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This hands-on masterclass gets into the science and soul of beatmixing.
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00:15welcome to sway stage behind every great DJ is a deep understanding of rhythm timing and
00:22storytelling today Raj smooth take us behind the turntables for a hands-on masterclass exploring
00:28the science and soul of beat mixing please welcome Raj smooth how y'all doing how y'all doing can
00:37y'all
00:37hear me no one two hey can y'all hear me hello we're getting there one two one two one
00:43two one two
00:44one two one two one two hey all right can y'all hear me now how y'all doing welcome
00:51y'all to
00:51the suede stage my name is DJ Raj smooth I'm born and raised right here in New Orleans Louisiana
00:58I've been DJing since I was 13 years old and started in 1990 so I've been doing this for a
01:06while I've been blessed enough to never have a day job I've been DJing since high school and I've been
01:13able to make a living and feed my family doing it so essence asked me to come here today show
01:19y'all
01:19some things that I tend to do when I'm DJing parties or different events and a little bit
01:25of my philosophy of how I approach DJing parties and stuff so um when I first started DJing I think
01:33like my early inspirations like I came up in the 80s when you know hip-hop was still kind of
01:39new the
01:40DJs were like the main focus of the group so you had like Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince you
01:46had
01:47Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and I always thought that it was cool what the DJs were doing
01:54also being young I've been tall my whole life and I always kind of felt weird when I was dancing
02:01because I felt like I looked goofy so I thought that if I went to a party I needed to
02:06be able to do
02:07something so if I was able to DJ then that would give me a reason to be there and I
02:11could be cool
02:11doing it and hopefully some girls will want to talk to me so that kind of pushed me to uh
02:17wanting to get
02:18into DJing and uh listen to Jazzy Jeff and there was this one track called Live in Union Square that
02:23came out where uh they were in the club rocking live and uh Will Smith The Fresh Prince was hyping
02:31up Jeff and Jeff was scratching and transforming on it on the decks and everybody was like ahhh like
02:37it was the greatest thing ever in the world and I was like yo that's cool I think I can
02:41do that so
02:44So, decades later, I'm here today to talk about how I actually do that.
02:49So, when I'm at a party, I'm assuming everybody here has been to a party before, yes?
02:55Birthday party, wedding, high school dance, something.
02:58You know, Essence is a big party.
03:00We got a lot of DJs all over the place.
03:01So, there are a lot of different kind of techniques and ways that we play our records in order to
03:09make everybody have a good time.
03:10So, one of the basic techniques is what we kind of refer to as slamming records, where all you doing
03:18is really like playing one record after the other, a little something like this.
03:22And sometimes you play it a little fast.
03:29So, we'll have one record going, then everybody getting the groove, and then we slam to the next record.
03:50So, that's kind of like when we slamming records.
03:53We just going real fast from one record to the next record.
03:56I think Kid Capri was kind of like the one that really started doing that.
04:02I seem to remember him telling a story about when they used to do Def Comedy Jam on the road.
04:05And as a DJ, sometimes you only get five to ten minutes to do what you do.
04:11So, you want to try to get as many records in as possible to make the crowd, you know, get
04:16into what you're doing and have a good time.
04:18And if you don't have a lot of time, like if you know, like one song might be three minutes
04:21long.
04:22So, if you're playing a whole song, you might only get four songs in in a ten-minute break.
04:27But when you're slamming your records, you're only getting like four to eight bars.
04:31So, you might only play 20 and 30 seconds of each song.
04:34So, that gives you more time to get it in.
04:36So, also with slamming, something that I tend to do is mixing from one record to another.
04:46So, I'm going to start back with the same thing.
04:49So, if I'm playing blow the whistle, I'm going to skip to the hook.
04:55What's my favorite word?
04:57Why they got to say it like short?
04:59You know they can't play on my court.
05:01So, when the hook starts, I'm going to skip to the direction.
05:03Blow the whistle still playing.
05:11I got Marty up playing.
