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Problem with venue... ready to quit...
Progressively the place I spin at has been wanting me to play more and more hip hop. I am reluctant about it but I play it with some house sets in between. But now they don't even want the house.
The guy who runs the lounge doesn't talk to me, instead his assistant acts as the middleman in a game of telephone.
I was playing a Kylie Minogue remix when only a couple people were there and the assistant goes, "Is this hip hop?!" in a condescending tone. That was it. I put on an old hip hop cd and just walked around flirting with the barstaff. I didn't even mix, so there was a pause between each song that was really obvious. Yeah I know it's not very professional but they weren't being professional either.
People started coming and my integrity was on the line so I spun hip hop for the remaining 3 hours. The crowd had a good time during the 2 hours I played my "peak" hip hop, which I would have played anyway in between some mainstream house. I'm not a hip hop DJ to play it all night. Plus I start at 6PM, so they want me to play hip hop for 6+ hours???
I'm not dependent on this gig so I'm ready to walk. It's not fun at all for me. I've proven myself at this place to handle DJ'ing well, and many people come only on the nights I spin, asking for me. The gigs are great because of the extra money, but I would love to not spin and hang out with my friends or just relax too.
Anyway, at the end of the night the assistant pays me and I told her my concerns:
"First I can only start at 8PM from now on, including this Saturday. 6PM is too early because I don't have time to do things. And second, I can't play all hip hop. I feel like a jukebox, and I didn't become a DJ to play just hip hop. If you trust me as a DJ that will keep the crowds and play a mix of half house and half hip hop, then I'm cool with that. But I won't just play hip hop." I didn't say it in a mean tone, just straight-forward.
I'm still compromising with the half part. They will call me tomorrow with their decision. I know what they are going to say to each other, "We pay this guy and he won't play the music we want him too? Who does he think he is?" Well like I told her halfway through my set tonight, "Maybe you guys really need a hip hop DJ."
Thoughts??
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http://www.rooshv.com
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