DJ Biting: DJs Jackin DJs

Related to Elements: DJ, Biting

The phenomenon of DJ Jacking is not as scarce as you might think it is.  DJs downloading circulated mp3s for their mixes is no big shocker.  One of the many realities of the Internet is how it puts billions of TBs of mp3s out there for anyone with a high speed connection to claim as their own.  Yet the idea of a DJ stealing from another DJs mixtape for the sole purpose of putting it into his or her own mixtape seemed so faux pas, I didn't think anyone would ever admit to doing it, much less ask how to do it.  

I was wrong, this kind of thing happens, it is a real issue. 

Read the DJForums.com Poll.  (<=Fair warning, long thread, drama)
Read the DiggersWithGratitude.com Poll. (<= less drama, more on point)

Forget about whether or not this can be done, we all know current technology not only makes this very easy and on top of that 100% free. 

So here is a question based on DJ ethics...  Do you think downloading another DJs mixtape (either a mixed mixtape or unmixed compilation of underground or exclusive Hip Hop Joints) and harvesting one or two songs for use in your own mix for whatever reason is acceptable?  Would you do it?

Keep in mind this question has nothing to do with harvesting samples from a mixtape for production reasons.  The question is specifically about removing a song from another DJs finished mixtape, masking the fact that it ever even was on a mix by either editing it, or covering up DJ drops, and mixing it into their own.  

I'm not gonna mince words, this is blatant DJ biting.  Yeah, I know, biting is not new to Hip Hop, but this form is the lowest of low.  What's next?  How about an MC literally stealing the audio vocals from another MCs A Capella, and pasting it in his own song, and then fronting like that was really him rapping.

Try not to get caught up into all the possible scenarios of why someone might try to do this, the choices are simply yes or no.  Comment if you are undecided, or have questions, but this is a black and white issue.  If you are voting, you must pick a side of the issue to stand on.

If you feel like explaining your vote, it goes without saying that comments are always welcome.

 

POLL: 

Is it OK for a DJ to extract a song from another DJs finished mixtape for the purpose of mixing it in their own mixtape?

80s Video Archives Pt 2: The Disco Fever Reunion Show feat. MC Chill

Related to Elements: MC, B-Boy, Old School, True School

See Also: Part 1

Another fuzzy but fantastic VHS to DVD to Youtube video coming at cha, this one's from 1986!  As the story goes, on April 4^th, 1986, The celebrated night club The Disco Fever was closed.  Later that year, Video Music Box celebrated the Disco Fever’s 10 year anniversary of inception with a reunion of Disco Fever headliners and regulars at the Devils Nest in South Bronx.  After a brief introduction, this video features “red carpet” appearances by Jam Master Jay and the rest of Run DMC, the Fat Boys, Jalil and Whodini, The Real Roxanne, Grandmixer DST, MC Chill, Dr Jeckel and Mr Hyde, DJ Galaxy, Rahiem and other members of the Furious 5, Mr. Magic, and ex-owner of Disco Fever Sal Abbatiello.   

Sweet G as it is plain to see in the place to be.

Sweet G kicks off the show with a short speech about why the Disco Fever closed, before MC Chill takes the stage as the opening act with a live version of MC Story.  This video features some top notch b-boying footage before after and during the live music.   

MC Chill telling an MC Story.

 

This is fairly long video, so I broke it up into shorter more manageable clips featuring individual performances.  

Stay tuned, part 2 of this tape is up next, featuring more historic live performances.   (Note: Regarding the audio quality, I had to clean up the audio significantly, it was barely audible and had tons of tape noise, so I did what I could to make this video more enjoyable without detracting from the sound too much.)  Enjoy!

 Click here to watch larger view of the video at youtube.

"C" is for Crate Digging: Sesame Street Records 101 Pt. 2

Related to Elements: DJ, Crate Digging, Sampling,

See Also: "C" is for Crate Digging: Sesame Street Records 101 Pt. 1.  

Yesterday, while digging in my local record store's crates, I found a 3 LP box set I didn't have called Muppet Masquerade...

Well, it was supposed to be 3 LPs & 7 masks, but since it's a used kid record it had only 1 mask and 2 beat up and colored on LPs which had me looking like this guy...

Before walking away from the deal I noticed it had something else stacked underneath the sleeves in the box.  A whole heap of autographed OG Sesame Street promotional photos!  These were not intended to be included in this box set!  In other words, some groupie kid went to Sesame Street Live! and had a backstage pass and got these press-photos "autographed".  Sure, a record was missing, masks were missing, but the vinyl completionist collecting bug was temporarily quelled regardless since the press photos were included for mere 6 bucks.  This is essentially a "Best Of" collection, and most of the songs I have on other records, so this was a no-brainer addition to my Sesame Street Record collection.