05:11It comes to the hook.
05:16So, that does a couple of different things where, you know, people are already jamming.
05:21They're singing the hook to blow the whistle.
05:23And by mixing in the next record, then you kind of get people like they hear it.
05:28And it's like, oh, I like that song too.
05:30And they get extra excited.
05:32And then when the hook comes, it's like, yo, like, we really losing our mind up in here.
05:36Up in here.
05:38So, it's a real simple thing to do.
05:40It helps you to keep the records together.
05:42Keep the timing rolling.
05:45Because the worst thing you want to do is have the beat miss when people are dancing.
05:49You know, everybody is dancing on beat.
05:52Hopefully, everybody is dancing on beat.
05:54So, when that next record comes in, you want to make sure that it comes in on the one so
05:59the party can continue.
06:00Like, you know, it's not like a start and stop.
06:03You know, especially like, you know, if you guys are dancing with a girl, you don't want to mess up
06:07that rhythm.
06:07So, making sure what you do is stays on beat is very, very important.
06:13So, moving on from the mix of going in from one record to another, you kind of have the blend.
06:20So, you know, for all of my old school hip-hop fans, anybody that used to buy mixtapes and stuff,
06:25where you would have the beat from one song mixing with a cappella or a different record kind of all
06:32the way through to create a new experience.
06:35So, I got one mix that I like to do.
06:39It's a Beyonce song called Cuff It.
06:44If I can find it in my list.
06:45Hold up.
06:55And I mix this with a song from Michael Jackson called Rock With You.
07:02Because it works out around the same tempo.
07:04And a lot of times when you are mixing records, even when you're slamming records, it's very important to kind
07:09of keep the tempo up.
07:10You don't want to go from a slow song to a faster song with more energy.
07:14Because, again, you don't want to break that rhythm.
07:16You don't want to break the energy.
07:18You want to kind of keep it escalating up.
07:20Or if you do need to bring it down, you don't want anything to be too jarring.
07:23Because you want people to be able to enjoy the party and what it is that they're doing.
07:27Now, thanks to Serato, we're able to stem out the instrumental in the acapella from these different songs.
07:36Because we don't really have a lot of acapellas nowadays.
07:48So this is like the blend with Rock With You and Cuff It.
08:12So the great thing about this mix is they're in the same key.
08:15So it kind of sounds like Beyoncé is actually singing to the Michael Jackson song.
08:33And the breakdown happens in the right place.
08:38And also, too, if y'all know the dance, when everybody does the hand clap, it's actually the Michael Jackson
08:43song.
08:55So that was kind of like a little happy accident.
08:57I was just blending them together for the tempo.
09:00And it turned out that the claps and the breakdown and everything fell in the same place.
09:04And it was just a great blend that a lot of people like.
09:07So, like, any time I'm DJing and I happen to get in there, I always try to drop it.
09:11And a few people that will catch y'all and they'll turn around and I'll be like, yo, I like
09:16that one.
09:18So another way that we mix records together.
09:21And I know y'all see a lot of this online, like TikTok and stuff, where, like, people are doing,
09:25like, these crazy transition.
09:26And it's like, you know, doing, like, some little tone play.
09:28And the little chick is next to them dancing.
09:30And it's like, I can't believe they just did that mix.
09:34That's cool.
09:36That doesn't happen all the time.
09:37If it was just that the whole time it was at a party, nobody would be having a party because
09:42you're just watching whatever the little antics that the DJ is doing.
09:45So a lot of times when I'm rocking, you know, I like to show out every now and then.
09:50But I try to keep what I'm doing invisible to the overall party environment.
09:55Because I want people to interact with each other.
09:57I want people to dance.
09:58I want people to enjoy the songs it is that they're listening to.
10:02So with those kind of, like, crazy transitions, there's, like, certain song links that you can do in certain directions
10:10to get a reaction out of the crowd.
10:14Now I have one of those type of, like, links that I do that always seems to work.
