DJ Sir Thurl Leaves Mixshow

I am DJ Sir Thurl, Mixer for KATZ-FM 100.3 The Beat in ....St. Louis...., and I am announcing that I am leaving mixshow.

A Little History On Myself

I am also known as “The Official Party Starter” and have been in mixshow for 10 years on 100.3 The Beat in ....St. Louis..... I have mixed in all day parts, including a weekend mixshow. My most recent mixshow was the Thunderstorm Mix at 10pm, Mon-Thurs on the station.

Over the years, I have been nationally nominated and have accepted several awards for my mixshow talents. Also with my nation wide family, The Core DJs, I have appeared on BET’s historic show ....Rap.. ..City.....

They call me, The Official Party Starter because; I’ve been rockin clubs way before I entered radio. I used to open up for my mentor, St. Louis Native DJ Kut, who is now on Power 105 in ....New York..... I am known for rocking many clubs in the STL like Spruill’s, The Monostary, The Living Room, Plush, The Ambassador, Club Isis, Club Society, St. Louis Happy Hour, Sleek and All The Eye Candy Parties thrown by promotion team MPAC.

Why I Left Mixshow

The reason for this blog is to tell you why I left mixshow. First and fore most, let’s not get it confused. I am still with 100.3 The Beat. You will still hear me all the time because I have made a horizontal move to start producing commercials. One of my many hidden talents, but I will also do Mixshow weekends and fill in for the Other DJs on the Station (Thanks to Taylor J).

This blog will be read by a lot of people, most in which are not in radio or involved in the music business at all. So for my experts out there excuse me while I take a sec to breakdown, what mixshow actually is?

Mixshow was created to bring the liveliness and energy from the clubs into radio. And it worked big time. And since the club was the perfect place to break and hear new music, of course that crossed over to radio as well. Mixshow was a live and exciting 30 min to an hour, to even a couple of hour’s event on radio. You never knew what you were going to hear, old school record mixed with something new, this acapella, thrown over this inst. Shit was off the hook. Now don’t get me wrong, it still is….

But somewhere along the line, shit got real weird. The whole world started rapping, and the whole world wanted to go into the basement and record songs. WOW!

Well guess what! Everybody wasn’t good, but you’ve always had your good records and your bad records. But now, these independent labels start coming with these hot ass ..Street.. & Club records and was winning. Then came the big over abundance of dance records. To each is own. Shouldn’t affect the music industry right?

It shouldn’t, But These Corporate Record Execs got Greedy!!! Because they wanted to make all the money, these indie labels start embarrassing them. And turned the whole industry into “The Spin” Game. NOW STOP RIGHT THERE!!!! Book mark, cause we coming back to this point in a minute.

Now when I entered Mixshow years ago, I didn’t know much about Record Labels and how they worked. All I knew is I enjoyed seeing people kick it, and having the control to make them feel like that, That was always the shit to me.

But When I got into mixshow, these record reps start calling me. And back then, they were real promoters of records. Now reps before you get upset with me, hear me out, cause if you a real record rep from back in the day, you gone agree with me all the way.

Back then, every record rep would call you, and they worked for the record label to promote a record in a certain part of the country. In the realm of all that, the record label had more than one kind of record rep, some handled the streets, some handled radio, some handled retail and concerts etc. Well Back then record reps had to be dope. They had to know the artist they were promoting, know the market they were promoting to, and also know the DJs and street promoters they were dealing with. It was an art form then if you ask me.

Because they knew, that every record, or every artist could not be broke the same way in every market.

So they would hit you up and ask you to put your ears to a record, and they would ask your opinion, and the DJs opinion really mattered back then. This was all to figure out how to break the record in that market.

Now Lets Fast Forward in time a lil bit, and goes back to the greedy Corporate Record Execs Playing the spin game. Now what started to happen when these independents start coming up, and winning with this street / music. The label execs had to figure out a way to get the upper hand, so they start going to the streets in all these cities and start signing anybody. LOL Regardless of talent. And forcing these record reps to promote these guys all the same way. “The Assembly Line”

Then they needed a way to track how these artist were doing, and for those who don’t know there are two major companies that track when radio stations play records, They track every time a record gets played, that’s also known as a “spin”

But from as long as I remember labels have been using these companies to track records. But once these labels figured out that they were going broke trying to sign anything, they got greedier and start cutting budgets on artists, laying off talented Record reps and the assembly line factor got worse.

