As promised, our first show is available online. You can click on the link below to listen.

DJ HAPA is the Executive Director of R.E.H.A.B and Scratch DJ Academy in Los Angeles.

As you’ve probably worked out by now, he is not a woman — but he IS a teacher, so in our opinion, has a unique perspective on what it takes to be a DJ, what the DJing landscape is like for all DJ’s, and how the industry could gain by having more women around.

He talked to the ChicksOnWax! team about those things and much more.

I’ve been sitting here, looking at a blank computer screen, trying to find the right words.

How can I express how critical it is for a DJ to collect vinyl?  To search and find those original, inspirational, timeless beats is an art form onto itself.  Just chill for a second and imagine life without Hip Hop…without Soul, Funk or Jazz for that matter.  Every artist from Louis Armstrong to Kayne had to “dig in the crates” and innovate based on the history of the music.

One time I was in Ameba Records and I ran into the RZA of Wu-Tang.  He told me he was working on some music and needed an Isaac Hayes album to sample.  RZA has good taste. The Soundtrack to “Shaft” was one of the first albums of my collections. The origins of Hip Hop, and whatever genre are to follow are in the grooves of the record.  And the records are in crates.  And the crates must be dug.  You dig?!

The mix I’ve put together is an example the benefits to having a collection of classic records.  Each mix, the original to the Hip Hop version will literally bridge generations…

Like Kool and The Gangs Summer Madness is at least 20 years older than Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince’s Summertime.

And the difference between Dizzy Gillispie and Charlie Parker doing A Night in Tunisia and Gang Starr’s Manifest is 5 decades.

Then my last joint is the ultimate.  A sample of a classic sampled.  Mixed, produced and arranged by Black Sheep, The Choice Is Yours sampled the base line from McCoy Tyner’s version of Impressions.  Impressions is a John Coltrane composition.  McCoy Tyner got his start as a young piano player in Coltrane’s band.  I believe Tyner’s version was a tribute to Tranes after his death in 1964.  Listen to the intensity of the piano solo and let me know what you think.
PeACe
DJ Equity

DJ Equity would like you to be aware of the fact that he has John Coltrane’s ‘Impressions’ on vinyl, CD. MP3 and VHS, both live and studio versions in his crates.( ChicksOnWax! Thinks he might be showing off, but to be honest, we don’t care, cause we love this month’s mix!!!)

CAN YOU DIG IT!?!?!?!?!?

(click here to listen to this month’s treat)

So, on to other news….

- You’ll be hearing from my DJ mentor, DJ Equity shortly. He’ll be teaching me a thing or two. See, my goal now is to play a set or two this time, next year. I have to be that good! And Equity will be helping me through the process!! You’ll also get to hear some of his work.

In the coming months, you’ll also be able to:

- hear what some record store owners are up to these days, through our ChicksOnWax ‘Crate Diggin’ updates. They’ll be audio – and you’ll get to hear Equity argue with me about what tunes are good and what tunes aren’t. You’ll also get to hear some of my ‘mixes’ (I stress the quotation marks). I’m doing this mainly for your amusement.

- check out interviews with women DJ’s! ChicksOnWax is set to speak to the folks at Scratch DJ Academy. It also looks like the fabulous DJ Beverly Bond, founder of ‘Black Girls Rock Inc’ will talk to us in the near future! And yes, OK, there’ll be some men too, but they’ll be talking about women DJ’s, lol)

- In the meantime, Equity is trying to convince me to Face/Off with him once a month. You know, battle….

…Yeah, I dunno, man. I really don’t know how that is going to work out.

So, STAY TUNED!!

For now, I have to think about ways to stop my neighbour from playing I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner, and ‘On My Own’ by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald, tonight. The songs go on every.single.night.at.the.same.time.

But I just watched the BET awards, (yes, I am still going through some things with Michael Jackson, ’tis true, but you know we’ll be OK, smile).

And saw Jay-Z perform Death of Autotune. I love it. I figured it might get some folks riled. I was right. In an interview with MTV, DJ Webstar said, (and I quote): ‘If you take every song off the radio, what would you have?’

Exactly.

Duh! (don’t make me put angry Chick’s face on again, I beg).

Charrr man, why NOT?!

Last night, one of the folks I shocked with the announcement of my new mission, suggested – after he regained his composure – that I DJ with digital files. He asked me (and I quote) ‘Do you really want to carry a bunch of vinyl with you?’

Hmmm…trrrrrrrruedat, I dunno… Do I?! I’m not getting any younger, and unless I hire a man-servant, I have noooo intention of carrying box loads of records with me to every session/class/event… My delicate bones may break under the weight (cough).

But, but… at the same time, isn’t that part of the experience?! You know, to find that classic tune and to be able to drop it in a mix?! That’s half the fun!!

My friend suggested I get something called ‘Serato’, cause, ‘it will help you out a lot.’ The conversation, then continued like this (sort of):

(me) ”Se-’ wha’?’ (geddit?! Whatever…)

(him) ‘Serato’

(me) ‘whassat then?’

(him) ‘it helps you with the mixing of the records.’

(me) ‘cool. ok, that sounds interesting, how do you spell that thingy??’

(him) ‘S-A-R-R-A-T-O.’

That is what my friend told me. Twice (I asked him to repeat it, cause I was so confused). A second source (in the room) even verified it.

