Tag Archives: video disc jockey

Can’t outrun the trap

 

Will trap music last longer than dubstep did? It would depend on who is asked. Dubstep was the misunderstood offspring of electric dance music. It came onto the scene with gusto, Dj’s were making dubstep remixes of mainstream songs and seeing success, companies like Microsoft and Ovalitine were running commercials with a dubstep theme.  Then it just died. Trap music seems to be gaining a familiar steam and potentially setting itself up for a fall like its misunderstood predecessor. The roots of Trap music would lead to believe otherwise.

The trap genre was propelled into recent fame in 2012 with a culmination of Flosstradamus,Major Lazor and Baauer giving this new sound a bright and exciting future. Baauer’s Harlem shake went viral, Flosstradamus made Orignal Don slow down and everyone paid attention.  Major Lazor walks hand in hand in harmony with dance, trap and hip hop music. These are all very good signs in regards to the music’s longevity but its greatest strength is the fact that it has been prevalent in some form for a long time.

 

The sounds produced by the 808 drum machine are the tie that binds two generations together.  In the early 90’s and late 2000’s trap music was defined by artists like Three 6 Mafia, Jeezy and the always unpredictable Gucci Man. The term trap referred to the block or part of the neighborhood where drugs were sold. The lyrics in the song reflected that lifestyle T.I. even named one of his albums “Trap Muzic”. Little did we know that base lines were going to keep beating into the next generation?

t.i. TRAP MUZIK 2003

t.i. TRAP MUZIK 2003

Anything that can inspire a dance style that makes women shake their ass will always last. While Miley is off somewhere twerking, trap music is having the same effect on the dance floors. While dubstep gained notoriety from remixes of mainstream song it didn’t necessarily make them better.  It’s a dance floor killer, the majority of the people don’t or should I say can’t dance to dub step. Despite the fact it was spawned from electronic dance music it truly only appealed to the eclectic ear.  Sadly the advertising and movie industries also had its hand in dub steps demise, flooding television commercials and block buster movie fight scenes saturating the public with exposure.

Deep roots in both hip hop and now electronic dance, trap music has made the generational leap possible. With its propensity of making women dance provocatively and flexibility between hip hop and dance mainstream success is inevitable. Trap music looks like it’s here to stay and if you need more evidence of how far it’s come, just watch the video below.

 

DJ SOUNDNINJA

Meet DJ Soundninja, originally from Marceline, Missouri is now residing in St. Joseph, Missouri. His interest for DJ’ing started his sophomore year in geometry class while daydreaming of DJ names, as you can see he chose DJ Soundninja and stuck with it since then. In 2007 he was a drummer for his band called “Our Last Run” and on the side he would DJ for small parties, bars, and weddings. After his band broke up he decided to pursue his DJ’ing career. Starting off as a campus DJ at Missouri Western State University and eventually becoming a resident DJ at the Belt Sports Complex. DJ Soundninja also shared with us that his first gig was at his cousins house party while his parents were out of town, he said he a blast and made good tip money, too bad the fun ended when his cousins parents came back. 

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Being a full time DJ and loving every second of his job, DJ Soundninja also enjoys recording in his home studio, Soundninja Studios working with his artist Tres (@Tres314) and performing with Daniel Cole (@DColeDrums). Being St. Joseph’s top DJ he also had a chance to open for touring acts such as 3OH!3, Sammy Adams, XV, and Timeflies! DJ Soundninja loves Hip-Hop and Dubstep so if this your type of music make sure you check him out at Headquarters Nightclub on Wednesdays and Fridays, Hammerjacks Dance Club on Thursday nights and he will be at a lot of venues around Kansas City this summer. You will find him playing the hottest club bangers, tracks with a lot of bass and anything with Kendrick Lamar. Some of his favorites that never fail are “Wobble” by V.I.C., “Pop That” by French Montana ft. Rick Ross, Drake, & Lil Wayne, and when he really wants to turn up he plays “No Hands” by Waka. Sounds like if you want to have a good time you really need to go party with DJ Soundninja!