A&Rs

Then these GREEDY Corporate Record EXECS got even Greedier! Before the Last real A&Rs all got fired or either quit. If they brought a talented artist to the table for suggestion. The execs would say “Well, what are they spins looking like?” HUH? What the hell? What happened to signing an artist because they were talented, and you believed in them, and you could develop them. Right?

Well That took all the power from The “Real” A&Rs and the “Real” Record Reps, cause guess what, the labels start telling these artist to get themselves poppin in they marked and get spins all by themselves before they sign them to a record deal. WOW!!

Then all of a sudden, Radio got bumrushed! The Same DJ that the industry got rid of back in the day from groups like DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Eric B & Rakim, Cash Money & Marvelous Marv, just to name a few, is the same industry that now needed the DJ. Why? Because the DJ became the expert cause, artist didn’t know what the hell spins were and how to go about getting them, and labels sure didn’t know who was hot in theses cites.

The DJs became important but also became the most abused entity out of the whole industry. Because, once the artist got signed, who made the money, the artist and the label, and maybe the DJ got a guest appearance in a damn video somewhere. A lot of promoters got cheap, on the DJ, most radio stations; don’t pay a DJ shit for real. So the expert DJ is left out in the cold.

So you know most DJs are hustlers by nature, so we gone find a way to get it. DJs became the promoters, DJs became the artist and start dropping mixtapes, DJs became the Club Owners, DJs moved up in radio to make money. But then in the growth of all that a lot of DJs loose they integrity. Shit most DJs got they own artist now, I mean really signed to them. It’s a damn favoritism game going on now.

They forgot what they got into the game for; they just start acting like the people that were in position right before them.

The record reps have to push all the artists that are signed to the label the same way, they cut out all the street teams, they just email you the records and ask for spins. Some DJs get caught up doing favors for record reps instead of playing what they think is hot.

So the record reps with the most relationships with DJs do the best at they jobs, but where is the art in just asking for spins? I guess the art is out the window, its all about the money now.

Then at the radio station, DJs have bosses who have bosses who have bosses who have long term friendships with the NOW Corporate Record Execs that need favors too. Then Mixshow DJs get Mixshow lists!!! But this was so the radio station can control how much new music is played. It got out of hand because some DJs get caught up in the favor “Spin Game” instead of throwing it back, playing what’s hot.

Now Mix Show DJs, how many times have you played a record and you knew that shit was wack. LOL it was that favor. It’s the spin game.

Now Don’t get me wrong, mixshow is still great, it’s still needed. In my opinion, I just don’t think that it’s the way to break every record in the world. I still believe records and artist can still be broke outside of Mixshow.

I want to go back to that. I’ve broke more records at Club Plush and Club Society than I have broke at mixshow. And DJs I’m not talking about playing it first. That doesn’t constitute as breaking a record anymore. When you are the first person to get everybody in your spot rockin to that joint, U get the credit for breaking it.

DJs kill me talking about, they broke this record or broke that record, get the fuck outta here, excuse my French, but you aint broke shit.

A mixtape DJ coulda broke it, A artist themselves coulda broke it. I always preach to artist about how the radio should be an added bonus, it shouldn’t be your goal, for trying to get noticed or get on.

In ....St. Louis...., we got some of the best mixshows in the country. Best mixers in the country, we blend all day, no slamming. But we are lacking in areas outside the radio, cause everyone wants to be “on the radio”, now don’t get me wrong we still got hustling ass DJs out there that doing it. But I want to take that side to another level. I’m ready to start practicing what I preach. And let some of these younger DJs in to get down in the Mixshow game.

 If I change the game a little GREAT!, If I get a couple artist on. GREAT! If I don’t, COOL, it doesn’t matter, I’m not here to prove shit to nobody but me. When I’m done with this DJ shit, people will say that DJ Sir Thurl was one of the best who did it, they will say DJ Sir Thurl did rock parties, he set trends, he broke records, he did what the fuck he wanted to do.

I am ready to take a new lead. With my company Allstar DJ Service, we plan to take mobile DJing to a new height. If you need a DJ hit us up 314.551.9872 or wegotthejams.com.

Stay updated with my progress www. sir Thurl.com. Thanks to my man J-Will / Allstar Solutions doing it big! www.allstarstl.biz.

