Ok, first of all, I'm not going to say too much about the "because Ciara is black, I spell get, "git", with an "i" instead of "e", because I've had more than enough of this racial stuff - everybody is so quick to pull the race card for every little reason these days - but I wont even get into that - this is a freestyle remix forum, not a political.......etc. I'm black myself and... I'll just say this racial b.s. that's been going on all over the news, talk radio,...etc is ridiculous. Everybody these days loves to take everything out of context and try to make a big issue about it, but .... O.k let me save this for talk radio.

But anyway, this is not actually what I came here to say, I almost got completely into OTHER issues that don't belong here........ Well, as far as DANCE/FREESTYLE music, I'd just like to say with the three minutes I have left on this library computer, Freestyle and R&B artists have something in common. They BOTH sing over freestyle beats. On that note, I've come to the conclusion that this makes the possibility for new freestyle songs to probably be accepted once again. They can call it whatever they want, but the hardcore fans of freestyle will still know it's freestyle. This also brings up some other questions as well......but my library time is up, so back in line I go.........

So......... we have r&b artists singing over freestyle beats these days, and it seems to be doing very well. Well, this brings many questions to mind....

There were quite a few people releasing hits with faster beats, back when "dance" music was big. Some continued to do so, even breakbeat style, as "dance" music started dying.

Now, pop and r&b artists have started actually using faster beats, that fall more on the bass/break/freestyle side of dance,

and my questions follow:

WHERE'S SONIQUE AT?

WHAT HAPPENED TO PINAY AND ONE VOICE AND ALL THE OTHER SIMILAR R&B/BASS/FREESTYLE SOUNDING ARTISTS THAT WERE ABLE TO MANAGE GETTING A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF AIRPLAY GO?

I loved many of their songs and remixes back then, that came out as faster music was decreasing. Now the beats are speeding up and it seems like now that this is the best time to try something like this, it's not being done my none other than these pop/r&b artists that already have acquired fame and success. Why?

If these artists (Sonique, One Voice, Pinay,...and other similar artists) were able to do as well as they did when they did, they must have some fame and fans to back that up, so no one can say that they are unknown and they'll never make it because they have no history or fan base to be known, and with that being said, just imagine what they could do in music if they continued doing what they did back then, now!

Also, I want to mention the fact that Stevie B. thought of the idea to team up with a POPULAR TOP40/RHYTHMIC artist and RE-DO "spring love", WITHOUT EVEN MODERNIZING MANY ELEMENTS OF THE SONG ITSELF and even recieve radio play! So why aren't others concidering or thinking of this? Oh - and by the way, this issue in itself brings up so many different issues - there are so many ways I could go with this...... but I'm not even going to get too deep into this right now - I'll just add the fact that he teamed up with PITBULL, who not only does extremely well in TOP 40, URBAN, AND RHYTHMIC charts, but also top 40 LATIN, possibly even CARIBBEAN, and OTHER international charts as well. Now, THAT was a VERY, VERY VERY, VERY SMART IDEA to team up with such a person, who's WELL KNOWN in a VARIETY of areas!!!!!! Now, the only thing we need next is for them to produce something BRAND NEW together, become successful, THEN see where that goes! Many (new) unknown artists these days are using popular people to do hooks within their songs to help add acceptance and publicity to what they are doing............

Do you remember back when "oye mi canto" by Nore and Nina Sky first came out? Do you remember how much reggaeton was known and played before this song hit? Do you notice how many people that never knew much or cared much for reggaeton back then, do NOW? Did you notice that things changed DRAMATICALLY after Nore tried something different AND became successful with it?

He opened the doors for many other reggaeton artists mainstreamwise, and I've noticed how ever since this one little song "oye mi canto", abruptly, reggaeton stations started popping up NATIONWIDE, reggaeton radio syndicated programs also started popping up as well, in addition to the fact that even BET and MTV greatly increased their acceptance to reggaeton music and artists, and not to forget, when you listen to back in the day/old school hip hop mixes and programs, no reggaeton is heard in it. Do you think it will be the same for your kids that are just turning 1 or 2 today, when they grow up and listen to their old school/back in the day programs?

