always say "can you scratch?" While no hiphop dj has much status, except funkmaster flex perhaps, hiphop djing certainly does. I'm sure "turtablizm" made it to the NY Times years ago.

There seems to be a lot more seperation between DJ and producer, at least in people's minds, in hiphop compared to dance, and in the US versus the UK.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Sunday, 1 September 2002 20:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Bad hip hop DJs by a mile because I usually know the songs, so the actual mixing part doesn't matter so much. plus they don't usually try to do too much - unlike bad techno DJs who will ride a lame mix right into the ground, ignoring all flashing lights - PULL UP PULL UP

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 1 September 2002 23:05 (twenty-three years ago)

DJs in the US with the kind of status that, say, Oakenfold, Tiesto, Jeff Mills, Paul Van Dyk or Sven Vath have over here?

funk flex!!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Sunday, 1 September 2002 23:08 (twenty-three years ago)

and dj skribble (oh ho ho.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Sunday, 1 September 2002 23:08 (twenty-three years ago)

And DJ Premier, Terminator X, Jazzy Jeff, Spinderella... (NOTE: Not all of these DJs currently enjoy superstar status.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 12:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Superstar Hip Hop DJ's:
Babu (as well as other beat junkies J-Rocc and Rhettmatic)
Q-Bert (and the rest of I.S.P.)
Rob Swift (as well as all of the x-men)

I think in general, there crews are just as well known as they are individually.

i'd also side with hip hop, because it isn't as dependent upon the mix.

― Sam C, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 15:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Fatboy Slim can't mix and yet he's a superstar DJ, er.....if dinner wasn't ready I'd expand on this.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 15:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Superstar Hip Hop DJ's:
Kid Koala.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 16:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't tell a bad house dj from a good one (and I don't really enjoy dancing to house music anyway), but I probably prefer "bad" hip hop djs to the "good" ones for the reasons Tracer put forth. But in either case, the lack of variety is what hurts; it seems most djs I enjoy these days are playing a mix of dancy things (it's gotta be the best time for dancy "rock" since the 80s).

― Kris (aqueduct), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 17:11 (twenty-three years ago)

A bad house DJ is someone who either:
- hasn't got the technique down - with a mismatched beat or trainwreck every six minutes, the people will never get going. You can't disguise the lack of these basic skills. On the other hand, there are thousands of DJs who can do it. It's not nearly as difficult as doing a no-holds-barred three deck scratchfest.
- hasn't got skills to pick the right tunes - going from hard to melodic to groovy too quickly, or only plays the big anthems (you *need* filler tunes).
- hasn't analysed his audience well - ie, plays either too 'difficult' or too 'cheesy' tracks.

― Siegbran Hetteson (eofor), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 18:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes all these superstar hiphop djs are really MASSIVE aren't they, even the fucking British house ones have probably sold more mix albums in America, or pull in more people live.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 10:54 (twenty-three years ago)

I am reasonably certain that more people in the US own recordings by Puiblic Enemy, Salt 'N Pepa and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince/early Will Smith than any house DJ you can think up.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 11:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Of course they do but you can't credit a DJ entirely for those records can you? It's an entirely different story.

Presuming we're comparing two types of DJ as the thread says, and they're both playing other people's records then there's no doubt surely that as a solo performer the dance DJ is way more popular, I don't see anyone coming out strongly in defence of solo hiphop DJs really.....

I don't think the two can be properly compared anyway because of the MC factor, surely an MC is a pretty essential part of the hiphop DJ performance and thus it's less like a DJ set at all and closer to the performance of a band or something, at least there's a two person dynamic going on there.

Hiphop is insanely popular, way more than anything else in the world, but I'm not sure hiphop djing is the same.....

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 11:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Fatboy Slim can't mix and yet he's a superstar DJ
Well, that's the difference between producers who DJ on the side versus DJs who've started producing.

― Siegbran Hetteson (eofor), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

The good thing about bad hip hop DJs is that they just stick to the script. Where can you go wrong if all you're playing is "Be Faithful", "Touch It" and whatever the name of that song that goes "You can do it put your back into it!" is?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 12:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Pinefox to thread heh

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 12:31 (twenty-three years ago)

This thread would be a lot better if we stuck to the hypothetical situation described above, right?

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 13:31 (twenty-three years ago)

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