I’m picking up several clubs in ..St. Louis.. and ....East St. Louis...., stay on the lookout for that. I’m hittin the road doing some thangs, also doing some mixes for some music networks worldwide. And will also be dropping some mixtapes as well. On my website, I got Thurl Radio, you can listen to mixes all day while you are at work or on ya phone. All kind of mixes. More to come too.

I plan on continuing my work in the streets, dealing with the dopest street team in ..St. Louis.., I will never deal with nobody else cause these guys got ....St. Louis.... on Lock. Authentic Marketing and Promotions also know as AMP St. Louis. Hit them up at AMPstLouis.com

I will be doing more work with my mentor DJ Kut, The Core DJs and these cats doing some thangs in the STL. Them Derrty DJs. Be on the look out for all that.

Now don’t get it twisted, Like I said earlier, I’m still in radio, KATZ-FM 100.3 the beat. I just made a move over to production, Yep producing commercials. I’m one of the dopest too, go to the website for that as well. Sir thurl.com

Thanks for checkin this shit out instead of just assuming that I got fired. Boy I tell you the truth people always think you got fired from something. LOL….

It’s the Official Party Starter DJ Sir Thurl

Sir Thurl.com (s I r T h U r L)

Facebook/djsirthurl

Twitter/djsirthurl

Myspace, tagged, linked in

You name it, I’m on it.., Carl from Video Vault TV thanks for the Look!

You Can Watch This On Youtube as well

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtfRTpWD0AU 

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WoavOGnhE0 

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul-KBc-vU5w

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al4J8qcgOC8

If you are a DJ. Dont get alot of parties, but you know you are good. You are not hollywood, you dont want to be a star, you just wanna spin that hottness. Post a comment, so I can get at you.

THIS IS NOT FOR A DJ CREW OR KOALISION!

Lets get this money!!!

DJs be hatin?

Wow, this is major. Now thats all I hear, that DJs be hatin, gimmie a break. Some artist think they are that important that DJs have meetings to hate on them. Wow. I am outdone.

More education for the Indie artist. (Artist without a deal)

LET'S START IN THE CLUB

Let me see, where should I start. Okay, people become DJs because they love music or they want to rock parties or they just want to become a star and fuck groupies. You can tell those DJs that are serious about what they do. With that being said, DJs do not own radio stations, some DJs own clubs but most of them dont.

DJs who spin at clubs are hired talent, because they can rock the party. The club owner only cares about 2 things. People Drinking (spending money) and having a good time (dancing) so they come back.

Believe it or not, the DJ is responsible for all of this. It is the DJs job to make people party and have a good time. It is also the DJs responsibility to get people to the bar, so the bartender can handle their business.

..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />

Most of the people in the club are just normal people coming out to have a good time. They are not industry people coming out to look for the next big star.

Keeping all of that in mind, The artist will come in at about 1am, when most people are buzzed and the club is at its peak. The artist will then want the DJ to play the song that night for them, so they can see the response.

If the song is played this late and the dance floor is full, 99% of the time, if the DJ plays something too unfamiliar, the dance floor will clear out. If the dance floor clears, the club owner will come see the DJ, asking, "What the hell are you playing?" If the DJ cannot keep people on the floor dancing and having a good time, the club owner will find another DJ who can.

Therefore the DJ will lose his/her job (weekly money) and the artist will go on about their merry way.

The alternative to this is for the DJ to learn how to break music. The DJ that knows how to break music and get it poppin knows when and how to play new music. The DJ is the expert in this category, so if the DJ tells the Artist, they cant get to that song tonight or they played it earlier, LISTEN TO THEM. Remember DJs are the experts on this topic; DJs don't go into the studio telling artist how to say rhymes or sing.

THIS IS NOT HATING!!! This is called doing our JOB as a DJ. DJs did not start spinning record to support any Artist Career. The DJ will be here when the Artist Career starts and finishes.

AND NOW FOR THE RADIO

Radio stations are in business to make money. They make money from advertising dollars. The only way they get advertising dollars is by having good ratings. Ratings come from normal people who listen to the radio. NOT industry people looking for the next big star.

Research has shown that normal people listen to the radio the most in their vehicle or while traveling. This means they listen about 15 to 30 minutes at a time. When normal people do listen to the radio, they want to hear their jam. That is why you hear songs over and over again. Do I agree with this, HELL NO. But like I said earlier, DJs do not own radio stations.