70s hair in full effect for the original cast.

  

God I miss Mr Hooper!   He was the greatest cast member ever.

   

David rockin' the chops with a very young Maria.

Gordon and his sweetheart Olivia.  Were they married?

Back in the days when Snuffy was Big Bird's Imaginary Friend.  I used to yell at the TV "He's right there!"

Ahh, the good old days...  When kids TV was not nearly as A.D.D as Sponge Bob.

80s Video Archives Pt 1: The Big Break Dance Contest 1983 Live at the Roxy

Related to Elements: B-Boy, Old School, True School

Digging through my old Hip Hop DVD-Rs, I stumbled upon this historic gem from 1983; The Big Break Dance Contest Live at the Roxy 1983 Full Video!  This is the complete historical performance remastered from the original VHS recordings it was taped to.  It's over 21 minutes of ground breaking live footage featuring 1983 B-Boy crews, the Magnificent Force, Uptown Express, the Fantastic Duo, the Flash Dancers, Larry Watson and Jason Twigg, the Heartbreakers, and the Dynamic Breakers.  This B-Boy contest was hosted by Leslie Uggams, co-hosted by Carlos De Jesus, and includes celebrity judges Anita Morris, football great Hershel Walker, All My Childrens' Debbie Morgan and Darnell Williams, Earl 'the Pearl' Monroe, Disco Fever Owner Sal Abbatiello, WABC News Anchor John Johnson, Saturday Night Fever and Beat Street Choreographer Lester Wilson, and artist Lillo Thomas.  Also features a short introductory documentary on the early Hip Hop culture featuring interviews with Afrika Bambaataa and other members of the Zulu Nation.  On top of all that it includes a 1983 Burger King Hip Hop commercial from the airing, which was purposefully included to complete the throw-back vibe.  The winners of the contest received $2500, an appearance on New York Hot Tracks, and a key roll in the movie Beat Street.  If you know the movie, you know who won the contest!  Enjoy!

I'm relieved I finally rediscovered this footage, because the DVD-R was fading fast, so I knew the program had to be rescued and shared for prosperity.  Unfortunately, the sound was barely audible and only on the right channel.  I had to remove a lot of tape noise and duplicate the right channel to the left and I significantly boosted the volume and bass.  The recording had a pause-button break in the middle of it right near the end when the winners were being announced that needed editing.  After hours and hours of playing around with the audio and video editing it, I'm proud to share it with all the B-Boys and B-girls looking to reminisce.  

While the Roxy may have closed its doors a few years ago, as long as footage like this continues to be shared, its legacy to Hip Hop and pop culture will never be forgotten.  Please share this video with those who will appreciate it and as always feel free to comment on it. 

ALSO...

If you aren't already a member, please JOIN US and discuss it in more depth on this THREAD at Official Periodic's Crate Digging: Hip Hop Music Forum.  Any information and discussion you can bring to the table will be greatly appreciated!

Stillmatic: 80s Hip Hop Video Stills Pt. 2

Risking electrocution for a request.

 

Related to Elements: MC, DJ, Video Music Box, Yo! MTV Raps, Rap City...

SEE ALSO: Stillmatic: 80s Hip Hop Video Stills Pt. 1

Rap videos of the 1980s have so much great throw back imagery just waiting to be tapped into.  So I took some time and went through my video collection and screen shot some stills for prosperity.  Like all photographs on this blog, these images are royalty free for you to use for any reason you choose.  

Head spin on a corded phone, no problem!

Rock Master Scott - Request Line

Beastie Boys - Hold It Now, Hit It

 

 Fat Boys - Fat Boys are Back

De La Soul - Me, Myself and I

Young Rox rocks a mic with Marley Marl on DJ duty

 Roxanne Shante - Roxanne's Revenge

Whistle - Just Buggin'

"C" is for Crate Digging: Sesame Street Records 101

Old School as Ever...  The Original Sesame Street Cast

Related to Elements: DJ, Crate Digging, Sampling,

I like records of any genre almost indiscriminately.  Yet, even as an avid crate digger, I never thought I'd end up carefully hoarding and cherishing my Sesame Street Records collection. 

