DJ Enuff’s Torn On Playing “Exhibit C”
December 28, 2009 @ 12:29 AM EST
News
DJ Enuff is experiencing a crucial conflict. On his blog yesterday afternoon, the Heavy Hitter put himself through the ringer for not playing Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit C” on your Hot Nine Seven. Since Enuff’s taking suggestions, here’s my two cents. Screw the politics and go with your gut. If a record’s dope, play it. Let’s not forget, the DJ is the soul controller. With several hundred spins, a song can go from “Ok” to “That’s my shit!” Don’t second guess. Your listeners will thank you later.
AMEN….enuff needs to stop being a part of the system and do what a DJ is supposed to do,and thats to PLAY good music without having the PD (program director aka police department) telling him to do it!!!
Word.
Not everything has to have a hook or dance attached to it.
Back in the day, DJ’s weren’t afraid to break new records.
Just do it.
EXACTLY why I say if hip hop is dead, it’s the DJ’s fault. And they are scared to buck the system and play what the fuck they want. DJ’s were part of the rebellion during the birth and growth of hip hop in the first place. They had to plug their shit up in the park to get shit poppin, much to the police’s chagrin. Nas was right to take them niggas to task in “Hip Hop Is Dead” and the first thing half of them did was whine and choose not to play the song because he was “disrespecting the art” or whatever lame shit they came up with.
Why is someone as legendary as DJ Enuff…someone who has enough status behind his name that he can spit in the wind of the programmers and get away with it, or at least if fired, he can work ANYWHERE he wants…WHY is he acting so conflicted about it? He don’t win bonus points from me for WANTING to play it. He LOSES bonus points. He’ll only win those points if he says FUCK EVERYBODY and plays it because HE wants to.
And THESE niggas are the ones responsible for breaking the records and advancing the art. Funny, the niggas dominating the airwaves right now are those that DJs discriminated against when they were coming up…so they FORCING these niggas to play it now. DJ purgatory. Eat it.
Grow a pair and spin the record Mr. DJ.
roll to every station MURDER the DJ … hip hop needs a REAL radio station we all can listen to REAL hip hop on. fuck the commericial shit. eminem’s We Made You was one of the worst “hip hop” songs ive ever heard. I am sick of the radio bullshit. no more gucci, no more nonsense. JAY ELECTRONICA, J COLE, NAS, JADA, HOV, real hiphop
If that exact song was Jay-Z Enuff would be spinning it, that song is hot, it has one of the top producers in the game, Enuff likes the record enough to have on his website, so what is he afraid of? Did Hot 97 tell him not to play it. Sound like some sucker shit to me, but at least he’s questioning himself, lot more than I can say for the rest of them…
It’s very easy to overcomplicate this issue, but the most simple way to describe what’s going on is that RADIO IS NO LONGER THE CONDUIT FOR TASTEMAKING.
There’s WAY too much content being created for radio to keep up with, much less critique and curate, and PDs have obligations to satisfy hapless advertisers who don’t have a clue that the very medium through which they’re funneling their brand message is endangered. The ad model worked for a long time, when consumer choices were limited and media consumption habits were simple to predict. Today, since radio is struggling to make a buck, they’re keeping all their content familiar (read: repetitive) to appeal to their mass consumer. (SMH)
I loved and came up on HOT 97- in fact, I still have the “Hot 97 Rhyme Ready” train ad from back in the day in the crib somewhere. But there is no point of difference at HOT anymore, and it’s not only b/c of them not playing “Exhibit C” (which I truly believe will be a HUGE song on HOT in a few months), or any other relevant hip-hop song for that matter. On-air urban radio has simply has fallen into a sea of complacency where their safe, “business as usual” disposition has overcome their sense of how they were put into a position to do business in the first place… by driving CULTURE and staying committed to being in touch with it on the most granular of levels.
yeah i agree!! I love that song and the sample is crazy. But the radio doesn’t play any of it at all. People are more into Gucci and Flocka and not into real hip hop music like Jay Electronia, Nas, J Cole and its sad. Dirty South music is taking over the industry and that’s the reason why its dying. Hip Hop is dying because of lack of radio play. And not playing a song like Exhibit C is going to eliminate Hip Hop even more.
