And the thing with everyone and their mom's djing...i mean, doesn't every "creative profession" have that issue? Just ask webdesigners about their jobs...if you're good, people will always want to book you. Or you will always find your niche. That's just it, stay original and don't worry about all those scumbags djing for 3 months...they will vanish or stay and get kewl...
I don't think web design and DJing are the same thing...
But if ur a Web designer and you paid X amount of dollars to goto school and some dude you don't know (Who didn't goto school) asks you for your tools/knowledge are you gonna just give it to him? Cause he asked?
I guess I might think different if there was one school out there for DJ's that gave knowledge out for free...
OK.. I think, the biggest shame of 2006 is that you can goto the clubs and 90% of the MP3s[/b] ur hearing, you can hear it at any other club. Shit is getting boring...
For me personally, I'm both the secret-teller and the secret-holder.
I enjoy putting fellow appreciators up on something they've never heard before if I know they're gonna get geeked on it like I did. From a listening stand point, that commerce of knowledge is what it's all about. The music WAS intended to be heard by the musicians who MADE the record. To a certain degree, if you truly respect them as artists, you should support them by putting their music out there for others to enjoy.
However, from a producer stand point, I support complete secrecy. As someone else said, that's the "business" side of things and I definitely agree. If I hear something that's ill and unknown which I'm going to be using for a song, I'm not gonna be yapping about that record to nobody, period.
That's the school of hip-hop that I came from and I believe in upholding that legacy. I was pissed when people started releasing those sample records with the original joints, specifically saying who sampled what. I couldn't believe that shit.
But at the same time, I can see how someone who is simply an enthusiast wouldn't understand that logic.
Keep in mind, in the late '70s and early '80s DJs were soaking their records in the bathtub to rub the labels off. We've definitely come a long way since those times. DJs are a lot more open to discussing a title they've played or come up on, but in contrast, I don't see anything wrong with a little secrecy.
What happened to being a "DJ" and finding out tunes and being original?
I definitely keep some secrets, but there are different levels of it. Some things I won't give out the info for to any old schmo who asks, but I'll tell my friends and/or DJs I'm working with. Some things are straight up And some things I'll give up the info for to anybody who wants to know. I certainly don't begrudge people who want to keep certain things a secret--even some of my best homies have records they won't put me up on, and that's fine. That's all part of the game.
huh - the MP3 giveaways never even occured to me...
but to paraphrase from all the replys on this, I think if you tell a guy/gal the name of that 'secret' jam you just played, first yeah, they gotta find it (and yup, probably won't be at the local Tower), second, if they do find and play it out, it's still only as good as the PLACEMENT in their DJ set (and isnt this why we track down at least half the records we hear in the first place, HEARING SOMEONE ELSE PLAY 'EM???).
*ahem*
so if said DJ isnt a major electro type (for example), then unless it's the second coming of 'Planet Rock', well, it's just another song to most people.
Finally, I think if the song is that hard to come by, you can pretty much gurantee it isnt gonna matter to the DJ taking your gig at the local college bar, 'cuz the not-so-secret Jeezy mixes rule there anyway...
it's not like there's a shortage of good obscure music out there.
exactly. if somebody just wants good music, they can go get a funk compilation or whatever. that specific tune shouldn't be a necessity for them. simple solution - "i can't tell you what this record is, but if you like this, you should check out [insert not-so-raer funk band names here]." This gives the person an option, still provides them with good music, and gives them the incentive to maybe try and put in the work to discover what that original track was for themselves.
from a producer stand point, I support complete secrecy. As someone else said, that's the "business" side of things and I definitely agree. If I hear something that's ill and unknown which I'm going to be using for a song, I'm not gonna be yapping about that record to nobody, period.
yup. if it's just a cool record, i'm not gonna worry about it. i'll tell people what it is. but if i'm currently planning on sampling said record for a beat or something like that, i'm not gonna tell anybody what it is unless they're working on the track with me. it doesn't take much to see what a record is over at your producer homie's house and then go out and cop it and make a famous track out of it before your producer homie even knows what happened. kinda reminiscent of that pete rock/q-tip story. you get the idea though. DJing is one thing, beatmaking is another.
