Just had a nice surprise

[rickryan.com]

I have a prom this evening. It's a private Christian school, and I've done their event for several years in a row. I got a note from the sponsor that said, "the kids last year said they didn't have anything they could dance to." Obviously, it's not what any DJ wants to hear so I decided to spend more time this year. Keep in mind that, last year, I pretty much went by their request list and yes, it was all medium/slow hip-hop rap garbage. I received this list from the sponsor yesterday, and went thru it last night. This year's list is even worse than last year. Rather than just laying down and playing the request list, I sent a note back to the sponsor and told her basically, "This list is worse than last year. I can either stick to their list and get the same results or I can go off-list and make a dance set happen." She just called me and we had a nice chat about it. She gave me clearance to go off-list and find what works.

I don't know about you guys but this scenario always has me guessing which way to go. Do you just do what they ask or do you push back (diplomatically of course) and try to educate them on making their event a success? I'm including the request list below. Yes, there are a handful of decent selections. But this list pretty well backs up what dessicant was saying recently. The current crop of material is just crap.


Request List
-------------------------------------
Your love- nicki Minaj

Blame it- Jamie Fox

Lip Gloss- lil mama

Buy you a drank- T Pain

Love Sosa- Chief Keef

Grillz- nelly

Gold Digger- Kanye West

Tipsy- J Kwon

Everyday we lit- lfn lucci

Yeah!- usher

Hercules-young thug

Mask off-future

Start a party- Rae sremmurd

F**kin problems-asap rocky

Get low-lil jon

My chick bad-ludacris

Come get her-rae sremmurd

All Time Low- John Bellion

I can't help falling in love with you- Elvis

Blue ain't your color- Keith Urban

Beauty and the beast- arianna grande

Portland-Drake

No hands- waka flaka

Upgrade you- Beyoncé

Blase- ty dolla sign (Louis the child remix)

No hands- waka flaka

Wokeuplikethis- playboi carti

Gucci on my-mike will made it

Unforgettable-French Montana

Black Beatles

X- 21 Savage

2 phones- Kevin Gates

No Problem- Chance the Rapper

Moolah- young greatness

Uber everywhere- madeintyo

Minnesota- lil yachty

No problem- chance the rapper

For free- dj khaled

Low- flo rida

Work out- J Cole

T-shirt- Migos

Really really- Kevin Gates

Broccoli- d.r.am.

Bad and boujee-migos

Swang-Rae sremmurd

Dance a$$-big Sean

Cupid shuffle- cupid

Tunnel vision-kodak

Low life-future

Famous-Kanye west

All of me- john legend

Pon de replay- Rihanna

Mask Off- Future

That's what I like- Bruno mars

Ice cream paint job

Bounce it- juicy j

Ms. Jackson - Party Pupils

Broken record - Soysauce (Louis the Child remix)

It's strange- Louis the child

Country roads- John Denver

Love me - The 1975

Can't sit with us - Honey C

One time- Justin Bieber

Promiscuous Girl- Nelly Fertado

Hey ya- outkast

Heartless- Kanye west

1, 2 step- Ciara

Get up- Ciara

Kiss me through the phone- soulja boy

March Madness - Future

In love with a stripper- soulja boy

Get silly- v.i.c

Crank that- Soulja boy

Pretty boy swag- soulja boy

Right now-akon

Steal her man- Taylor Gang

No Heart- 21 Savage

Sneaker night- Vanessa hudgens

Lose control- missy elliot

Temperature- Sean Paul

Cyclone- baby bash

Walked in

Caroline- aminae

John Wall

Get low- ying yang twins

Thinking out loud

Perfect- ed Sheeran

Do it- pit bull

Acquainted- The Weeknd

That's what I like- Bruno Mars

24k Magic- Bruno Mars

Caroline- Anime

Promiscuous- Nelly Furtado

Ignition- R Kelly

Swang- Rae sremmurd

Turn on the lights- future

Formation- Beyoncé

Young and Wild and Free- Snoop Dogg

Whatever you like- TI

Work Out- J Cole

Wild for the Night- ASAP ROCKY

Love On the brain- Rihanna

Wobble- Six Reasons

Grillz (Dirty)- Nelly

Smack That- Akon

Hotel Room Service- Pitbull

Sexy can I- Ray J

Look At Me Now- Chris Brown

Party- Chris Brown

Humble- Kendrick Lamar

Dippin n sippin -YG (gonna need a clean)

No mediocre- TI

Collard greens- school boy q

Bailando - Enrique Iglesias

All night-chance the rapper

Booty from a distance- young ugly god

Conscience- Kodak Black

Twenty 8- Kodak black

Sexy back - Justin timber lake

Bad girls - MIA

Rolex -ayo & two

Drake-gyalchester

 

[ittigger]

For a Prom, I would back down on some of those - because of content.

