Mixing Hip Hop

[djproben]

Know your songs. Far more important in hip hop than EDM genres since the latter tend to be far more predictable. I used to sketch out the song structure in a notebook when I was mixing with vinyl -- e.g. 16 bar intro, 32-bar verse, 16-bar chorus, 8-bar breakdown, etc etc.... Figure out mix points that way and you can do some cool mixing. Also you can practice going back and forth between the two songs on 1-2-3-4, as well as mixing on various beats (e.g. what happens if you come in on 3-and rather than 1?) And don't knock slamming -- there are times when it's the perfect move. Follow basic phrasing rules too, which is harder when vocals fill the whole damn track, but don't mix over the verse and avoid the chorus too unless you know what the mix sounds like. Definitely don't fade out the chorus. Sometimes you can sound genius if the chorus ends and goes right into the first verse of the next track, but don't count on it. Bottom line - you need to know your records a lot more than you need to know your house/techno/dnb/dubstep collection. As you get to know your collection, you can use your software to set cuepoints and loops that will be helpful; it's a lot better when you know where a chorus or verse starts than if you're guessing.

[Buffalo Ill]

^Nailed it.

And don't knock slamming -- there are times when it's the perfect move.

Absolutely. It's a core, high impact mix technique that shouldn't be over used. You can also control the level of impact/surprise when slamming by scratching the incoming track before dropping it.

[Prohibited]

First off, wow! Thanks for the replies lads! Some real helpful tips here!
Would of replied sooner but sacked it off and enjoyed the sun Yesterday haha!

The main points I am receiving is timing and knowing the tunes inside out! Will upload all the me mixing hip hop to the Ipod and rinse it in the motor!

Will also try and be less rigid when I drop the beats, as apposed to EDM....

Can do the power off thing and backspin techniques (Not so well on the s4, due to the platter being magnetic! Some nice FX to use instead tho!) Just still seems too abrupt when taking out the old track, that could prolly be helped by better timing though I imagine?!

Was also using the looping feature but, again, sounded dreadful when removing the old track! Just dropped all the energy :S
I suppose it's loopping the right bit to start with?

Did download some instrumentals to have a go with so will investigate that a bit more later today!

Will have a bash wthout sync too, dont use it for my EDM so not sure why I do with HipHop haha

Thanks Jim, have actually been rinsing your big opener mix for the last week! Bizarre! Really rate what your doing

Please do manchild (feel wierd writing that lulz) any advice and tips are welcome around here

Wicked replies lads, some real good food for thought! Not sure slamming is cheating though tbh, especially if the tune your slamming is, well, a TUUUUNE haha

Peas,

Rico

[procks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFFnl2PFZnM

[Patch]

It's a good idea to make your own edits of Hip-Hop tracks (Ableton Live is to tool of choice!).

A good starting point is to take a sample of the intro (In Hip-Hop, usually (but not always, 8 bars), loop it, and paste it in after the chorus. This give you a nice instrumental part to mix out of.

3 deck techniques are also becoming more common place in Hip-Hop. Take a 16 bar drum loop, and use it to mask the transition between 2 tracks. The 16 bar drum loop will cover the last 8 bars of track 1, and the first 8 bars of track 2. Also works well when the tracks are not in complimentary keys.

[Ben Grimm]

I used to spin hip hop pretty much exclusively (although when I first got my turntables it was because of jungle and drum n bass), and honestly mixing hip hop is all about catching "that spot" in the track you are mixing out of and the track you are mixing into.

Golden age hip hop has a vast and deep catalog of memorable hooks, single verses, even just the stabs from the opener of a song can be memorable enough that you can tease with it but cutting it in on beat with the track you're mixing out of, only to drop it with a slam and everyone will love it, even if the tempo is a somewhat significant change (watch any good DJ drop in Black Sheep's The Choice Is Yours for examples of this).

DJ Premier convinced us all to rock doubles when possible, Qbert showed us that scratching is more than just that wikki-wikki noise, and honestly works well as a transitionary element in mixing. DJ Z-Trip and DJ P showed us that you can make anything hip hop as long as you give it attitude.

The skills that I worked on most when DJ'ing hip hop were back cue'ing (crossfader off, so it isn't heard) as fast as possible, in order to bring a phrase back in on beat, transitioning between tracks that referenced each other via sample choices, using the same lyrics (mixing a track that samples the chorus of the track you're mixing out of, that sort of thing), using horns, sirens, other loud elements in a track as stabs across the last 16 of the track I was mixing out of, and when playing more commercial/top-40 hip hop, just trying to find something put out by Top Secret or Satanic Mashups so I didn't have to play the same damn version that was already all over the radio, or at the very least, using a re-edit/remix/mashup version to mix in and out of a current pop/chart track.

Getting to know the classics in hip hop will allow you to know when a current track references an old track, and might give you ideas on little sound bites to use that will make your mixing resonate with the audience. They may not know WHY they are suddenly nodding their heads, but when you drop the beat, they'll get out and dance, because they've been drawn in by cultural memory.

A lot of hip hop from the late 90s and earlier is going to be out of key because of the way tracks were built from samples recorded at higher speeds and pitched down or adjusted in less-than=a-semitone of pitch simply to fit in, timewise, so trying to mix in key with old hip hop is really, really hard, and can be so hard that it becomes pointless.

Since you say you're using the S4, I'd recommend that you take advantage of the sample decks and go through your collection of hip hop and grab loopable pieces that can connect up between tracks, whether its mostly lyrical, mostly drums, a bassline, a bit of a hook, whatever, just those classic elements that scream hip hop, and also, go and listen to other hip hop dj's. Whether its mixes online, or mix CDs, or at your local clubs, pay attention to what you like and don't like, and note it, and practice what you learn.

Hip hop is really hard to dj, and I don't envy dj's who can only spin top-40 and commercial hip hop at their nights because they really are losing out on so much of the really spirited, raw, gritty stuff that made hip hop so great.

Every once in a while you a really good commercial track that has that, Nas's Hip Hop is Dead was full of classic stuff, you could tease into it or out of it with a ton of tracks, and I loved dropping the original Ray Charles track as the tease into Kayne's Gold Digger as well.

[Buffalo Ill]

Ben - I sure hope you stick around mate!

[Ben Grimm]

Until I get my residency night at that club on the Moon, I'll be around, lol.

[Prohibited]

Nice one boys, thanks again for the replies! More advice here than days of trawling the web haha

Will try that with the three decks, seems a good way to transition and could help the problem with the "dropping" of the flow....

Will also get on and make some edits/transitions, should really spend more time making beats for mixes! Kinda neglected making anything for a while so will use this as a motivation!

Defo need to invest more time in preparing mixing, something that's not really neccessary with EDM (IMO)

That really is some solid advice there Ben, thanks alot!
Not really utilised the sample decks so will concentrate on those for a few days, may find more joy with them if I have better samples to drop, so best start hunting through records!

Some really good edits on your Soundcloud too

Here is n00b question for ya'll, what is "phrasing"? Is it another term for beatmatching?! Or more like dropping the next tune on the "1" just like a slam?!

Think half the problem is I am used to mixing for 2/3mins at a time so just a bit odd to be dropping it in a few seconds!

Thankies

[photojojo]

Here is n00b question for ya'll, what is "phrasing"? Is it another term for beatmatching?! Or more like dropping the next tune on the "1" just like a slam?!

http://www.djtechtools.com/2009/01/2...e-perfect-mix/