DMC NOLA x Redbull Music Academy Presents: "A Night Of Champions"

Soooooooooo... Here's the official info.

DMC NOLA is now in its fourth year. I'm so proud of the love and support the city has shown to the DMC organization. You've come out every year in full force and we've had some great battles. Well a lot has happened within DMC in those four years. Most notably the addition of Serato and other DVS (Digital Vinyl Systems) programs into the competition. This addition is probably one of the most important thing to happen to dj battles in history. As the competition evolves with technology, a dj's possiblilities are now endless. We can now use these rare grooves that we would've never dared to subject to the punishment of a DMC routine. We can now use our own produced tracks. We can now use tracks that were never ever available on vinyl. In short the battle is better, and the playing field has been leveled.

That said, my friends at Redbull Music Academy have co-opted an event in conjunction with DMC and the NCAA Final Four basketball championship. On Sunday, the off day of the tournament, we are staging the DMC NOLA Regional Qualifier along with a 2-on-2 BBoy Battle, and club sets from Dj Shiftee (2007, 2009 World Champion) and Dj Vajra fresh off his 2011 World Championship, Dj Spin (2011 Redbull Thre3Style Champion) and the Stooges Brass Band (Winner of Redbull Street Kings Brass Band Battle).

In the midst of this heated basketball championship, we bring you a competiton. We also bring you past DJ champions at the height of their careers. It is a brilliantly curated idea, and I'm proud to be able to bring this AMAZING event to all of you.

Here's how the event will break down:

6:00 pm - Doors open and shortly afterward Dj Shiftee will be doing a showcase using the newest Native Instruments controller NOT AVAILABLE YET TO THE PUBLIC.

7:00 The prelimonary round of the DMC battle will begin. Each dj who has signed up will perform a two (2) minute routine for the judges. From that initial round, six (6) finalists will be chosen.

7:45 The final round of the battle will begin. Each dj will have six (6) minutes to thoroughly impress the judges. If you have never seen a DMC battle before, IT IS INTENSE. These these guys practice sometimes for months to perform a six minute routine. They pull out all the stops and their main goal is to amaze the audience.

8:45 The winners are announced. There will be a first, second, and third place winner announced. Prizes will be awarded, and victory laps taken.

RBMA "A Night of Champions" begins...

9:00 Dj Spin will do his thing along side the Stooges Brass Band while the Bboy & Bgirls warm up for the battle.

10:00 The BBoy Battle begins... If you have never witnessed a BBoy battle, there is very little I can do here to describe it. Its like if dancing, acrobatics, and kung fu had a baby. That baby would be a BBoy.

11:00 The Winners of the BBoy Battle are announced, prizes awarded and victory laps taken.

11:10 DJ Vajra will control the turntables showcasing his World Class dj skills for all to dance and party!!

12:45 DJ Shiftee will take the party to another level as he closes out the night for all the hardcore party-goers.

*If you're a deejay and want to enter DMC NOLA here's what you've got to do:

TO REGISTER :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DJs must register by or before 11:59pm on March 31st, 2012 by writing to DMC USA’s Christie Z-Pabon at usa@dmcworld.com with the following info:

Which city/battle you are entering?
DJ Name
First Name & Last Name
Complete Address, Apt or House
City
State
Zip
Phone
Email
Website, facebook, twitter, etc.
Crew affiliation
Which mixer do you prefer: Rane TTM 56S or Rane TTM 57SL
Please answer honestly Yes or No to this question:
Are you a US Citizen or have you lived in the US for at least 6 yrs and can prove it?

If you've got any questions, feel free to email them to me (skratchere@redbullmusicacademy.com or Christie Z. Pabon (usa@dmcworld.com)

Thanks for your continuing support... SEE EVERYONE ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Redbull Music Academy: New Orleans Session 3/26/12

Red Bull Music Academy New Orleans Session

This Monday, March 26th, Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) comes to Frenchmen Street for a New Orleans Session to give local music makers a chance to experience a taste of the academy and learn more about its application process.

The event will unfold in two parts.

From 6:30-8:30p, RBMA will host a live conversation series with legendary hip hop artist DJ Total Eclipse and former RBMA alumni Jneiro Jarel and Alexei Michailowsky.