 

[rickryan.com]

For a Prom, I would back down on some of those - because of content.

I already no-played several on the list. I conveyed this to the sponsor and she appreciated my actions.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

You can try to educate a client. It's up to them if they want to be open minded or not and trust you the professional that you know what you are doing. It can be a hit or miss.

 

[Jas]

Some of the old songs are great. I don't have any experience with the latest myself. I get a high school dance once in a blue moon.

 

[Valerie Hicks]

that's a pretty hideous list in more than one way! Given the comment from the sponsor I would have replied similarly to you.

 

[DJ Bobcat]

You say this is a private CHRISTIAN school??? If that list came from the students, I'd say some of 'em haven't bought into the curriculum!

 

[rickryan.com]

that's a pretty hideous list in more than one way! Given the comment from the sponsor I would have replied similarly to you.

ding ding ding................we have a winner!

 

[djtaso]

There's a lot of great gems on that list. Many of them I played last night at a prom. Email came in his morning saying that it was the most successful event they ever had in terms of feedback and they booked me for next year.

Putting aside that it's a Christian school I wouldn't say that list is terrible, just gotta know what's what and choose wisely. About half are usable. My issue is with how long the list is;.. I only take 20 songs max.

 

[Valerie Hicks]

I don't consider 50/50 odds to be good ;-) hence "hideous list".
Regardless of christian or public school there are many on the list we wouldn't be likely to play at a school.

 

[rhythmgj]

^^^^Exactly. It looks like there was no adult oversight involved in this process (song selection) whatsoever...

GJ

 

[DJ Ricky B]

"Blame it on the Alcohol"

...THAT is on the list. When that song came out back in like 2008? I was doing a Middle School Dance. I THOUGHT at the time I had downloaded a RADIO version of the song. I had the album version on a CD. I played the download, and it was NOT radio edited even though it said radio version. Alcohol, Henney...it was all mentioned. I had the principal come over and tell me to cut the song off ASAP and go to a new song.

I learned my lesson that day TO NOT trust downloaded music. Listen to all downloads before playing at an event if any doubt about foul language or content on the song!!! Time consuming to listen to downloads...YES, but it's what has to be done when talking teenage events and school dances.


I would say this list is 40% useable.

The following songs on this list I would say are playable given you are playing the promo only and/or edited versions...No album or DIRTY Versions

Grillz (RADIO EDIT)- Nelly

Smack That (RADIO EDIT) Akon




Typsy by JKWON is fine in terms of no real foul language, but content is questionable. For a middle school dance I would absolutely not play it, but for a High School Prom? I think I would.

Id say the list is about 75% playable, but only about half of that 75% is actually good dance music imo. So 1/3 of it is going to work well...imo.

Bruno Mars, the line dances, Yeah by Usher, Sexy Back, Ignition, Hotel room service, Get Low (Make sure radio edit version), Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran is a great slow dance song for high schoolers....Also play the new Ed Sheeran stuff, it works well. ...Flo Rida, Outkast, and Ciara all good artists to play. Whatever you like by T.I. works. Soulja Boy Crank That..Classic from 10 years ago...Crazy that song is a decade old now. Lose COntrol Missy Elliot, I danced to that at the clubs way back in the day, LOL. Surprised it's on the list!

Buy you a drank by T Pain...It could be used, it worked in the past for me, but that is also another 10 year old song...Cyclone by Baby Bash? LOL...That's from back in my college and clubbin' days, surprised it is on the list.

So yeah, some good stuff on the list, but other stuff like F**** Problems is crap...shouldn't be played.

 

[Ausumm]

Do you just do what they ask or do you push back (diplomatically of course) and try to educate them on making their event a success?

Go for EDUCATING.
But approach it in a way that the client LEARNS something...
but doesn't feel as if you are SCHOOLING them.
Just have a normal conversation.
(which is what you seem to have already done)
Remember, in cases like this....you and your contact WANT THE EXACT SAME THINGS.
- people dancing
- songs that are not offensive
-etc

 

[djtaso]

Just gotta know the music. A lot of those hip hop songs I play only the chorus of and do quick mixes.. never even hear anything suggestive that you'd normally hear if you let it play out longer.

