Thursday, June 1

Beta Lounge, June 1st

"Everything off the top, it's all spontaneous," says DJ Cue. And then, "I hate DJs!".

"But it's better to be a scratch nerd than to be in a gang," responds DJ Quest.

A glimpse into the invisible war between Hip Hop and corporate DJ product reveals a number of truths:

1) Hip Hop DJs improvise. Clones play only rehearsed routines.
2) Hip Hop DJs innovate. Clones bite styles.
3) Hip Hop DJs move the crowd. Clones make people stand and watch.
4) Hip Hop DJs know their history & dig deep for tracks. Clones play the same 5 break records every damn time.
5) Hip Hop DJs support the culture. Clones run expensive DJ camps that only nerds can afford.

Tonight, during their extended Beta Lounge set, Quest, Cue and an assortment of other DJs represented the Hip Hop side of things. Different styles of music, different techniques, different genders (!), and different nationalities mixed and matched together in a multi-faceted, community-based vibe. Any narrow definition of what makes a DJ just didn't play this evening, showing it's not just about skills. It's about the love of music and translating an obsession into a positive cultural force.

Betcha didn't know the underground ran so deep... Click to listen to Beta Lounge, June 1st