Music Review: Right Above It - Lil Wayne ft. Drake

Speed: 76 bpm

The DJ’s Take: Like Just a Dream, this is another new single that’s made a strong debut in the Billboard Hot 100. And you know why - it’s the youth who think Lil Wayne and Drake are the two greatest rappers of all-time. In other news, Chad Ochocinco is coming out with his own cereal, and word on the street is that the 'ladies' from his VH1 reality show think it tastes great, even though they haven’t tried it yet.

But back to the song - production is generic, and I’ve never been a big fan of those exaggerated fake horns. Starting out at #6 on the charts means you really have nowhere to go but down, and if it were up to me, this would be dropping down sooner rather than later.

Download the MP3: Right Above It [Explicit]

Music Review: Like a G6 - Far East Movement

Speed: 125 bpm

The DJ’s Take: Somehow I get flashbacks to Boom Boom Pow when I hear Like a G6, but this single has that echo-y, distorted sound that makes you feel like you’re hearing it in outer-space, underwater, or from down the hallway. More serious than LMFAO, and a little more interesting than the Black Eyed Peas, which makes Far East Movement a pop hybrid to a novice EDM listener like me. In any case, if your crowd wants something hot and electronic to dance to, this track should work just fine.

Download the MP3 on iTunes:

DJ Swag: No Requests T-Shirt

Tired of requests from drunken females asking you for some Miley Cyrus, or “Something I can dance to”? Yeah; me too. So turn em away at the gate with this emphatic t-shirt that leaves no room for interpretation.

Regular price is $26 on Karmaloop, but as of the date of this blog post, it’s on sale for $16. Either way, think of it as an investment. Available in black or white; click on either link to order:

Irons The DPS Tee in Black, T-shirts for Men

Irons The DPS Tee in White, T-shirts for Men

Music Review: Just A Dream - Nelly

Speed: 90 bpm

The DJ’s Take: So I’m checking the Billboard Hot 100, and I see this single debuting at #12, and I’m thinking two things. First thought: Holy crap - Nelly’s still alive? Second thought: Interesting case of the country crossover.

And by that, I mean that when I’m checking the charts, I see these random pop country tracks from groups like Lady Antebellum, and it reminds me that there are areas in the U.S. below the Mason-Dixon line and out west where people actually like the kind of music that features warm acoustic guitars. And that’s how Nelly got big last decade with hiphop-and-a-drop-of-country singles like Ride Wit Me. In other words, Just A Dream’s initial popularity makes more sense after you’ve thought about it a little bit.

Personally, I see this as more of a song you listen to in the car with the windows down, versus something you dance to in a bar or club. But if you’re a dj, and you feel like finding out for yourself, turn on the key adjust, slow this down a little bit, and mix it with Rude Boy and Empire State of Mind.

Download the MP3: Just A Dream

DJ’s - mix this with: Rude Boy - Rihanna, Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z

Music Review: B.M.F. (Blowin Money Fast) - Rick Ross

Speed: 70 bpm

The DJ’s Take: This is some seriously booming production that would’ve been better received a couple years ago, back when 70-75 bpm hiphop was all the rage. While I haven’t spun this, I can tell you a couple things based on a limited sample size - the people I know who like this are male, 20-27 years old, and their preferred method of listening to B.M.F. is booming it in their car stereo. So simply put, if you’re trying to get a group of ethnically ambiguous young women to dance at a club, don’t play this. But if you are spinning at a club in the hood and you feel like starting a fight, this just might get it done.

Download the MP3: B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast) [Explicit]

Throwback Track: Push It - Salt N Pepa

Speed: 130 bpm

The DJ’s Take: If there’s one song out there that makes people literally “dance like no one’s watching” at weddings and clubs, this just might be it. And that’s exactly why you need to have this in your music library. Push It to bad dancers is like a midriff-bearing halter top to BBWs with tramp stamps - they can’t resist the call, even if it kills the rest of us.

Download the MP3: Push It

DJs - turn on key adjust and mix this with: U Can’t Touch This - MC Hammer, Right Round - Flo Rida, Club Can’t Handle Me - Flo Rida, If U Seek Amy - Britney Spears, I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

Throwback Track: Shoop - Salt N Pepa

Speed: 97 bpm

The DJ’s Take: Are you opening with a hiphop and R&B mix in the 90-95 bpm range, and your crowd is looking a little sluggish? This track is about as safe a play as you can make to get things going again. Females know it and like it, and sometimes they’ll even sing along. It’s sort of like Roger Federer’s slice backhand - it may not win you the point right away, but it’ll set you up for better things ahead.

Download the MP3: Shoop