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Saturday, January 16, 2021

The Cheat Sheet, episode 10: A Tour of the DJ Cheat Sheet



A tour of djcheatsheet.com, featuring playlists with key- and bpm-compatible songs for your next mix. Search by song title/artist, bpm (beats per minute) or key.
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Thursday, January 14, 2021

Con Calma - Daddy Yankee, Snow



tempo: 94 bpm

bpm range: 90 to 95 bpm

the dj's take: Song #2 in our XXV mix (2:31):



And song #5 in our chapter 51 mix (10:22):



That video reminds me of one of those The General insurance commercials:



Wild. I imagine that second half made the rounds on the subreddit r/idiotsincars. Proves once again that old people may want to hang up the steering wheel beyond a certain age.

On a side note, congratulations to Daddy Yankee for joining the Sterling Mercury show two-timers club - truly an honor. Solid intro for mixing in; that heavy rattle at the end punctuates the transition like a hard stop-and-pop jumper:



Also, you can do a little throwback back-to-back with Snow's Informer - similar key, and close enough in bpm.

Some other key-compatible music:


download or stream Con Calma:

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DJ Cheat Sheet playlist
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Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Mood - 24kGoldn, Iann Dior



tempo: 91 bpm

The DJ's Take: Song #2 in our #59 mix (2:36):



Tougher than I thought it would be to bring in after Flo Rida's My House; heavy drums throughout My House, and no drums in the short intro to Mood. But we found a little percussion break in My House, so it worked out. The transition into It's All About The Benjamins was easier - the single note beep emerged pretty seamlessly as I faded this one out (via Logic Pro X):



Some other key-compatible tracks:


download or stream Mood:

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DJ Cheat Sheet playlist
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Monday, January 11, 2021

dj mix: #59 ft. 24kGoldn & Iann Dior's Mood (plus 2Pac and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince)



Made with Logic Pro X at 92 bpm

22:13 of pop and hiphop

Check out some more mixes here. Playlist is here.

Tracklist (start times in parentheses):

1. My House - Flo Rida

2. Mood - 24kGoldn, Iann Dior (2:36)

3. It's All About The Benjamins - Puff Daddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, The Lox (4:42)

4. California Love - 2Pac, Roger Troutman, Dr. Dre (9:00)

5. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (12:31)

6. Let Me Love You - Mario (16:20)

7. Ransom - Lil Tecca (19:28)

8. 10,000 Hours - Dan + Shay, Justin Bieber (21:21)
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Sunday, January 10, 2021

Try Me - The Weeknd



tempo: 46 bpm

The DJ's Take: Song #11 in our chapter 51 mix (21:57):



'Try Me' is kind of a fun expression in English. In the context of the song, it's about convincing a girl to give you a go. But it can also be a modern form of throwing down the gauntlet.

Also may be the most popular two word song title ever. We did some deep research to confirm:



Some other key-compatible tracks:


download or stream Try Me:

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DJ Cheat Sheet playlist
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Saturday, January 9, 2021

Permission - Ro James



tempo: 75-76 bpm

the dj's take: Song #8 in our chapter 56 mix (17:44):



One nice feature of this track is the lengthy vocal-free intro; makes it easier to mix in (screenshot is from my Logic Pro X file):



Not exactly a banger, but it's well-known enough, and will let the crowd know when you're starting to wind things down.

Some other key-compatible music:


download or stream Permission:

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DJ Cheat Sheet playlist
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Friday, January 8, 2021

Forever - Justin Bieber, Post Malone, Clever



tempo: 70 bpm

the dj's take: Song #9 in our chapter 56 mix (21:43):



Pressing question of the day - which trio delivered more of a tour de force performance: Justin, Post & Clever, or these guys:



It's tough. Sure, they're three of the world's greatest opera singers. But I didn't understand a word they said. Edge: the younger guys.

Some other key-compatible music:


download or stream Forever:

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DJ Cheat Sheet playlist
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Thursday, January 7, 2021

Get Down On It - Kool & The Gang



Speed: 110 bpm

The DJ's Take: Song #7 in our edition 57 mix (20:06):



Another example of how sampling can expose the youth to the classics - I discovered this one back in college during an mp3 deep dive / procrastination session (pre-streaming, sometime ~2000). Dug up the somewhat obscure Jermaine Dupri & Snoop Dogg single We Just Wanna Party With You. Went down the rabbit hole and found out this was where the beat came from - mind blown.

Best suited for a cruise ship dance party for Boomers, but put it in the right spot and you could transcend the generation gap. Easy to mix and a seamless fit in between Rapper's Delight and Hot in Herre.

Some other key- and bpm-compatible music:


Download or stream Get Down On It:

DJ Cheat Sheet playlist

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Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Real Love - Mary J. Blige



tempo: 95 bpm

The DJ's Take: Song #4 in our chapter 53 mix (6:33):



#2 in a series of 3 tracks in this episode with a hiphop vibe and prominent piano in a similar key (following One More Chance and preceding I Wonder). Had to chop it up a bit to match the beats better, and raised the volume gradually in Logic Pro X:



Pretty sure I put this in an old mix cd from the mid 2000s, which got me my share of work back in the day. Worth a long-term spot in the rotation; it's aged well.

Some other key-compatible music:


download or stream Real Love:

spotify playlist

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Tuesday, January 5, 2021

If - Janet Jackson



Speed: 105-106 bpm

The DJ's Take: Song #10 in our edition 57 mix (27:10):



Best part of this track: healthy chunks of vocal-free instrumental to cut out and play with. I used one piece to create a smoother transition between If and Charli XCX & Rita Ora's Doing It in Logic Pro X:



It's basically rock infused with hiphop / r&b; a genre-bending classic that was all over MTV and pop radio in my early teen years. Solid choice for a 90s set.

Some other key- and bpm-compatible music:


Download or stream If:

DJ Cheat Sheet playlist

Amazon
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