Seeing as how DJ Drama is easily one of the most successful, recognizable mixtape DJs ever this revelation does hold weight. While websites like DatPiff, Spinrilla and LiveMixtapes continue to flourish as avenues for mixtape DJs to promote their projects, the platforms have also leveled the playing field and made it easier for artists to bypass the DJ and just promote the music themselves. Add that to the growing demand for “No DJ” editions of mixtapes among fans over the last few years, the mixtape DJ has not only approached irrelevance like Drama said, but have almost become a nuisance.
Now, with Apple Music using their muscle to secure permanent and temporary exclusive deals with rappers like Drake, Future and Chance the Rapper, all of whom started their careers off mixtapes, the mixtape DJ may just be getting squeezed out of the equation. Which indeed is why we see more and more DJs venturing out of the mixtape world, if not leaving it altogether.
DJ Drama, as he said, has his record label Generation Now. DJ Khaled, the man who brought you some of Lil Wayne’s classic underground material, is more of a social media star than he is a mixtape DJ nowadays. Not to mention he too is a label owner and is dropping music exclusively on Apple Music as well.
So, again the question must be asked, are streaming services threatening to make mixtape DJs irrelevant?
“It is but I still think you need both [streaming and mixtape DJs],” says “Nate” manager of popular mixtape DJ, Lil Keem. “There’s two or three artists that we worked with last year that blew up off mixtapes. [2016 XXL Freshman] 21 Savage is one of them. Mixtape DJS are definitely a factor. I think everything needs to be incorporated because there’s two different fanbases. Livemixtapes is going to have more of the streets while Soundcloud has more of the EDM kids. I still think more is better.”
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