(…pause for dramatic effect…)

(that’s my blog representation of a confused face, btw – I needed an excuse to use the chick. She’s still mad at something.)

It turns out that, ‘Serato (spelled ‘S.E.R.A.T.O’) Scratch Live’ (for those of us who don’t know), is a program that allows you to ‘…scratch and mix files from your computer hard drive using Serato Vinyl, CD or Approved USB Controllers.’

Hmm, so in other words, like homeboy said, rather than carrying some heavy a$$ vinyl, I can mix tracks from my computer. BUT, rather than hitting the play button and letting technology do all the work (i.e cheating), I am still in control of mixing the tunes!

Nice one, friend!! I like the sound of that! But, there is a lot to be said for the crate diggin’ aspect of this DJ malarkey. I think I would miss that, if all I did was download songs.

Conclusion? I’ll check out Serato … when I have the caaaarsh (’cash’ to you), and when I am a little further along the line. For sure.

In the meantime, I’m going to stick with the basics: turntables, a mixer and vinyl.

Of course, if one of you wants to treat me, my birthday is coming up… I’m just sayin’, I’m just sayin’…!

I always end up causing some kind of mayhem. I’ll do things like…

…create a blog with a deliberately dodgy name (yess, I KNOW you thought this was an ‘adults-only’ site, and now look, you can’t leave! shaaaaame…)

…or produce silly pieces for my friends, just cause I feel like it (the folks at ‘35 is the new….35′ know all about that, right?!!).

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS.

But, you’ve been warned. I need DJ assistance, now.

This is my own creation — it’s a (near) literal translation of the blog name. I felt I needed to be clear on what I wanted to convey to you all.

Yes, yes, it’s exactly what I was looking for. Actually (sigh, smile, look to the ceiling), it’s better (i.e funnier)

I man, how VEX’ does that chick look? Attitude.

See, this is what happens when I have time on my hands and technology at my fingertips – carnage.

I dunno what the chick is thinking, but can’t be nice. Innit?!

**(remember, I’m still looking for my DJ instructor, right now, I have two leads…)

You see, I’ve always wanted to play records, for as long as I can remember.

Ask my parents. I wanted to be a radio DJ back in the day… just after I decided that I didn’t want to be an air hostess, and before I decided being a journalist was a better fit for me than being a high powered lawyer in a skirt suit.

Come to think of it, I think its safe to say that it was my desire to DJ that got me into broadcast in the first place!

I know every pop tart says it but, ‘music has always been a part of my life.’ Growing up, there was a song for every mood and occasion in my home. And as for the LP covers? I LOVED finding new things in the artwork! I remember wondering why my mum and aunties didn’t like that I thought Donna Summer looked like a lovely, friendly lady, sitting on that crescent moon on the ‘Four Seasons of Love’ album. I remember dreading the moment when I would have to dance to Stevie’s ‘Happy Birthday’, EVERY year between 1981, and…hmmm. I recall singing my favourite song, ‘Buffalo Soldier’, All.The.Time. in despite my inability to pronounce the word, ’soldier’ (apparently, ’showujwah’ was the best I could do when I was 3.) On a totally random tip – I even remember getting a cheesy RED promotional record from the Avon lady. I hated the song, but loved the fact that the record was red!

My talent for drawing was even discovered because of music… I recreated a cover of a Debbie Harry vinyl single, using only a pencil. I remember showing it to mum, who, after getting over her shock, showed it to everyone else in the house.

So, it was probably inevitable that at age 7, I worked out how to produce my own *live* radio show just by using my super-gadget-electric piano, which had two tape player/recorders (to record my favourite songs on the radio), and a mic input (to record my voice)! I had high production values even then… (lol). Those demo tapes still exist somewhere in my parents house. Come to think of it, my obsession with music was such, that while other tween girls were spending their pennies on clothes and lipstick, I was going to the local record store, looking for that bargain record that I knew would make it big.

I’m telling you. Playing music and talking. That’s all I wanted to do.

Then my desire to right the worlds wrongs kicked in at, oooh, around 14 years old. And jacked all of that up. I went from wanting to talk about music to wanting to save the world, through journalism, instead. The crate diggin’ slowed to an eventual halt, while I focused on my studies.

At University, I discovered that I could learn to DJ…If I sucked up to dude who ran Uni events (no thanks). THEN, I found out that competition to apprentice DJ was tight (even though a friend would have happily taught me). I turned my back on that idea, got my own radio show on the campus radio station, and started a music society with some friends instead!

After I moved to the US, I toyed with the idea of DJing again (this time as a hobby), after being blown away by an incredible DJ in New York City. Sorry, I cant remember her name, I just know that she tore the house down. I even went as far as to talk to her, and ask if she could teach me. She is yet to get a phone call from me!

But, I did go halves on some decks and a mixer. I even learned how to mix four songs. After song number four, I yawned and decided to focus on singing with my friend, instead.

Years later, the (not) DJing is still haunting me. And I’m sooo over being haunted.

There you have it. Now you know that, I can get on with the business of learning how to DJ!

If I can find someone to help me. Which I find to be almost funny. I know plenty of DJs in London, NYC, Washington DC, and not one person L.A — the city I’ve called home for two years.

So, can you help me?!

I’ve asked on FBook and Twitter, and I’m askin’ here now — So, hit me back if you know of anyone!