I'm just saying that if this has and can happen with reggaeton, then this could also happen again, at anytime with any genre of music, including bass and freestyle. People can predict what may happen, but in reality no one really knows for sure what may happen. It could be that Ciara or Missy decides to create another uptempo song, but this time, include the use of an electro sound with it on her next album, it becomes a hit and bam! everyone thinks it's hot and others begin to copy this style.

I remember how hip hop used to always use these simple, predictable, sway back and fourth beats. Then Timbaland creates that beat that he used for "one in a million" by Aaliyah. Within about six months after this happening, almost EVERY hip hop, r&b, AND pop artists started changing up their beats. Destiny's Child did it. TLC did it, 702 did it as well, even P.Y.T. and Spice Girls tried to use those "futuristic" sounding beats that Timbaland and Missy started using around 1996-1997. I think the official start of this was with Ginuwine's "pony", but the beats didn't really get creative until "one in a million" by Aaliyah hit the airwaves, and I still remember how back in high school, when this happened, almost EVERYBODY in my classes and throughout this Atlanta high school, was shocked about this song. People would line up down the hallways or crowd around desks and take turns trying to do the beat on a wall or desk with their hands while someone rapped, but it took people a good few weeks to imitate this style and get it right........ That was original, until later on others started imitating and changing the beat into their own style, which is when you started hearing "bills bills bills' by Destiny's Child, "silly ho" by T.L.C.,......etc. And this continued for a few years, until somehow that style of using those futuristic sounding beats died and we've went back to those simple, typical hip hop beats once again.

So bottom line, you never know what may happen. These faster beats could open the doors for booty bass and freestyle to pop up once again on U.S. mainstream airwaves, similar to how Sean Paul's "just gimmie da light" opened up the doorways for other reggae artists, such as Kevin Lyttle, Lumi Dee, and others that started popping up on top 40/rhythmic radio AFTER Sean paul'success.... And just like Nore & Nina Sky with the reggaeton situation,


OR:

It may be like the beats Timbaland and Missy used to produce back in the late 90's and early 2000's - it will come, do things for a while, then dissappear..... or maybe I should used the example of Spice Girls.....They were original. Shortly after, all these other 5 people groups pop up. Nsync and Backstreet Boys do best at taking that idea and making it their own style. Then there is Five, Take 5, and all these other 5 people groups that I've forgotten - ONE started it, became succesful, and opened the doors for this style....but it all died after a while...


Then there is outkast, which they have lived up to their name, because neither did they die, or is anyone copying their style.....other than the people associated in their group...


But I prefer to remain optimistic, and believe that what's going on now has very strong possibility of bringing bass and freestyle back to acceptance, even at the SLIGHTEST degree, and even if it only causes ONE new freestyle song to pop up successfully and no more. But as far as I see things, I think Timbaland and Missy's clever idea to come up with those creative beats really did much to bridge a lot of pop and r&b together, because it was when this happened, many pop artists started sounding more r&b with those beats, and more r&b artists started sounding pop as well of course, because if it goes one way, then it must go the other. In addition to this, hip hop artists were also using these beats, and it seems like ever since then, pop r&b and hip hop has taken over the rhythmic/top 40 airwaves so much that the equality of hearing alternative in there as well has diminished. It used to be pretty much variety - maybe a pop song, then an r&b song, then alternative, then dance, then some of that latin pop (like around the time Marc Anthony, Inreque Iglesias, Ricky Martin and other similar artists started popping up...)....alternative again, pop, hip hop, alternative, dance, alternative....and so on. Nowadays, it's more like this: 2 hip hop songs, or 1 r&b then 1 hip hop, then alternative, another r&b, pop, r&b, alternative, r&b, r&b, pop, alternative, hip hop, reggaeton, pop, r&b, alternative..... You'll even notice this on TRL!

For a while, I did believe that Rihanna would start something with her song "s.o.s." but, I was WRONG! The only other thing I heard similar to this was "man eater" by Nelly Furtado and nothing more, so even though I may have strong foundations to place my predictions and theories on, even I can't 100% surely and accurately predict what may or may not or never will happen in music, just like scientists still cannot predict Earthquakes, or always accurately predict Monsoons, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, and other similar events, but they can make predictions, based on observations, patterns, and following the direction in which things seem to be going at the time. I would rather say that Booty Bass and Freestyle was in the process of making a comeback, but this would have discluded other songs using something similar to a house beat, souch as "sos", "man eater", and "sexy back", so to include all, while still using the simplest term possible that EVERYBODY or MOST could understand, I just said "DANCE".