This is why I only listen to Shade45
“Dirty South music is taking over the industry and that’s the reason why its dying”
U do know Jay elect & J cole are from the Dirty South??
Anyway, Enuff should just play the damn record!
Ya’ll need to read between the lines of what he is saying– People need to actually REQUEST the record until it is added to rotation. Just by Enuff playing it one time or making it his “pick of the week” isn’t enough… The song would get that one spin and be shelved, and all the self serving internet nerds would be happy. How about getting the fuck off your computer and doing it old school: Calling the radio station until the station is forced to acknowledge the record and play it? The point of his comment section is to be able to show to people “how many people want to hear the record,” not actually solicit an opinion.
This is the problem with radio to begin with: it is driven by what people ask to hear. All those young ass teenage girls who call in asking for the same records over and over get them played, which (to the owner- Clear Channel) equals advertising dollars. Most “hip-hoppers” consider it beneath them to do such a thing (calling it stannery and ballooning up to dickriding), which is how your radio gets controlled by the powers that be. DJs have little to no power over their playlists anymore, and that is the sad truth. The few that do (i.e, the 12 am/ 12 afternoon old school mix, Funk Flex, etc) Are still beholden to the almighty dollar and are controlled as such. Most people now have ipods (and their derivatives) and say “fuck the radio,” then have the audacity to complain about what they play. If you don’t give a fuck, don’t get upset. If you are not going to fight, then just shut the fuck up and stay on the sidelines– YOU decide what gets played, and the demand YOU create around a product is what makes people take notice. If one station attempts to wash their hands of you, go to another one– I promise you that the station who is provided with those listeners will force the other one to play the song, if only to create an opportunity to grab those advertisement dollars.
JihaD
^ Great Point
Fuck it, the joint is dope and it’s spinning in my ipod where it belongs…
Too late nigga. You shoulda took the stick outta your ass and played it last year.
wtf he didnt even really answer the question..
he just responded with a bunch of questions to a question.. this aint the Matrix buddy just play the damn song
@JihaD
fck the demand.. im sure u can play ONE 5min song that isnt requested.. nobody gonna call up & say “what was that dont ever play that track again or im not listenin to ur station”
a crucial conflict huh if thats not a record you spin on ya show what kind off sjit you spin gucci
Nas basicly said that the DJ’s were cowards on HIP HOP IS DEAD!
in reference to your comment blud i believe the top layer of hip hop mcs and r&b singers should be removed from their position of influence as they are no longer of us, nor about us.
for instance the mc game was the most respected art form in the world pre the 21st century. it now seems hip hop has lost its balls – one of ten examples (so as not to drag this out any further than need be) you have mcs who are top of their game with a bullying mentality, bullying 80% of the rap game and everybody crawls off into their shell without saying boo.
r&b female singers are up for sale to the highest bidder with no consideration of the bigger picture. bearing these simple thoughts in mind have we not considered that most of our celebrated radio djs are nothing but mere robots on the payroll with both eyes on their job and the next dollar?
so in short, we lost control of our art form a long time ago.
masterbuilders for 2010
http://soundcloud.com/masterbuilders/masterbuilders-1st-official-mixtape
J Electronica is not even that HOT. It’s all about “Remi aka Mr Zone 6” ask @TJsDJs who ran shit lastnight on the coalition music call http://www.reverbnation.com/blastmusicconcepts Blast Music Concepts is the next @defjam
Word, Nas been spoke on this shit 3 years ago on Hip Hop Is Dead. It’s exactly why I don’t listen to radio like I used to. I used to look forward to “Monday Night Mixtape” with DJ Clue on Hot 97, or “The Drama Hour” with DJ Kay Slay when they played shit that the streets wanted to hear after the kids went to bed. It’s so disturbing that a solid DJ like Enuff has to look for validation to play something that he knows is the truth. Theres not a person alive that fucks with real rap that can say Jay Electronica is wack. Spin that shit DJs, while I understand that people need to make a request but how are the masses supposed to hear it for the first time? The underground niggas are gonna hear it cuz we look for it on the internet but the masses that are programmed to hear Gucci and the other coons can easily be swayed to listen to the real shit too if the DJs spin it. Everything that plays on the radio is a damn club record for people to shake their ass too but why does it have to be that way? Granted, I don’t wanna dance to Jay Electronica and Nas at a club but if Im anywhere else I like to listen, zone out, and nod my big ass head to that street shit….full of lyrics and quotables. Good music is good music. PLAY THAT SHIT ENUFF!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!