Also you gotta look at geography... schools round here aren't concerned about content but more so obvious curses. Those songs are popular... just perhaps not appropriate for your region and hence considered not playable.

 

[rickryan.com]

And the final list ended up as follows. Very good event. I'm pretty sure there won't be any "we couldn't dance" complaints.

afterglow - Dwayne Jones (4:27)
If You Care - Dwayne Jones (4:46)
steppin' out - Dwayne Jones (5:21)
Beauty and the Beast - Ariana Grande and John Legend (3:47)
Yeah! - Usher Featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris (4:10)
Cupid Shuffle - Cupid (3:52)
24K Magic - Bruno Mars (3:46)
Smack That - Akon (3:32)
No Hands [Clean] - Waka Flocka Flame Feat. Roscoe Dash & Wale (4:23)
Footloose - Kenny Loggins (3:38)
Cha Cha Slide - Org Platinum Band (6:29)
Lip Gloss (Main Version) - Lil Mama (3:41)
Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars (4:30)
2 Step - Unk (3:14)
Bad and Boujee (feat. Lil Uzi Vert) [Clean] - Migos (5:34)
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - Van Morrison (4:18)
Sexyback - Justin Timerlake (3:30)
Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon (3:19)
Caroline [Clean] - Aminé (3:29)
Wobble (Radio Version) - V.I.C. (5:23)
Red Nose [Clean] - Sage The Gemini (3:31)
Cyclone - Baby Bash featuring T-Pain (3:57)
Angel Eyes - SLOW - The Jeff Healey Band (4:40)
How Low [Clean] - Ludacris (3:27)
2 Phones [Clean] - Kevin Gates (4:00)
Kick It In The Sticks - Brantley Gilbert (3:44)
Low (Feat. T-Pain) - Flo Rida (3:50)
Rolex - Ayo & Teo (3:58)
Wop - J. Dash (3:49)
iSpy (feat. Lil Yachty) [Clean] - Kyle (4:13)
Jordan Belfort-EXPLICIT - Wes Walker and Dyl (3:27)
Amazed - Lonestar (4:00)
Pon de Replay (Album Version) - Rihanna (4:07)
Tootsie Roll (Single Version) - Old School Players (4:19)
Gas Pedal [feat. Iamsu!] [Clean] - Sage The Gemini (3:29)
Swang [Clean] - Rae Sremmurd (3:28)
Upgrade U - Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z (4:33)
NO - Meghan Trainor (3:33)
All About That Bass (Usrc1140178) - Meghan Trainor (3:07)
Perfect - Ed Sheeran (4:23)
Promiscuous (Radio Edit) [feat. Timbaland] - Nelly Furtado (3:40)
Mask Off [Clean] - Future (3:24)
Bedrock - Young Money Feat. Lloyd (4:48)

 

[djtaso]

I do have one critique about your list that is driving me crazy... Your BPM's are ALL OVER the place. Do you actually beatmatch or blend your music when transitioning?? Perhaps, the non danceable comment is because the music doesn't flow.

Here's my playlist from tonights prom. I am only sharing the songs for the dancing segments (8PM-1030Pm) Had a seperate playlist for cocktail hour and dinner music. No stops for anything just straight dancing for 2.5 hours. I am not sure how long your dance set was for in your playlist provided above, but the differences are startling. 125 songs in 150 minutes. You'll also notice that I try very hard to play many songs together that fall within the same bpm range... keeps the energy flowing and never let's guests have a chance to stop.