Maybe for some people, these new faster songs of today are not good enough, but as for me, I'm not just into freestyle, my main passion and favorate sound when it comes to music are things that are bass and freestyle, or things that sound SIMILAR to this, so for me, I get excited for this reason, and for those of you that have heard my mixes, you know exactly what i'm talking about. I like that sound. I like the up-tempo melody. Even in dirty south - bounce music, such as "shut up" by trick Daddy, "what's your fantasy" by Ludacris, and "like a pimp" by David banner, or maybe even "my love" by Justin or "la cucaracha" (dj laz remix) by Kumbia Kings, those songs have beats that go HALF THE SPEED of "dance" music, but the tempo arrangement still matches with dance, and the bpm's of that and booty bass, and house and trance and freestyle and 2step garage could all be mixed together, and for some reason, I'm just fascinated with and have a love for that style and sound. I may be loosing or confusing some people at this point, but if you have a song that's HALF the speed of a dance song and you want to find out what up-tempo song would match perfectly, or near perfectly with it, just take the bpm and multiply it by the number 2. I discovered that this works with Dirty South (bounce beats) hip hop, Drum & Bass & hip hop or alternative, pop, light rock, r&b,....etc.

By the way, lately I've been so much into an up-tempo dance and freestyle mood, and lately, all of my mixes were mainly bass & breaks, but I'm going to change my format in the very near future, and there will be quite a few differences in my upcoming mixes. For a while, I've really started loosing interest in and started hating hip hop for various reasons..... even to the point where I haven't listened to our local hip hop station for quite a few weeks, but now, that's started changing for certain reasons...... and I think I'm going to go back to my old ways when it comes to music, so...... expect some changes to come. You listen to my Project Mixes this year, and compare it with things like 50 cent, Adassa, Ludacris, Jay-Z, Voltio y Notch, Missy Elliott, Mobb Deep, Wisin Y Yandel, and other similar stuff that I was playing at this time last year...... BIG difference... I'll continue Project Freestyle mixes for the rest of this year, but there will be much more variety to come with my future mixes.... reggae, soca, even light rock, I'm bringing back my reggaeton as well........ but you know the freestyle dance will always be the basis for whatever I decide to do, and any bass remix I hear of popular artists will be what I concider using first when mixing.

JUST STAY POSTED....

Well I Agree That Music is Picking Up in Speed and many of the new hotter tracks do in fact have freestyle charecteristics all over them..This is true. I also agree That this style of new music is also increasing in popularity..and I enjoy it. But as i said...I do not feel it will regress in to Traditional freestyle music , Only Progress in to newer RnB and Hip Hop joints that carry this style..and in time it too will see its day..

its not Racial Either...This is whats Hot..Its RnB and Hip Hop that appeals to the masses , Not some 1980's disco sub genre that we call freestyle...now sure we all know that Freestyle progressed and has the power to dominate the club scene because it did at one time. We all know that Progressive freestyle and old school freestyle appeal to two sepperate audiences..but the foakz that are in to the progressive stuff are a microscopic minority, The people who are in to that old school freestyle are also a minority and most of them are in a whol different age bracket..There is nothing Racial about this...Just because most Rnb singers and Rappers are black dont mean freestyle fans are pulling out a race card..its just a fact that Hip Hop ( wich seems to be black on the surface to many) is what hot right now. Its just the truth. This is not some crual sterio type or miss understanding , it is what it is.

KDM your mixxes are off the hook. Your taste in Freestyle Music is another aspect I really admire, and I feel if you were to set one of them mixxes off in a club out here in CA, The results on the dance floor would be a sight for sore eyes..It took me a long time to understand the state that freestyle is in..Longer then most who were telling me what i now know. I do Hope Freestyle one day makes it back in to Radio , but that can only happen if we still have artist out there making this music and for god's sake it must sound new!!! Sadly thats not happening at the moment..but those Rnb / rap joint with freestyle elementz are being made and perhaps taking the place of freestyle music...This could be Freestyle music..You know some one once said on a forum that they beleive freestyle will come back but it wont be the freestyle we once new..but it will be freestyle........I think this may be it. I'll keep crossing my fingers. You keep making them dope ass mixes..

