For both dance music and hip-hop, the DJ is the backbone. Over the years, however, as money poured into both scenes and corporate interests were tied ever tighter to the biggest names, the emphasis on a DJ’s skills and originality has been cast aside for carbon copies who just go on stage, push buttons, and turn up. EDM has found DJs become uber-personalities, with arms outstretched but very little in the way of showcasing talented selection or incorporation of tricks. Instead of fading out, the DJs with actual skills on the decks didn’t disappear—if anything, they’ve gotten more vocal about their plight.
Last August, A-Trak asked that fans begin to recognize the difference between #RealDJing and what some of these EDM acts are doing. DJ Craze dug a little deeper and put together a set centered around Kanye’s “New Slaves” to make a serious statement about the state of DJing. This summer, though, he took it a step further, linking up with Four Color Zack to add their 2¢ on the game as a whole, putting together a 32-minute opus that not only highlights their precise cuts and stellar selection, but also features routines that will make you laugh out loud while also being like “truuue!”
Read the interview HERE
