Throwback Track: Superwoman Pt. II - Lil Mo ft. Fabolous

Speed: 96 bpm

The DJ’s Take: Okay, so this track isn’t that old. But it was one of the first vinyl singles I got when I started dj’ing, and I put this on the first mixtape I ever made. And it was literally a mixtape because I actually recorded mixes on cassettes back in 2002, when all the hot tracks were in the 95 to 100 bpm range. Trust me - you can’t go wrong when your beat uses a similar electronic sound to the JBs’ Blow Your Head and revolves around a single note riff that switches between two octaves. Will people dance to this song in the club? Not anymore. But for me, it’s nostalgia.

I’ll post up an MP3 link if/when I find one.

Music Review: Now You See It - Honorebel ft. Pitbull and Jump Smokers

Speed: 125 bpm

The DJ’s Take: I say this a lot, but it bears repeating for working and aspiring DJs - today’s top 40-type club beats are in that 120-130 bpm range. You got Lady GaGa around 120, and Black Eyed Peas/Pitbull/Jay Sean, etc. at around 125-130. So when you’re in this range, and the night is peaking, you need as much filler as you can get so you can milk it as long as possible.

This track is a perfect example. Nothing special, but not terrible either. It’ll keep things moving, and that’s all you need. Now go find a couple more hours worth of filler and put it on cruise control.

Download the MP3: Now You See It