Hey DJ Won't You Play My Song? Back
Aug 14, 2010
By Tracey Bivens (Imasteppa)
"Hey DJ won’t you play my song? Keep me dancing all night long!” This was my jam back in the day but until recently I didn’t fully understand the depth of this song’s central message.
In the steppin world, a DJ’s job is very important and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that he has to cater to the public and THEIR seasoned taste in music. As a DJ, you are expected to take mental or written notes of the most requested songs while introducing new and classic steppin songs. It’s not an easy job. However, this format has been a traditional practice of our steppin DJ predecessors in Chicago like DJ Raphael, Mellow Kris, Sam Chatman, DJ Calvin, etc. for decades.
For the most part, based on my auditory observations, the out of town DJs are making a concerted effort in trying to hold true to the fidelity of a crowd’s favorite playlists while they are spinning. However, I want to take this opportunity to share some information that I have collected in my years of interviewing DJs and listening to the concerns of the general public that patronize steppers sets.
1. You are not playing for yourself. You are playing for a crowd. If you are a DJ that loves the musical genres of Reggae or Jazz music, unfortunately, you are not going to be able to play YOUR personal favorite songs at a set. You are there to keep people out of their seats not in them. That’s how you earn your respect and your following.
2. If after one minute, you are playing a song and the only things on the floor are dust particles, segue into a different song immediately. Don’t have your crowd endure a song that you should not or mistakenly have played. If you are uncertain as to whether a crowd is feeling a song that you have put on, look at the expressions on their faces by surveying the room.
3. If a patron asks you to play a song, you should have the people skills to say, "I will try to put it in the lineup. Thanks for the input.” Even if you have no intention of playing the song, make me feel as if you will go to the highest mountain for me and my request.
4. If you are a DJ that steps, please dance with the women who are there sitting patiently if there are not enough men. Don’t insult our intelligence by making us believe that on your laptop, you have to physically cue up another song after one finishes. Women are not stupid. We know that you can play 600 songs back to back without running up to the booth every 5 minutes. As a DJ you do have to multitask at times.
5. Be creative. If you are playing the SAME line up every time you play at a set, something is wrong. There are DJs out there who play the SAME song for trio dances; walkin dances and they never change. I should not know what you are about to play every week and in which order. If you are uncertain, humbly ask a "seasoned” steppin DJ what you should play.
6. Please don’t lie about who sings or performs a song. You do not have a patent on any song nor do you have the right to lie. Now, if you have a mix that you have created that’s different but trust and believe, enough people are savvy enough to take a few lyrics and go on Amazon.com, You Tube, or Amazon.com/Asia/Europe to find it. Or they will record the song at a set, convert it to a MP3 and put it on a CD themselves.
7. This is probably the most important point of all. Be professional. DJs that tell people "No. This is MY set,” or "Whatever! I’m not playing that!” are more than likely going to be shunned by their community. As a DJ you work for the promoter and the people. You have very little power in the decision making process when it comes to hiring and firing. Being courteous, nice and professional is a must. Big ups to DJ Mykel "Shorty Smooth” Farr on this one. He is the epitome of professionalism! I’ve seen him play in hot boxes, witnessed drunk people pulling on him, selling his CDs at the same time as live mixing and he’s always nice
We all have important roles that we occupy in the world of steppin, therefore it is a must that we be supportive of one another in every capacity. From the club owner, the promoter, the DJ, and the stepper, if we are all in it to win it let’s act like it. DJs keep on doing what you do…just remember to say out of the "doo doo.”
In the steppin world, a DJ’s job is very important and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that he has to cater to the public and THEIR seasoned taste in music. As a DJ, you are expected to take mental or written notes of the most requested songs while introducing new and classic steppin songs. It’s not an easy job. However, this format has been a traditional practice of our steppin DJ predecessors in Chicago like DJ Raphael, Mellow Kris, Sam Chatman, DJ Calvin, etc. for decades.
For the most part, based on my auditory observations, the out of town DJs are making a concerted effort in trying to hold true to the fidelity of a crowd’s favorite playlists while they are spinning. However, I want to take this opportunity to share some information that I have collected in my years of interviewing DJs and listening to the concerns of the general public that patronize steppers sets.
1. You are not playing for yourself. You are playing for a crowd. If you are a DJ that loves the musical genres of Reggae or Jazz music, unfortunately, you are not going to be able to play YOUR personal favorite songs at a set. You are there to keep people out of their seats not in them. That’s how you earn your respect and your following.
2. If after one minute, you are playing a song and the only things on the floor are dust particles, segue into a different song immediately. Don’t have your crowd endure a song that you should not or mistakenly have played. If you are uncertain as to whether a crowd is feeling a song that you have put on, look at the expressions on their faces by surveying the room.
3. If a patron asks you to play a song, you should have the people skills to say, "I will try to put it in the lineup. Thanks for the input.” Even if you have no intention of playing the song, make me feel as if you will go to the highest mountain for me and my request.
4. If you are a DJ that steps, please dance with the women who are there sitting patiently if there are not enough men. Don’t insult our intelligence by making us believe that on your laptop, you have to physically cue up another song after one finishes. Women are not stupid. We know that you can play 600 songs back to back without running up to the booth every 5 minutes. As a DJ you do have to multitask at times.
5. Be creative. If you are playing the SAME line up every time you play at a set, something is wrong. There are DJs out there who play the SAME song for trio dances; walkin dances and they never change. I should not know what you are about to play every week and in which order. If you are uncertain, humbly ask a "seasoned” steppin DJ what you should play.
6. Please don’t lie about who sings or performs a song. You do not have a patent on any song nor do you have the right to lie. Now, if you have a mix that you have created that’s different but trust and believe, enough people are savvy enough to take a few lyrics and go on Amazon.com, You Tube, or Amazon.com/Asia/Europe to find it. Or they will record the song at a set, convert it to a MP3 and put it on a CD themselves.
7. This is probably the most important point of all. Be professional. DJs that tell people "No. This is MY set,” or "Whatever! I’m not playing that!” are more than likely going to be shunned by their community. As a DJ you work for the promoter and the people. You have very little power in the decision making process when it comes to hiring and firing. Being courteous, nice and professional is a must. Big ups to DJ Mykel "Shorty Smooth” Farr on this one. He is the epitome of professionalism! I’ve seen him play in hot boxes, witnessed drunk people pulling on him, selling his CDs at the same time as live mixing and he’s always nice
We all have important roles that we occupy in the world of steppin, therefore it is a must that we be supportive of one another in every capacity. From the club owner, the promoter, the DJ, and the stepper, if we are all in it to win it let’s act like it. DJs keep on doing what you do…just remember to say out of the "doo doo.”
