DJ Untouchable

 

 

DJ Untouchable was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA and started DJing at the age of 15 on the streets of Philly.  His major influence came from his father, who himself was a DJ and a native of Jamaica.  With the rich Jamaican culture and music embedded in his family, his father taught him how to acquisition himself in preparing for this industry.  DJ Untouchable seems to be ahead of his time, he began djing in local clubs before most teens were able to get their driver licenses. He studied other Philly natives such as DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ Touch Tone; he wanted to be like the greats but only greater. 

DJ Untouchable has figured out the art of music; his philosophy of blending music is the comparison of how a visual artist puts colors together to create a masterpiece. When he’s djing, he tells a story with his touch the same way an artist conveys a message.  DJing is one of the happiest and joyfulness times in his life.  He quotes “You can take away my truck and all that I have, but please don’t take away my turntables”. His drive and passion for music has developed him into a well-rounded DJ that can cater to any clients needs.  He refers to himself as a new school DJ with an old school feel.  His style will always continue to evolve with the changes of music and culture. 

If you have an upcoming event such as a party, wedding, or anniversary contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com and (Office) 336-833-4752 (Cell) 267-269-9709
 

Check Out DJ Untouchable First Interview 

http://www.sixshot.com/articles/11393/

IT WAS ALL A DREAM-NOTORIOUS B.I.G.

Notorious B.I.G. aka Christopher Wallace biopic was released January 16 is a must see for hip hop film goers. The anticipated film features the struggle and success of the Notorious B.I.G. (Jamal Woolard) and the people who impacted his life, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs (Derek Luke), Voletta Wallace (Angela Bassett),  Faith Evans (Antonique Smith), Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton), Lil Cease (Marc John Jefferies), and Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie).  

Even though B.I.G. died in 1997 at the age of 24 his life still lives on through this film. The film opens the eyes of an audience that only knew him as a rapper; it shows him as a man with an undeniable talent that started off as a dream but soon turned into reality.

Biggie’s rhymes spoke about the struggle of the streets and having a dream of making it big as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Support Black Films

R.I.P.  Notorious B.I.G.

Last Night the DJ Saved My Life

The makings and breakings of an artist career held at the finger tip of a DJ

Artists sometimes think if they get their songs played on the radio they finally made it one step closer in the entertainment industry.  A lot of artists think that radio DJs have a major influence on their careers when it comes to selecting music.  However, it’s up to the listeners to decide if they like the music being played on the air ways.  Radio producers and music directors are responsible for deciding what music to play and preventing listeners from turning away from the station. At the end of day, it’s all about ratings, so if you’re not hot, then you must stop!

If artists are lucky enough they can sometimes hear local music being played during a “mix show” but it’s not always guaranteed.  Also, record labels send songs to radio stations to test the markets and to determine how good a song is and when to release an album. 

Coming from someone that knows the ins and outs of radio, Chris ‘ShoSmoove’ Lea, Morning Show producer for Greensboro based, hip hop radio station, 102 Jamz has some great tips for artists trying to make it on the radio.

1.    Always remain on your grind

2.    Don’t make the radio stations your main priority

3.    Create buzz about yourself everywhere else and the radio stations will come looking for you.

Chris also explained that getting your song played is not as easy as it seems.  Radio stations have to make sure that the official documents are secure for broadcasting songs. Radio stations cannot play songs that are samples because it could possibly lead to law suits. Also, every year radio stations pay fees to the BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporation) and ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) that collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers. So, the fact of the matter is radio stations pay licensing rights to broadcast music and report the music they play to the licensing organization which, in turn, distributes royalties to the artists affiliated with it based on the percentage of play their songs receive.

So now, is it sinking in that you have to be on top of your game when trying to make it into the entertainment industry? As artists, you need to seriously get your game up and start writing and producing your own songs and owning them.  Also, another takeaway is to make sure everyone you encounter knows who you are and also think your music is hot.

