View Full Version : Not being allowed to dance to rap/hip hop
needtodance
11-28-2007, 06:40 PM
When I said bad crowd in my previous post, it WASNT intended as a racial thing, but an age thing.
The majority of hte customers it catered to were young college students, all races, who didn't grasp the meaning of hte term "tip" and LITERALLY moved tables away from the floor to for hteir own dance rings and hassle strippers into "club dancing" in the middle.
ahmeerah
11-28-2007, 06:59 PM
When I said bad crowd in my previous post, it WASNT intended as a racial thing, but an age thing.
The majority of hte customers it catered to were young college students, all races, who didn't grasp the meaning of hte term "tip" and LITERALLY moved tables away from the floor to for hteir own dance rings and hassle strippers into "club dancing" in the middle.
Oh no. I hope you didn't think I was saying YOU were waking a racist comment. I was saying the club owners who say that rap brings the wrong crowd really mean that they bring too many black people - most likely.
I wasn't talking about you!
ahmeerah
11-28-2007, 07:00 PM
It's funny that alot of people don't know that hip-hop culture is so largly popular due to the white consumer. :)
I dunno but in my opinion the idea of playing "what customers want to hear" ie. oldies/soft-rock favorites tend to REMIND them of their age.
There is one DJ out of our 5 that refuses to play Hip-Hop. I find that funny since he will play the limp bizkit "type" music sometimes.
I see nothing wrong with catering to the audience, AND with what you are comfortable dancing to. I LOVE rap/hip-hop but I dont' dance to it at work. I dance to some rock, pop, soul music..it just depends on my mood. But I do agree with Paige when she said an entertainer should be able to dance to anything.
Ditto to everything CK just said.
Darcy Foxx
11-28-2007, 07:46 PM
... but you can dance to wolfmother? are they kidding??? :O
it's really fucked up. one girl dances to korn, yet another will get in trouble for nickelback. 'down with the sickness' by disturbed is okay for one girl, but i get yelled at for 'this aint a scene, it's an arms race' by fall out boy because it's too heavy. i think it all depends on the mood of the boss.
AlexxaHex
11-28-2007, 09:16 PM
I've auditioned at one club that said "No more than 1-2 hip hop/rap songs an hour", but it was an "alternative" place, advertised as being QUITE punk, tattooed girls, etc. So I guess they figure not htere clientelle.
But to me it really IS playing to the crowd, and keeping a good variety. My last club played rap/hiphop nonstop. And it DID bring in a crowd of young nonspenders, and chase away a lot of hte older fellows who came in to spend. Variety IS KEY! Sadly, many clubowners/DJ's dont like that.
My biggest problem si htat I can dance to any genre, but it needs to have a more slow/sensual feel to it. I've gotten in trouble for playing too many slow songs on a shift before.
Since when is Danzig "she rides" and Thievery Corporation "Lebanese Blonde" too slow?
Is this Union Jacks?
Also, I often dance to "She Rides". It's a fucking hot song! Goes well with "Twist of Cain".
francescadubois
11-28-2007, 09:34 PM
it's really fucked up. one girl dances to korn, yet another will get in trouble for nickelback. 'down with the sickness' by disturbed is okay for one girl, but i get yelled at for 'this aint a scene, it's an arms race' by fall out boy because it's too heavy. i think it all depends on the mood of the boss.
Hell, if you can't dance to Nickelback or Fall Out Boy, I'd reconsider working there. ;)
Unless, of course, you're making goo gobs of money. ;D
In most of the clubs I work at we can play whatever we want. But I work in smaller clubs tah for the most part are more laid back. The small clubs in the area where I work who ban black music are rednecky and the white is right type.
This is a deep rooted problem of racism. Many older white males historically are uncomfortable with black males. This goes back to the days of slavery and segregation. Older white males own most strip clubs. the strip club business is supposedly liberal and against conservative mores, but I would bet many of the white males who own them are conservative voters themselves.
If a club is run right, which in my opinion, 95% of them are NOT, all races and ages of customers, and all races, ages, and sizes of girls could coexist under the same roof with the guidance of an adept DJ, who would keep the crowd feeling in the party mood, and the club would have management who would coach and counsel the dancers and staff on how to deal with the customers in a beneficial manner.
These white bastards are just trying to separate the races. And white people like this are quite frankly racist.
The only way this will change is if non white or liberal white people will take over strip clubs.
ahmeerah
11-28-2007, 09:51 PM
The more I read about other clubs the more I think I really lucked out. Either that or I was really living in my own little lalaland.