First few songs are transitioning from dinner and filling the floor
Easy Love Sigala
Chained To The Rhythm (Liam Keegan Club Mix) Katy Perry Feat. Skip Marley
Scars To Your Beautiful (Luca Schreiner Remix) Alessia Cara
It Aint Me (Barry Harris & MSC Remix) Kygo & Selena Gomez
Cool Girl (The Scene Kings Club Mix) (Clean) Tove Lo
Something Just Like This (Dark Intensity Club Mix) The Chainsmokers Feat. Coldplay
Passionfruit (Rhythm Roxx & Mister Barclay Dance Remix) Drake
Kill The Lights (Audien Remix) Alex Newell
Fake Love (McGrego & Danny B Remix) (Clean) Drake
Thats What I Like (Extend) (Dance Version) (Clean) Bruno Mars
Humble (Clean) Kendrick Lamar
iSpy (Clean) Kyle Feat. Lil Yachty
Dont Mind (Original) (Clean) Kent Jones
Jumpman (Clean) Drake & Future
Pop That Jersey Club (Transtion 130 - 140 Bpm) French Montana
How Low (clean) Ludacris
Cupid Shuffle Ft. DJ Unk Fabo (Remix) Cupid
First slow song A Thousand Years Christina Perri
We Wanna Party (Extended Mix) TJR feat. Savage
Break Free (Danny D Angelis Bootleg) (Extend) (DJDX) (Clean) Ariana Grande Feat. Zedd
Took The Night (Clean) Chelley
Danza Kuduro (Original) Don Omar ft Lucenzo
Sexy Ladies Akon ft Don Omar
Bailando Por El Mundo (feat. El Cata, Pitbull) Juan Magan
Carnival (Original Club Mix) 4B ft. Bunji Garlin
Shots (clean) LMFAO feat. Lil' Jon
Shut Up and Dance (Original) (Clean) Walk The Moon
Honey Im Good (The Dj Mike D Remix) (Marc Eazy) (Clean) Andy Grammer
Bad & Boujee (Clean) Migos Feat. Lil Uzi Vert
Hotline Bling (Clean) Drake
2 Phones (Clean) Kevin Gates
Bounce Back (Clean) Big Sean
Broccoli (Joe Maz Remix) (Clean) D.R.A.M.
Juju On That Beat (TZ Anthem) Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall
My House (Extend) (John Cha) (Clean) Flo-Rida
Shape Of You (Cloak Dagger Moombahton Mix) (Clean) Ed Sheeran
Gasolina (Remix) Daddy Yankee Ft. Pitbull & N.O.R.E.
Hips Don't Lie Shakira ft Wyclef Jean
DMX- Party Up In Here (Clean) DMx
Be Faithful (Clean) Fatman Scoop Feat. Crooklyn Clan & Faith Evans
GoldDigger (CLEAN) Kanye West
Mo Bounce (Squeaky Clean) Iggy Azalea
The Horns (Remix) (Clean) DJ Katch ft Greg Nice
The Greatest (Cosmic Dawn Club Mix) Sia Feat. Kendrick Lamar
Sorry (Dance Video) (Clean) Justin Bieber
Country Girl (Shake It for Me) Luke Bryan
Talk Dirty (Clean) Jason Derulo ft 2 Chainz
Despacito (Remix) Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Feat. Justin Bieber
With You Tonight (Hasta El Amanecer) Nicky Jam
Hollaback Girl (Clean) Gwen Stefani
Pursuit Of Happiness (Steve Aoki Mix) Kid Cudi
Booty Bounce (feat. DJ Funk) GTA
The Hum Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike & Ummet Ozcan
This Is What You Came For (Holl and Rush Bootleg) Calvin Harris ft Rihanna
Runaway (U & I) Galantis
Second Slow Song Perfect Ed Sheeran
One Dance (Clean) Drake ft Wizkid & Kyla
Cheap Thrills (PeteDown Remix) (Marc Eazy) (Clean) Sia Feat. Sean Paul
Work From Home vs Work (Deville Wordplay 105 to 92 Transition) (Steve R) (Clean) Fifth Harmony vs Rihanna ft Drake
Dessert (Original) (Clan) Dawin Feat. Silentó
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) Beyoncé
679 (Remy Boyz) (Clean) Fetty Wap ft Montana Buckz
Worth It (Extend) (Clean) Fifth Harmony Feat. Kid Ink
No Mediocre (Clean) T.I. ft Iggy Azalea
Don't Tell 'Em (feat. YG) Jeremih
Show Me (Clean) Kid Ink ft Chris Brown
Gas Pedal ft. IamSu (CLEAN) Sage the Gemini
Bubble Butt (Radio Mix) [feat. Bruno Mars, 2 Chainz, Tyga & Mystic] Major Lazer
Don't Drop That Thun Thun Finatticz
Candy Shop (Super Clean Clean) 50 Cent Feat. Olivia
Yeah (Clean) Usher Feat. Lil' Jon and Ludac
Get Low (clean version) Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Bird Machine DJ Snake ft Alesia
Get Low (Original) (Clean) (HD) Dillon Francis & DJ Snake
Turn Down Ya Fingers Mashup DJ Snake
It Wasn't Me Shaggy
All Star Smash Mouth
Everybody (Moombah Rework) (Clean) Backstreet Boys
All The Small Things Blink 182
High School Never Ends (Radio Disney Version) Bowling for Soup
If you Wanna be my Lover Spice Girls
Jump on it (good version) Sir Mix-A-Lot
Run DMC - It's Tricky Run DMC
Baby Got Back Sir Mix A Lot
Low (Clean) Flo Rida
MOVE SHAKE DROP - REMIX DJ LAZ
Calabria (Firebeatz Remix) (John Cha) (Clean) Rune RK
Cafe Del Mar 2016 (Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Edit) Futuristic Polar Bears, MATTN
Hotel Room Service (good quality) Pitbull
Fergalicious Fergie
Temperature Sean Paul
move your body Nina Sky Ft Jabba
Culo Pitbull F/ Lil Jon
Shake (Clean) Ying Yang Twins
Boom Boom Pow (Fatman Scoop Td clean) Black Eyed Peas Ft. Fatman Scoop
Something For The DJ's (Prod. By David Guetta & Afrojack) Pitbull
No Money (Main) Galantis
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (The Cube Guys Mix) Barbara Tucker, The Cube Guys
I Got A Feeling (David Guetta Remix) Black Eyed Peas
Epic - Original Mix Quintino, Sandro Silva
All I Do Is Win - Jason Smith One Edit DJ Khaled ft T-Pain, Ludacris & Rick Ross
Pipe It Up (Clean) Migos
No Hands (feat. Roscoe Dash and Wale) [Amended Album Version] Waka Flocka Flame
Rattle New York (Sik Suo Remix) Clean Bigo Players x Alicia Keys
Antidote (Clean) Travis Scott
Love Sosa (Clean) Chief Keef
Wobble (clean) V.I.C.
24K Magic (Clean) Bruno Mars
Caroline (Clean) Amine
Cant Stop This Feeling (Main) Justin Timberlake
Party In The U.S.A. (Wideboys Club Mix) Miley Cyrus
Feel So Maybe - Jump Smokers Bootleg Carly Rae Jepson
Samir's Theme (Ape Drums 2k14 Refix) King Amir
Love Myself (Extend) (John Cha) (Clean) Hailee Steinfield
Boy Oh Boy (Original Mix) Diplo & GTA
Ignition (Remix) R Kelly
Memories (Clean Version) David Guetta - Kid Cudi
All Night (Filip Jenven and Mike Perry Remix) Icona Pop
Clarity (Radio Mix) Zedd ft Foxes
Reload (Original Mix) Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash
Live For The Night (Clean Version) Krewella
Hold My Hand (Extend) (John Cha) (Clean) Jess Glynne
Cant Stop Me (Kryder & Staar Remix) Afrojack & Shermanology
Last Dance Donna Summer

