Smoothbeats.com

[hafree]

I was wondering how many DJs pay attention to the lyrics of their records when putting a set together, as opposed to just spinning records that sound good together or whatever is hot that week.

Lately I've been listening to various mixes from DJ Bashemo, a former resident on Smoothbeats, and he seems to always do this very effectively. The tracks will flow together well musically, but the progression of the lyrics to each track often tells a story. To take thing a step further, often an instrumental will be used from another track that suggests an alternate or deeper meaning to those that recognize it, while others just listen and say "that beat's phat".

This thought occurred to me recently while listening to the radio and hearing yet another DJ mix "Get Busy" by Sean Paul into "Sufferer" by Bounty Killer. While the Sean Paul track is one of the hottest (and soon to be overplayed) records in the clubs now and the Bounty Killer track is truly a dancehall classic, they have absolutely nothing in common other than the fact that they use the same riddim. Case in point:

[Sean Paul - Get Busy]
Woman Get busy, Just shake that booty non-stop
When the beat drops
Just keep swinging it
Get jiggy
Get crunked up
Percolate anything you want to call it
Oscillate you hip and don’t take pity
Me want fi see you get live ‘pon the riddim when me ride
And me lyrics a provide electricity
Gal nobody can tell you nuttin’
Can you done know your destiny

[Bounty Killer - Sufferer]
Born as a sufferer, grow up as a sufferer, struggle as a sufferer
Fight as a sufferer, survive as a sufferer
Grow up in the ghetto where most of them a sufferer
Food for the sufferer, shelter for the sufferer
The system designed to keep the people as sufferer.

One song is about sexy women partying and dancing and shaking their asses, while the other is about the opporession and poverty of the lower class of citizens in Jamaica that can't seem to overcome and end their suffering.

Maybe I think too much about these things; at least more than the average hiphop fan anyway. I like to try to find or create meaning through music, rather than just playing something for people to dance to. What are your thoughts?...
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[titan]

I agree whole heartedly. I 'try' to have a theme when I spin. I can never get through a whole set that way...unless the theme is partyin' up in tha club. I generally try to a few records of the same theme togather. Ie, 2-3 uplifting songs, 2-3 oppression, 2-3 party, etc. THEN, I try to make sure that what I've chosen does entertain the crowd. After all, that's what we are there for, right? If spinning for myself, I already know what I pick I will like.

[ToMMics]

for me as a german its often hard to understand lyrics of every song. so i mainly listen to the "music" and mix it that way. but i also like playing around with some obvious things every german can understand like first track playin still dre and then tim dog fuck compton or smth like that.

but i like your way of thinking about that. when i read your post and just read "get busy" and "sufferer", i suddenly thought - hmm that doesnt really fit
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Like Steven Seagal, i'm hard to kill
Like GG Allen, i'm crazy ill !

[Mayhem]

The only mix i have done with a lyrical theme is the mix i am doing now for my girlfriend. Its all RnB relationship type music. but other than that, i haven't. I do like however to do beat themes, like the last mix i posted here, the blends all were using beats from God's Stepson. All old, jazzy feeling beats.
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<b>-Mayhem</b>

[titan]

I've notice this one group of DJs that do mixtapes with themes (the ones I've heard anyways). They're called SouthernStyle DJs http://www.southernstyledjs.com/

[nukey nuke]

i try to put the records i spin together, givin new meanings or just be so contrary that it gives sense again.
but in clubs its not allways possible to play in that way, without boring the people.
in the club i concentrate on a good mixing and keepin a certain athmosphere.
but even then i try to do some details only people who pay attention recognize, for example life-remixin missy elliot with another timbalandbeat...
i put out mixtapes with more or less "themes".
My latest one is called "endangered species!?" and features such artists as Talib Kweli, C-Rays Walz or Jean Grae. it has no theme like all songs r about smokin weed or somthing like it but the artist all have something in common, and that is creativity, creativity and though(?) ruff music.
the tape i`m currently working on will have a theme that is about what the songs are about but i wont tell now...
here in germany its not so easy to make people listen to lyrics because many dont understand english that well.

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shimmy shimmy ya`

[Jas]

Depends. If i'm mixing for practice or what not by myself i'll throw anything down. If its for a crowd I try to keep it to what makes em dance and have a good time. I think the only time i've paid any attention to lyrics for a mix was for a couple trance sets I tossed down.
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Keepin it real.<br><br><a href='http://www.afterhoursdjs.org' target='_blank'>AfterhoursDjs</a>