R&B and 90’s Video Playlist

I love me some 90’s R&B music. I was inquired for a video mix opportunity and they wanted one of my favorite types of music.

112 FT NOTIORIOUS BIG  ONLY YOU

702  WHERE MY GIRLS AT

AALIYAH  ARE YOU THAT SOMEBODY

AALIYAH  BACK AND FORTH

AALIYAH  IF YOUR GIRL ONLY KNEW

ADINA HOWARD FREAK LIKE ME

BBD  POISON

BLACKSTREET  NO DIGGITY

BOYZ TO MEN  MOTOWNPHILLY

BRANDY  I WANNA BE DOWN

BRANDY AND MONICA  THE BOY IS MINE

CASE  TOUCH ME TEASE ME

DESTINY’S CHILD  JUMPIN’ JUMPIN’

DESTINY’S CHILD  SAY MY NAME

DONELL JONES  U KNOW WHAT’S UP

DRU HILL HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE

EN VOGUE  FREE YOUR MIND

EN VOGUE  MY LOVIN’

FUGEES  KILLING ME SOFTLY

GHOSTTOWN DJS  MY BOO

GINUWINE  PONY

GROOVE THEORY  TELL ME

JADE  DON’T WALK AWAY

JADE  I WANNA LOVE YOU

JANET JACKSON IF

JANET JACKSON  THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES

JODECI  COME AND TALK TO ME

JOHNNY GILL   RUB YOU THE RIGHT WAY

KCI AND JOJO  ALL MY LIFE

KARYN WHITE  ROMANTIC

MARK MORRISON  RETURN OF THE MACK

MARY J BLIGE  REAL LOVE

MICHAEL JACKSON REMEMBER THE TIME

MONTELL JORDAN  GET IT ON TONITE

NEXT  TOO CLOSE

NEW EDITION  HIT ME OFF

PEBBLES  GIVING YOU THE BENEFIT

SHAI  IF I EVER FALL IN LOVE

SHANICE  I LOVE YOUR SMILE

SILK FREAK ME

SOUL FOR REAL  CANDY RAIN

SWV  I’M SO INTO YOU

SWV  RIGHT HERE

SWV  WEAK

TLC  BABY BABY BABY

TLC CREEP

TLC NO SCRUBS

TLC  UNPRETTY

TLC WATERFALLS

TONY TONI TONE  FEELS GOOD

ZHANE  GROOVE THANG

ZHANE  HEY MR. DJ

January 2017 Demo PLAYLIST

I GET THE BAG   GUCCI MANE FT MIGOS

BANK ACCOUNT  21 SAVAGE

MOTOR SPORT  MIGOS FT NICKI MINAJ AND CARDI B

YOU DA BADDEST  FUTURE FT NICKI MINAJ

EX CALLING  6LACK

ROCKSTAR  POST MALONE FT 21 SAVAGE

JUICE  YO GOTTI

PLAIN JANE  ASAP FERG

NO LIMIT  G-EAZY ASAP ROCKY AND CARDI B

PERFECT DUET  ED SHEERAN AND BEYONCE

FILTHY  JUST TIMBERLAKE

BEST FRIEND  SOFI TUKKER FT NERVO, THE KNOCKS  ALISA UENO

THE WEEKEND  SZA FT NATHANIEL

LET ME GO  HAILEE STEINFELD AND ALESSO FT FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

FINESSE BRUNO MARS AND CARDI B

HAVANA CAMILA CABELLO FT YOUNG THUG

QUESTIONS  CHRIS BROWN

HOW LONG  CHARLIE PUTH

FAKING IT  CALVIN HARRIS FT KEHLANI AND LIL YACHTY

GUCCI GANG  LIL PUMP

BARTIER CARDI  CARDI B FT 21 SAVAGE

Best Advice I have heard about being a DJ?

Always work on your craft. I do believe practice makes perfect.  My parents must truly love me when I first got my turntables and speaker. I would put in the work. Never once they came in and told me to turn it down. I was a man on a mission. Back at that time, there was no sync button so one had to mix by ear.

Keep up with the newest technology

Every January is the NAMM show where the newest latest gear is exhibited. The best time to pick up gear is after that show since new gear is coming out. I do want to pick up these tall speakers for big venues but I do not know what new gear is out yet so I am waiting to see what is really out there.  At the show they will exhibit new software along with new clear sounding equipment.

Customer Service is the most important aspect of a business

There is a lot of competition out there and customer service is a lost art. Customers need to be treated well. People do not hire service companies for the service but rather hire for the experience.  Two ways of communication needs to be had.

