A Letter to My DJ

Whadddup stranger? Master of Melodies, Neo-Sound Explorer, Crowd Motivator, and Conductor of F-L-O-W…I miss you and I want you back. Lately you’ve been plenty predictable, sometimes not even noticeable…because frankly, the DJ is no longer the center of the universe. You are an accessory.

You’ve got me feeling empty, uncomfortable, unmotivated, and contemplating whether I should leave for good…

But back in the day you had me dancing in circles…flirting with me from your booth, playing record after record, giving me no other choice but to stay until the crack of dawn….”Okay one more song and we’re out!” But then 2 minutes later…”Oh-no-he-didn’t!” Suddenly I’d find myself willingly stuck…greeting you with a smile as both the lights in the room and sun came up.

I remember you in Junior High when the principal allowed you to DJ our school dances. You gave me my first of many musical experiences…which were rarely played in my home. Not that I grew up restricted, but music didn’t play an integral role in my upbringing. So when you came along, I was hooked! I was a fiend for your mixes and searched the radio frantically for the sounds you played. I practiced new dances in the mirror and my neighbor and I would get our routines together so when you dropped THAT record…we’d be on it.

In high school, life with you got easier and we had the ultimate connection. You influenced my style and had me walking to your beats in my head every time I hit the pavement. My mom was a bit more open to the idea of having you in the house and my sister and I danced to your mélanges in the attic. Once a week I took my allowance, bought a vinyl, and tried to copy your style. Friends would come over and beg to know where I got THAT from! Everyone wanted a dub! Let’s not forget the DJ-over-the-phone-game….Haaaaaaa! Remember those days? “I dedicate this song to you!” (Insert mix tape, press play, lay on the pillow, phone to the ear, breathe…)

But what’s a full high school experience without the House parties!? The chaperones were upstairs while us girls were in the basement, pinned up against a wall by a cutie grinding against our hips. The only light in the entire room came from the corner where your turntables and records were set up. I remember how hyped we’d get when we’d hear the hint of an instrumental creeping in while you faded out that last song, right before you put the record back in the crate. B.L.E.N.D.I.N.G.

In college you were the shhhhhhhhhhhhhit! You set the mood, pace, and dress code for all that was happening on and off campus. We didn’t listen to the radio to hear the newest hit…we went to the parties and witnessed YOU breaking records in for the first time. There were too many parties to choose from and it was often hard to commit to one. So we went to them all and watched you work the room with your hand maneuvering and musical selection. Your match-making skills were impeccable as well. You always seemed to know what to drop at that exact moment a Shorty decided to join another on the dance floor…singing all in each other’s ear…Who could hold up the wall with you spinning? And I remember back then…it was okay to sweat, (because it was a sign that you had a good time!) So we all went home W.E.T.

Later I learned more from you during my internships and various industry gigs. That’s when I decided I may want to try this all myself. I took notes and appreciated the fact that you came in many forms and gave variety its definition. Seems like in those days you had a bit more freedom to play what you thought was “hot” vs. what management dictated you should play. Now you seem to want to please too many people from record labels, to corporate America, to your critics who seem to get younger and more disconnected from what REAL music is. *sigh*

And don't get me wrong...I know you feel the pressures of mainstream/commercial radio. You feel like you need to play what's “HOT” right now. (Look at your sources!) Between the music video shows, radio stations playing the same song 2-3 times an hour at-the-same-time, manufactured BEEFS between camps just to guarantee a major hit, and club owners, promoters & PD’s choreographing your play list….I’m surprised you still have the energy or desire to keep going. But once we started to predict the order of songs you’d play….we discovered a bigger problem. Plus you squeeze in so many songs in one set! There’s no need to prove what you have in your collection! We know you have it…you’re supposed to. You’re a DJ.

Remember when you were the headliner? Today DJ’s doesn’t get the same amount of respect. It’s the year of the IPods and the new way to blend which we call…the UNBLEND: cutting off records which sound more like nails on a chalk board. Now what do we have to look forward to besides open bar and the occasional live performance from an artist? Shout outs over a Biggie beat?

Let me remind you of YOU and your worth:

YOU were the reason we wanted to get to the club at a decent time…not because of free drinks before midnight. YOU were the determining factor on whether or not we should even go! But if we saw your name on the flyer, not even the flakey door guy could keep us from you! YOU were what we talked about on the way there and when we left the party. YOU were the reason we didn’t necessarily need a dance partner…eyes closed, one hand in the air, following YOUR lead…vibing with YOU. YOU were the KING of the mid day mix and the surprise guest at the summer barbeques. YOU were the most important detail at the wedding, step show, after party, and yes….the club. Promoters didn’t tell you how much they’d pay you, YOU’d tell them. YOU broke records in a non conventional way and were the stamp-of-approval artists needed in order to get sales. The DJ’s cosign was like gold and you were respected because of that. Now artists are sh*tting on DJ’s like they sh*t on bloggers and in this day of technology….they need both.

So I dare YOU to bring YOU back. I double-dog-dare-you to play MUSIC vs. a slew of curses and derogatory terms disguised as a mix. I dare you to keep your shout outs to a minimum and I challenge you to NOT play that one current popular record more than 2 times tonight. Sheesh! Let’s see if you can get me up from my table, on to the middle of the dance floor. You think I wore these heels NOT to be seen? C’mon Son!

I don’t mean to be harsh, but I need you to know this…because I’ve no-ticed. I miss you, but not from a lover’s point of view, but as a fan. You taught me how to soul-clap like a mom teaches her daughter how to walk in heels. Played that record that made me say “daaaaamn...I haven't heard that in a minute!” Don’t you miss that “ooooooooh” sound we’d all make when you’d throw on an import remix that no one has heard? How about that song on that album that wasn't released as a single but you know is HOTTTT!?! Yeah…that one. And I loved it when you created your very own hypnotic fused melodies of wonderful vocals over that unsuspecting Hip Hop music bed. You did that and you did it well.

You love music and you love to DJ. Do what you love for the love of the craft and don’t lose yourself in politics, peer pressure, PDs, podcasts, and people coming up to you with peculiar requests. Because this new YOU isn’t YOU and I don’t know how much longer I can stay.

Love, M.O.C.H.A

*Much respect to some of the DJs I’ve followed over the years... Red Alert, Darrel James, SnS, Jazzy, Frank Ski, Cosi, Premier, Jazzy Joyce, Coco Channel, Sting International, Irie, Craig G, LSONE, Spinna , The old Funk Master Flex , Backspin, Lennox, Mustafa & Crime, Bizmarkie, NVS Styles, Severe, Bobby Konders, Rob Dinero , Naturally, Spinbad , Walshy, D-Nice and all the DJs who are hungry, humble and wholeheartedly trying to make their mark in the industry…SALUTE!

And my 1st adult crush: Qool DJ Marv….the only DJ I followed from club to club to club to club. Mica Bar, Ludlow, Bar 6, Izzy, 2 I’s, U.B.I.Q.U.I.T.A, Guernica and more… Thanks for making sure I NEVER got carded.

ONE.