Hip-Hop DJ’s?
It seems that there is a scarcity of Hip-Hop DJ’s on this forum and many others. Anyone care to sound off as to why you think this is true? I enjoy good house/electro/etc, but I like to mix in a fair share of rap/hip-hop. Anyone else?
I think it is because there is a large amount of hip hop music that is too gimmicky and no one really likes that feel. Though the gimmicky feel of some tracks across all genres is disliked the shear volume of gimmicky tracks that come out ofthe Hip Hop genre is just to large. I myself like some hip hop but it is really hard to find the
I was born with my 2 older brothers into hip-hop and i still have a love for it. Its harder when your trying to keep people dancing to play. I have seen A LOT of mixes on dj heros with raps that sound like you can dance to them. So at the moment i’ve been playing dj hero to see how they make a normal hip hop song into a full blown dancing song.
I would say you don’t see a lot of hip hop DJs for a few reasons. Mixing techniques are more beat juggling, acapella blends, and less about using effects and more about timecode vinyl and keeping it basic and less about midi and loops. Cue points are important for scratching and blends. Most of the real big hip hop DJs that I know think with a few exceptions, that no good hip hop has come out since about 2005, that hip hop started dying a slow death around 2000. But I will tell you that I have heard from some real credible sources that this year will be a HUGE revolution in hip hop, so keep your eyes open.
I can understand that, in terms of hip-hop itself, not really DJ related, Hip-Hop is going to have an enormous year. Rap is “cliquing” (grouping) up for the first time since Wu-Tang, Tribe, etc. It’s really exciting
In terms of rap being “too gimicky” I can completely understand, Drake, Lil’ Wayne, etc, have ruined the radio and I hate when people ask me to play it at gigs.
most hip hop dj’s spin on Serato… not saying its better for hip hop it just happened that way for whatever reason.
If you go on the Serato forums most of those guys spin hip hop… hardly any spin any form of EDM. It’s almost the exact opposite of this forum.
I spin hip hop and use Traktor though.
+1
I spin a lot of hip hop, and yeah, most of my hip hop friends are all on Serato. I’d have to agree that good hip hop has been dying since 2000, at least the charted “Billboard” type of hip hop… Underground has always survived pretty strong and I’ve heard a lot of great hip hop that’s been released in the last decade or so. I do believe it’s up for a little revolution though.
I think the main thing here about lack of hip hop guys on most digital DJing forums is that most hip hop guys are on Serato and don’t really care as much about controllers. Most use external mixers, vinyl tables, timecode, and maybe some dicers or something for cues and loops. Of course with the new 62, that’s covered in the mixer itself anyway…
I really don’t know why most hip hop DJ’s are on Serato but it’s definitely the case. I’m on Traktor and love playing classic hip hop, again it’s not really the tools it’s how you use it.
As much as I love playing hip hop it kinda stops at the classics for me, I don’t play Drake or Lil Wayne and the rate that good hip hop comes out compared to all the other genres, especially EDM, is really slow.
I helped out another DJ in town here by throwing him a bunch of hip hop I had and it was sad to say but seems like once you have a lot of the classics your hip hop collection won’t need to be any bigger for commercial clubs. Underground club will appreciate any of the underground hip hop because they don’t care if “they can dance to it”.
I think attention spans have a lot to do with it too. For hip hop it seems like once they’ve heard one verse and chorus it’s time to get onto the next one.
I have seen A LOT of mixes on dj heros with raps that sound like you can dance to them.
It’s because Hip-Hop DJ’s are too busy PRACTICING to post on forums…
Yes go to the Serato forums and you’ll find more Hip Hop Dj’s than house Dj’s there…myself being one of them 
The reason why more Hip Hop DJ’s play on Serato is because of the timecode. When Final Scratch/Traktor came out the timecode was very buggy, Serato came out with a better timecode system at the time. If you were a house DJ you could easily play on CD’s, but hip hop DJ’s used turntables so the logical choice over carrying crates was Serato. The product has progressed and the hip hop culture has embraced SSL.
You don’t see many hip hop DJ’s here for that same reason — for the most part this is a “tech tools” forum. Centered ALOT around Traktor, midi mappings, midi controllers, etc. and that caters more to the house DJ. Even worse are the amount of comments posted when someone discusses playing top 40 and that they’d rather shoot themselves than play that kind of music. I think it’s just the crowd this place attacts. Not many hip hop DJ’s.
yeah, I’m about 50/50 on the top40/hip-hop and other electronic music, so I can vibe with both sides. I feel the serato forum is more working djs and here is more geared towards enthusiast, niche djing.
+1
QFT
I primarily spin Hip-Hop, I use VDJ. Their forum’s got mostly hip-hop and mobile/wedding djs. They’re kind of boring, so I hang out here with you guys. 
hey! i try to make it interesting for mapping, and try to teach people the tools to do it themselves LOL ;p!
hop hop was resurrected for me when a tribe called quest toured, then quickly died when they left… busta & M.O.P. would be awesome to see again though… and the roots would be cool.. and i’d give my left nut to see ONYX… just checked their schedule GONNA SEE 'EM IN JUNE! HELLS YEAH!!!
Onyx, eh? That takes me back!
Hmmm - listening to onyx right now. Previous track was Beatnuts, and iirc the next is The Lords Of The Underground …
Ohms - throw win some Souls and a little Guru and we’ve got a party!
93 to Infinity is one of my favorite songs man… I don’t play it often enough!