Mixtape special

Mixtape Special Report


Every DJ will tell you that laying down a fresh-to-death mixtape is one of the hardest things in the world to pull off. So we enlisted the help of DJ Cameo, who just threw down the Xtra Garage Weekend tape for 1Xtra to show GO DJ exactly how it’s done… Bit Of Previous

“I started off watching people like Tuffjam and EZ, the thing I liked about garage was it was proper diverse. I landed a set on Taste FM, at the time I was working alongside the likes of Viper, J Da Flex and loads of other big names in the game. I started playing out at raves, and I produced ‘Addicted’ alongside Viper and Danny C. Then I got a job in Uptown records, where I met J Sweet, and we put out ‘High Grade’. Now I’m head buyer at Uptown, I have a show on 1Xtra and I’m resident at Sidewinder and La Cosa Nostra. I’ve just started my own label Kamikaze, we got tunes coming from Jon E Cash, P Jam, J Sweet, DaVinChe, Terror Danjah, Scandalous Unltd. And J Dubs, nothing but proper producers.”


Gameplan: “I try and identify the sound I believe in, as well as dropping all the big tunes. Good mixing got me up in the game. When I started I could only get the tunes everyone else had, so my mixing ability was the only way I could prove myself. But breaking and playing new tunes has kept me up there, dropping shit no one has heard. Good DJing is also about timing. Learning what to play at what time.”


Outlook: “The scene still ain’t professional enough. A lot of people at the top of the game don’t set a good example. There is so much talent out there, but for one reason or another, the top DJs are not letting it filter through.”


DJ Cameo Ultimate Mix Tape Rules : “First things first, you need a few hits on there, no one’s gonna pick up your tape if there ain’t a few big tunes on there. But you gotta put some original shit on there as well. Make sure you do it live, not on the PC, you need to showcase your skills so do it in one take and keep it tight. A good mixtape takes you on a journey, so it’s gotta flow from beginning to end. Do your homework, get some exclusives. Find the producers that you believe will be big in a year’s time, and break their stuff on your tape.”