Cover of Original Cast Sesame Street Book & Record

It all started with this first one, the Original Cast Sesame Street Book & Record from the year 1970.  My wife had a bunch of old records from her childhood that I pillaged.  This beat up copy was at the back of the crate.  As you would expect with most kids records, it was basically destroyed, marked up with crayon, pages were ripped out of it, it was a mess, but for that reason I dropped a needle on it years ago, hoping to find a few scratch samples to play with no guilt of damaging a record.  To my surprise it was really funky.  Way beyond funky in fact.  This original Sesame Street Theme I noticed was even better then the one I can remember as a kid.  So I patiently scanned through the rest of the scratchy record hoping that there was even more funky goodness just itching to be scratched.  Sure enough, it was loaded with all kinds of potential DJ battle sounds and random sample-worthy snippets.  So I put it in my scratch tools crate and really, that should have been the end of the story.

A page from the Original Cast book reveals that their color blind art department was underpaid.  Oscar is orange.

Fast forward about 5 years...  Along comes an unbeatable proposal from my super sister in law.  At the time she was working for Sesame Street Live! and was responsible for helping choose music for the show.  Digging through her company's vaults for song ideas she stumbled upon a large stack of original Sesame Street records her company acquired years ago.  They sat and gathered dust for years since the company didn't even have a working turntable any longer.  While the records had great show material on them she had no way to listen to them.

That's where I came in.  She knew I had turntables and recording software set up and ready to go, and she also knew my weakness for collecting wax.  The deal: I get to keep all the records after I recorded them all and burnt them all to CD for her.  Lucky for me her company had no desire or use for the records themselves, just the music on them.  I gladly came to the rescue and added these records to my personal crates.  Keep in mind, what really is great about this, is that these kids records were never touched by kids!  They are all in excellent condition because they are practically unplayed!

Sesame Street 2 Original Cast.  They are back!  I still miss Mister Hooper!

 

 

Sesame Street: Concert On Stage - Live!

What Time Is It On Sesame Street?  Oh look, the clock still has both of it's hands on it!  MONEY!

Gatefold collage artwork inside What Time is It On Sesame Street?

 

 

 

 

 

Sesame Street Sing Along!  The honkers!!!

 

Bert & Ernie Sing-Along

The Best of Ernie. This one is great!

Sesame Street Everybody's Record.  Just in case you forgot where your arm is.  Ernie's antics never get old.

Sesame Street Aren't You Glad You're You?  Why, yes I am, thank you!

Sesame Street Monsters!  Don't worry, they are nice monsters, not scary monsters.  Scary dopeness!

Sesame Street: The Count Counts.  One of my favorites, loaded with number scratchables!

Sesame Street Happy Birthday!

Sesame Country.  I thought I would not like this one, but its one of the best!

After I recorded all the music to CD for her, they were mine!  But now I had a new problem on my hands.  I was still missing some classics.  I can't just settle for a partial collection of Sesame Street records, I didn't even have "C" is for Cookie for God's sake!  So naturally, I've been diligently scouring the Internet, and slowly but surely I have been filling in the gaps as I find them.

Here are the latest editions to my collection...

Susan Sings Songs From Sesame Street  Ahh, the lovely Susan and her soulful vocal chords.

Sesame Street Just the Two of Us (Double Album) 

 

 

Just the Two of us includes the quintessential Cookie Monster - "C" is for Cookie album and Grover Sings!

Just the Two of Us Gatefold.  While you are listening, help cookie monster find the magic cookie!

The Village Soul Choir Sesame Street Theme  The most soulful Sesame Street version I have ever heard. 

and finally yesterday, this arrived...

Cookie Monster and the Girls - "C" is for Cookie (Ninja Tune Records)

That is my grail!  Not only does it have the legendary Larry Levan's first ever disco mix on it, it also has an unstoppable DJ Food edit of the Pinball Number Song by the Pointer Sisters.  I have been wanting that song on record since I was a kid, and now finally, I got it!  DJ Food edits this down to the meat and potatoes without detracting from the original in any way.  He made it mix friendly, and I am forever thankful.   LISTEN TO A SNIPET of it at Official Periodic Forum. 

Yeah, I know, I'm still missing countless important Sesame Street joints.  On the top of my list is the obscure and elusive Roosevelt Franklin records.


Long story short, this collection serves two valuable purposes.  It not only brings back fond childhood memories, it also has become my yet-to-be-used Hip Hop sample pallet.  There will be a Sesame Street themed album or mix coming out of my studio at some point.  I can't wait to put this innocent throw-back vibe in ya ears.  Stay tuned, I'll drop an update here once it's materialized. 


See also: Sesame Street Discography

 As always, comments, and recommendations are absolutely welcome here, add on!