 FridayNightsAtHQ

He has traveled all over Missouri and Kansas and will be going to different states this summer. He hopes to be living his dream and playing in other countries; we have no doubt that he will be performing with the big time DJ’s. Surely if follows his advice that he recommends to all DJ’s “Always reach for the next big thing and never settle for less and keep working to move forward” he is sure to make it far! He tells us that a good DJ is someone who can go to a venue and feel the vibe and make create something personal and unique just for them while knowing your mix. Some of the DJ’s he looks up to are; DJ AM with his ruthless mixes, DJ Spinbad and  he is a huge Deadmau5 fan!

 

Sky is the limit

The Ultra Music Festival in 2014 will be the launching pad for the Avicii themed hotel from SLS South Beach Hotels.  The location and timing are perfect, the dance music community will be in full swing attending Miami Music week. Avicii’s star status and SLS’s knack for promotion of their luxurious hotels will make an unproven match look genius.

WEBMMW13AviciiHotel001

 

The guests will be privy to exclusive programming and VIP packages that will give access to events throughout the week’s music inspired convention.  This will be the second time this promotion has been available and seems like it could become a mainstay. It is a testament to the popularity and commercial value one DJ can have.

 

While this unlikely marriage between luxury hotel and superstar status DJ is now a reality and profitable, the fact of the matter is that is has been done. So what’s next for DJ’s? If anything this proves that anything is possible and that being a DJ is a marketable trait. Naturally the next step points to a Las Vegas hotel themed with a superstar DJ, most DJ’s aren’t superstars.  On the other hand to be a DJ an individual needs a certain amount of creativity and a shameless self promoter. With the tools at hand and with the EDM/dance community flourishing this is an ideal time to find that new marketing technique. This can be the golden age for DJ’s

The Ultra Music Festival in 2014 will be the launching pad for the Avicii themed hotel from SLS South Beach Hotels.  The location and timing are perfect, the dance music community will be in full swing attending Miami Music week. Avicii’s star status and SLS’s knack for promotion of their luxurious hotels will make an unproven match look genius.

Birthplace of house music

As of today 2/18/14 according to thedjlist.com the top house Dj’s are: Avicii, David Guetta and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, what these DJ’s all have in common is geographic. House music is without a doubt thriving in European countries and as it would seem laying claim to what would be the best performers in the musical genre.  This is not a trend or phenomenon, this is a common theme in house music that it is dominated by European influence.  Each year the digitally inspired music gains more fame and followers, if any of these listeners were stopped and asked on the street if they knew where house music started the obvious answer would be Europe and they would be wrong.  House music had a very enigmatic beginning in the United Sates.

In 1976 disco was in full swing monopolizing dance floors all over the country.  Disco would eventually spin off into many genres, but the first was house music.  The south side of Chicago is known in many ways but famously for its rugged streets reputation, excellent high school basketball and of course windy weather but few regard it as the birthplace of house music. A few young DJ’s came up with a technique geared at keeping the crowd dancing. Silky Hurley described it as “We had a technique were we would take the bass out of the song and wait for the exciting part of the song and bam!”.  As it would seem not much has changed instead of disco music being used its electronic or fabricated beats produced by the DJ.

SILKMIXSteve “Silky” Hurley

The night club called The Wharehouse was at the time was known for its availability to all races and ways of life. The gay, straight, thug and prep groups were all represented on any given night in the Wharehouse. Since it is the beginning of the genre, it’s only fitting that the name be spawned form the original club that played the music.  The resident DJ Frankie knuckles and Larry Levan were the first to spin this type of music. Although Frankie Fingers is considered the godfather of house it is Larry Levan that is attributed with the idea of spinning house music. Levan went on to work at the paradise garage in his home town New York and spread the house music culture.

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 Frankie Knuckles                                                                          Larry Levan

Like most new styles of music house was birthed before its time. America wasn’t ready for a genre of music that was dominated by the gay and ethnic communities. House music saw its earliest success in predominately gay clubs and spun by gay DJ’s. It was frowned upon due to the nature of the culture that was at the fore front of the movement. It’s a shame that it was not well received, the techniques used by these DJ’s were preparing the industry for an exciting change.

House music has now flourished into a musical giant. DJ’s from all over the world produce dance tracks that snowball with popularity. It’s a versatile style is music that caters to DJ’s and keep the dance floor moving. The European acceptance and promotion has undoubtedly taken the music to the level it currently is on, it is interesting to know it got its start in the South side of Chicago. It was inspired to bring all walks of life together and finally is.