Mixshows are developed for the listener to hear more music in a shorter period of time. If the normal person hears an unfamiliar song, it is likely that they will change the station. If too much unfamiliar music is played, the listener will not tune into the station at all. Meaning no ratings, meaning no money. If this happens, the Corporate People, who own and run the station, will come in and fire everybody, and bring in a new staff, (We've all seen this happen before).

The DJs put their neck on the line to break new music in the club and on the radio. They go above and beyond to find and play the hottest shit out. (keep this in mind, because I will revisit it in a minute). They try to push artist that they think is dope. And every DJ has a different taste in music, so of course some DJs will think some artist are hotter than others. THIS AGAIN IS NOT HATE!

When the Artist gets signed and start blowing up, doing tours, making videos, selling records, making money. The DJ is left at home in the same position. What is wrong with this picture? How many RICH RAPPERS DO YOU SEE ON CRIBS. Now HOW many RICH DJs DO YOU SEE PERIOD? WOW.

DJs put their job on the line at the club and on the radio for Artist, breaking new music. BUT DJs be Hatin? HUH.

MORE EDUCATION

I told you that I would revisit a line I said earlier about the hottest shit. Who determines what the hottest shit is? Who comes to the clubs? Who listens to the radio? REGULAR PEOPLE. Who buys music?

NOT industry people looking for the next big star.

Artist, Next time you walk in club, look how many people that you just walked past (potential customers) to get to the DJ for them to play your unfamiliar song.

Figure out ways to touch the people, to develop a fan base. If the Artist is that hot, the people will bug the DJ to hear the song. The DJ will then have no problem playing the song, because it will be familiar. Example: DA Shop Boyz "Party Like A Rockstar". The song was big before they were signed. The people demanded that the DJs play the song.

Another EXAMPLE: Soulja Boy, Look at his myspace page, ask any teenager if they have heard of him. He has a fan base without ever being played on the radio!!!

DJs BE HATIN!

Next time you hear someone say those words, ask them what are they doing to further their career. LAZY Artist? You Tell Me.

Scape.

Graphic Artists Needed

Internship / Career Starter / Build your portfolio

Small pay for some jobs

The company seeking interns isn only interested in graphic artists to grow with the company.

Little experience necessary / on the job growth

For more information of to apply

email or mail examples of your past work or links to Cher at: kbell@allstarstl.biz

If mailing, email Cher to request address.

Please no phone calls.

Only team players with great attitudes must apply.

As the year comes to a close I wanted to drop a few gems on ya...yeah not only am I the dude w/ the ears that can pick a hit in less than 10 seconds...I know a few things about this business. 2007 is coming, and some of y'all are in trouble... betta get the kid on ya team...

Anyway, take these...there FREE this time...and get ya business model tuned up:

1. Managers & Agents of NEW artist w/ ONE hit single...$15,000 for a 10-15 min show, yeah sounds good if you on that get rich quick...nice little bragging piece huh? But in the long run...you killing them. And you wonder why they're albums drop and flop...outside of that one song that everybody sees on the video channels and gets beat up on the radio the fans don't really have a personal connection w/ them. If you wanna talk about longevity you betta ask the Roots...now they may not drop and go platinum...but that road money...that real money...THEY EARN IT and they're smart enough not to try to get it ALL AT ONCE that's why they still GET IT after all these years. If your artist ain't got an HOUR worth of live heat SHUT UP w/ that 12,500-15,000 sh#t. That's why the promoters DON'T RETURN YOUR CALLS.

2. Artist...T-Shirt & Hoodies is not a clothing line they're promo items & tour merchandise...oh wait you don't know what TOUR MERCHANDISE is because your manager is trying to book you for 20,000 a show to walk back and forth saying "Uh huh, yeah!" holding ya nuts w/ 25 of your goons crowding the stage...and that's a good segway to number...

3. Live shows...

A. Okay we've thrown enough $

money from the stage to get

crowd exited...come up w/

something new.

B. You road manager & an IPOD...

stop playing...stop being cheap...

hire a Tour DJ...you never

know we'll probably "Make

your show tighter."

C. Just cause you bring 30 people

on the road w/ you doesn't

mean that they all need to

bring they're asses on stage

w/ you...ask DMX; one man, a

mic, & a DJ. If you can't keep

the crowd interest w/ that...

reevaluate your career choice.

(BTW, I'll let you slide w/ a

hype man to do your adlibs...

but dammit turn his mic down!

