urban/hip hop for Middle School dance

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S

Steve LeBlanc

DJ Extraordinaire
Aug 19, 2006
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Fredericton, NB
www.frederictonweddingdj.com
Let me preface this by stating this is not a discussion of:

1) As DJ's are we responsible for being parents?
2) The debate over lyrics

I have a middle school dance at my son's new school in 2 weeks. As you may know I was doing them at his old school; we'd get 60 - 70 kids and I could get away with Disco, oldies, Snowballs......and so on.

The new school averages 350-450 and their tastes are more City.

They basically curtain 1/2 the gym; that's the dance floor. I plan on 2 LS800P's coupled (wheel to wheel...read you get 3db more) and 4 tops (2 FBT Maxx6A's and 2 RCF310A's crossed over at 100hz. I'm sure I'll have enough sound.....

Lightwise - 6 LED par 64's, m2 Insignia barrel scanners, Kinta, Oceana, Vue 3 and 2 Starballs... and a fog machine....


My plan ; couple the subs; a loaded light tree on each side. then the 310A's ponted striaght ahead with the Maxx 6A's next to them pointed outward about 30 degrees...thoughts?

I'm Ok with the dance/pop stuff...lots to choose from there.....I've got some no plays (My Humps, All Summer Long, Lollipo and Crank Dat:sqbiggrin:)

Here's where my knowledge gets stretched...Any one have thoughts on some urban/hip hop that is fairly innocuous and would be safe at this dance?

Interestingly, I listed to my PO version OF TI - Whatever you like. The lyrics are much changed over the "published" lyrics....so much so that I think I can spin this.....it can be new or old

Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance
 
If they are banning All Summer Long I'm not sure what you can play....


Mabye some Pitbull - Go Girl

There's a couple of Pink songs that might make the edge

There's a couple of Biggies songs that will soon be making a comeback with the release of the new movie
 
With a DNP like that, you might wish to pull out some of the old school dance tracks. Before music was all about sex and cell phones. ;)

Jr. high students are pretty flexible... they've surprised me with their tastes in music. I've played Motown to Elvis to Aerosmith and they danced to it. It's not all about the latest rap.

Line dances like The Train, Tootsie Roll, Booty Call, Perculator. Will Smith is a good choice, too. Anything with lotsa bass thump.

Play a little something for the cliques to kill time. It might be head-banging or some Country dance... the more ya mix it up, the better.

Have the dance sponsors poll the students for suggestions. Each student lists his or her Top Five, no more. You'll get pages of suggestions... just compile 'em by popularity.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Shakes Head!!
Click to expand...

Why am I not surprised:sqwink:

Jon - It is what it is......I understand that you really don't find an issue at all....these are 10 -13 year olds...so I and the school ultimately do.

They had some issues with the last DJ and asked that I take a little more care in the song selection. They also had some issues with "grinding"; they were considering not having dances this year.

They understand that there are references to sex in every new song; that being said there is a difference between Just Dance and most urban/hip hop songs....

Jon - listen to the P.O. version; you'll hear the difference. The overall message to the song is different as well versus Lollipop and Crank Dat.....

All Summer Long is because of the whiskey line..Personally, I likely would have played it.....

Folks - I understand the dilemma.....What the school doesn't want is blatant, clear references to "undesirable" conduct. That's why even the radio edit of "one more Drink" is unacceptable...consider the subject matter of that song.

I'm OK on the pop end of things; just trying to find 10 or urban/hip hop.
 
Sorry, but it's hard to find a song that doesn't have any references to sex or drugs, especially when it comes to songs that are danceable and current. Regardless, kids are gonna grind to just about anything anymore, because that's how it's done on MTV by all the cool, sexy people. You could try some of the more pop rock stuff, like Good Charlotte and the All-American Rejects. :dontknow:

Ooh, techno-type-stuff might help, too...but I wouldn't play too much of it.

Odd side note: I thought "All Summer Long" would've been banned for the pot references, haha! I don't remember a line about whiskey.
 
Some Urban hits that might work for you Steve.

Heartless. Kanye West

Single Ladies. Beyonce

Green Light. John legend

Live your life. TI

Swagger like us. MIA

Miss Independent. Ne-Yo

Forever. Chris Brown

Juicy. Notorius BIG

In the ayer. Flo Rida

The Anthem. Pitbull

Move your Body. Nina Skyy

Temperature. Sean Paul

Superstar. Lupe Fiasco
 
Thanks John.....That helps a lot...I'll take a listen to those I'm not real familiar with.

I also took a listen to B Hamp's "Ricky Bobby"..that'll work as well.

Ducky - I know every song has a reference to sex or could be construed to refer to same. What I'm trying ti find are songs where the lyrics are somewhat ambiguous; not so blatant....There are a few that are somewhat positive.....yet keep that "thug" feel....
 
thatmusicguy said:
Getting away from the music; any thoughts on the sound configuration?
Click to expand...

thatmusicguy said:
They basically curtain 1/2 the gym; that's the dance floor. I plan on 2 LS800P's coupled (wheel to wheel...read you get 3db more) and 4 tops (2 FBT Maxx6A's and 2 RCF310A's crossed over at 100hz. I'm sure I'll have enough sound.....
Click to expand...

I think you have it figured out there Steve. The 800s are animals you'll have plenty

When is the dance?
 
I agree you will have that place jumping. I hope you will have help because those LS800's can throw out an elephants back.
RCF, FBT and Yorkville How can you go wrong with that combo? Sweet.
 
Steve though I admire your efforts, I have to chuckle here a bit. So what your saying its better to be a part of giving a underage kid 3.2 beer versus Canadian beer cause its watered down? Beer is Beer. Sexual Connotation is Sexual Connotation even when watered down. You offering it even in the diluted form sort of negates your righteous platform in my opinion but thats pretty watered down here as well lol.
 
Im not baiting in fact just trying to figure out the direction this move will take you and the rest of the moral issues you have preached about. Im not saying any of this with mean spirit. Im trying to in fact, figure out what you really stand for. My friend.
 
Jon - I'm a realist...I've said before one could likely argue that every song written in the last 60 years has some sort of reference to sex, booze, drugs.....

Yes, these kids are listening to all of this crap, in most cases...unedited. I can't tell them or their parents what to do.

The school had an issue with the music played previously and the grinding. One solution was to simply stop having dances. The other was to work as a team to try and deal with their concerns as well the concerns of the DJ service that did the previous dances. I offered some sound advice - essentially that they meet with the DJ and try to compromise on what songs could be played want what shouldn't be played. I told them it had to be a collaborative effort; the DJ couldn't do this on his own. Honestly, I wasn't looking to do the dance, just work with the school as the parent of a student and secondly; a dj with some knowledge.

There are obvious no-brainers, like Lollipop..... At that same token i told the school the school needs to accept that some lyrics will be subject to some interpretation....and ultimately you have to play something; Hannah Montana for 3 hours ain't gonna cut it.

It may be somewhat hypocritical; clean-dirty music, but in today's culture, unless you're prepared to play Christian music, or Hannah Montanna - slightly "soiled" music is the best you can hope for.

In the end, it's about trying your best and knowing at the end you did your best to satisfy the school, so that the dances will continue, the students, so that they will continue to come and enjoy and most importantly...my righteous standards...

Your opinion and others may be different...so be it.......



Dammit, the hook is stuck in my cheek.....
 
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