Don’t forget to check out the man behind the hottest morning show in Greensboro, NC, 102 Jamz “Wild Out Wake Up Show” and check out his MySpace page at myspace.com/shosmoovemusic

If you would like any additional information please contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com and (Office) 336-833-4752 or (Cell) 267-269-9709

 

 

 

Roots: Hip Hop in Philadelphia

Philadelphia for many years was the only city whose contributions to hip hop was valued as greatly as New York City’s by hip hop critics. Hip hop was popular in Philly as far back as 1976 and the New York Times newspaper coined Philly as the “Graffiti Capital of the World” in 1971, due to the influence of legendary graffiti artists, Cornbread. In 1980, the first female solo artist to record hip hop was Lady B, “To the Beat Y’All”, a Philly-area radio DJ.

In addition, Philly has produced some of the most well known rappers and DJs since the beginning of hip hop culture. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were one of the first to put Philly on the map as a hip hop headquarters.  They made music that crossed over to R&B and Pop radio stations. Also, an underground rapper, Steady B pushed the Philly underground sound with hard beats and rhymes which were reminiscent of early LL Cool J.

Also, The Roots, were the first proclaimed hip hop band in the area, that was followed by underground fans since the mid-1990s. Philly is also famous for early 2000’s mainstream acts such as Beanie Sigel, Eve, Freeway, State Property, Cassidy and Cyssero. The Philadelphia underground scene consists of Reef the Lost Cauze, Chief Kamachi, Hezekiah, Random, The Last Emperor, Jedi Mind Tricks, meek mill and so many more.

 

If you would like any additional information please contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com

and (Office) 336-833-4752 or (Cell) 267-269-9709

 

 

History of the Mix Tape

Mix tapes go all the way before rap records were made and hip hop was born

” Mix tapes can consist of everything from reggae, slow jams, jazz, hip hop, and R&B soul.  However, they weren’t always called “mix tapes”, back in the 1970s; they were known as “party tapes”.

Back in the day, people loved partying in the clubs so much that they would pay DJs for their party tapes to take homes or to listen to in the car.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, Kool Herc and the Herculoids, were among the most popular crews of the birthing of hip hop that became successful not only from their DJ gigs, but from the recordings they made.

Grandmaster Flash credits himself, Kool Herc, and Africa Bambaataa as the originators of the mix tapes.

Mix tapes are less about displaying turntable skills and more a reflection of a DJ ability to find new talent and new music.

So if you’re a DJ, who says you have to stay in the background? As long as mix tapes are still around, you can still position yourself in the spotlight and become successful.

 If you would like any additional information about DJ Untouchable’s mix tapes please contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com and (Office) 336-833-4752 or (Cell) 267-269-9709 

 

Mix Tape-Got Guap

Got Guap is a collaboration of talented, hip hop artists from the Carolinas and Philadelphia area that has a passion for hip hop music. 

Got Guap was released in Late November at DatPiff.com, a Web site for DJ’s and artists to showcase their mix tapes.

The purpose behind this particular mix tape was to get local artists recognized, with quality sounds and productions to circulate nationally.

Shout Out to the following artists

–          DJ Papers-South Jersey

–          Naps Krew-Greensboro, NC based, Hip Hop Record Label

–          Teamsters-Hip Hop Group that targets artists in Philly, Jersey, and North Carolina

–          DJ E Sudd-Greensboro based, who has a mix tapes series called on my grind

–     Q the Question-Hip Hop Writer, Street Knowledge  Entertainment-Trel Mack

DJ Untouchable Previous Mix Tapes:

–          Quiet Storm

–          Hard Rock Café

If you would like to find out any additional information about “Got Guap” contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com or (Office) (336)-833-4752, (Cell) (267)-269-9709 

Mix Tape-Touchdown

 

 

DJ Untouchable is releasing his new mix tape “Touchdown”, Sunday, December 21^st on datpiff.com. 

Touchdown is a reggae mix tape that used a riddim from 2008 “Unfinished Business”. 

A riddim is an instrumental version of a song, which applies to Jamaican music or other forms of Caribbean music which is a reggae term used for a rhythm pattern.

A riddim is basically a bass line and usually a special drum pattern used with the bass line. Sometimes a short melody is associated with the riddim, but the main ingredient is the bass line. Most riddims have originated from a hit song, and usually the riddim has been given the name of that song.  Riddims are the instrumental backgrounds of reggae, lovers rock, dub, ragga, dancehall, and sometimes ragga-soca compositions. 

