Why the "DJ" prefix?

T

TJ Cornish

Graduate
Jan 13, 2011
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St. Paul, MN
No one has ever accused me of being cool, so if the reason for this is completely obvious, feel free to expose me for the unhip troglodyte that I am by explaining why every DJ's name seems to need to include "DJ".

This redundantly obvious prefix doesn't seem to have taken root in too many other areas - I don't go to hear the band "Band Bon Jovi", or go watch the golfer "Golfer Tiger Woods".

Is what a "DJ" does so unrecognizable that it needs labeling?
 
Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

TJ wondering about DJ.

The best I can surmise is that - just like suburban kids who are fascinated by the hip-hop image and attitude, so that nowadays wearing a baseball cap backwards, or getting a tattoo is the norm for many - using the word DJ with one's moniker will automatically imbue the user with all the perceived DJistic hipness available. Or, "how can you be a real party party DJ, if you don't declare yourself a DJ?"
 
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Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

This is teetering dangerously close to plagiarizing Seinfeld's "Does Bozo The Clown really need (The Clown) in his title?" bit.

On the local level, putting "DJ" in front of their names may be even more important, as it may be the only way to tell them apart from every other regular "dude w/ laptop" that may be about the area. Or perhaps they believe if they put "DJ" in front of their name, they won't get in trouble for all of that pirated music they are using to generate their income.

In my experience, if you are the one that actually STOLE the music and "sampled" it, then you get to call yourself a "Producer" as well. If you have a stolen copy of Ableton, Logic or Reason on your laptop you also qualify as an "Engineer" . . . a title which is also reserved for whomever can successfully pass the Guitar Center credit check and make the obligatory purchases of the KRK Rocket Monitors, BLUE microphone, Monster Cables and largest mixing console you can afford (historically, that big ass blue Behringer one with the VU meter bridge) to sit behind while inputting only 1 mic to the computer at a time.

Sorry for the topic swerve.
 
Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

TJ Cornish said:
No one has ever accused me of being cool, so if the reason for this is completely obvious, feel free to expose me for the unhip troglodyte that I am by explaining why every DJ's name seems to need to include "DJ".

This redundantly obvious prefix doesn't seem to have taken root in too many other areas - I don't go to hear the band "Band Bon Jovi", or go watch the golfer "Golfer Tiger Woods".

Is what a "DJ" does so unrecognizable that it needs labeling?
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I would suggest it was to differentiate them from other forms of entertainment (including MC's), but became internalized and carried forward in their identity. This is especially true in hip-hop, where the DJ was a pillar in hip-hop culture. To self-identify as a DJ was to give yourself purpose and stature within that community.

In other scenes, I would argue that the term DJ was and is less widely used. Early House/Disco (Larry Levans, Frankie Knuckles, etc) would not go by 'DJ' so-and-so. EDM continues this tradition because the best 'DJ's' usually do production or remixing. A few professional DJ's I work with here have different names for their production work but use their DJ name for their popular remix work. These guys do this full time and earn a living at it, but their goals as producers and DJ's are often different (hence different names).

On a practical level, the DJ's I know who prefer not to have 'DJ' placed before their name often still do in press and elsewhere, so at a certain point it's just customary - for better or worse.
 
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Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

I think this is the best opportunity for me to announce my DJ name.
And wonder if I can get a moderator approval to use it here.

I am taking this opportunity to announce myself as DJ Ack.

Jack (wondering if this will blow up in my face as bad as my proposed/supposed name change to Assistance Audio and Associates) Arnott
 
Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

Steve Milner said:
This is teetering dangerously close to plagiarizing Seinfeld's "Does Bozo The Clown really need (The Clown) in his title?" bit.

On the local level, putting "DJ" in front of their names may be even more important, as it may be the only way to tell them apart from every other regular "dude w/ laptop" that may be about the area. Or perhaps they believe if they put "DJ" in front of their name, they won't get in trouble for all of that pirated music they are using to generate their income.