“if hip hop should die before i wake
i’ll load an extended clip and body them all day
roll to every station, murder the DJ
ro to every station, murder the DJ”
-Nas
^now u see what the nigga was talking about. since when could any DJ have a dope ass record and be conflicted about playing it? the DJ’s are one of the culprits at the source of the deterioration of the balance hip hop used to have. one-sided radio spins. now Enuff has a record he knows is dope…and you have a DJ asking for advice from the internet. u gotta be fucking kidding me.
advice: play the record.
^but wait…isn’t that the OBVIOUS solution? DJ = Disc Jockey = record spinner = play dope record. its your job nigga. wtf?
and i didn’t read nothing before i posted. so yeah, repeated what was already said. but
@JiHad
if DJ’s would spin these records, they’d catch on. most people have to be told whats hot and what isnt. put the shit in rotation. when people hear it, they’ll think to themselves “wow this is on the radio every day, it must be a new banger” <—–thats just how simple it happens.
thats why u can hear a stupid ass gucci mane joint 3,000 times a week and all of a sudden finding yourself singing along.
repitition is the key to success – lil wayne.
This is why no one listens to the radio anymore, the Dj is becoming increasingly more irrelevant as music accompanied with technology progresses, and what Dj enuff dosen’t realize is that he hurts himself and his reputation by doing exactly what he doesn’t do (play the music he loves). We use to discover new music through our Dj’s, yes our Dj’s but they no longer represent us they are now a medium, controlled by the company that employs them, he has a price and he has been bought.
Can’t entirely blame him, he’s a man with responsibilities and most likely has kids to feed, cloth, and educate which is far more important than music, but this culture also belongs to those kids and he has to live with the fact that he’s part of the problem our culture has stopped thriving. Artist are afraid to take risk, afraid to be artist and are becoming more comfortable with simply being entertainers because industry, and corporations won’t allow them too. Hip Hop started with our Dj’s, who else would you expect it to die with….
Yall are goin’ hard at the dude who at least feels strongly enough about REAL music to even ask the question . Yall killin’ the nigga in mid conversion . RELAX . I don’t think he will be able to rest without doin’ what is obviously in his heart to do . There’s no goin’ back now .
Tip of the hat to you Enuff, for bein’ honest enough to admit what most will just ignore . I know you will do what’s right .
Just Play It Already!! anyone posting here heard it ions ago, time for the rest to form their opinion and if you play it, you’ve formed their opinion.
@jihad. Great points but the fact is records still have to get exposure in order for people to request them. And it’s up to the DJ to go with their gut and play records that they think the people will like. That’s the sole responsibility of a DJ. Play records that you think the people will like. Whether they’re known names or not. Whether they’re club records or not. So play the damn record a few times and if the people respond keep playing it. If they don’t, stop. It really IS that simple.
It’s more simple than all understand. Pay to play is the word of the day! Electronica nor his team have greased an independent promoter to get the spins. NY stations cost huge money. So if Electronica gets up his 60k guap you’ll hear it on DJ Enuff’s timeslot and everybody elses in NY. Radio stations down south cost far less, so for a fraction of the cost you can get mad spins and still have money left over to make a dope video and promote it on MTV and BET. This is about huge radio markets being too expensive. It”s no different than why you can’t buy a house in NY either, but every mailman has a ten room mini mansion down south. “Money Moves Everything Around Me”!!! Now report this! Tell Electronica and Blaze to bring some funds down south. They’ll get plenty of play. Sadly it won’t be in Jay’s own backyard. Truth Will Out!
