The Sit-Down With Dee Vazquez: Bloggers vs. DJs

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Dee Vazquez rounded up a few good men for another sit-down on Shade 45. This time, the panel discussed Bloggers vs. DJs. A few weeks ago on Twitter, I opened a Pandora’s Box on a similar topic: Do DJs even break new artists anymore? Once upon a time, a jock would actually spin a record if they believed in it. But now, it seems as if they’re second guessing themselves.

Personally, it’s not a blogger’s responsibility to break a new act. It’s certainly not in my job description here at the Double R. Truthfully, sites play a small role in an artist’s success, more specifically, a rapper’s. A majority of people are exposed to up and comers through radio. So if a jock gets hip to a dope track, what’s stopping them from playing it? Is it money? Politics? Both? Honestly, I can’t think of the last prominent DJ to break a hit record—especially from a new artist. Kay Slay comes to mind with Papoose, but the music just wasn’t there. (I doubt it ever will be).

At the end of the day, DJs ought to step up to the plate and take more of an authoritative stance when it comes to this thing of ours. Video killed the radio star, don’t let some kid with WordPress do it too.

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  1. Belize says:

    DJs. They make the music, ha.

  2. the Hater says:

    Hell fuckin no!! aint no DJ’s aint breakin artist anymore. name one. I know a lot of these niggas by association and they ALL gotta get paid to put a record on they tape or the radio show. ..

    the same with these blogs, they all want paper to feature a new artist.

    my advice to artist build your own buzz, if u hot it will come. tell em to eat a dick.

  3. Gedi says:

    “Honestly, I can’t think of the last prominent DJ to break a hit record—especially from a new artist.” – B.Dot [what he said]

    DJ Enuff copping pleas on whether he should play the Jay Electronica last year, miss me.

  4. reallyb says:

    bloggers is winning

  5. puerto-black says:

    The DJ will always be around but the bloggers are winning. Its way easier to go to blog for music, then to wait for a Dj to yell and scream on a song. Do miss Clue Tapes. Pap had songs but missed his chance, JIVE.

  6. KingWonder says:

    DAMN, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE DJ’S DROP TRACKS FOR US AGAIN.
    ALTHO, THEY WOULD HAV TO CHARGE US AND WE GOTTA WAIT MONTHS FOR NEW MUSIC TO COME OUT.
    INTERNET ALWAYS GOT NEW TRACKS “EVERY” DAY

  7. still best rite now!! says:

    DJ KaySlay Presents: Papoose FAIL!
    DJ Drama Presents: LA da Darkman FAIL!
    DJ Khaled Present: Ace Hood FAIL!
    Lets keep it real….the “DJ” is not the same way we think of it from the so called “golden age.” Nowadays a Deejays main purpose is for promotional use. i.e. hosting a mixtape, All that scratching shit is gone with the wind. even turntables are digital now.
    ironically…check out Lil b “Age of Information” Bloggers (technology) will always win out god or bad

  8. B.Dot says:

    ^
    are u saying their ear for good music is gone?

  9. Post no billz says:

    Dj’s dont do shit now in days.. They ussually late on most stuff and they sit back like some arrogant assholes and sleep on all the dope shit..

  10. Belize says:

    ^^^^^^^^^It pretty much is.

  11. Belize says:

    @B.Dot, that is.

  12. flawda says:

    To be honest, none of the above do shit anymore other than kiss popular rappers asses, don’t break the truly talented artist. Don’t get me started on radio, because radio has been shit since the mid to late 90’s imo, everyone knows it’s all top 40 and what the majors label says. They essentially box hiphop into one sound and that’s why the radio sounds like one continuous song. These DJ’s are straight trash and all payola and business connects behind the scenes imo, there is no way you can’t tell me that with shitty ass artist like Ace Hood or whomever get the time of the day. These greedy ass mfs will end up paying for it in the long run though, that’s why i like the fact that niggas like Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and KRIT are basically breaking themselves, and i hope they never fuck with none of these djs. These dj’s serve no purpose anyways, they don’t produce and charge the artist to host a mixtape.

  13. […] a well-selected panel discuss who plays a more key role in breaking a new artist, bloggers or DJs. The homie at RR had some interesting thoughts on this. What is your […]

  14. still best rite now!! says:

    @B.Dot
    not at all, I first got hip to Charles Hamilton ( before he went crazy) from DJ Skee, but it was via Skee’s website, Djs breaking artist is like “artist development” which everybody will tell you is dead. So now, new artist develop themselves, and then look for cosigns from Djs or just exposure, but even that is dying out. after Lil Wayne dissed DJs, still did amilli in a week, the dropped No ceilings, that opened the door for Wiz ‘kush & OJ’ then Kendrick Lamar’s ‘O.D.’ DJs bout to say fk hiphop lol

  15. MORPHEUS says:

    blogs are where most djs get their new music. the problem is that most of these bloggers are lame asses chasing acceptance and not realizing that they have more power than BET and MTV. DJs don’t break artists anymore. They just mimic the top DJ in their region. It’s the blogs that will put up anything just for content and these fake ass A&Rs just read blogs on their iPhones all day.

