Imagine being asked to open up for an old school hip-hop DJ. Y’know, one of the innovators, the originators, the architects. Pretty good deal, right? An opportunity not to be missed.<\/p>\n
Now imagine being given a list of tracks you can’t play. Fair enough, you think. Gotta leave some crowd pleasers and ol’ stand-bys for the big man. <\/p>\n
But what if the list looked like the one below (never mind that there are some wack tracks on there)? What you gonna play now, Mr. Hotshot Opener?<\/p>\n
B-Boy Traks<\/strong>
\n1. Mexican – Babe Ruth
\n2. Big beat – Billy Squire
\n3. Apache – Bongo band
\n4. Seven Minutes of Funk – family
\n5. Mardi gras – Bob James
\n6. Pump It up – Trouble funk
\n7. Fusion Beats – Tramp
\n8. Get up and dance – Freedom
\n9. Just began – Jimmy Castor
\n10. Give it up and turn it loose – James Brown
\n11. Listen to me – Baby Huey<\/p>\nOld Rap\/Hip Hop<\/strong>
\n1. All Tupac songs
\n2. All Naughty by nature songs
\n3. Rappers Delight – Sugar hill gang
\n4. The Adventures of GMF GMF
\n5. The Message – Grandmaster Flash
\n6. Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa
\n7. All LL Cool Jay Songs
\n8. Mic Checka – Das Efx
\n9. Take it Personal – Gangstarr
\n10. All Eric B and Rakim Songs
\n11. It takes 2 – Rob Base
\n12. Jump Around – House of Pain
\n13. Time for some action – Redman
\n14. The choice is yours – Black sheep
\n15. All Public Enemy songs
\n16. All Tribe called Quest songs
\n17. All Krs 1 songs
\n18. Humpty Dance – Digital underground
\n19. Ive got the power- Snap
\n20. All Cypress Hill songs
\n21. All Run Dmc songs
\n22. All Dela Soul songs
\n23. Jam on it – Neucleus
\n24. Treat Em right – Chubb Rock<\/p>\nClassic (R+B)<\/strong>
\n1. Im coming out – Diana Ross
\n2 Got to be real – Cheryl Lynn
\n3 I cant wait – Nu Shooz
\n4 More bounce to the ounce – Zapp
\n5 Genius of love – Tom Tom Club
\n6 Hot stepper – Ini Kamoze
\n7 All Michael Jackson songs
\n8 Groove is in the heart – Deelite
\n9 Give it to me baby- Rick james
\n10 Freakout – Chic
\n11 Knee Deep – Funkadelic
\n12 All Prince songs
\n13 We are family – Sister Sledge
\n14 Toms Diner – Suzanne Vega
\n15 All night long – Mary Jane Girls
\n16 Outstanding – Gap band
\n17 Hold On – En Vogue
\n18 Before I let go – Maze
\n19 Bounce rock roll skate – Vaughn Mason
\n20 Square biz – Teena Marie
\n21 A Dj saved my life – Indeep
\n22 Good Times – Chic
\n23 Another one bites the dust – Queen
\n24 All Madonna songs
\n25 All Donna Summer songs<\/p>\nNew Rap<\/strong>
\n1. All 50 Cent
\n2. Chingy Rite there
\n3. Magic Stick – Lil Kim
\n4. Get Low – lil John
\n5. The Benjamins (all versions)
\n6. Party and Bullshit – Rah Digga
\n7. Like a Pimp – David Banner
\n8. The Jump Off – Lil Kim
\n9. Do that dance – Baby
\n10. Back that ass up – Juvenile
\n11. Bling Bling – BG
\n12. Pump It up – Joe Buddens
\n13. Excuse me – Jay Z
\n14. Roc the mic – Freeway
\n15. Beautiful – Snoop Dog
\n16. Vivarin Thing – Q tip
\n17. All BIG songs
\n18. Beware – Jay z
\n19. Never Scarred – Bone Crusher
\n20. Ante up – MOP
\n21. Nothin – Nore
\n22. La La La – Jay z
\n23. I just wanna – Jay z<\/p>\nNew R + B<\/strong>
\n1. Love like this before ( all versions) Faith Evans
\n2. All songs by Mary J Blige
\n3. Frontin – Pharrell
\n4. Crazy in Love – beyonce
\n5. This is how we do it – Montell Jordon
\n6. Neva let you go – Syleena Johnson
\n7. Only you ( all versions) 112
\n8. Rock your body – Justin Timberlake
\n9. Neva Leave you Uh Oh – Lumidee
\n10. Jenny from the block – Jennifer Lopez\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nI mean, I can understand calling a few of the anthems, and maybe even locking down the b-boy classics. But all<\/em> PE songs? All<\/em> Eric B and Rakim songs? All<\/em> Tribe Called Quest songs? All<\/em> B.I.G. songs? Damn. Might as well call “All hip-hop.”<\/p>\n
Incidentally, I got the list above from a local DJ (who will remain unnamed) who was recently asked to open for one of hip-hop’s most legendary DJs (who will remain unnamed). When I asked him what that left him with, he said “All B-more!” Good lookin’ on the bright side, yo. <\/p>\n
So, what would YOU play?<\/p>\n