I know it's not racial - I was just responding to an earlier comment I had seen within this topic, further up this page about the fact that I spelled Ciara's song "get up" as "git up" because she's a black chick, when that wasn't the reason, and somehow I ended up combining that with other political issues while responding. It's just that these days, everybody is so quick to pull the race card on every issue, it's all over news and talk radio - almost EVERYWHERE now, but I never thought that because I mistakenly spell "get" wrong, that anyone would say it was because someone was either black or white.

As far as stereotyping, racial profiling and all that, it doesn't bother me because my saying to everyone is this:
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE STEREOTYPE, THEN STOP DOING THE THING THAT CREATES THE STEREOTYPE" but most people don't want to hear that or take responsibility for their own actions, and sadly, this takes place mostly in the black community. This ghetto/thugstyle act and music brings the stereotype, but people want to continue to do these things, but as soon as someone comments about it, Bam! they're racist! But since I am also a Black American, people can't criticize me or say I'm racist when I mention certain things, so they take a different route and say I act white, or republican, because I was brought up with morals and respect, and chose not to feed the stereotype among most people of my racial background. I'm not one to always pull the race card and say everybody's out to get me or doing something because I'm black or.......... non white. But it seems like a majority of the people in this country are, and many are still holding a grudge and taking things out on people today, who had nothing to do with what happened in the past. It's almost on a daily basis now, ever since the Michael Richard's laugh factory incident, that the double standard has increased and people want to turn everything black and white, but I don't care for that. I don't care for people hating on others or teaching their kids that people are out to get you if you're black or nonwhite. I don't even know why I'm getting into this here, but I should also say that as much as I'm into freestyle, I'm also into political and life issues as well, and when it comes to this stuff, I just tell it like it is, but most people don't want to hear that, and MySpace wants to delete or re-edit my blogs when I talk about these things because everyone wants to be politically correct and not offend anybody, including terrorists! We want to check old ladies and little kids at the airport, but are afraid to check arabians or people who look muslim because we're so afraid of being blamed of racial profiling................

A stereotype is something that is created when something happens long enough over a period of time, to the point that people are used to and begin to expect certain things or behaviors from......whatever the source of that stereotype may be. In the black community, there IS a history of negativity, violence, and many other things of that nature, then you throw the fact that a MAJORITY of the music from the black community preaches all this stuff, teaching people to hate cops...etc, and the fact that it is mostly African American's who are mostly talking bad about Caucasions, but as soon as it's turned the other way, EVERYBODY'S RACIST! Then most African American's teach their kids to have that same mentallity and pull the race card instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. Of course, this type of behavior will only cause more people to reject others, only forcing Black American's to have a stronger belief that everyone is out to get them, so they will act out in such a way that causes Caucasions to believe the stereotype even more........and so on and so on. I know now eveybody is like this, but until all this stops, nothing will change. People want to continue feeding the stereotype that's been placed in their group, the same stereotype that everyone hates, everyone is feeding...

It's just that i'm so tired of this race thing always being brought up - it's like we're going back to the 60's, some still holding grudges, some still wanting to seperate and segregate, and some wanting to blame everyone else for their problems and keep bringing up and living in the past..... It's almost like everybody wants to live in the past and go back in the day..........

and if this is true, then I have good news, because my OLD SCHOOL FREESTYLE MIX will TAKE YOU BACK!

It's coming soon....

My goodness. I didn't know that was gonna stir up such controversy. It wasn't intended to be malicious, nor was I pulling the "race card." Think of me as your own personal dictionary from now on.

Like I was mentioning before, which none of you know because my library computer decided to abruptly KICK ME OFF,

I didn't mean to get all political and psychological, but I just wanted to make it very clear that I have NO PROBLEM with anyone hating on hip hop, and I don't think it's racial - besides, with the type of songs coming out these days, I can CLEARLY UNDERSTAND why someone would disapprove of hip hop, just like my best friend of 19+ years does!