10:21And when, like, the last song is, like, a little three-song link that I do.
10:24When the last one comes in, everybody's like, I'm going to do it for y'all real quick.
10:29So y'all just get into the music.
10:31There's a little slamming that goes on with this as far as, like, with that technique.
10:38And this is something, like, when everybody's kind of, like, really just starting to get into the groove.
10:42And I feel like they're really kind of, like, taking it to the next level.
10:48I'll drop this in.
10:57So everybody know who they ain't getting money.
10:59Come on, y'all.
11:02Right side.
11:06Good side.
11:13Now this has a dope out point.
11:16Because y'all know in Kim's verse, she's like, shall I proceed?
11:21And then the whole crowd says.
11:23All right, so we're going to do that.
11:29Shall I proceed?
11:35It works every time.
11:36It never fails.
11:38Like, I had one of my partners used to be with me.
11:41I'm like, yo, like, watch this, watch this.
11:42I'm about to do this.
11:43And I do it.
11:43And as soon as that biggie drops, everybody's like.
11:46Ah, that's my song.
11:47And I'll do it again.
11:48I'm like, yo, I'm about to do it again.
11:51And it still works.
11:52You know?
11:53So that's one type of way, you know, just chaining those records together.
11:58Where it kind of makes sense for the audience.
11:59It makes sense for the party.
12:01Some people might catch on to it.
12:02Some people don't.
12:04I have another one that I like to do.
12:06And sometimes he's happening in the ways where it could be the song titles.
12:11It could be the artist.
12:12It could be the subject of the song.
12:14I'm going to go through a few real quick.
12:17I'm sure y'all are going to be familiar with this record.
12:31Anybody heard this one?
12:32Y'all heard this one before, right?
12:44I'm going to skip into the hook.
12:45Because after the hook is when I do the drive.
12:48Y'all feel free to sing along.
12:49Feel free to sing along.
12:51Ah.
12:53What you say?
12:58All right, we talking.
13:05One more time.
13:11So if I'm asking a girl, can we talk?
13:14This next record is what I'm going to say right here.
13:20You know what I'm saying?
13:23It's real simple.
13:25It stays on the subject.
13:26Come and talk to me.
13:27It's another.
13:28Y'all can come on through.
13:29Come on.
13:29Come on.
13:30What do you think?
13:30Come and talk to me.
13:32I really want to meet you.
13:34Girl, I really want to know your name.
13:39I got another little chain real quick.
13:41Ready or not, here I come.
13:43You can't hide.
13:46Gonna find you and take it slowly.
13:51Ready or not.
13:52So we got Lauryn Hill, the Fugees.
13:56Get everybody hyped up for this.
14:00Yeah.
14:04You know what I'm saying?
14:05So we staying on that Lauryn Hill kick.
14:11And so I came to see him with his soul.
14:19All right.
14:20Y'all can hit that high note right here.
14:41All right.
14:43Y'all can hit that high note right here.
14:47Those big finishes before you go to the next thing.
14:51Right here.
15:03You know what I'm saying?
15:04Keeping with that same band with the Lauryn Hill.
15:12In the same way, like I went with the Fugees, I would do it with this.
15:20I would normally let this run to the hook.
15:21So, you know, people like to rap now.
15:24But then skip to the next hook right before the bridge so we can go to the big part.
15:28Black diamonds and bars.
15:30Couldn't be.
15:31If you could be mine, we won't shine.
15:33If I rule the world.
15:35Still living for today.
15:36And then we'll walk right up to the sun.
15:40Hand in hand.
15:43We'll walk right up to the sun.
15:46We won't land.
15:48We'll walk right up to the sun.
15:51Hand in hand.
15:52Now we got Lauryn Hill with Nas.
15:54So I can shift it in a little direction right here.
16:03So that's the way you can kind of like keep the records going.
16:07And just have some type of connective tissue.
16:10Between what it is that you're playing and in the way that you're playing it.
