I seldom DJ public events, but I’m always open to it, so when two great businesses in Taylor, Texas, Black Sparrow Music Hall and Ripple & Rose Cafe, contacted me and asked me if I’d DJ a night for them, of course I said yes. They chose ’90s Hip Hop House Party as the theme, and from there, it was up to me.
Of course I had to play exclusively records at a ’90s house party. That’s how it was done back then, so I filled a couple crates with vinyl 12″ singles, packed up my turntables, and drove to Taylor last night. So yes, every song below was spun from its original vinyl pressing!
You may notice that the first two songs are not hip hop songs. I started playing a few minutes early to warm up, and the only patrons at that point were an older couple who asked if I could play a couple country songs for them, so I obliged them. As Brooks & Dunn were winding down, the doorman started letting folks in, so I switched into hip hop mode and never looked back.
We drew a great crowd. The dance floor was pretty much at capacity the entire night, and everyone sang and shouted along with the songs. At the end of the night, one patron, who introduced herself as Marissa, presented me with what she described as a drawing of my set. She said she’d sat and sketched the night as it happened. It was very kind of her to do that, and she gave me permission to share a picture of the drawing, which I’ve done below the set list.
And, on that topic, here are the records that I played, in the order in which I played them, last night at the music hall.
Man! I Feel Like a Woman! – Shania Twain
My Maria – Brooks & Dunn
Groove is in the Heart – Deee-Lite
Now That We’ve Found Love – Heavy D & the Boyz
The Magic Number – De La Soul
Don’t Stop the Rock – Freestyle
Supercuts (Yeah Boy) – Rodney O Joe Cooley
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
Shoop – Salt N’ Pepa
Can I Kick It? – A Tribe Called Quest
Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz [feat. T.J. Swan] – Biz Markie
Hand On the Pump – Cypress Hill
Call Me D-Nice – D-Nice
Let’s Do It In the Dancehall – Jamalski
Needle to the Groove – Mantronix
King of Rock – Run-D.M.C.
The Overweight Lover’s In the House – Heavy D & the Boyz
Hip Hop Hooray – Naughty By Nature
Ditty – Paperboy
Indo Smoke – Mista Grimm
Goin’ Back to Cali – Notorious B.I.G.
You Gots to Chill – EPMD
Hip Hop Junkies – Nice ‘N Smooth
Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze
Puerto Rico – Frankie Cutlass
Shamrocks & Shenanigans – House of Pain
This Is For the Homies – Rodney O Joe Cooley
Too Close – Next
I Wanna Sex You Up – Color Me Badd
Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys
Jump – Kriss Kross
Mama Said Knock You Out – L.L. Cool J
Children’s Story – Slick Rick
This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
Jack of Spades – Boogie Down Productions
I Ain’t No Joke – Eric B. & Rakim
Rollin’ With Kid ‘N Play – Kid ‘N Play
Walk This Way – Run-D.M.C.
Intergalactic – Beastie Boys
Jump Around – House of Pain
New Jack Swing – Wrecks ‘N Effect
The Power – Chill Rob G.
Miami Bass – Stetsasonic
Jingling Baby [Remixed and Still Jingling] – L.L. Cool J
It Takes Two – Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock
Poison – Bell Biv DeVoe
Gonna Make You Sweat – C & C Music Factory
You Got It (The Right Stuff) – New Kids on the Block
1, 2, 3, 4 – Coolio
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang
Do It to the Crowd – Twin Hype
Feels Good [Ben Liebrand Remix] – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Bust a Move – Young MC
Funky Cold Medina – Tone Lôc
Ring ‘Em – MC Hammer
The Roof is On Fire – Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three
Good Vibrations – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
I’ll House You – Jungle Brothers
It’s Like That – Run-D.M.C. vs. Jason Nevins
Pump Up the Jam – Technotronic
Paul Revere – Beastie Boys
Just a Friend – Biz Markie
Pony – Ginuwine
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) – Jay-Z
You Don’t Love Me (No No No) – Dawn Penn
It Was a Good Day – Ice Cube
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot
Whoomp! (There It Is) – Tag Team
Push It – Salt N’ Pepa
It’s Tricky – Run-D.M.C.
You Be Illin’ – Run-D.M.C.
U Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer
Shake It – M.C. Shy-D
Get UR Freak On – Missy Elliott
No Diggity [feat. Dr. Dre] – Blackstreet
Freaks of the Industry – Digital Underground
I’m a Player – Too Short
Ms. Fat Booty – Mos Def
C.R.E.A.M. – Wu-Tang Clan
Hypnotize – Notorious B.I.G.
Brass Monkey – Beastie Boys
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
Treat ‘Em Right – Chubb Rock
The Creator – Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Candy Rain – Soul 4 Real
No Scrubs – TLC
Killing Me Softly – Fugees
(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) – Beastie Boys
Here are some pictures of the drawing that was made for me. The backside folds over and connects to itself. You can probably see what I mean in the pictures better than if I try to describe it further.
