The Morning After
So, I was reading a whole lot this morning (after a whole lot last night) about DJ AM. I mean, wow, that was just insane. And in speaking to others, it seems most were in a similar state to me. They were shocked first and foremost. And while many people expressed your standard sympathy for a celeb they were a fan of, many other DJs felt strangely impacted by it. I really couldn’t justify to myself, or anyone else for that matter, why it bothered me more than any other passing before their time.
After thinking a whole lot, I think I understand. DJ AM is a DJ’s DJ. He did a variety of styles and was able to kill it with all of them. I think I personally have a jealousy issue, cuz he is just so sick with it. He played out cuts before they were known, and had the crowd going off to them. I know a part of that comes along with being a big name DJ (crowd more willing to rock out to stuff they may not know), but I don’t think that was it. I think he was a true lover of music, and had a phenomenal ear for good music, that others would “get”. He did what I aspire to do. Play phenomenal parties and have people get down to quality music, not having to bend to the will of what is being pushed as the “latest thing”, but rather creating the next thing.
I could go on and on, but I think the best thing would be to quote what Diplo had to say (in the comments from a post over on Mad Decent.
im sure that AM had to go day in and day out and negotiate all the music we appreciate for mass consumption, he had good nights and just ok ones..
but he wasnt a radio DJ or a programmer or part of a label . he was a straight up Djs dj, he picked his tracks to play out and had THE STYLE that defines our whole generation like it or not …and even if you didnt like his style (which ranged form deep top 40 to deepest old school hip hop to deepest hipster indy rock.. he would come to your party and do what u do better than you (he did it to me coupla times) he would put tracks out there before they were acceptable and he was always adapting to whatever was goin on.. not because he had to… but because he loved music. ..he was definitely a peoples champ
and in a world that doesnt really seem to care about you – promotors, fareweather friends, rich assholes, alcholics, trendsters…. AM carved a whole pie out of it and built a giant empire that little of you even know about. He never ever ever didnt have time to talk to one of his dj homies, each and every one of the small wannabes like me still spoke to him still weekly. How many people do u know DJ wedding partys for billionaires, arenas for Jay z, and djs for roctakons shitty basment party in manhattan for free and then 20 k the next night.. each day he was still asking me for new music and tellin me how the wierdest of my tracks were starting to pick up momentum….. but.. i never knew how long it would last.
Djs have a ceiling, and Am lived on the roof. he sometimes would tell me a bit about his reservations in passing about his lifestyle and i feel like its a loveless place we all live in (DJs). but i dont think We will ever see another person built for it like AM.. he was THE Michael Jackson of this shit. so it really worries me a bit that hes gone , cause hes the only that i thought understood it all… he was a sweetheart and tried his damnest to be the best at it and still be the best at being himself
I can’t say it any better. So RIP to DJ AM.
I guess there was a party in heaven last night, and God needed a proper DJ. I’m sure it was a damn good time.