It’s far more simple than all understand. Pay to play is the word of the day! Electronica nor his team have greased an independent promoter to get the spins. NY stations cost huge money. So if Electronica gets up his 60k guap you’ll hear it on DJ Enuff’s timeslot and everybody elses in NY. Radio stations down south cost far less, so for a fraction of the cost you can get mad spins and still have money left over to make a dope video and promote it on MTV and BET. This is abt huge radio markets being too expensive. It”s no different than why you can’t buy a house in NY either, but every mailman has a ten room mini mansion down south. “Money Moves Everything Around Me”!!! Now report this! Tell Electronica and Blaze to bring some funds down south. They’ll get plenty of play. Sadly it won’t be in Jay’s own backyard. Truth Will Out!
why he aint playin it is its all money factor.
and he knows it.
and @jihad. u fuckin request it then.
na here in AZ where we have a HORRIBLE radio station, they used to do a brand new joint of the day or some shit.
and they’d play a new record weither it was hot or not. they promoted it with “hate it or love it.”
ur telling me HOT97 cant do some simplistic shit like that?
and yall are right. DJ’s are killing hip hop. shit these aint even DJ’s anymore.
they are fucking Commentators
I posted this on his site, but he deleted the comment. My statement still stands: Fuck DJ Enuff and fuck Hot 97 if they don’t play this record. If yall want to contribute to the downfall of hip-hop, fuck it, we’ll be over at Shade 45 where people appreciate good music.
ALERT******ALERT********ALERT****
Bunk DJ Enuff for even posing a dumba$$ question like that. And the same goes for any DJ who would rather sell out to appease some blowbag in a suit or some ad connects….
SUGGESTIONS???
Stop being a YES Man and play what the people want!!! DJ Enuff lost all stripes wit me on this one…
And HOT 97? WTF …
One poster said JElec/and or team need to put up 60g to get spins??? Need major looks? What’s Just Blaze? What’s the downloads? The requests? The buzz is crazzzy….HOT 97 and any others who neglect up n coming good music will continue to go down the drain with all the rest of the majors / suits / blowbags…
It’s crazy….I remember b4 the DJ use to break all the newest ill joints for the masses…Now they got they hands tied to trash….
em em emm…damn shame.
FYI: Just because you delete a comment, doesn’t mean it never existed.
I think you should listen to what ur all sayin in the comments and turn this into an incredible movement, where we take back what is deemed our own music, our own industry, in order to make things good again – as we are continually tricked pyschologically into accepting garbage (weak-ass music, weak-ass lyrics, weak-ass artistes) we would never have accepted as recently as 10 years ago. It’s a good time to hit all the music media outlets as in facebook , myspace, twitter etc – let’s set this on fire as I know and believe there will be guidance to come in benefitting from ie owning our wondress art – so let’s go………..
http://soundcloud.com/masterbuilders/masterbuilders-1st-official-mixtape
“that F.O.I. Marcus Garvey Nicky Tesla/shock you like an eel electric feel jay electra…” that shit alone is better than any hip hop made in 09, besides the ecstatic.
Dj Enuff Just Played That J Electronica Joint On Hot97!! He Actually went with his gut feeling and did what a true Dj does. Dj Enuff is the truth and is definitely respected in the Dj Game by many. So if your not with it, then step your game up. Also he is real for posting that blog for the simple fact he is letting the people know the truth about how the industry works. So if your not in the industry then we dont expect you to understand.. S/O To real Hip Hop.. Mad Luv to Dj Enuff a True real Hip Hop Dee Jay
-Alpha Mix
He should play the record. DJ’s are just as much responsible to break and champion certain records from certain genres as they are obliged to play whatever playlist there bosses ask them to.
@Fred Jones TRUTH!!!! Shade45 is where its at!
he cares too much about his job to play something so left-field…..cocky conformist coward cunt…grow a pair, do it for the love of hip hop, not the paycheck…
[…] Yesterday: DJ Enuff’s Torn On Playing Jay Electronica […]
Co-sign!!! DJ ENUFF is a fat whack ass DJ who needs to get a life especially if he has to debate about playing a hip hop song on a hip hop radio station…SMFH! DJ Enough is one of the DJ’s Nas was talking about on HHID! F*CK DJ ENUFF and any DJ who debates this! Nas, Scareface, Andre 3000 and Lupe all drop lyrics for days and you mean to tell me this one very overrated song Exhibit C has this fat DJ in a confused state of mind…these DJ’s are weak and fake as all hell!
[…] Angela Yee approached Jay Electronica and at 2:59 mark, asks him about DJ Enuff’s blog post and the reception of “Exhibit […]
CASSIE FT. NICKI MINAJ FUCK U SILLY
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