As a matter of fact, I remember back in an Atlanta high school, I was one black boy, in a mostly black school, and a MAJORTIY of the people looked down on me because I decided to play Lil Suzy, Angelina, Jocelyn Enriquez, LaBouche, No Mercy,.....etc instead of the hip hop that I was "supposed" to also listen to because I was black. I even had someone in my class get so upset and was ready to fight and bring a gun because I played a freeestyle song on the classroom tape recorder! He was LITERALLY so gangsta that just the presence or sound of something that wasn't hip hop being played around him angered him that much. He talked to NOBODY in certain classes because he was too gangsta for that. Then there was this other kid who mentioned that people could get beat up for playing or admitting that they liked some of the stuff I was playing, when someone asked him what was wrong with it. I recently had told someone I was getting tired of hip hop, and he told me "how could I get tired of hip hop? that's your culture". And this guy wasn't even black!

This is just a BREIF SUMMARY of the reality of how things are in the world these days. Many times in hip hop, a lot of them act hard and show the thug style image just for publicity, but much of this is based on truth, and it is true that there are certain people who will actually kill not only for money or women, but just for doing something "out of the ordinary" or stepping up "the wrong way", kind of like when I kept playing this "weird" music (what THEY called strange).

Despite the fact that many looked down on me, there were also a few that loved this "new strange music" that they've never heard before, and they all wondered "what the hell is up with this guy and his music?"

It was kind of funny though because THE ENTIRE TIME I attended that school, and ALL THE OTHER SCHOOLS I'VE ATTENDED, I continuously played freestyle for EVERYBODY, with no shame, AND I NEVER STOPPED, REGARDLESS,

Everyewhere I went, to visit my girlfriend in Cuba, Riding city busses- everywhere I went, I made sure that when I left, people had at the least some idea of what freestyle was.

And I'm still the same today.. No matter what, you can ALWAYS be sure of one thing I WILL ALWAYS MAKE SURE FREESTYLE IS HEARD BY OTHERS IN SOME WAY...

And just incase you're wondering, no, I didn't get into any fights in school, because that just wasn't me. I just didn't care about that crap. There are so many people in the world to today who want to and love to create problems, but I just don't care for all that. I get along with pretty much anyone, and yes there were people who did try to attempt to piss me off, but I just didn't even respond. People use the "N" word, say all sorts of stuff, "your momma this, your momma that..." etc, but I just rise so high above that crap that it puzzles and upsets people that I don't care for it. I don't care what shoes people are wearing. I didn't care to fight over a shirt, who's school was the most gangsta, what city, neighborhood, or state I was from......... All this stuff I see on court tv and Jerry springer - actually I wont even get into that. ...

Back to MUSIC! I've decided that if it has a good beat and it sounds good, then I don't mind playing it. I go to a club and everyone wants to hear hip hop, I'll do it and just not pay any mind to the lyrics, but as much as I used to piss people off playing freestyle in a hip hop club or during a rap battle, it's like I never stop my true passion when it comes to music. I'm pretty clever when it comes to knowing how to conveniently sneak in dance music wherever I go, and like my friend says, "damn! you just take over wherever you go!" Just call it "the takeover" and let the takeover begin! There was this time I dj'ed a rap battle/party, and I did slip in "wonderful" by Natalise, some other stuff by S.F. Spanish Fly, and (I think Malyssa was in there as well......) some other stuff that NOBODY would ever dear play at this type of event. I've even managed to have people start flowing over freestyle beats, because I'd play a dirty south bounce instrumental, then mix into a freestyle instrumental, which was only double the speed of the dirty south instrumental, and the rapper unknowingly just flowed right into it.

So I guess the bottom line is that bass and freestyle is my main passion, and anything that even resembles this in any type of way is exciting to me, so this is why I get so excited about "dance" music making a "comeback", and as I'm typing right now, they've just played "break it off" by Sean Paul and "fergalicious" back to back! just two (or even less) years ago, two songs over 125 bpm being played back to back on 104.7 KissFM here in Az. would've been unheard of! - And I'm being very generous by saying 125 bpm. I could go lower than that..

I'm loving the faster beats!

Well, forget fergalicious and break it off. They just did 3 in a row! Gwen Stephani f/ Akon's REMIX, Sean Paul and Rihanna, and some song by Hello Goodbye. It was almost like a dance station that plays bass and club music for a moment there. Too many songs are starting to come out - it's like everytime I turn around, there's another song using a fast beat, so I'm done talking about this because I really can't keep up anymore. There is another one they keep playing, but no one would mention the name of it, and they haven't added it to its playlist, or if they did, I don't know what it's called! But I want it. So.......until mid spring/summer or an actual freestyle song is created, whichever comes first, I'm going to put the "dance music theory" to rest.