In my experience, if you are the one that actually STOLE the music and "sampled" it, then you get to call yourself a "Producer" as well. If you have a stolen copy of Ableton, Logic or Reason on your laptop you also qualify as an "Engineer" . . . a title which is also reserved for whomever can successfully pass the Guitar Center credit check and make the obligatory purchases of the KRK Rocket Monitors, BLUE microphone, Monster Cables and largest mixing console you can afford (historically, that big ass blue Behringer one with the VU meter bridge) to sit behind while inputting only 1 mic to the computer at a time.

Sorry for the topic swerve.
Click to expand...

There are probably more wannabe DJ's than soundmen or bands because the entry cost is so low. Believe me, professional DJ's feel the pain from the bottom feeders too. The cost of records used to keep things sane, but now DJ's have to have other ways of standing out. On one level I understand what you mean about sampling, but the entire hip-hop movement was really based on grassroots sampling. Were Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa pioneers or thieves?

On an unrelated note, there is an excellent BBC documentary on British Reggae, which discusses some of the cultural importance of DJ's and sound systems to the modern music scene (It's long, so maybe save it for a night off!).

It's called " Reggae Britannia ", and both legal and less-than-legal sources for it can be found with google.
 
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Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

Marlow;
I prefaced my post with "on a local level" and that is exactly the group on which I was commenting. I did not direct, nor did I intend to direct any of my comments at professional DJ's who work hard to earn their living.... I was really just having a laugh anyway. I'm not interested at all in debating who considers what to be pioneering and what to be thievery... but I also don't know of any rules that allow theft, if said theft is conducted during the act of being a pioneer at something else.

Edit: It's amusing that the video you posted is linked from youtube, and is a BBC production, a group who has been notoriously strict about licensing and rebroadcasting their material without proper authorization and compensation. Somehow, I doubt that Youtube user "XOICES" has the proper licensing to present that production to the 55,852 people who have now viewed it free of charge. I also doubt that this user is a "pioneer" at anything at all.
 
Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

Steve Milner said:
Marlow;
I prefaced my post with "on a local level" and that is exactly the group on which I was commenting. I did not direct, nor did I intend to direct any of my comments at professional DJ's who work hard to earn their living.... I was really just having a laugh anyway. I'm not interested at all in debating who considers what to be pioneering and what to be thievery... but I also don't know of any rules that allow theft, if said theft is conducted during the act of being a pioneer at something else.

Edit: It's amusing that the video you posted is linked from youtube, and is a BBC production, a group who has been notoriously strict about licensing and rebroadcasting their material without proper authorization and compensation. Somehow, I doubt that Youtube user "XOICES" has the proper licensing to present that production to the 55,852 people who have now viewed it free of charge. I also doubt that this user is a "pioneer" at anything at all.
Click to expand...

Steve, I wasn't trying to dispute anything. Mostly discuss. I've eliminated the embedded link to save this fine site any problems.

I think the majority of DJ's are terrible, but there are some really talented people on both the local and touring scenes. Often the difference between the good local DJ's and touring guys was happenstance. Just like bands, some good ones stay unknown while some bad ones get famous. I can go on about this forever, but it's also worth noting that DJ's are often stuck playing popular music they themselves do not enjoy. One working club DJ I know is also active on the indie/internet radio Funk/Boogie/Early Disco scene. He hates top 40 for the most part but knows what keeps him working. Community radio doesn't pay the bills :lol:

Anyways, in the context of this thread ( the persistence of the prefix 'DJ' ) I think the answer is in the history that is carried forward by popular culture.

In terms of the theft/pioneer thing, the music business is full of questionable practices in terms of borrowing bits from other artists. Many go on to be famous too (Girltalk??) I'm not condoning it, but I think kids are going to play with music either way - and if they're making mashups in GarageBand instead of trying to be guitar hero, then that's fine by me.

I guess maybe I'm lucky to not have to work with the worst DJ's out in the wild, so there may be a trend I'm missing.
 
Re: Why the "DJ" prefix?

No no no, your all wrong... its "DEEJAY _______". Deejay's are superior to the the meager DJ which in contrast are usually better than the guy with the laptop.

Disclaimer- As most of you know I own an entertainment company aka "DJ company" and reserve the right to make fun of them without being considered a "hater" lol.
 
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