With mixtape DJ’s coming a dime a dozen, International Tour DJs are striking gold overseas.
Words by Maurice G. Garland Photos by Julia Beverly
DJ Mars, who recently completed an European tour, adds, “Over there they respect the DJ on a whole ‘nother level. There are DJs over there that sell out stadiums on their own. The European respect is way different than in America. They view the DJ as the artist.”
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t’s a known fact that the DJ is considered to be the backbone of Hip Hop. When you think of some of the most influential artists, groups and crews, almost of all of them were backed by a DJ on their albums, shows and ultimately their tours.
Just like a personal barber tailors their look, the DJ tailors their sound. Presentation is key, especially when the artist hits the road and takes on the world at large. A solid DJ can be an artist’s translator when seeking to establish a rapport with a crowd that probably doesn’t speak their language. “Sometimes you may do a show in a country where they like Hip Hop, but it won’t make them bounce,” says internationally known spin master and World Famous Superfriends founder DJ Mars who has traveled with the likes of Ciara, Keri Hilson and Ne-Yo. “But with me being the DJ, I’m the first voice the crowd hears when they walk into an arena. So I have to rock whatever they’re into. Me playing certain records sets the tone for the artist and makes them more comfortable when they come out on stage.” This should come as no surprise to the international Hip Hop fan. It’s been said for years that fans overseas seem to have a fonder appreciation for all things Hip Hop, from the music to the culture. Adopting the attitude of excitement and appreciation that fans in the States once had in Hip Hop’s early, pre-corporate influence days, fans in other countries rarely take Hip Hop for granted. The artform is still fairly new in those areas, and in some instances considered underground when compared to some of more popular forms of World music. Because of this, Hip Hop is rarely segmented, unlike in America where location plays a key role in an artist’s popularity.
“They’re very receptive to different cultures and music overseas,” says DJ Benny D, Akon’s current tour DJ. “When you are overseas, everything that is connected are from different countries, unlike in the States. They all have different languages and styles of music. You really get to broaden everything. The top ten countdowns in Europe include everything. So you may hear a German song at #8, a French song at #4, and Akon at #2.”
Often they can make the same demands as artists too. “When I perform in Africa I have between 40,000 - 60,000 people coming to see me perform,” says Benny D. “Then you have DJs that do raves and these guys have to perform in warehouses that hold ten to twenty thousand people because there are no clubs that can house these guys. They demand more money than what an average rap artist gets for a concert.” As with anyone else that travels, a tour DJ is also able to set himself apart from the competition by diversifying their palette. If you think an Atlanta DJ is upping his stock by traveling to Memphis, Houston and Miami, imagine what one who hits Paris, London and Brussels is doing for themselves. “Traveling overseas opens up your music vocabulary,” reveals Jaycee. “The records that we play over here may not rock over there. I was in South Africa once and I swore I was killing them playing Lil Wayne and 50 Cent. But the DJ that came behind me played some music called Kwaito and his first response shitted on what I had just been doing for the last two hours.” Unfortunately, vocabulary can also be a problem. “They may know the songs but they don’t know what I’m saying,” says Mars, reflecting a date he had in Japan. “I can say ‘Put your hands up,’ but they won’t do it until they see me putting my hands up.” DJ Blak, Yung Joc’s tour DJ, adds, “Music is universal, though. It doesn’t matter what language you speak. They won’t know an ounce of English, but they’ll know all the words to the songs.” // Favorite Places to DJ: DJ Mars: Japan, Brussels, Kenya, Italy, San Tropez DJ Black: Africa, Japan, Jamaica, St. Martin, Puerto Rico DJ Jaycee: South Africa, Japan, London, Sweden DJ Benny D: Canada, Ivory Coast, Liberia
With Hip Hop music becoming more and more popular on the global stage, the DJ’s popularity is growing right along with it. In America the DJ is rapidly becoming known more for his A&R skills than his actual turntable skills. But in other countries, DJ skills are still expected and respected. Reminiscent of Hip Hop’s first days, the DJ many times takes precedent over the artist. “In a country like Japan they really love the DJ,” says Jaycee, tour DJ for Ludacris. “For me to be spotted and asked for autographs, that shit was just crazy. The higher your skill level is as a DJ the more they love you. But sometimes, they love the DJ so much that it really doesn’t even matter. I remember one DJ I was with that isn’t really known for cutting or scratching, but the crowd was still amazed, just standing around him the whole time.” 34 // OZONE MAG
(above): Jaycee in the booth (left): DJ Mars & Ciara