I have to say that this summer has been hotter than two sissies in a prison camp on a Friday night…and that’s pretty hot! Now I’m looking forward to some cooler temperatures. There’s no doubt in my mind about global warming at this moment. But it’s been even hotter for releases on the club scene. From Trap to Hip Hop to Pop to Club, we here at Kinkster MAG have you covered.
There’s no denying that Hip Hop is part of Pop Culture. So, it’s no surprise that artist like Rick Ross are teaming up with Trap artists like Skrillex to bring us collaborations like “Purple Lamborghini”. Some traditions of bragging about expensive cars are hard habits to break. Not exactly my cup of tea, but apparently this track is burning up the charts.
Closely followed by Instagram and Twitter sensation DJ Khaled’s new track with Jay Z & Future called “I Got The Keys”. More bragging, but Jay Z’s verses sheds some light on how he and Beyonce played us all with Lemonade. I mean…who cheats on Beyonce?
Up next is the collaboration between DJ Snake and Justin Bieber. Honestly…I don’t know how Justin went from apologizing for his rotten behavior with a Comedy Central Roast and topping the charts with “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry” to slipping right back into being hated all over again. I guess his public relations department couldn’t fix his truth. So, now he seems to be doing better being a feature on tracks like “Let Me Love You”. Let’s see if his pouty face and leaked dick pics will push him to hitsville again.
The Snoop “D-O” double “G” is back with another laid back track with his boy Trick Trick called “Affiliated”. Not necessary going to be a club-banga, but I could see it being a radio hit. I’m just glad he’s back to being Snoop Dog instead of Snoop Lion. Kinda curious about his upcoming reality show with Martha Stewart. Sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen.
Toronto’s number one export, Drake seems to be unstoppable on the charts. Although legendary DJ Grandmaster Flex is not singing the praises of Aubrey Graham. Flex recently said over the air on Hot 97 that Drake doesn’t write his own raps. I say that anyone who is riding the top of the charts is gonna have some haters. But examining a lot of Drake’s hits reminds me of a lot of hits before him. Check out my segway from “Blow Your Whistle” by Too Short into Drake’s “For Free” and you tell me.
“The Way We Do” is part Reggae part Moombahton. With vocals by Major Lazer how could this not be a hit? It’s infectious and you can’t help but sway and wine ya hips.
And speaking of Major Lazer, the Joe Maz remix of “Light It Up” takes us from an Urban floor to a Big Room. Obviously with all the new legalized pot laws happening all over the U.S. 420 anthems are coming out of the woodwork.
You know, I can remember when artist like Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias were part of the Latin Pop sensation in the the late 90s. They would open the door for so many after them. Jennifer seems to be still handlin’ her business. Many Latino artists walk the fine line of singing in Spanish and English for a broader appeal. Enrique’s latest single “Duele El Corazon” was originally released in Spanish, but now has a bi-lingual Tracy Young remix featuring Pop R&B vocalist Tinashe and Reggae artist Javada.
On the last mix I actually slipped in a bonus track to see who was paying attention. “All In My Head (Flex)” by Fifth Harmony featuring Fetty Wap got a Happy House makeover from the downtempo original. With Fetty’s nod to Mad Cobra’s 90s Reggae jam, “Flex”, Fifth harmony have quickly become a modern day Spice Girls.
One of the perks of being a seasoned DJ is that you get advance releases before the masses. One such release that I am really enjoying these days is “They Don’t See” by Call Me Cleve & Zhana. Although the vocal mix is beautiful and hot, Cleve’s Luscious Dub worked better for my mix.
I’m not sure if MTV in the states has gone back to playing actual music videos, but up here in Canada Much Music still does. And one of the things I appreciate about the programing up here is that they are very open to playing dance music. One of the hottest videos in rotation is “This Girl” by Kungs vs. Cookin’ On 3 Burners. I’m always glad to see a good House track being served to a large audience.
And speaking of House tracks..Full Intention’s “Dancin’” is a throwback to the hybrid days of Disco samples and a House production. This track makes me think of the skaters in Central Park on a Saturday afternoon…fun and bouncy.
With our next selection we continue on the fun and bouncy vibe. “Mama Yo” by Mayra Veronica vs. Yolanda Be Cool serves up that Retro Vintage Sampled House. Sounds like a good time to me!
And in fact..it sounds like a great lead up to the Rrotik Remix of “Happy People” by Static Revenge. This track has plenty of heavy wobble synths. Definitely will get your crowd movin’.
Our final track says it all in its title…”Bring Back The Funk”. Steve Aoki & Reid Stefan gives up a complete look into the Electro sound that dominates the club floors of today. It’s heavy enough to get the old skool ravers hyped and fresh enough to move the room.
More mixes on Mixcloud: DJ Relentless on Mixcloud