MinahSky
11-28-2007, 10:32 PM
I would love to open my own club, but it is SOOO not worth all the money I'd have to pay to the Rhino to back off...
oregonchick
11-29-2007, 04:16 AM
I have been running a small club in Portland that does cater to the 18 to 20 year olds. They like rap alot. I'm not going to say no since the girls do too who are of about the same age. Of course we also get ALOT men with money who are twice the age of the kid customers. These men with money also understand about fashion and style and don't care about the music we play as long as the girls give them fabulous attention. When the girls are not giving the men with money fabulous attention--the men with money will go to other clubs that have friendlier girls. So you see. Not the music,fashion, piercings, or tattoos;its the sensuality of the whole thing.
Victoryx0x0
11-29-2007, 10:46 AM
uhm, i would quit... honestly, and find somewhere new
MostOutOfLife
11-29-2007, 02:55 PM
Okay so we want to KEEP OUT the "Skeet-Skeet- Skeet-Duffle-Bag-Ochie Wally crowd but we welcome with open arms the Staring-Down-The-Barrel-Of-A-45-Shes-Got-The-Jack-Pussy-Liquor-Cake-And-Sodomy crowd?/:O Right...
The older gentlemen that I have spent time with prefer Jazz over anything else, wish the DJ's would talk a whole lot less, and wish that the music wasnt so damn loud. I have heard it time and time again, men would rather see us dance to what we love, then whats allowed, cause we tend to be better performers enitirely when we "feel" the music.
Corgan
11-29-2007, 03:33 PM
i rule my club's happy hour because i dance to queen while the other girls dance to "ringtone hiphop". our new ft dj lets girls dance to whatever. i say rule because while i've got 5 dances down and a few more to go when other girls have sweet fuck all to do... well you see what i'm saying.
however... weekend nights, if the crowd is hiphop, i will dance to kelis or busta rhymes. i like ARTISTIC hip hop. not ringtone hiphop. there IS a difference.
and old rap is ARTISTIC and wonderful. tupac, wutang, NWA!!! you know!
AlexxaHex
11-29-2007, 03:46 PM
The only way this will change is if non white or liberal white people will take over strip clubs.
Wow, Tina. This is one of the least racist things I've ever read from you on a race topic, or one that you perceive to be a race topic.
My (no rap) club is not primarily run by white people. The managers I have worked with have been hispanic and black, one is white. So what's your theory on that?
i rule my club's happy hour because i dance to queen while the other girls dance to "ringtone hiphop". our new ft dj lets girls dance to whatever. i say rule because while i've got 5 dances down and a few more to go when other girls have sweet fuck all to do... well you see what i'm saying.
however... weekend nights, if the crowd is hiphop, i will dance to kelis or busta rhymes. i like ARTISTIC hip hop. not ringtone hiphop. there IS a difference.
and old rap is ARTISTIC and wonderful. tupac, wutang, NWA!!! you know!
I feel the same way. I've had black girls approach me to burn them CDs of good hip-hop to dance to because I don't dance to crappy top 40 shit and DJs have no clue.
PrincessShea
11-29-2007, 04:38 PM
Our DJ also lets us chose what genre of music we want to dance to. I really have no problem with hiphop/rap, OR the "crowd" it brings in. It's just that when you hear it ALL day, EVERY day, you want to shoot yourself in the ear. It's the same with any other genre of music.
Julez
11-29-2007, 11:11 PM
I've seen both sides to this. Nowadays, I tend to go with the music that will bring in the money as much as possible.
But you can't play AC/DC for some women, it's going to be agony for them, and it will show. A woman inspired by the music will make herself, the club, and indirectly the other dancers more money, every time.
You couldtry Kid Rock. You could try some of the rock/rap collaboration type songs, like 'Rollin' by Limp Biskit and DMX, that's a serious crowd pleaser in most clubs. If there's a lot of geriatrics in the house, that Run/DMC Aerosmith 'Walk This Way' is good. Jimmy Page and I forget which big rapper did the remake of the Zeppelin song on the Godzilla soundtrack, that one gets th rockers going, but it's got a rapper as much the focus.
Sublime has some good songs, or try reggae stuff like some of Shaggy's faster songs. Gorillas, Unkle Kracker, Beastie Boys if they'll let you.
Thanks for the suggestions, I was sure stumped. I love rap music, one thing I love about dancing is sharing the newest songs with people who might otherwise not hear them. I've been told numerous times that I play the best music in the club. If you have any more song ideas that are a happy medium between rap/rock please let me know.