If you’re interested in learning more about “Touchdown” or showcasing your work on one of DJ Untouchable upcoming mix tapes contact him at info@deejayuntouchable.com or  (Office) 336-833-4752, (Cell) 267-269-9709

DJ Untouchable’s Upcoming Mix Tapes:

• Got Guap Volume II
• Quiet Storm Volume II

DJ Techniques

As a DJ you will learn different techniques that correspond with the art of DJing. The best way to recognize how good your skills are as a DJ is to record yourself and have other people give you feedback on your craft. Also, another great tip to learning new techniques is to listen to other DJs and pay attention to their styles. As you gradually learn new tricks, you will be able to create your own style and create a name for yourself.

Techniques

Breakdowns

The breakdown of a track is the bit where the beat drops out and you get a sort of pulsing instrumental interlude which builds up into a new launch.
The real key to breakdown mixing is choosing the right tracks. If you have a breakdown on track A that is the same length as the intro to track B, then just as track A goes into its breakdown you can bring up track B so that both tracks are playing at once. Then, when the breakdown/intro is over, move all the way over to track B so that the mix is complete.

Scratching

Scratching is technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer.

Spinback

This can be quite a dramatic way to mix between two tracks, and is sometimes used if the two tracks have a tonal difference that can’t be masked by using standard EQ. The dynamics of the spinback can draw attention away from the EQ difference so that it isn’t as noticeable – for example, if track A has a lot of hi-hats and track B has a huge bass drum but very little hi-hat action, then a spinback might be the best way to mix them.

Dead Stop

The idea of the dead stop is similar to the spinback, but instead of spinning the record back over the last beat or two, you just hit the stop button. You’ll need to know the time it takes your deck to stop the platter if you want to get the timing right – most good decks stop in about a second. Once the live disc has stopped, snap the crossfader to track B which then comes in right on the beat. Don’t overdo this one – if it goes wrong it sounds awful, so you’ll need to be very confident in your sounds and your equipment to pull it off.

EQ Mixing

Any decent mixer will have an EQ section – some only allow you to EQ the entire mix, but some have separate EQ controls for each channel. Typically, the EQ controls are divided up into three sections that control the level of the bass, midrange and high frequencies.

The most common usage of EQ in DJ work is in the bass and treble (high frequency) ranges. The midrange may sometimes be used to adjust the overall sound of a track, but is generally not as useful as the other two.
DJs frequently kill the bass on one track when mixing; there are a number of reasons for doing this. If you’re mixing two tracks that have very distinctive and rhythmically incompatible bass lines, the transition may work better if you leave out the bass on the cued track at first, mix across the mid and high frequencies, and then snap the crossfader across whilst un-killing the bass at the same time. This means the cued bassline will kick in with a greater impact, and the two basslines never get the chance to interfere with one another.

If you have any questions about techniques contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com and (Office) 336-833-4752, (Cell) 267-269-9709

The Origin of DJ’s in the Hip Hop Culture-Part 2

The history of DJ and Hip Hop comes from the term Turntablism that is best known as a modern art form and musical practice that laid down its roots in the early 1970s.

Kool DJ Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash are widely credited for having a strong foundation within the role of Hip Hop DJs as entertainers. Kool Herc’s invention of break-beat DJing is generally regarded as the foundational development in Hip Hop history.To understand the significance of this achievement, it is important to first define the “break.”

 

The “break” of a song is a musical fragment only seconds in length, which typically takes the form of an “interlude” in which all or most of the music stops except for the percussion. The break is roughly equivalent to the song’s “climax,” as it is meant to be the most exciting part of a song before returning once more to its finale.

 

Kool Herc introduced the break-beat technique as a way of extending the break indefinitely. This is done by buying two of the same record and switching from one to the other on the DJ mixer.

Kool Herc’s techniques set the course for the development of turntablism as an art form in significant ways. Most important, however, he developed a new form of DJing that does not consist of playing and mixing records one after the other.  In addition, Kool Herc originates the idea of creating a sequence for his own purposes, introducing the idea of the DJ as the “feature” of parties, whose performance on any given night would be examined critically by the crowd.