It's nice to actually hear different tempo's in top 40 now.

Although I don't agree that freestyle will come back in the way you want or how it was in "the old days", I do think that everyone's hope will be rewarded, at least in part. Upbeat music always becomes more popular during economic downturns, and the market is preparing to take a huge dive. That said, theories are fantastic, but they're relatively useless until your proof comes in and multiple rants about the soundness of your theory aren't really convincing. It's hard to pay attention to what anybody's saying when they're repeating their lengthy arguments, much less see a valid point, okay?

I share your love of beat-driven music; I love dancehall, reggaeton, and a lot of crunk (which is perfectly acceptable when you realize that Trick Daddy, Mr. Collipark, and Lil Jon [among others] are old Miami bass scenesters). Stuff like that is what lets me listen to mainstream mixshows without feeling like a grumpy old woman. I'm also pretty sure that most of us were clowned for our music, whether it was freestyle, techno, drum 'n bass, or eurodance. I certainly didn't get it easy for carrying a backpack full of 2 Unlimited and Fun Factory tapes throughout high school (although it was easier in the Bay to listen to west coast freestyle without getting sh*t).

For the sake of freestyle's harder-headed folks, I hope that "Spring Love" 07 is a HUGE HIT, although I'm pretty sure that that would only make them yell louder. Pitbull is a popular artist, and I'm sure that would help if the song were promoted. You have to remember something about both Stevie and Pitbull, and the song itself. They're all FLORIDA. That may be what keeps the song out of the national spotlight; it's very Miami-specific.

Also, just a few notes, for what it's worth..

Kevin Lyttle is a soca artist, and Lumidee is hip-hop/reggaeton (I think reggaeton probably appeals more to her hardcore fans and pays her bills, although hip-hop is much easier for her labels to market on a pop level). Neither is reggae.

Sonique continued her trek into eurodance, doing eurotech and trance music. The (breakbeat) mixshow version of "Feels So Good" wasn't the original, although it is in the style of the music Sonique originally spun before her major label work. Her second album was a HUGE disappointment and never saw the light of day outside of Euope. She released a third album in Germany last year, all eurotech style, that flopped as well. Her last single was a funky house one, although the name of it escapes me right now.

I won't claim to speak for any of One Vo1ce (or KAI, Innerlude, etc), but I don't think they ever classified as freestyle. Great artists (and really nice girls, hooray for the 707), but one original track and handful of good remixes doesn't make you a part of the genre. It's your right to disagree, but there are killer remixes of Brian McKnight, Backstreet Boys, and 702 songs....and they aren't freestyle or bass, either.

The Hello Goodbye song is "Here". I think that Hello Goodbye identify as Nu-new wave. I would really like to thank people like Bloc Party, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and The Bravery. They brought killer basslines and synths back into popular rock and I think that they are are just as responsible for the rise in tempos as people like Pitbull, Ciara, or any other hip-hop or r&b artist. Hello Goodbye, Young Love, Shiny Toy Guns and Ima Robot all have excellent dance rock albums out now, if anybody else is interested.

version, please...

fb

That's what I'm sayin'!

I like the version of "here" that's played on Energy 92.7/101.1, formally known as Arizona's Dance Radio. I remember when Dj Lysa D. slightly changed the format and added in Lumidee, Sean Paul, Shakira, and some r&b and pop songs. I called and asked a few questions, and to keep a medium sized story short, her answers were as follows:

"dance music is no longer what it was before, so just because I call it Arizona's Dance Station, that doesn't mean I can't play those other songs you hear on top 40, because hip hop and r&b is the new dance, and Usher, Petey Pablo...etc. this is what is concidered dance today. It's not Arizona's House or Trance, or Underground station, it's a Dance radio station. So if I want to play those songs, I can.... the songs I play are songs people can dance to......"
- Dj Lysa D.

Then she also mentioned:

"I wish I could just play all "dance" music, but our ratings are already low and......"