Jneiro and Alexei will kick-off things off by discussing their individual backgrounds and music and how their musical paths lead them to be participants at RBMA in 2003 & 2004, respectively. Jneiro is an innovative producer who originally hails from New York, but recently relocated to New Orleans. He has developed several musical alter-egos over the years including Dr Who Dat and Willie Isz, and he is currently one half of the innovative new hip hop act JJ Doom, along with MF Doom. Alexei is a pianist from Brazil, who gravitated towards synthesizers and electronic music early in his musical pursuits. He now teaches electronic music at college in Brazil and is currently working on a PhD project around the music of legendary Brazilian composer Marcos Valle. The two RBMA alumni hail from two different continents but have remained friends after meeting at RBMA 2004 in Rome, and they are currently experimenting with reworking Valle's music with a collaborative spirit.

DJ Total Eclipse will then share his story with guests of the session. Total E is a pioneering turntablist from New York City who was an original member of the X-ecutioners turntablist crew. He will be discussing how New York City influenced his artistic endeavours and how the X-men revolutionized the perception of the turntable as an instrument.

At 9:30p, the RBMA New Orleans session will kick into another gear, with an after-party hosted by Glen David Andrews and his band on their regular Monday night Frenchmen Street gig. GDA is one of the best live performers in the city and is welcoming the NOLA RBMA session into his Monday night residency to get a first-hand glimpse of different styles of music. The night will unfold as follows:

Live Conversation Series
6:30-7:30 Alexei Michailowsky & Jneiro Jarel (RBMA alumni)
7:30-8:30 Total Eclipse (legendary turntablist of X-ecutioners from NYC)

Live on Stage
9:30-10:15 Glen David Andrews Band
10:15-11:15 Jniero Jarel & Alexei Michailowsky (electronic tribute to Marcos Valle's music of Brazil)
11:15-12:15 Glen David Andrews Band
12:15-1:15 DJ Total Eclipse (rare funk breaks and classic era NYC hip hop set)
1:15-Until Glen David Andrews Band (improv closing with possible collaborations)

All events will take place at d.b.a. located at 618 Frenchmen St in New Orleans. There is no cover for the earlier session if you RSVP to skratchere@redbullmusicacademy.com prior to 3p on 3/26/12. Otherwise there is a $5 cover for the night and attendees must be 21 years of age.

Select sets from the evening will be recording and available for streaming later at redbullmusicacademyradio.com.

About RBMA:

The Red Bull Music Academy is a world-travelling series of music workshops and festivals: a platform for those who shape our musical future. Past lecturers since 1998 include Bob Moog, Steve Reich, Erykah Badu, Chuck D, Tony Allen, Bootsy Collins, Sly & Robbie, M.I.A., Mark Ronson, Kode9, Moodymann or Moritz von Oswald. Each year, two groups of 30 selected participants - producers, vocalists, DJs, instrumentalists, and all around musical mavericks from around the globe - are selected from close to 10,000 applications to come together in a new city each year for two weeks worth of recording sessions, lectures by musical luminaries, and unforgettable late night jams.

The 2012 Academy will be held in New York City this fall, and RBMA is currently accepting applications. All applicants must be 21 years of age on or before September 30, 2012 and all applications must be postmarked by April 2nd, 2012. For more information or to download an application, visit redbullmusicacademy.com.

Red Bull Music Academy Radio is the Academy's web radio station that features 1000s of exclusive live recordings, interviews, mixes, and documentary-style feature shows - with more uploaded each day. Launched as a spin-off of the Red Bull Music Academy workshop series in 2005, RBMA Radio has taken giant leaps over the past years, building a vast resource of content from more than 50 countries right across the globe. Start listening now at redbullmusicacademyradio.com. Search "New Orleans" to find sets recorded in New Orleans or featuring New Orleans artists.

Reflections of the love you took from me...

So, I've just taken some time out to reflect on things. Basically things are good, but you know life is really what you make of it. I'm struggling and striving to do more every day. Maintaining focus and clarity are probably the two hardest things for me to do besides, quitting smoking and quitting procrastination. I'm glad to be alive to be going through it with all of you. I don't really have anything profound or even interesting to say today, except:

RIP Aaliyah!!! I wish I could have known you...XOXOX!!!!!!!!


