If you love to listen to music as much as you love to dance and are a fan of popular DJs, chances are that you know who Daft Punk is. But did you know that they aren’t actually DJs? Or that the term “DJ” like dj paul arm was actually an abbreviation for disc jockey? These terms might seem silly now, but they’re important pieces of information that can turn your DJ party into an educational experience. Read on to learn what the “G-Funk” and other terms mean!
Essentially, a DJ is someone who works in a club, plays music from vinyl or on computer software, and mixes songs in order to create a pleasurable experience for their audience.
1. DJ Turntable
These are the pieces of equipment that most DJs use to play music. They’re often used in conjunction with a DJ mixer, which is an electronic device that allows the DJ to manipulate the volume of a song by adjusting its pitch.
The turntable was invented by Emil Berliner in 1887, and has been a vital part of early forms of popular music ever since. The invention of the “Gramophone” and later, the phonograph (“long-play” record) made it possible for people to listen to music (or “records”) at home on their own.
2. G-Funk
This is an offshoot of hip hop that became popular in the early to mid 1990s. According to DJ Yoda, a famous hip-hop producer from Queens, New York,”The foundation of G-Funk was laid by Dr Dre when he put out The Chronic in 1993″. Dre wanted his music to appeal to those who were older than your average “gangster.” G-Funk is known for it’s appropriate use of synthesizers and drum machines, and its sampling of soul artists from the 70s.
3. Extended Play
Basically, an extended play (also called EP) is a vinyl record that has more than 3 songs on it. The maximum number of songs that an EP can have is 6. In contrast, a “single” has just one song on it, while a “long-play” record (LP) can have up to 31 songs on it.
4. Turntablism
This term refers to the act of manipulating turntables or the sounds they produce in order to create a new and original composition. This is usually done by scratching or beat juggling.
5. Street Team
A street team usually consists of a group of people who are passionate about promoting an event or improving awareness for something that they care about. They can be as small as a couple of friends to as large as hundreds of people.
6. Beats and Rhymes
This is referring to a type of club music, sometimes called “raps and rhymes”, that consists heavily of rap lyrics with music elements thrown in. It’s usually associated with hip hop culture, though this term usually just refers to hip hop in general. Some other forms of hip hop can also fit under this category: for example, if you listen to some Native Tongues artists, you’ll notice that their songs are heavily melodic, lyrical and spoken at times.
7. Battle DJ
Also known as “turntablists”, these people compete against each other, usually in a one-on-one setting, to see who can be the most entertaining. Battle DJs are often extremely talented with their turntables, and they have an interesting dance called the “scratch”. This dance is often combined with a type of music called scratching which involves manipulating a song’s volume by quickly spinning the record back and forth. A good source of information on battle DJ’s is DJ Hero.
8. B-Boy
A b-boy is a person whose interest lies in break dancing or “breakin'”. Unlike battle DJs, b-boys usually prefer to perform in large groups, and they incorporate various styles of dancing into their routines. Break Dancing first became popular in the mid 1960s on the east coast of America as a way for youngsters to express their energy and rebelliousness without getting into trouble. This “street dance” eventually caught on throughout the east coast of America, then to other parts of America and finally Europe. B-Boying can be done “live” in a studio, but usually its associated with street dance parties that take place outside. The art form is known by various names depending on which city you are in: New York has the term “B-Boying”, while Los Angeles has the name “Breakdancing”.
9. Turntablism
This is a DJ art form that involves the manipulation of turntables and the sounds they produce either in conjunction with each other or on their own to create a new composition. Often, this form of music — which can also be called turntablisti c — is composed of a single song that has been manipulated in some way so as to sound completely different than the original. Sometimes it’s done by super-fast scratching, or by beat juggling. This type of music is sometimes known as “turntablists”. Examples include DJ Qbert and DJ Krush.