16:15So that, you know, you kind of keep everybody on the same vibe.
16:17And once everybody gets on with the program, you can kind of go and do whatever it is that you
16:22want.
16:25Another thing with DJing and mixing is trying to figure out how to reverse those courses.
16:32Because, like, you don't want to put a hard break.
16:34So, like, if I'm playing a lot of R&B and I'm in an R&B set.
16:39I could come with an R&B song like this.
16:48Now, right after this intro, they got a little break.
16:50And I can use that to bring it something different.
16:53And I'm trying to be yours.
16:55Hands on your head while you're working on the flow.
16:58You know the mama choosing as I walk through the door.
17:01Gucci head to toe, so you know I'm getting told.
17:04But what's I hit him with that fixie?
17:06Gonna be digging for some more.
17:07So watch me work away.
17:08We work away.
17:09We work away.
17:09So by doing that, now we're out of the R&B.
17:13And now we're getting a little bit more ratchet, and we can turn it up a little bit.
17:24Now, before this part gets to the hook, I just want to make a little note.
17:27So songs have in-and-out parts where it makes sense to kind of mix in and out of them.
17:33You don't want to cut a song off halfway through the verse unless there's like on a Lil' Kim song
17:38where it's like the Yes Indeed.
17:40Then it will make sense to kind of like come out of that to another record.
17:44But as far as I'm concerned, my rule of thumb is that once the verse start, for the most part,
17:50I got to let the verse play through.
17:52If the hook starts, for the most part, you want to let the hook play all the way through before
17:57you go to the next record.
17:58So if I was going to mix out of this and slam into something else, I would want to do
18:02it before the hook start.
18:20So we kind of ratchet right now.
18:24Go ahead.
18:25Go ahead.
18:25You ain't got to be scared.
18:29Now that I'm in Wipe Me Down, before we get into this, I'm going to start it back.
18:37Don't worry, we're going to finish this part out.
18:40So once you kind of start, even within the rap and the ratchet, you can kind of determine where you
18:45want to go from there.
18:46And that also depends on the type of audience that I'm in front of.
18:49Like, if I'm in a younger audience that's a little bit more turned up, then I might go from Wipe
18:55Me Down.
18:56We still on, we still riding on, we still pulling off.
19:01Wipe my in love.
19:01I'm pulling back to COVID.
19:03I, P, gas, and O, people, all drinks on.
19:07You wipe it out.
19:08Fresh kicks, fresh wipes on.
19:10Keep a clutch in it, baby.
19:11And trash rolls, look at the blues.
19:13Wipe.
19:13Wipe.
19:14Wipe.
19:15Wipe.
19:26So if I want to be more ratchet, I can do that.
19:30But if I wanted to go to something a little bit less.
19:34Wipe.
19:35I can't own evil drinks on me.
19:37Wipe me down.
19:38Fresh kicks, fresh white talk.
19:40Fresh in it, bare hands, fresh bows with the goose.
19:43Wipe me down.
19:47That's another record, it's a dance record.
19:58So we staying at the same tempo.
20:01People can still dance.
20:04But it's not quite as rapid.
20:08So that's kind of how I approach DJing.
20:11That's how I approach parties.
20:12Building it up.
20:14For anybody that's interested in DJing.
20:17My homie here just said he just started DJing a couple months ago.
20:20And he's been having an amazing time.
20:22You know, find some music that you love.
20:26Also explore some other genres.
20:27Because you never know what type of crowd that you're going to be in front of.
20:31And you always want to make sure that whoever you're in front of can have a good time.
20:36So hopefully in the future I get to see y'all at a party I'm doing.
20:39And I can make sure y'all have a good time.
20:40And I thank y'all for having me here today.
20:43Follow me online at Raj Shmoov.
20:46R-A-J-S-M-O-O-V-E.
20:48At Raj Shmoov.
20:50Right.
20:54Check me out online.
20:55I appreciate y'all.
20:56I appreciate y'all.
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