I found really knowing your music helps a million fold. Sometimes some tracks have 4 or 2 beats and doesn't give you much time to mix in. But thats where your eq skills and rhythem comes in. Sometimes its a quick 4 beat drum or snare drop. Having it drop in on the last 2 or 4 beats of the chorus on the song you're mixing out of is the key. Its hard to find hiphop dj's doing this and it really takes a lot of knowledge of the music you're playing. As for long intros like C.R.E.A.M for example with Raekwon going on about cash and how its their time yadda yadda yadda... find a word and scratch it up. I usually find a word close to the beat drop or even the snare prior to the start of the beat drop. But as everyone else pointed out... practice makes perfect.
if your track has a chorus somewhere in there you can try mixing in with that.
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Just start listening to other hip hop DJs mixes both good and bad ones to get a feel. Its the best way to learn hearing what others are doing and the practicing from there...
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also record your mixes and listen to them... ive been doing it lately and its helping me out a lot...
look for a instrumental of that song. or find the beat break and come in there.
yeah intro's have been around for a hot minute. most vinyl singles had extended plays....
But there's a lot of good info in here to start with.
#1 - Learn to edit.
I use FL Studio and it works fine. I was able to go back and edit all of the Cash Money, Three Six Mafia, and No Limit bangers that are not available on record pools. Some of my edits have scratch intro's that go straight into a downbeat with words.
Some of my edits have a 32 beat intro that I was able to either a.) use the instrumental for the same track or b.) find a loop at the end of the track.
You don't really have to edit if there is a loop at the end of the track, you can simply use hot cues. Editing is funner because you can then add your own hype or whatever you want.
#2 Cutting/Redruming - Skilled DJ's redrum and cut it at will. It can mess with the dancefloor if overdone.
#3 Effects
#4 Creativity - Track B may have a great acapella intro already on it's own. Find ways to use these natural edits. These tracks are like finding gold to me. Example is that new Ke$sha track called "Sleazy." I play a quick hitter of Beamer Benz or Bently and have a loop set for the end of the track. Once I get to that outro, I scratch in or drop Sleazy over the Beamer beat. Check it out.
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