    Bloggers need Jimmy Hoffa. Real Talk.

  16. Mr.G says:

    ^Stop whinning like a bitch smh.

  17. MORPHEUS says:

    suckers need body guards.

  18. puerto-black says:

    Dj Clue presents Fabolous
    Dj Drama presents Jeezy
    Dj Kahlid presents Rick Ross
    There some exceptions to the rule. No Lox, Dmx, Pun, Buddens, 50, Dip-set, etc, etc without a Dj ___

  19. Sam I Am says:

    Bloggers do have more power sometimes with breaking new artists, but a lot of blog sites will get behind someone not even worthy of the time.

  20. still best rite now!! says:

    @puerto-Black

    bruh, you proving my point, even tho i could dispute if that the Dj broke those artist, i’ll just say you aint name one person in the last 5 years, you goin back to the 90s fa real

  21. The Other P says:

    @B.Dot
    Their ears aren’t messed up but it’s hard as hell for an unknown artist to make a tape w/ a known DJ now if that particular artist doesn’t have the cash, buzz, or label backing beforehand. Make a mixtape for free w/ an unsigned, unknown artist that might blow up vs. making a mixtape w/ Bow Wow who is going to pay 20k. Most DJ’s are taking that 20k & calling it a day.

    What’s reaching a bigger audience? A track posted on the top 10 most popular rap sites w/ a download link or a DJ on the radio? Even if a download link isn’t available online, I don’t have to listen to radio hoping someone plays the song again. I can hop on the internet 24/7 & go listen for myself.

  22. B.Dot says:

    ^
    i hear ya. but dont u want that artist to elevate to the next level? Radio will def help that

  23. still best rite now!! says:

    thats a good point, for example Wiz Khalifa has been grinding, but Black & Yellow has took Wiz to the next level. but who gets the credit for his success?

  24. jdog says:

    whatever man. Check out http://www.dementedi.com for more gossip without the bullshit

  25. @jdog… isn’t gossip bullshit?!

    bloggers are the first stop for distributing music. artists give the music to the blogs first and the djs roam the blogs for the new shit. radio djs a suckers who want to get paid to play… and they won’t play an artist until they are already broken or got the right amount of money to spend.

  26. Mr RD says:

    Exhibit C???? 1st played on The Morning Show with Angela Lee. I know its cause of Just Blaze but he went to a radio show not a blog to play it 1st.

  27. The Other P says:

    @ B.Dot,
    Yes, I’d like to see artists like Jay E & J.Cole blow up on radio. But I haven’t listened to FM radio w/ any regularity in over 5 years. It’s been 90% satellite radio, 10% cd’s when driving. Clear Channel, etc. play the same ish every hour & most of that isn’t stuff I want to hear hourly if @ all.

  28. He hated bloggers until he got fired from XXL and realized that there wasn’t any other magazine out there that was going to hire him… so now he’s all about the internet.

  29. B.Dot says:

    there wasn’t any other magazine out there that was going to hire him
    ^
    speak on things u know

  30. DIGGSY!!! says:

    dj drama – jeezy (streetz iz watchin mixtape). also took t.i.p. to a whole new level when they dropped that psc gangsta grillz

  31. mac DIESEL says:

    FUCK THESE INDUSTRY DICKIN’ RIDIN’ PAYOLA DJ’S!!!! THERE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY HIP-HOP HAS NO BALANCE!!!! THEY FOLLOWIN’ THEM FUCKIN’ DOLLAR SIGNS!!!! FUCKIN’ COCKSUCKAS!!!! STOP KILLIN’ HIP-HOP!!!!!

    DON’T HATE ON MY OPINION!!!!

  32. mac DIESEL says:

    …AND THESE BLOG SITES ARE ACTUALLY DOIN’ WUT A DJ SHOULD BE DOIN’!!!! WHICH IS BREAKIN’ NEW RECORDS AND GIVIN’ ARTISTS SOME SHINE!!!! WHETHER THERE IN THE HOT 100 CHARTS OR NOT!!!! A GOOD RECORD IS A GOOD RECORD!!!! GROW A FUCKIN’ SET AND STOP BEIN’ A ROBOT FOLLOWIN’ THE PROGRAM!!!! ASSHOLES!!!!

    DON’T HATE ON MY OPINION!!!!

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