My column’s back after a short break that happened for reasons that I’ll explain in a little while. So yeah, this one’s based on a pretty awesome conversation I had with DJ Drama about the aesthetics of mixtape hosting and his new album, Third Power.
DJ Drama, boisterous on record but relaxed, almost samurai-like over the phone, intones his rules for mixtape hosting: “I only talk at the beginning of the song…I never talk on top of the rapping…I give it a concept…” This shit should be obvious, his calm seems to connote.
But it isn’t. Just listen to others like DJ Holiday, who puts together great Gucci Mane tapes despite his total disinterest in mastering, OCD rewinding of totally whatever verses, and a whiny, grating “hooollliiddddaaayyyy ssssseeeeeeeasssonnnnnnnn” drop. Then there’s DJ Khaled, who can’t even scream like he actually cares all that much and endlessly mines a posse-cut formula that rotates a small clump of rappers to diminishing returns. Even “I’m on One,” as near to a perfect a rap song as we’re going to get this year, is almost derailed by a grunting appearance from Khaled’s omnipresent buddy Rick Ross.
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