(and isnt this why we track down at least half the records we hear in the first place, HEARING SOMEONE ELSE PLAY 'EM???).
Not me. I go to the store and dig for records based on what I know from digging for records. Not from listening to DJ mixes or live mixes and thinking "man I need that song". In fact, I've never bought a record that way. More than half the enjoyment I get out of this shit is the hunt anyway. How boring would it be to know what you're looking for all the time. Takes the excitement out of digging. That's just me though. I'm not a DJ or anything.
Comments
I don't think web design and DJing are the same thing...
But if ur a Web designer and you paid X amount of dollars to goto school and some dude you don't know (Who didn't goto school) asks you for your tools/knowledge are you gonna just give it to him? Cause he asked?
I guess I might think different if there was one school out there for DJ's that gave knowledge out for free...
For me personally, I'm both the secret-teller and the secret-holder.
I enjoy putting fellow appreciators up on something they've never heard before if I know they're gonna get geeked on it like I did. From a listening stand point, that commerce of knowledge is what it's all about. The music WAS intended to be heard by the musicians who MADE the record. To a certain degree, if you truly respect them as artists, you should support them by putting their music out there for others to enjoy.
However, from a producer stand point, I support complete secrecy. As someone else said, that's the "business" side of things and I definitely agree. If I hear something that's ill and unknown which I'm going to be using for a song, I'm not gonna be yapping about that record to nobody, period.
That's the school of hip-hop that I came from and I believe in upholding that legacy. I was pissed when people started releasing those sample records with the original joints, specifically saying who sampled what. I couldn't believe that shit.
But at the same time, I can see how someone who is simply an enthusiast wouldn't understand that logic.
Keep in mind, in the late '70s and early '80s DJs were soaking their records in the bathtub to rub the labels off. We've definitely come a long way since those times. DJs are a lot more open to discussing a title they've played or come up on, but in contrast, I don't see anything wrong with a little secrecy.
Just my own two.
I definitely keep some secrets, but there are different levels of it. Some things I won't give out the info for to any old schmo who asks, but I'll tell my friends and/or DJs I'm working with. Some things are straight up
but to paraphrase from all the replys on this, I think if you tell a guy/gal the name of that 'secret' jam you just played, first yeah, they gotta find it (and yup, probably won't be at the local Tower), second, if they do find and play it out, it's still only as good as the PLACEMENT in their DJ set (and isnt this why we track down at least half the records we hear in the first place, HEARING SOMEONE ELSE PLAY 'EM???).
*ahem*
so if said DJ isnt a major electro type (for example), then unless it's the second coming of 'Planet Rock', well, it's just another song to most people.
Finally, I think if the song is that hard to come by, you can pretty much gurantee it isnt gonna matter to the DJ taking your gig at the local college bar, 'cuz the not-so-secret Jeezy mixes rule there anyway...
hahahahahahaha i love you, man!!!
These lames wish they had HALF the ammo I had.
exactly. if somebody just wants good music, they can go get a funk compilation or whatever. that specific tune shouldn't be a necessity for them. simple solution - "i can't tell you what this record is, but if you like this, you should check out [insert not-so-raer funk band names here]." This gives the person an option, still provides them with good music, and gives them the incentive to maybe try and put in the work to discover what that original track was for themselves.
yup. if it's just a cool record, i'm not gonna worry about it. i'll tell people what it is. but if i'm currently planning on sampling said record for a beat or something like that, i'm not gonna tell anybody what it is unless they're working on the track with me. it doesn't take much to see what a record is over at your producer homie's house and then go out and cop it and make a famous track out of it before your producer homie even knows what happened. kinda reminiscent of that pete rock/q-tip story. you get the idea though. DJing is one thing, beatmaking is another.
Not me. I go to the store and dig for records based on what I know from digging for records. Not from listening to DJ mixes or live mixes and thinking "man I need that song". In fact, I've never bought a record that way. More than half the enjoyment I get out of this shit is the hunt anyway. How boring would it be to know what you're looking for all the time. Takes the excitement out of digging. That's just me though. I'm not a DJ or anything.
this is all out war, dare a nigga to draw[/b]