So this is happening

Killa Cam has done it again, the man that made the color pink cool for guys has taken it to a new level.  The pink Range Rover in Sate Property was impressive and memorable, the only thing that would make it better would be a cape. That’s right a cape Cam’ron has teamed up with Mark Mcnairy to exhibit his line of fashionable capes. With help from his girlfriend JuJu they strut down the catwalk with a presidential hand wave, dap for Damon Dash and a batman like cape exit move, the men’s fashion cape is born.

camron3Who can be mad at him, if he can get half of NYC to wear pink then capes shouldn’t be so tough.  He’s a business man and a self promoter so each one of his capes has a dipset logo. He was able to showcase these super hero inspired accessories at a Mark Mcnairy event, just like Pusha T last year. The only difference is Cam’s product is well a cape and people are going to talk about it. He designed a product placed it perfectly and is a natural at marketing it, his business acumen definitely demands respect and as Cam put it himself #donthatethecape

I can’t say I would ever wear one or purchase one as a gift, but judging by Cam’rons track record I’m more than positive that I will a diplomat cape on someone in NYC or LA sometime very soon.

Feature Friday: DVDJ Dread

Feature Friday: DVDJ Dread

We were able to catch up with one of our resident VJ’s and ask him a few questions. He makes some of our most downloaded mixes. He has been VJ’ing from the start. He is a self professed videoholic, he is DVDj Dread!

Where are you from and where do you work?
New York. I have worked in New York City and all other parts of New York, South Carolina and Florida.

How long have you been DJing?
Funny you ask, I just recently celebrated 10 years in the business.

Congrats! When did you decide to become a VJ?
In 2007 I saw DJ 2ndnature doing it at a convention and I knew I wanted to do it.

So you started at the beginning?
Yes,  in fact I just found this picture of my first set up, and yes I used all four.

Dread set up

What piece of equipment can you not live without?
My Rane ttm557, I know there are bigger and better things out there that I can get, but If it works why fix it? I had an opportunity to meet DJ Jazzy Jeff who is one of my favourites and he used an older set up saying that this worked for him, why mess with it. If it makes sense to Jazzy Jeff it makes sense to me, besides having an ear for the music goes a long way.
dj.rane.com/products/ttm-57sl-performance-mixer

Do you have advice for aspiring VJs?
The eyes don’t lie, you have to make sure that your video is as good as your mix. Think of it like putting a new stereo in your car. When you are driving down the block people will hear your music playing and then see the car, if the car isn’t on point than nobody will care about the system.

So what do you do in your free time?
I am a movie buff, I have time off I’m watching movies with my wife. I’ll watch just about anything I love the experience.

LeBron or Durant?
Ohhh man, I want to say Durant but I gotta go with LeBron that’s my homie. LeBron came into the league as kid like Kobe and KG and just owned it.

DVDj dread

dvdjdread.com
DVDJ Dread on Facebook
DVDj Dread on vimeo
I listened to his trap mix while I wrote this: The remixx kidd

Feature DJ: Kevin Allen

kev allen photo

DJ Name and how did you come up with the name?
Kevin Allen, Its my first and middle name.  Back in the day before having a regular name was “cool” I Went by Dj Kurious spelled with a K for Kevin which was given to me by a middle school friend because I was always curious lol

Where are you located?
I am located in Northwest Indiana, about 20 mins from Chicago.

How did it all start?
It all started in Middle School I went to a friends birthday party and there was a dj mixing and cutting it up and I was hooked. I said to myself I want to do this!.  I got to know this dj who is now Paul Anthony from Dirty Fabric and he showed me the ropes.

Are you a DJ Full Time?
No as of now I am part time at one point I was.  Between my family sports and video editing the weekends are it for now.

What genre do you prefer?
I am a BIG House Head!

What other interest/hobbies do you have?
I am very involved in my kids life, I am President of our Towns Pop Warner Football League and help Manage Baseball.

NS7 II Review

Numark-NS7-II

This review has been long overdue, we are very excited to bring you a review on the product from the staff here at VJstreet.  If you have any questions about our review don’t be afraid to post them in the comment section below.