Always have your backups

I always try to be two steps ahead. I always take multiple computers with me to events. 2012 was the last time I had a beach ball on my mac  on my external hard drive and it took like a minute for the song to come on. The very next day I got a new mac with a bigger internal drive and have not had any issues since.  Not only computers, I take I do take multiple set ups too since I always like being prepared. I am grateful for controllers since it is turntables and mixers all in one.

Worst Advice I have heard as a DJ

The louder the better! I totally disagree. Every venue or big room has its limits. When people walk by, it just looks bad when everyone is covering their ears since it’s so loud. During weddings, guests want to talk while having dinner so music is just background music.

Promote Promote and Promote

 I do believe in self-promotion but there is a time and place for everything. I heard of a wedding where the dj would play a sound snippet of his dj name through out the night. The wedding clients are already paying the dj a lot of money. Sometimes djs will have their banner up during a wedding. Weddings are all about the couple. If a dj is truly a good dj, people will ask for their card personally or ask the couple for the dj’s contact information. 

How to Dj at a Night Venue that has their own equipment?

A few years ago, I would be playing every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday downtown San Jose. It was an easy set up. I started off by taking 6 cases of vinyl then eventually went to a cd case. Eventually that evolved to taking blank serato special cds with a laptop with all our music. We knew we had the option of using CD turntables or record turntables. It was very familiar.

Recently got a call to do a happening spot up north in Burlingame. We played there years ago then started doing more of the mobile route. The question is what set up do they have and what would I have to bring?  I could go see the equipment before the event but that would require me to drive 40 minutes. I asked for a photo of the mixer and asked what turntables were being used.

The mixer of a top of a line Pioneer Mixer with two technic turntables. It is importatant to know the mixer so the dj can download the driver for the computer. Most often than not it is Serato Friendly. I was able to get the driver and install it on my computer. If one does not do that when the usb is attached to the computer it then it would not read it.

I also brought my controller as a back up in case for some reason the mixer cannot be read by my computer. All I would have to do was to plug in the master speaker cables to my controller.   I had to remember to bring my vinyl needles with Serato Vinyl. Everything worked perfectly.

I was able to talk to some staff to get a feel for the kind of music the folks like at the venue.  I already had my playlist, but it helps get that information.  I knew my age demographic was 21 to 35. That means get all the new hip-hop songs they play on the radio and get in some throwbacks.

The biggest decision of the night was what song to play after midnight. I love the old school and I wanted to throw in Too Short Blow the Whistle after midnight. But I had to succumb to playing G- Eazy’s Limitless. I had the track that was made for NYE and it had the countdown included as the intro. You just had to throw it in exactly one minute before midnight.

It is always good to be prepared. Make sure the computer has the driver for the mixer and make sure Serato Vinyl or Serato CDs are brought with needles. Once you become familiar with the set up then the back up will be easier.  It is always better to be over prepared then underprepared. 

Top Songs of 2017

This year was a fantastic year and it was a blur. Something I noticed with each year time goes by faster. I do appreciate every minute. Also with time I appreciated the new music that came out this year.  I did notice that hip-hop songs became slower. Back in the 90s, the beats per minute were about 90 to 100 bpm but this year a lot of the hits were 65 to 75 bpms.

Feel it Still by Portugal the Man

It does have an old school feel and at times it is hard to tell if a man or woman is singing it. It is very catchy. Band is based from Alaska.

Despacito by  Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee

This song was always on. It crossed borders and made many folks dance to the Latin rhythm.

Humble By Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar can write bars and is a genius when it comes to writing meaningful lyrics. Throw in a dope hip-hop beat and you got a hit.

Bodak Yellow By Cardi B

Its great to see Female on the hip hop charts. She flows like a river on this song and its her break through hit that put her on the map.

Wild Thoughts by  DJ Khaled ft Rihanna and Bryson Tiller

Santana’s  Maria Maria was reincarnated into this 2017 hit. Brought to life by Rihannas catchy hook, made this a club favorite.

Mi Gente By J Balvin and Willy William

This song was made with  Willy William beat from another William song  Voodoo Song. There is a remix with Beyonce on the vocals that also was popular

Lemon By N.E.R.D ft Rihanna

NERD is reunited to produce this fresh dance hit.  In the video, Rihanna shaves dancers hair off. Song is such a it I would do the same too. 

1. Is my wedding date available?

   This is the most important question.  This should be the first question asked. If they are booked than ask if there is anyone else they recommend. A lot of djs have other djs that they trust and know that they do good work.

2. How long have you been doing this professionally?

We have been in the dj business since 2004.  We have done over 50 weddings.

3. What sets you apart from your competition?

 I believe in making the couple comfortable. Communication is key. I try to make the wedding as custom as possible. I am able to reedit songs to fit first dances. I believe in having a google doc to create a living document that can change at any time at the discretion of the couple.