Basically, she was trying the best she could. After this, another program director came and took over, I had a long talk with him and we got along very well, after I told him about Sharyn Maceren, Malyssa, Science, Underdog Project....etc and he KNEW, I repeat - KNEW! what I was talking about! He actually played those songs, including "turn the lights down low"!

Well, that was back in 2003-2004, NONE of those people work at the station anymore and I'll end this portion of this topic on that note.

It's funny to hear on Power 98.3 WHERE HIP HOP LIVES (which hasn't been on the air for quite a few hours now.....) play their commercials about certain clubs they advertise for. You can hear this little girl... probably some teenager or some girl in her younger 20's, talking about "the dj will play great dance music, it's fun....."etc. I bet there is NO real dance music there. Their definition of dance I bet is music you can dance to.

So, I guess different people have different definitions of dance music, and I agree with one thing Lysa D told me, which is "DANCE" music is not an actual genre. But I don't know why I called it "dance music is making a comeback" - I should have stuck with my ORIGINAL title I came up with a few years ago on clubfreestyle.com, which was "the beats are SPEEDING UP!" but...

Anyway, about the lumidee and kevin lyttle, I should've been more specific. Sean Paul did release "gimmie da light" which opened the soca/dancehall style to top 40 america, but then he released the follow up "get busy", and shortly after, "uh-oh" by Lumidee and "....." whatever that song was by kevin lyttle (I forgot) - they all had the same beat, and I just went along with what the people on the radio called it and said reggae. I used to use the actual terms for different styles of music, but figured out after a while that when I did people thought I was speaking a different language - in other words, they had NO IDEA what I was talking about, and I was wasting batteries having to play c.d.'s for people just to explain the different types of music on my discman. I've finally learned after repetitive talks with dj's that I should use the most BASIC terms possible, so I just called it all reggae. I'm not sure who came up with the beat for the song originally, but one thing i know about soca/reggae/dancehall, is that they love to take one beat and have plenty of different people flow over it with their own style, and still release some of them as individual singles. And, I've noticed that dancehall was speeding up way before all this r&b and pop was, and that's partly why I got more into soca, but I was always into that Carribean style of music, especially Trinidad and Tobago style, which is where my mom is from. I also liked Tanto Metro and devonte, Sasha, Trini, Beenie Man, and many others similar to that style. Not only that, I also like.............. well, I can't name all the music I like because that would take too much time.

I don't claim Pinay, Innerlude, Voice V, and anyone else similar to be freestyle, but they do make pop/soul r&b songs, and make BASS-like remixes to them. They are not exactly bass, but at the same time, they aren't exactly freestyle, they kind of cross over to both (which is EXACTLY the style I like) and I'm thinking...."well, it worked to some degree back when faster beats were dying, so why not do it NOW, that people are actually going in that direction, even with the ORIGINAL versions of their songs?" It may not be exactly freestyle, but as i mentioned, the faster beats are better than nothing. I actually started listening to our local top 40 station AND hip hop station again, based MOSTLY on the return of faster beats alone!


Freestyle indeed may never come back the actual way I like it, and I kind of discussed that breifly in another forum, as 2007 approached and I realized that the Dj Juanito and Bay Area sound was now reaching 10 years ago. I can't believe those days of music seem so distant and far away.......


They are currently playing "spring love" (remix featuring Pitbull) again by Stevie b. on our Club95 Latino Vibe.

http://www.club95latinovibe.com

1. You're verging on talking to yourself. Shorten it up.

2. Welcome to the joys of dj'ing and sharing your music with the world.

3. Most of us at FR are pretty (dance) music literate. Big knowledge base here. Therefore, no need to explain or use simple terms.

Exactly. We realize how excited you are, and trust me, as fellow lovers of dance, so are we. But, you do not have to explain everything to us piece by piece. Chances are we've already heard what you're hearing, and we understand the important role certain crossover artists have in the revival of dance music.

As Vixen explain, most of us are very knowledgable in the music department. Other's will never understand.

You did make a good point. The only way to revive dance is to share it with everyone you can. Some people will hate it, but some people will be like 'Hey, that sounds good. What's that?'

In a way, and I've said this before, I don't really want freestyle to make a comeback because when shit hits mainstream, it becomes played out. I can't even listen to the radio anymore without thinking 'Are they playing that, again?' Plus, I love our little underground community. There's a lot of drama, but most of us are pretty tight with each other.