Sincerely,

A Fan

The Skateboarding Analogy

So I've been having a lot of discourse with my non-deejay friends, about my open letter to deejays blog. I don't want to be jaded, so I felt the need to better understand exactly what has happened. Was I really over-reacting?? Was I right on the money?

The feedback I got was overwhelming from my deejay friends. They all applauded it. But it was my non-deejay friends that still didn't get it. After a lot thought, I've come up with what I think is the most appropriate analogy. So ladies and gentlemen, I give you my skateboarding analogy...

The following was pulled from my post on the the turntablist network's message board...

Read original thread

My problem with the current paradigm is that somewhere along the way someone came along and altered the rules... Your "look" or "image" became more important than your skill set or your talent as a producer/composer. DVS systems have only stood to reinforce this trend, because no longer did your average dj have to start at the bottom, spending lots of money buying records and countless hours learning how to mix. He could simply jump ahead in the line over the djs with superior music knowledge and the collections to match. It made it easy for them to learn to mix records. It's also allowed promoters to start calling the shots instead of the djs themselves. Even worse is the promoter/dj who thinks he's a better dj than anyone he could possibly book. Somehow, someway the integrity has been stolen from us.

I believe it happened so fast we didn't even have time to react. Or we possibly just blamed it on a "new trend" as we all scrambled to get Serato, Final Scratch or whatever else was commercially available at the time. While most of us were spending our time arguing about traditionalism or purism on message boards such as this one, these people were re-writing the rules to include themselves.

This has been a sore subject with me lately and I've done plenty of arguing about it.

The best way to understand what has happened is by using a skateboard analogy.

A skateboarder starts out at the bottom of the sport. Then by practice, dedication, and lots of studying, he begins to progress. As he is progressing, the sport is also progressing along with him. Therefore, it becomes a lot harder with each passing day for the skateboarder to become recognized and a whole helluva lot harder for him to become famous. Eventually once he has matured or developed his own style, he begins to seek out the approval of his skateboarding peers. Either he starts going to contests or he makes his own "sponsor me" video to send out to companies. That becomes his first foray into marketing. Not until YEARS into his career does he ever become concerned with trying to market himself. And he surely wouldn't have anything to market if he hadn't spend a good chunk of his life dedicated to the sport. If he couldn't do any tricks or he didn't have any style do you think he would ever win a contest or get sponsored or gain any sort of acceptance from the "Old guard" skateboarders????

Why is skateboarding like this? SKATEBOARDING is run and policed by other SKATEBOARDERS or former SKATEBOARDERS. There is a system in place to prevent outsiders from changing the rules.

Essentially what has happened here, is akin to a gang of skateboarders that become pros and took over modern skateboarding simply because they bought skateboards. Instead of learning tricks, they just learned how to market themselves. Instead of going to contests or making sponsorship videos, they just started acting like they were already pro. We've essentially been gotten over on by a bunch of posers. A whole bunch of people who walk around holding their skateboards that are talented enough to ollie onto a curb have basically taken over and made doing fancy tricks and actually having talent obsolete.

Think about it. Prior to the DVS trend, it was the dj who had the most talent and or records that would get to dj the big parties. Why? They earned their position. What we've got to figure out is HOW DO WE TAKE THE POWER BACK?? How do we change the rules back to the way they used to be?? What do we have to do to restore the natural order in the dj game??



Thus is the crux of my argument... Now let's get to work on fixing things...

Michel Gondry, your videos are awesome...

I feel the need to big up one of my favorite music video directors... He's the director of The Science Of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind... He's brilliant!









Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did!!! Also check out the Daft Punk's Around the World video. I would've added it, but I couldn't embed it.

Anyone remember when RapCity played good videos??

WHO THE F*CK IS ALLOWING THIS NEW ORLEANS??? An open letter to the pervayors of coolness...

OK, I've got to voice my opinion on something... Who the fuck started letting hipsters and outsiders make the rules in the dj game??? So it's time for an open letter... "Deejays" (and yes the quotation marks are completely necessary) if you get offended by this, than I'm talking about you. If you've got a problem with me or anything I say, you're welcome to take it up with me in the street or on the turntables. It's your choice.

Before I begin, let me first outline who I'm NOT talking about...

If you have owned turntables, CDJs or some other dj device for MORE THAN 2 years, I'm not talking about you.

If you have a record, or CD collection comparable to your MP3 HD collection, I'm not talking about you.

