Everyone is not supposed to get it

The age old question of "Play what the people want VS Play new shit" has reared it's ugly head once again. Of course everyone was going to jump on the "play what the people want" bandwagon because they believe in the old adage "the customer is always right.' I submit to you that every successful company out there today exists because they went against the grain. Nobody was making fast burgers when McDonalds started doing it. Nobody was making rubber toed running shoes when NIKE started doing it Nobody was making custom coffees when Starbucks started doing it. Nobody was making custom flavors when Ben and Jerry's started doing it. You get the picture. Sure there are successful companies that stay with the status quo but they will always be just successful enough to get by. Many of those companies shut down every year while others pop up to replace the ones that shut down the previous year.

There are two types of patrons: The ones that frequent clubs that play what they want to hear and the ones that go to hear what the DJ is going to do that night. The latter being the ones that are true fans of that DJ. The former don't care who the DJ is just as long as they hear what they want. I'd rather be the DJ they come to see because I'M playing.

Also, at some point in the history of your "favorite song" that song was new and never heard before. Someone had to have the balls to play it the first time so that it could become your "favorite song.'

Slaves to a system

I recently ran into a new artist trying to hawk her wares. I wasn't interested myself but one of my peers took an interest and volunteered the resources of those present so I went along with it. In taking up that cause he provided some information that would make her ascension to the top of the charts proper if not easy. The problem was that the information she was receiving was contrary to the information she had either received or gathered from bad sources and she was hesitant. That seems to be the problem with all starters in this business. Sometimes we get the "if you know so much why aren't YOU rich?" question from people. The answer to that is simple: We know the how. We choose to do it without the backing of the industry so it will take longer to reach our goals. When you see those artists who get signed to those big deals they are financial slaves to a system. When an artist gets an "advance" the system tells you up front what it is but you don't recognize the language. An "advance" is exactly what it sounds like, a loan. "I am advancing you money I think you will make my label." It may take you 4 years to make that back so when you ask for a "royalty" be prepared to discover exactly how much money you owe to the label. Get your minds right about this business and quit signing your lives away for fame and glory. Learn the craft and you will learn the rules.

The State of music today

A recent discussion between a proven producer and an unproven, wannabe artist:

(I'm paraphrasing here because I was not present for the actual conversation but I witnessed the resulting session)

Producer: Let's work on this song. Here is the hook and I need you and your buddy to put some enthusiasm into it.

Artist: The beat is dope but I don't want to work on the hook because my generation will not listen to a song about that subject.

Producer: Ok. What do you want to work on?

Artist: I was hoping you would say that! Let me take your super mega extra dope ass beat and spew gibberish over it that I know they will love in the hood.

Producer: Ok. Let's try it your way, unproven young person that wouldn't know a dope ass lyric if a doctor put it in an I.V. and infused it with your blood.

After 52 niggas, 17 threats of violence, 3 gang affiliations (to a set that would have violated him 34 times by now) and 5 claims to firearms that would have had him in jail for possession alone, this dude and his friend wastes everyone time and he doesn't even have a basic knowledge of song structure.  

How the conversation would have gone had I not been in the other room:

Producer: Let's work on this song. Here is the hook and I need you and your buddy to put some enthusiasm into it.

Artist: The beat is dope but I don't want to work on the hook because my generation will not listen to a song about that subject.

Me: Well, considering the fact that the producer here and I are proven recording artists who have music that has had radio play, sold internationally and we both have music backgrounds that span more years than you have been alive, we could allow you to waste our time talking about the only things you have experienced to this date. I believe that would include staying at your Mama's house, improper use of a belt and grinding your little Petey Weatey on someone's THOT daughter's stretchy pantsed mini camel toe along with your vision of gangster life that has been derived from the 17 movies you've watched on the subject. Sure, I think that would be a great idea so we can have a song that your generation will like.

Artist: Man, you don't know what you are talking about. I got them hot bars! The shit your producer friend wants us to say will not get any love from the hood.

Me: You may well be correct, young sir. If we do it your way everyone in the hood will have your song on their phones, listening to it on the bus while everyone else scrambles for their headphones so they can escape your assault on their ears. I'm sure that when they attempt to play your song on the radio the 72 blank spaces created by the editing they will have to do because of your limited vocabulary will not be distracting at all. In fact, they will love the beat because that will be about the only part of the song left intact.

Artist: You are old, man. They don't listen to the shit your producer wants us to say.