He's shouting your verse

louder than YOU.

3. My album, then my crews, and then their solo albums/I started a new label...STOP IT...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. If your mans an 'nem ain't NICE, NICE, NICE, on the mic stop trying to FORCE their damn albums on us...IT DOESN'T WORK. It just SO cliche'...everybody can't be Wu-Tang & G-Unit...besides somebody always ends up being U-God & Masta Killa...don't do that to your friends.

4. My LABEL dropped the ball on my project...WHAT?!!???!!? Hello, reality check...just 'cause you signed a deal doesn't mean that it gets easier...THAT'S when the real work starts...stop taking your advances and buying "rapper starter kits" and use that money to continue to advance your street movement...continue to PROMOTE and ADVANCE your OWN career like you never got signed, MAKE yourself a priority at the label. When people see you HUSTLIN' it makes 'em wanna HUSTLE with you instead of FOR YOU.

5. A&Rs...news flash...stop watching soundscan & BDS to find new talent...what used to be guaranteed sales...AREN'T. Get out in the streets and find what's hot...going to to the club w/ the intent of chasing chicks is not scouting TALENT. Finding out that your "next big thing" has a TERRIBLE live show as they bomb on 106 & Park is not a good look...shouldn't you have known that already? Signed 'em off one song huh...NO NOBODY BELIEVES 'EM huh...you got a problem now huh?

6. Record Promoters...sigh...Serato made your life easier huh...ya think all you gotta do is send out an e-mail blast...haha. STOP IT...back away from the keyboard & monitor look at that thing on your desk with the numbers and a little handset that you can hold to your ear and talk into...USE IT IT'S CALLED A PHONE. Yes, you still need to TALK to the people you want to play those records. Oh yeah side note...if your sitting at YOUR DESK doing all of your communications from your Blackberry/Sidekick...STOP IT...get yo ass up and get in the streets and work your records...that's what a handheld is for to communicate when your ASS is ON THE MOVE!!! (I'm shooting this out from as speeding SUV as we speak)

7. DJs...stop lying...if the RECORD sucks...TELL THEM...I can't get any clearer than that. Don't lie and say your gonna play what you know your NOT. If they can't respect that YOU play records for REAL PEOPLE all of the time and they'll let you know real quick what they do and don't like...eff 'em. But at the same time...try to give the music a chance...the record might not fit your personal taste but SEE IF THE PEOPLE like it...but like I said...IF IT SUCKS...TELL THEM. So what if they stop servicing you...that's what Digiwaxx, The Industry Soundbank, and New Music Server are for...we all have CDJ & Serato by now (Send me my damn vinyl though...stop playin'...budget cuts my ass...fire a couple clueless executives that should free up ya budget. Oh yeah, what you want me to do with that ONE piece of vinyl...besides get pissed off?!?!)

8. And for my final tidbit of the day...SENIOR EXECUTIVES...if those clowns were on the same team that got your ass FIRED from your last POST...why do you keep dragging their asses to every NEW opportunity you get...the business needs a new business model and NEW IDEAS...you're not gonna get that dragging the same OLD dogs from one imprint to another.

OKAY, that's it..that's all you're getting outta me today...any more and I'll have to invoice your ass.

I wish you all a prosperous and sucessful New Year. Thanks to everyone that has supported the kid this year...it a new day y'all...let's go!

RIP Carlos "Carl Blaze" Rivera

RIP James "The Godfather of Soul" Brown

I.M.P.A.C.T.

DJ Impact || The Main Event

djimpact@deejayimpact.com

www.deejayimpact.com

www.coredjs.com

Core DJ Radio on

Sirius Satellite Radio

Hot Jamz Channel 50 (SIHJ)

Saturday Nights @ Midnight (EST)

www.sirius.com/hotjamz

Pick one of your hottest songs. Put it on a CD, get it professionally done up with the print and packaging. And then put it in as many DJ hands as you can.

On the cd, put a clean, dirty and instrumental version. Ask for feedback and plan to push the song for 3 months to get results.

When you perform, make sure you always perform the song you pushing. If you do this and the song is hot, I guarentee you will get results.

The top mistakes artist make are...
They push too many songs

They perform too many songs

They dont give the song long enuff to pop

They take critisism personally and call it hate

They blame the DJs instead of the people not liking it, or themselves for making a wack song

They dont get out and network with the industry

They only try to be better than the last local act instead of trying to be better than every national act.