If you actively support local music stores, local djs, local musicians and any local scene NOT created by you or crew of people, I'm not talking about you.

For the rest of you it's time for a little accountability and some muthaF*cking QUALITY CONTROL...

Dear "DEEJAYS" of New Orleans,

I'm sure your first question is WHO THE FUCK IS THIS GUY TELLING ME WHAT'S WHAT?? Well, I've been deejaying for 15 years. I started out alone as a Hip Hop deejay/graffiti writer/skateboarder. Since learning about the doctrine of Hip Hop, I lived the phrase "EACH ONE TEACH ONE TO REACH ONE." That's what I have always done... I am a teacher and a mentor first and anything else second. This in essence is what I'm trying to do with this open letter. In my own way, I want you to see what it looks like from an experienced and passionate deejay's perspective how you are shitting on our artform.

After 5 years of rigorous practice with my DEEJAY Crew, I began to enter battles. If you are unfamiliar with dj battles, here are a list of championship caliber djs now making a good living today : Qbert, Babu, Rhetmattic, J-Rocc, Melo D, Shortkut, Klever, Craze, A Trak, Roc Raida, Rob Swift, Total Eclipse, I-Dee, Precision, Teeko, etc... If you don't know any of those names, please get out a gun and shoot yourself in the private parts to assure that you can never procreate and pass your ignorance on to anyone else. Now I'm not saying those are the only good deejays in the country, there are other deejays who are good in their own rights. I'm just saying that each of these afforementioned deejays has earned the right to call themselves a Champion, and each of these individuals also has earned the respect of their peers. There is a quantatative/qualitative reason why these djs are superior... knowledge, technique and execution.

There are many ways in which deejays earn each other's respect. Having an extensive record collection, and the accompanying music knowlege to go along with said collection is one way. A keen sense of what to play and when to play it (knowing how to work and read your crowd) is another way. Technical deejay skill is yet another way. I'm lumping mixing, scratching, beat juggling and trick mixing into one category because only another real deejay recognizes each individual aspect separately.

I see you with your big expensive Macbooks and your Serato. I hear how horrible you sound because you have no idea what the EQ does with your mixer LEDs in SOLID RED. I see you pathetically trying to act the part. I see you cheating the system. I see you, and I do not respect you... neither does anyone else.

You think you are cool and unique, when you are just new. I've seen people like you drop in and out for years now. You refuse to play the game, you think in some way you are above seeking the approval of your peers. You think that the game is changing just to tailor itself to you and your "cult of cool". Well, that's not how it works. Some how here in New Orleans, a city not historically known for it's deejay talent, what you do hasn't been checked by anyone. Well welcome to QUALITY CONTROL. YOU see, bullshit like this doesn't fly in L.A., Chicago, Miami, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Seattle, NYC, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco, any other major city BUT HERE... in New Orleans a city with one of the richest musical traditions in the country you guys are out here embarrassing us. Do you realize that by doing this the tourists that come through the city think that this is the norm and not the exception? Do realize how much of a slap in the face this is to the record collecting deejay? Do you understand the need for peer review, accountablility and quality control?

There are deejays in every major city that make well over six figures. Why not here?? It's because deejays like YOU are collectively lowering the bar and destroying peoples expectations of what to expect from the nightlife here. Whether it's bar owners putting their friends on to "dj" at their bar on peak nights or it's lame-ass promoters who all of a sudden get a laptop/Serato and decide that they too can be a dj. You can't cut us completely out of the scene. My brethren and I simply won't allow it. You will be cut out.

I take this seriously. In my 15 years as dj I have spent enough money to buy a house on records and dj equipment. I have dedicated enough of my time to build 1000 houses practicing my craft. It was five years before I even thought I deserved to get paid for what I do. Now I have to watch people like you with your downloaded music or your itunes playlist or your brand new turntables/laptop/Serato combo refusing to recognize the deejays which came before you and helped pave the way for your "deejay career".

This is also acting as a PSA for the listening public. I'm going to let the casual listener know what to expect from real deejays and I will encourage them to walk out on anything less. It is my hopes to raise the bar in the city so that competent, skilled, passionate deejays can take your place and destroy your "cult of cool".

For the listening public, general party people, New Orleans locals, and bar/nightlife patrons in general...