Me: Maybe so. I'm sure your version will get plenty of attention from the hood. You will get 1,000,000 views on Youtube and everyone in the hood will download your song...illegally. The check for $1000 will split up nicely between you, your buddy and the producer. Promise me you will let me ride that shiny, new bike you will buy with your end. Maybe you will make some extra money from that tour with Chief Keef. Oh, wait. He won't tour with you because you are in an opposing gang. How would he know that, you say? Because that is the set your are throwing up in your verse. Oh by the way, 12 bars is not proper song structure for this project. We will give you time to go reference your diary in your hope chest for 4 more bars.

Artist: You're a hater! (runs into studio and throws himself on the couch, sobbing into his Pelle Pelle jacket)

This is why I no longer work in rap.

Coming around the bend....

50 cent said that a new artist should develop a relationship with an up and coming videographer so that they can both develop content together. I've always thought this but everyone wants to get paid right out of the gate. Not only do you have to run a few races but you have to win a few before you get put out to stud.

Trying to stay ahead of the game is hard if you don't know what game you are playing

When I started in the DJ game I quickly realized that I was at a disadvantage because I didn't make my own tracks.  My first attempt at making tracks was pitiful at best.  As I started to get better and  gained access to better tools I found that the next hurdle was to find a concept that was catchy.  That is not always easy.  Eventually, I found a few phrases and melodies that worked but every time I would get over that hurdle another one would spring up behind it.  I started to see a pattern in the process and my tracks got better.  I soon found that allowing others to "touch" a track brought flavor that you may not have discovered.  Here is an example of a remixer I know that has honed his skills to a level that makes it seem as though his remix is a stand-alone, original song.  Listen here.

One time for the crew

Update: Last night I came out of DJ retirement and I jacked so hard on and off the turntables that I broke my glasses. I also fell in love three times and got crushed twice with a potential third time on the horizon. I had the wrong cord for my hard drive but I made it work until DJ Roc moved the computer and all music stopped instantly. King Farley Jackmaster Funk and DeejayDeeon Boyd posed for an epic photo. I don't drink but I had plenty of water. April DiscoGoddess bought me a beer and I was thankful although I don't drink. Greedy Brisco got me there and Clenton DjClent Hill got my home (HSE in effect!). We had a moment of silence for Rashad Teklife. Overall, I had a great time although I'm sore as hell today and can't see worth a shit. Good times.

Corky Strong - Wave

This is from my label, Halsted Street Entertainment.  You can get it on Beatport

Corky Strong - Wave

This is from my label, Halsted Street Entertainment.  You can get it on Beatport

House music loses a legend

Recently House music legend Frankie Knuckles passed away.  I did not know the man personally but his influence and loss has been felt throughout the industry.  What is really crazy is that, with his death, all types of people are trying to throw parties in his name.  Now don't get my wrong.  I'm all for a good party but it seems more opportunistic than honoring this man to me and I'm not the only person that thinks this way.  Facebook has been all ablaze with opinions debating all positions of this issue.  Some are for it and some against.  The only valid point in my opinion is why not have just one party where all the people can come together as one.   Why is this not the only solution?  Because it is not about honoring this man's memory, the movement and culture at all.  It's an opportunity by a few individuals to make money off the death of a person that  they may or may not have even known personally.  So how did they come to this decision?  Was it like "Hey did you hear that Frankie Knuckles died?  Let's throw a party in his honor!"?  I find it very strange that so many parties have popped up all of a sudden.  One person even went as far as invoking the name of another House legend to honor as well in the form of a Frankie Knuckles/Ron Hardy tribute.  Well here is the thing with me.  If you want to truly have this celebration then make it free to the public.  If you are truly broken up about his death then come out of your pocket for this tribute.  If that task is too overwhelming get with the other people throwing their parties and split the bill, hold just one party in one spot and let's all come together as a whole and celebrate this man's life's work without trying to make a profit off his demise.  I will probably take a lot of flack off this but that is just my opinion on the matter.

Beyonce being Beyonce

There is old footage of Beyonce floating around the interwebs from an interview of  Destiny's Child.  It shows Kelly Rowland making a statement that she was the group's "second lead singer" to which Beyonce had a passive aggressive response.  It shows what Beyonce thought of her "group" at the time.  This is why if you decide to live a public life you need to watch what you say about people.  It will ALWAYS come back to bite you on the ass.

Boy bands

The music industry is always trying to manufacture a new sensation. They take a group of young, almost talented people and slam them together with a producer and, with a little training and a ton of PR, the industry has the next sensation. I don't even think these kids like each other and then they are on a world tour. The problem is once they reach maturity they are abandoned by the industry for a new, fresh group of suckers. It's kind of like dudes that date young women. Every now and then they trade them in for younger women.