At first glance at the packaging my first thought was that we had ordered the wrong product. I had heard the rumblings about this unit being a little too big and was afraid they were true. Once the unit is out it is visible that the size is perfect. I wouldn’t invest too much into the rumors about it being cumbersome, considering that it encompasses multiple tools into one apparatus.

The NS7 had some amazing features so naturally the NS7 II would improve upon those and it did. The layout is logical and cerebral, all of the buttons are in areas that make sense.  While there were many improvements the ability to edit beat grids from the unit versus the laptop is a great example of the evolution of the product. The NS7 II offers exclusive content for your Serato DJ. Beyond giving a maximum level of control there are never before seen features available on your Serato DJ.

The younger generation really has it great, machines like the NS7II are the final product of innovation in the field. While the older generation has to get used to feel of a 7 inch turntable versus a 12 inch vinyl, having an entire music catalogue at your fingertips is a decent trade off. The NS7 II feels as authentic as it is going to get.

It comes as no shock that here at VJstreet we highly recommend the NS7II. The size, feel and improvements are second to none. A DJ would be hard pressed to find a better machine. Thanks for reading and please leave any comments or questions you have at the bottom, we love to help.

 Digital Street Team

4 optimal Software choices for Your Video Remixes

Technology has really evolved in the last two decades and it almost seems like there is software and hardware available to do almost anything from home. Nowdays you don’t have to go to a studio or hire professionals to create competitive media. Video editing and video remixing used to require a lot of very expensive equipment in the past. Now things are very different and we are able to become producers of all kinds of media. In this article we are going to talk about four video remixing software products that are perfect for people who want to create music videos.

GrandVJ

This software allows you to have up to 8 channels for video clips and it allows for all kinds of animations of text and graphics. There are plenty of video effects incorporated in it and this allows you to create spectacular video productions. The best thing about this particular software is that the interface is very intuitive and it has a fast learning curve. It can be purchase for Windows and Mac.

Modul8

This software is only available for Mac but it’s definitely one of the best choices available out there. According to many video remix experts this is the easiest software that you can use to create professional looking videos. It has plenty of graphic and text effects and it features multi-screen support too.

Resolume 4 Avenue

This software has a very cool global BMP tempo that allows you to link all your images and sounds to create a perfectly synchronized result. It’s not as easy to use as other available software but the quality is certainly worth the depth of the interface. This one is available for Windows and Mac.

Virtual DJ Video

This software was one of the pioneers in offering people the features to create DJ music videos. It allows users to use a very wide range of formats and there are plenty of transitions and effects that can be tweaked to created very original mixes and animations. There are quite a few plugins that you can download too.

There are other available options for video remixes but the ones we just mentioned are probably the best you can pick if you are looking to start making your own videos with professional quality. There are many artists who are now taking on the role of being producers of all their videos and you can also get started now with the help of these software choices.

3 Reasons To Check Our Video Pool

If you’re looking for the latest DJ remix videos of your favorite songs, you’ve come to the right place. VJStreet is here to bring you the latest music videos, fresh every day. We are the go-to place for you to find a video pool of all your favorite music videos in one place. We have the largest collection of quality videos for all genres of DJ, from clubs to events to weddings. There are DJ Remix videos for everyone and every occasion. If you’re looking for a certain special song for your special day, then it’s likely that we have it for you.

Quality of Video Pool

All of our previews are available for you to browse through, should you like to sample our collection for future purposes. Previews of our music videos are only 1/4th of the quality of the real video so that you can expect the highest quality of the video when you hire us for your event.

Keeping Track of Your Video Pool

We make it easy for you to ensure an easy-to-track list of your favorite songs, through our download legend. You can add songs, music videos or even DJ remix videos to your wish list or remove the ones you no longer want. Our legend key makes it easy for you to find exactly the remixed version of the song you want, whether you want the instrumental version or the dirty version of a song. Since you can also see detailed track info, you know exactly who the DJ remixing artist is, when it was remixed, and any other info you’d like to know.

Top Music Videos

There’s also a scrolling ticker for you to see which remixes are the most popular. This can help you decide on which songs or music videos should be added to your wish list or played at your next special event.