However it was Grand Wizard Theodore, an apprentice of Flash, who accidentally isolated the most recognizable technique of turntablism: scratching. He put his hand on a record one day, to silence the music on the turntable while his mother was calling out to him and thus accidentally discovered the sound of scratching by moving the record back and forth under the stylus. Though Theodore discovered scratching, it was Flash who helped push the early concept and showcase it to the public, in his live shows and on recordings.

These early pioneers cemented the fundamental practice that would later become one of the pillars of the emerging turntablist art form. Scratching during the 1980s became a playing field for hip hop music, being used by producers and DJs on records and in live shows. By the end of the 1980s it was very common to hear scratching on a record, generally as part of the chorus of a track or within its production. On stage the DJ would provide the music for the MCs to rhyme to, scratching records during the performance and showcasing his skills alongside the verbal skills of the MC. The most well known example of this ‘equation’ of MCs and DJ is probably Run DMC who was composed of two MCs and one DJ. The DJ, the late Jam Master Jay, was an integral part of the group since his turntablism was critical to Run DMC’s productions and performances.

As you can see, DJs have played a critical role in the art of Hip Hop for many years.  DJs are still evolving every day and learning new techniques to entertain their audiences.

If you would like to start a discussion about history of DJ’s leave a comment or contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com and (Office) 336-833-4752, (Cell) 267-269-9709. 

The Origin of DJ’s in the Hip Hop Culture-Part 1

 

DJ’s have always been influential to Hip Hop Culture.  DJing is one of the four main “elements” of hip hop that includes MCing, graffiti, and break dancing.

While hip hop did not invent DJing, it has extended its boundaries and techniques. The first hip hop DJ was Kool DJ Herc a.k.a. the “godfather of hip hop”, a native of Jamaica who created hip hop through the isolation of “breaks. Herc was one of the most popular DJs in the early 1970s in New York, and he quickly switched from using reggae records to funk, rock and, later, disco, since the New York audience did not particularly like reggae. Because the percussive breaks were generally short, Herc and other DJs began extending them using an audio mixer and two records. Mixing and scratching techniques eventually developed along with the breaks. In addition to developing Herc’s techniques, DJs like Grandmaster Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore, and Grandmaster Caz made further innovations with the introduction of scratching.

In the early years of hip hop, the DJs were the stars, but their limelight has been taken by MCs since 1978, thanks largely to Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash’s crew, the Furious Five. However, a number of DJs have gained stardom nonetheless in recent years. Famous DJs include Grandmaster Flash, Mr. Magic, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Scratch from EPMD, DJ Premier from Gang Starr, DJ Scott La Rock from Boogie Down Productions, DJ Pete Rock of Pete Rock & CL Smooth, DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC, Eric B., Funkmaster Flex, Tony Touch, DJ Clue, DJ Q-Bert.

Stay tuned for part 2 of The Origin of DJ’s in the Hip Hop Culture.  If you would like to discuss the history of DJ’s in further details contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com and (Office) 336-833-4752, (Cell) 267-269-9709 

 

Serato ~State of the Art Equipment~

DJ Untouchable only uses state of the art equipment called Serato.  It is an innovative system that allows DJ’s to mix and scratch files from their computer using regular turntables.  Also, the system comes with video scratch technology that allows DJ’s to mix video with incredible effects and transitions.

Serato has lightened the load for professional DJs when traveling. Heavy crates of records can be exchanged into a huge library of music that can be easily transported on a computer hard drive.

It is the only digital DJ system that stays true to the art of DJing with no auto sync or effects by design.  The DJ is always in control of the mix at all times, not the computer.

If you’re planning a party or you’re an upcoming DJ and you would like some additional information on the equipment, contact DJ Untouchable at info@deejayuntouchable.com and (Office) 336-833-4752, (Cell) (267)-269-9709 

Serato Performance Features www.serato.com

·         Real Time Tempo Metering


·         Waveform Coloring based on Spectral Content


·         Multiple Cue and Loop Points per track

·         Record Directly from a Microphone


·         Record and Archive your precious Music Collection

·         Fast Access to your Music Library and iTunes™ library integration

·         Exclusive Access to Fresh Promotional Music with Whitelabel.net


·         No Charge Upgrades that constantly add new features and improvements