A-Trak Takes To Instagram About #RealDJing

Over the last few years and almost everyday since the inception of the term EDM there has been constant debate about the state of DJ culture, and what the art of DJing has become.

Various (now infamous) videos have surfaced online of so called ‘superstar DJ’s’ playing prerecorded sets and simply holding their hands in the air for each and every big drop.

There’s no doubt that the entire DJ landscape is evolving thanks to technology and we fully support that at Hotcued.com but is there a point at which the art form is lost? when DJ’s we all look up to are happy to do the bare minimum for the large payout.

This week DJ & turntablist,  A-Trak spoke out on the topic of #RealDJing and subsquently fuelled much twittersphere discussion on the subject under the aforementioned hashtag.  We think A-Trak hits the nail on the head with this post reflecting on his DJ career.  Everyone has their style and you’ll know the real acts from the fake acts because they’ll be the ones taking risks. Check out A-Trak’s comments below…

“There’s a lot of talk lately about what DJing is becoming. I’ve seen it evolve a lot over the years. I started DJing when I was 13, scratching vinyl and playing strictly hip hop, winning championships. The DMC judges thought I was pretty good at it, but think my definition was narrow back then. I remember when my aunts and uncles found out I was a DJ they assumed I was the guy talking on the radio. So to define who we were, we called ourselves turntablists. We wanted legitimacy. As I grew up I got into more sides of the craft. Party-rocking and mastering different musical genres. In the early 2000′s I was Serato’s very first endorsee. I remember talking to Jazzy Jeff and AM about Serato: was it stable enough? We also had to convert all our music. DJing was becoming digital. Then Kanye hired me to tour with him, because he learned how to perform from Common and Kweli who had real DJs too – shout out to Dummy & Ruckus. We went on an Usher tour and Kanye wanted me to bust solos. My routines were too specialized so I had to make new ones that this new audience would understand. I started seeing the bigger picture. Then I got into electronic music. I remember seeing Mehdi, Boys Noize, Feadz playing on CDJs and thinking: these guys are turntablists too. Surkin was the first guy I saw DJ on Ableton in a way that felt like true DJing too. Now there’s a whole new cast in electronic music, and it’s still exciting to me. I’ve seen a lot of fads come and go over the years. And I don’t think my way of DJing is the only way. I wish I could also play like Carl Cox and DJ Harvey too. But I have my style and it’s my passion. I love standing for something that means something, as Pharcyde would say. When you come to my show you know you’ll see me cut. And take risks. DJing is about taking risks. I represent #RealDJing #YouKnowTheDifference“

Tell us your thoughts on #RealDJing in the comments…

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