If you enter a bar and the deejay just has a laptop, no other equipment. Walk out. I would bring my laptop in and demand to be allowed to deejay also because... Why not?? Where's the line?? (there are exceptions, but they are VERY FEW) WALK OUT!!!

If you see a deejay that has turntables and/or CD players and a laptop, but no other music. Walk out. Real deejays always bring records/CDs as a backup in case of some computer problems. These guys don't bring these things because they simply don't have any other music except for MP3s. This means they aren't supporting local record stores, and they are probably downloading all of their music for free. They are contributing to the collapse of the economy. WALK OUT.

If you see a deejay with turntables/CD players and a laptop, contantly staring at their laptop, walk out. Deejaying was meant to be done by ear. It is a aural artform. We do NOT need deejays that look like they are checking their email. Also the deejay is NOT caring about you the patron. Their attention should be on the crowd and whether or not anyone is enjoying themselves. A good deejay should have a direct mental line to his or her crowd. It's deejaying 101. WALK OUT.

If you are somewhere and the sound is muddled, distorted and you can barely understand the music. It's because the songs are being incorrectly played. I know it sounds like a common sense thing, but I recently went to an establishment for a drink. The dj's LED were mashed in the red and the sound signal was so distorted, I could barely discern what the track was. If you hear something like this, please WALK OUT.

If you walk in somewhere and after 15 minutes your first thought is "this dj sucks" or "I wish I could access the jukebox". WALK OUT.

These are basically the reasons why we as serious djs, hate you and want to punch you in the face. I don't see you unless I end up wandering into one of your lame hipster nights. You don't support any other djs. As far as I'm concerned, you think you are better than us. That's laughable!

For a musical representation of what I'm talking about please listen to "The Shook Ones (part II)" by Mobb Deep. Here's an excerpt...

For all those who wanna profile and pose,
Rock you in the face,
Stab your brain with your nose bone,
You all alone in these streets cousin.
Every man for their self,
In this land we be gunnin'.
And keep them shook crews runnin',
Like they supposed to,
You come around but you never come close to,
I can see it inside your face,
You're in the wrong place,
Cowards like you just get their whole bodies laced up,
With bullet holes and such,
Speak the wrong words man,
And you will get touched.
You can put your whole army against my team and,
I guarantee you it'll be your very last time breathin'.
Your simple words just don't move me,
You're minor, we're major.
You're all up in the game and don't deserve to be a player.
Don't make me have to call your name out.
Your crew is featherweight...

You get the point...If you don't know the song, that's a big part of the problem right there. I'm here to tell you, it's time to buy a clue. In the immortal words of Twisted Sister, "We're not gonna take it, NOOOOO! We ain't gonna take it! WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!"

BTW, wearing dirty vintage clothes, and dirty vintage sneakers only makes us snicker about you behind your back. In this game you've got to pay to play. Looking homeless only makes you more of a joke to us.

Sincerely,

A Deejay Activist

P.S. In our eyes you're either part of the problem or part of the solution. Which are you??

NOLA REAL DJ ROLL CALL: Ed Max, Dj Digital, Dj Kristen, Dj Matty, Dj Lingerie, Maddie Ruthless, Brice Nice, Rik Ducci, ARAjay, Damion Yancy, Dj Kemistry, Dj Jive, Dj Real, Earl the Black Pearl, SOUL SISTER, Supercool Dj Kazu, Mike Swift, Raj Smoove, Bigg Cheeze, Nate White, Dj BlacknMild, Dj Hollaback, EF Cuttin, all the GODJs, Greenleaf Selektah, Dj Chicken, all the Definition Djs, Beverly Skillz, Jermaine Quiz, Dj Resin, MC Gregory, DjMc Microphone, Javier Drada, Gerardo Montoya, Paul B, Dj Proppa Bear, Yellow Frank, Frenzi, T-Roy, Dj Def D... and everyone else that respects the turntable as a musical instrument!!!

WACK DJ ROLL CALL: Dj Flowershirt Freddy, Dj Pompodour Paul, Dj Butt-Sniffer, Dj Steel Steve, Dj Volcanic Victor, Dj Muscular Manpower Bob, Dj Smokin' Steve, Dj Courageous Carl, Dj Reindeer Randy, Dj Luscious Larry, The Pearman, Dj Spam, and all others THAT DON'T BELIEVE IN CUTTING IT UP!!!!!