JD: The State Of The Music Business – Part 1 of 5

June 2, 2008 by TMA
Filed under TMA

Hate him or Love him, Jermaine Dupri has never been shy about speaking his mind… We recently sat down with JD “The Boss” to discuss the State Of The Music Business. This interview will be broken up into a 5 part series that will air over this week. Today is Part 1 of 5 – Death Of The DJ. Tune in tomorrow when JD states that “Money Fucked Up The (Hip Hop) Game!”

Death Of The DJ

Bonus Message To The TMA Bloggers

Share and Enjoy:

Tags:

Comments

68 Responses to “JD: The State Of The Music Business – Part 1 of 5”

A&R Serge says:

June 9, 2008 at 2:36 am

I DEFINITELY AGREE WIT JD CUZ IF U THINK ABOUT IT RIGHT….WHEN U GO TO A PARTY THAT AN OLD SCHOOL DJ IS SPINNING LIKE BIZ MARKIE OR RED ALERT…THEY HAVE U ROCKING ALL NIGHT RIGHT…THAT’S BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO INTERESTS IN DOING NOTHING BUT MOVING U ALL NIGHT…NOW IF U GO TO A PARTY THAT DJ KHALED IS SPINNING…ALL U GONNA HEAR IS MIAMI MUSIC ALL NIGHT…ACE HOOD, RICK ROSS, PLIES…ETC…LIKE THIS SHIT IS WACK NOW…DJs DEFINITELY HAVE LOST THE AIM OF WUT IT IS THEY HAVE TO DO WHICH IS TO MOVE THE CROWD…IT BECOMES A CONFLICT OF INTERESTS WHEN UR A DJ AND U HAVE AN ARTIST OR AN ACTUAL ARTIST URSELF…BECAUSE UR GONNA MAKE SURE U PLAY THEIR/YOUR RECORD…I REMEMBER WHEN DRAMA AND THEM HAD THE RADIO SHOW EVERY NIGHT ON 107.9…ALL THEY PLAYED WAS CUTS OFF THEIR ALBUM OR WILLIE THE KID AND LA THE DARKMAN FREESTYLES/SONGS THE WHOLE HOUR AND MAYBE A FEW EXCLUSIVES…THEY NO LONGER HAVE A SHOW

MONEY DEFINITELY FUCKED THE GAME UP B/C IF U GOT MONEY U CAN GET UR RECORD PLAYED AND ADDED…LIKE I KNOW A DUDE WHO DOES THAT…U KNOW WITH RADIO U CAN BUY ADVERTISEMENT SPOTS…SO U CAN ACTUALLY PAY FOR X AMOUNT OF SPOTS FOR UR RECORD TO GET PLAYED…AND SOME OF THE MIXSHOW DJs MIGHT NOT MAKE A LOT OF MONEY SO IF “DOPEBOY FRESH” COMES ALONG LIKE “HERE’S $5000, I WANT U TO BLOW MY RECORD UP”…U THINK THE MIXSHOW DJ WON’T DO JUST THAT

AND AS FAR AS GREG STREET AND OTHER DJs WHO JUMPED @ JD’s NECK FOR SAYING WHAT HE SAID REGARDING THE DJ IS DEAD R GUILTY OF THAT SHIT…WHOO KID ALSO JUMPED @ HIM…GREG STREET PLAYS CUTS OFF HIS UPCOMING ALBUM OR N E THING POLOW DA DON PRODUCES OR HAS SOMETHING TO DO WIT…HOT OR NOT..AND U ALL READY KNOW WHAT WHOO KID PLAYS ALL DAY…THAT’S LIKE ME GETTING ON TV OR YOUTUBE AND SAYING “I’M DONE WITH DEALING WITH BLACK WOMEN BECAUSE THEY RUN THEIR MOUTHS TOO MUCH AND DON’T KNOW THEIR ROLES IN A RELATIONSHIP, I’M ONLY DATING WHITE WOMEN NOW BECAUSE THEY’RE MORE SUBMISSIVE”…ALL THE BLACK CHICKS THAT JUMP @ MY NECK FOR SAYING THAT STATEMENT IS EXACTLY WHO I’M TALKING ABOUT…THE ONES THAT KNOW THEY HOLD IT DOWN WILL JUST SIMPLY SAY “HE HASN’T ME YET BECAUSE I’M A GOOD WOMAN”…BUT THE ONES THAT GO ALL OUT AND PUT YOUTUBE VIDEOS UP TRYING TO GET THEIR POINT ACROSS R THE ONES I WAS TALKING ABOUT…BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME GOOD DJs OUT THERE THAT REALLY LOVE THEIR CRAFT
Charlei Flo says:

June 9, 2008 at 9:28 pm

Hi JD,

I honestly don’t think you fully believe your statement. I’m pretty sure it’s to get a lot of replies because DJs will come out of the woodworks with acomment like that. I understand your point and there are a lot of DJs that just like you want some paper. I am an old school DJ and can tell you that the hip hop game hasn’t shown much love for the club DJ which promotes artists. In the beginning it was the rapper and his DJ. Then the rapper started his own thing and left the DJ to fend on his own. Most clubs pay crap for the DJ and will replace a brother for someone cheaper regardless of skill because you’ll never hear a radio ad down here where the club mentions what DJ wil be spinning. Some DJs want to make some bread and therefore need to hustle to make that money. You can’t blame them for that but don’t categorize all DJs for that. You want to know how messed up things are? Join any record pool or get a promo CD and you’ll see there’s no longer an extended version with a break for the DJ to transition smoothly. That’s how low the DJ is thought of. Either we have to put our in intro’s and outros or cut the music in. That to me shows disrespect for the DJ. Respect them like in the past and maybe they’ll concentrate more on the mix becuase honestly the DJ does what he does becuase of the love because that DJ you’re reffering to that’s dead can’t make enough money to get rich . One more thing, I’m pretty sure you were a DJ first and then a producer so remember how it used to be and how it is now.
Dj Knockout says:

June 9, 2008 at 10:44 pm

I agree then don’t agree. Now days unsigned artist songs are stupid and have no point, so it leave the dj no choice to just basically throw that shit away. Like if a dj go to the club and play a stupid song everybody is going to boo the dj and they might even leave the club. It is really all about networking really. I give my c.d out too. I am like if I promote you at least you can do is promote me. Basically scratch my back and I scratch yours. Plus no days you have out of the closet dj’s. Dj’s that don’t even have turn tables. Just have a little machine that you put an IPod on or insert c.d’s. Those are the dj’s that follow the dj’s with turntables just to make a name for there self. Those are the dj’s that don’t look out for unsigned artist.
Vig says:

June 10, 2008 at 3:33 pm

JD,

First off, much respect you to you and the So So Def Empire. I love it whenever I land in ATL driving up 75 and seeing the So So Def Billboard, you definitely made a great name for yourself!

I have to agree with you on this subject and this is why. I started DJing in 1982, but stopped DJing in 1990; long story… I moved from the West Coast to the East in 2000 and started to pay attention to the radio, bar, and some club DJ’s and found that some of them do not have a clue to really rock a party. First off, some of these DJ’s, just play tracks, they do not even know the concept of blending two records together for a seamlessly smooth transition to one to the other. Then there are some that try and “Mash-up” tracks which do not belong together, it drove me crazy. It made me so upset, that I started to re-think me as a DJ, coming back from hiatus.

I am not saying I am the best DJ/Producer, but you are right when you said when passing the baton you et DJ’ing running in every direction instead of the one you expected. It’s definitely a “New School” issue as the Old/True school DJ’s, the few that there are are still keeping it real. Even if it is with a DVS like Serato or Torq, or with crates of vinyl. Someone needs to bring more creativity to the dance floor and the radio.

Anyway, just wanted to respond and say whats up!
Spencer says:

June 11, 2008 at 12:12 am

What retarded rambling is coming out of this idiots mouth. Perhaps the idea of the DJ in his tiny beetlejuice head is dead, but there will always be DJ’s playing parties and entertaining. The game of DJing just changed as did the music game. I think it would be more realistic to say the music production business is dead as nobody pays for their products anymore.
Mike Hee says:

June 12, 2008 at 8:45 pm

I bet you really hatin you said this now……especially with a new artist coming out. DJ Kay Slay aired you out man. On the real.

how come you aint put this on this site??
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com.....o4872b2FY2
dj smoove says:

June 17, 2008 at 11:47 am

The dj ain’t dead cat. What happened is, your industry let these wack ass cats with no idea what a “mixtape” really is get on. Now these cats that can’t mix worth a fuck are considered dj’s just because they’ll put out new bullshit every week. But book one of these sorry cat’s and they can’t even blend one record to another….It’s kinda sad…but I’m from the ol’ school and I just dj just to see folks enjoy themselves. If an artist comes to me with a cd…I’ll play the joint the following weekend…but for the longest before I switched to serato, I couldn’t because I only rocked vinyl. I asked for their vinyl and they’re like “huh?” Technology has made it too easy to make a song. (laffy taffy???!!) DJ’s used to be important as far as getting the hot shit out….now that rap is so watered down…..80-90% of it is casio keyboard bullshit!! (what happened to a bassline on a track) who in their dj mind would want to play any of this bullshit. But not to worry….this music thing is 360 degrees….the real hip hop will come back to the top once again. And for you young pups…..check a real “mc” …..Black Thought….If we just set him as the standard…80% of these “rappers” wouldn’t dare drop a demo. (especially if Biggie and 2pac were still alive)
ETHX says:

July 9, 2008 at 12:23 pm

Im a Dj, all I have to say is taht if there wasent so much wack shit comming I would have no problem palying new shit. All this new rap shit is wack as fuck, it displays no lyrical skill and has no substance. Plus the reason why alot of dj’s wont play shit is because of the mainstream radio sheep minded mutherfuckers that attend clubs. All these mutherfuckers that come to the clubs that I play at want to hear the same fucking bullshit over and over again, I must get like 30 request for lollipop, souljaboy,and the cupid shuffle, and if I dont play the common popular shit that people waht to hear then that puts my job in jepordy. All yu new artist please start putting out good shit, not just club bangin shit I mean some quality Hip Hop. Lets bring Hip Hop back, then the Dj will come back.
Carl the Truth Williams says:

July 12, 2008 at 7:06 pm

that shit didn’t make NO sense. Your a rich kid whose daddy put him on, quit bitching. and go back to college and learn how to speak.
no way jose says:

August 6, 2008 at 1:06 pm

the dj in the aspect of a dj in the 80’s is dead yes. that is because in the dj game during the 90’s, the dj’s getting the most bookings were the ones doing the hottest production and remixes. many many many rappers and producers started out as dj’s, so i don’t see how your point has any relevance. it is all about progression. every single dj out there is constantly looking for the next big hit, day in and day out , period. and when they think they have found it, they play that shit like crazy, so how are we not doing what we are supposed to?? some dj’s will make a whole mixtape, just for one track because they want people to listen to there shit and they have the latest hit. the dj is an aritist in his on relm, and now a days , the dj can get up to 10 grand an hour because of his production work. why hate on that??? there is a demand, and it is being supplied, we would be stupid not to. case and point, the music on the radio is absolute garbage, and alot of the remix work and underground club music that the dj’s search endlessly for is banging. alot like the 80’s
DJ A-O.N.E. says:

August 6, 2008 at 9:27 pm

I have been around since the beginning and that stuff that JD is talking about is evolutions fault. Back in the day…the Urban music genre had very very limited exposure on the radio and MTV. So the unheard new shit was the club music. That is where you went to here what was new outside of the 70 songs combined you heard throughout the week on the radio and videos. Times have changed. Radio stations and BET and MTV2 are playing nothing but urban music so now that is what the crowd is hearing all the time. Back then it was a big deal to hear more than 3 urban songz in a row on the radio unles you heard a mixshow for 2 hours. That is why people was so dedicated to listening to people like Mr. Magic, Red Alert, Doc B (in Milwaukee) and so on and so on.

Hip Hops/urban musics growth is what bit us in the ass. Our audiences have become desensatized (in a way). Back then you heard a new song in the club 7 times in that night because it was acceptable becuase we didn’t get enough of it once we left the club.

Simply put…because of the growth and over saturation/exposure (I mean this in a good way) in urban music DJs are forced to make their own mark (to book the gigs, get the oppertunities and etc…)and that is why DJs aren’t like it use to be….unfortuanately. I try to stay true to those days but it is hard…very hard.

I hope I explained my opinion where people can understand me.