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Record Union: Something New

Record Union: Something New



So I decided that, since I nearly died in 2013, I will start releasing more music.  I know it's morbid but I want to leave a better legacy than songs about camel toes and 69ing with fat booty girls.  This will be out in about a week and I hope you will\ enjoy the tracks.   I will be in the lab working on new stuff.

Wish List

Things I'd like to see for 2014:

1. Mel Gibson to shut the fuck up and make movies.
2. Wesley Snipes to pay his fucking taxes and make movies.
3. The RZA to stop making movies and make more music.
4. More titties.
5. More ass. 
6. More ass and titties.
7. More Chicago House in movie soundtracks and commercials.
8. More Chicago Producers making those songs that end up in those movies and commercials.
9. More clubs that feature House.
10. More of my music played in those clubs

G.E.T.O. DJ'z, Inc. - I Am House (DJ Flint's Hidden Sound Village Remix)

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Stop the violence.

Chicago is a messed up city for music.  The Rap scene is full of Youtube rappers that think they will be the next Chief Keef and get a huge deal off one catchy song and fans that can't keep from shooting each other.  no one can have a party in Chicago without someone messing it up if Rap music is played.

The House music scene is clicked up and the conflict is not with the fans but the DJ's themselves.  This guy can't play with that guy because the other guy doesn't like him.  Just the other day I heard about two well established DJ's and life long friends getting into a fight at the club.  I will say that one of the DJ's in question has had his ass on his shoulders for some years now but that is not a reason for fisticuffs.  There is even a guy in the business that makes it his business to pick a fight with a DJ every other week.  I think he is starved for attention.

I just want to do music. That is all.  I don't want to worry about who said what to whom.  I want to make a nice ass track that you hear as the club and I want to hear that random girl in the crowd that squeals and says "That my jam!"  None of us are superstars and we need to remember that.

Self help

I'm starting a series of web based self-help videos and blogs. This is my first topic. Enjoy and please comment.

Track star

So the other day I was having a conversation with DJ Traxman who had recently returned from Japan while supporting his latest releases.  He was going on about how about how Dance Mania (Records) was huge in Japan and that I would be surprised by what were hits there.  At that point he mentioned an old song of mine that, by my standards, was a B-side at best.  The name of the track was "Top Shelf Booty" and it was something I rarely played.  He said it was a hit there and I was floored to say the least. Anyway, here is that track:

The attack on DJ Nate

Recently someone uploaded a video of a young DJ named DJ Nate getting beat up and robbed. In the few days it has been up it has gone viral on Facebook and is now on WorldStarHipHop.com and Youtube trending there as well. I've noticed this video being played in public where ever I go and even my niece was watching it this morning. I've also noticed a metric ton of people having something to say about it, both in Nate's favor and against him saying how"weak" he is. The truth of it is that not only was Nate attacked but he was ambushed. He knew his attacker because the guy is related to one of the artists Nate has worked with in the past.
Here's my take on the DJ Nate thing: He has no real friends and is out there alone. The guys that were filming are not his friends but are "hanger on's" that know him simply because he is a low level celebrity. Personally, I take this as an attack on the DJ culture as well as if he attacked me. This is why celebrities have to divorce themselves from "the hood" once they make it because the snakes are out there from the first dollar you made and didn't give them 50 cents of it. Those of us that know Nate know that he is not a thug in the least and would not have been able to fight off this type of attack.


DJ Nate, I don't know you personally or professionally but I support you simply because this could have been me being attacked just as it could have been any other DJ from Chicago or any other city.


I normally don't support videos showing people being attacked but this thing has gone viral and is everywhere.

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Halsted Street Entertainment Volume 2

Here is the classic mix by DJ Greedy and me, DJ Flint.  Enjoy!

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Bad Marketing

So I'm at the Blok Bizness Meet and Greet and Power 92 has a table set up there.  On said table is some "movie swag" (that's an industry term and not that bullshit Lil' Wayne says) including hats and shirts from recent movies.  Now mind you this is mostly a Rap event and besides the DJ's there are mostly rappers.  One of the items on the table is from the movie "Snitch" which simply said "snitch" on the hat.  Whomever thought that to be a good thing to put on a hat and give away should be fired.  No one is going to wear that hat.  Even kids in third world countries where they give away the shirts of the losing Superbowl team will not wear these caps (they print up both teams as champs so they have them ready for the outcome).

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