 

[rickryan.com]

I do have one critique about your list that is driving me crazy... Your BPM's are ALL OVER the place. Do you actually beatmatch or blend your music when transitioning?? Perhaps, the non danceable comment is because the music doesn't flow.

You do it your way, I'll do it mine. It works and keeps ears fresh. Last year's lack of dancing was because of the playlist, which I followed instead of challenged. This year, the sponsor gave me latitude. She's already hired me for next year, by the way.

 

[djtaso]

I'm still curious about your mixing style... there are no two back to back songs that have the same bpm. Like right as soon as they get a flow... it changes completely... time after time after time. I'm only speaking from a perspective of bettering yourself. That type of playlist is why DJ's around here get dropped from school events and kids complain to me all the time about from past events they've been to. Certainly NJ kids are no different than TN kids.

Why is the excuse always you do you and I do me?

 

[rickryan.com]

I'm still curious about your mixing style... there are no two back to back songs that have the same bpm. Like right as soon as they get a flow... it changes completely... time after time after time. I'm only speaking from a perspective of bettering yourself. That type of playlist is why DJ's around here get dropped from school events and kids complain to me all the time about from past events they've been to. Certainly NJ kids are no different than TN kids.

Why is the excuse always you do you and I do me?

I sell constant change-ups to my clients. I tell them we work in 4-song cycles, changing up genres, BPM, etc. They like it. It works. It's not an "excuse", it's a difference. Why do you think that the way you understand to do things is the only way to do things? I average 80-100 events per year and book out multiple DJs. How about you?

 

[DJ Bobcat]

... Why is the excuse always you do you and I do me?

... You could do each other, but this is CERTAINLY NOT the place.