 

4. Are there any other services that you provide, such as lighting or a photo booth?

We do provide lights for our dj events. Unfortunately we do not have photo booths but I do highly recommend a photo booth operator that does awesome work.

5. Do you have a CD of your music or a site where I can hear your music?

 Back in the door, I would make cds galore. Now I put all my mixes on mixcloud.

I have a wide arrange of music ranging from old school to current hits.

Mixcloud.com/wingmansj

 

6.  Can you help me choose the music for my processional, recessional, father-daughter dance, etc.?

I do not believe in a cookie cutter wedding. Every detail should be custom based on the couple. If they have no ideas then I can suggest prior songs that are typically used. But I encourage them to use songs that mean something to them. If they cannot pick between two songs, I can edit it to fit the time period that they want to play it.

7. How do you keep your music collection up-to-date?

 I do belong to a digital pool, which provides me with about 500 new songs a month.  I do keep up to date but I am most proud of my original collection. I do love the older stuff but every day I get the new music so I am up to date.

8. Do you take requests from our guests?

I always welcome requests from the guests. A lot has to deal with what is going on with the time. For example if someone wanted a classical song during the dance portion of the wedding I would give him or her a few choices that would fit the vibe.  But if someone wanted the classical song during the dinner hour then that would be an easy fit.

9. Can we submit a "Do Not Play" list?

The wedding is the night for the couple. If they do not want the Chicken Dance or anything by Britney Spears then so be it. This is your night and lets make it memorable.

10. Do you set up a sign or banner with your equipment?

No, Black and White affair does not post signs or banners with equipment. This day is for the bride and groom and not about Black and White affair. We keep it professional and classy.

How have I changed over the years of Djing.

When I first started I was part of a duo. With my Dj partner we would load up his truck and set all the dj equipment up. I would be in total ease while we were setting up since my dj partner was an engineer so he could fix any issue. He would be sort of stressed while we set up. But we always had everything up and ready. I would be the music man on the turntables and he would Emcee. I could easily stand behind the decks and play music nonstop. I would not want to speak on the microphone. I would be focused on the music and the smooth transitions.  Occasionally I would speak on the mic but I felt like it was not my bag of tea.  I would worry about feedback and how my voice would sound amplified.  Microphones have to be held a certain way to sound better. Also when you stand too close to the speakers it can cause feedback.

 Later my Dj partner moved away and I had to bring all the equipment myself in my own vehicle.  I had to load everything myself and unload and set up. I make sure I show up an hour or more before an event to set everything up. I still do not stress since I bring back ups to my back ups and never have to worry about something not working. I at first was reluctant to speak on the mic. But with practice, everything becomes easier. I never had issues in front of a crowd but there is something different with speaking on a microphone.  A few times I month I do monthly presentations for 45 minutes so speaking aloud is not an issue. I actually enjoy doing announcements for events.

Of course, there has been technology advances. Back in the day, I would make mix cds and hand them out. Now I can post mixes online and folks around the world can preview it.  Now, I can send a link in case someone wants to hear a mixing sample. 

The Importance of a Mentor (in Business or in Life)

It is the end of the year so folks start making their New Years Resolutions. Unfortunately most resolutions are not completed.  People are so gung ho with joining a gym and losing weight. Or the resolution maybe saving a percentage of the income to go on a trip somewhere. If one can only have one resolution s/he want to accomplish getting a mentor should be the only one that s/he needs. A mentor is someone who has been where you want to go. They have failed and succeeded.  Why make the same mistakes they have?

When I started to learn to dj, at the time I bought top of the line gear. I felt that I had to go all in.  I started off with some Technic 1200s with a mixer and an amp with one speaker. While spending hours learning how to match beats, I did not know how to throw the next song on the first beat. I did not know how to manipulate the record accurately. One day my business partner brought over his brother who was playing at nightclubs and really good at his craft. With a quick tutorial I was able to mix at the right time.  He showed me how to hold on to the first beat and throw it in at the beginning of the chorus. Back then there was no YouTube, so dj skills had to be taught or learned solo. Once I was able to do that, then I could play publicly. No more bedroom dj status.

Often at  times we are afraid to ask for help. Pride gets in the way and progress will not be made.

Find a skill that one wants to improve on and then find someone who has experience in it.  Mentors are out there but they have to be found and asked. No need for pride but the rewards outweighs any embarrassment of asking. Often times, mentors are honored that that are asked to help out. It shows that they are appreciated. Find someone that one looks up to in your field and ask for their assistance. If they say no, then ask another person who has experience. At the end, one becomes better with a mentor.