Julez
11-29-2007, 11:25 PM
^^^Agreed. (ie non-spenders)
I have to disagree with you there. A lot of guys who like the music i dance to around here are buying bottles of Patron and makin it rain on girls when they hear a song they like. But they just dont come in a whole lot, its usually mostly white guys. But my tips never suffer because of my music.
Julez
11-29-2007, 11:26 PM
not allowed at my club. no exceptions. including r&b.
You like rap dont you? What do you dance to instead? I've been throwin in some Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and way too much R&B.
Julez
11-29-2007, 11:33 PM
so let me understand.. i should dance to music that i do not like and do not look good dancing to? i dont dance to rap music, i dance to rock. and in my club, most girls dance to rap and thats what the crowd likes a lot of the time. but i'm certainly not going to change what i like and feel comfortable with. maybe i'm confused about what youre saying...
I completely agree. Although so far I've been makin money at this club, but please believe me, as soon as my new girlness wears off and it slows down, I'll be pissed that I cant dance to my music.
velvet
11-30-2007, 02:11 PM
You like rap dont you? What do you dance to instead? I've been throwin in some Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and way too much R&B.
actually i dont like rap... at all. i dont go on stage but if i ever do dance on stage it's techno for me!
MinahSky
11-30-2007, 02:25 PM
The owners/managers who ban rap and/or hip/hop don't realize that those who are mostly buying it are WHITE. And that includes older, moneyed white men.
Julez
12-05-2007, 12:58 AM
what songs by Gorillaz?
Callyish
12-05-2007, 04:23 AM
Fuckin eh!!! I used to work at a few clubs that wouldn't allow rap/hip hop or heavy rock. I loved it.
IMO nothing worse then a white girl trying to pop her ass to N***** this and N***** that.
Plus rap/hip hop is an insult to my ears lol. Truly I can not stand it. Also I can't stand that heavy rock where the 'singer' is screaming at the top of his lungs and it sounds like 'BLAH BLAH BLAH'.(yet I love disturbed lol).
Again though I have also worked at clubs that wouldn't play rock past 8pm. So its gone both ways for me.
Blasiancutie
12-05-2007, 09:28 PM
I like clubs that play a variety of music. I also can't stand when a club plays one particular kind of music all day, everyday. I usually dance the opposite of what the club plays all day, everyday. I do agree though, that I dance to music that is going to make me shine, smile and make me feel sexy on stage, not because the customers like it, please. At least that is how I get my customers' attention.
I do have an open-mind and try to dance to most music. Although, I did take a break from this rock club I usually work at now, if I dance to "Jack and Diane" one more damn time, its nothing sexy about that song at all. I hate dancing or hearing music that isn't sexy. Just like Tupac's "Dear Momma", isn't sexy at all either. That is in all kinds of music.
As for clubs (even the club I dance currently) that don't allow rap/r&b, in my experience, always let it slide at sometime. (This goes into the race issue) They let it slide because they know most of the young girls today like and dance better to the music. You know, it's funny to me too, when these DJs that work in these clubs and don't like rap/r&b, always have to deal with some many girls racing to the booth to ask him to play a certain rap/r&b song when the club does allow to play it at a certain hour or day. So, it crazy not to play it at all!
fantasiarene
12-05-2007, 10:48 PM
it's funny that this topic has come up since at my club the dj is trying to play less r and b/hip hop since that's all that seems to be played. I've noticed that most of the white guys with money won't stay past 9pm (our club closes at 2a) because of the bad crowd gangster wanna-bes who come in. On a night where we'll have 10-13 girls only 2 or 3 will be white. Unfortunately most of the white girls have left because of the gangster wanna-be's coming in and the money guys leaving. Because of that, 95 percent of the night r & b is played.
There's been a few nights lately that I've been the only one dancing to country, rock, or techno (and i love some good techno). Two Saturdays ago all our dj played was country, rock, and techno. He didn't play any r & b or hip hop or rap except for Glamourous by Fergie and maybe one other r & b song. Nobody really complained except for the non-tipping customers who still didn't tip when the one true r & b song was played.
When we have a normal night of playing all genres of music, lyrics have to be edited. Fuck can be said once, twice at the most, and the n-word cannot be said at all. Our dj will pull it quickly on that word. The funny part about most of this--our dj is this 5' 4" black guy who when you walk into his house usually has country music on and knows all the lyrics to Rascal Flatts "Me and My Gang" and many other country songs (I've known him almost 6 years and he calls me Sis).
Italygirl333
09-30-2011, 01:58 PM
This just happened to me. We have one DJ who thinks that his personal opinion on music is the word of God. I tried to ask for two Beastie Boys songs (which go over fine here and which the other DJs will happily play me) and when I get up onstage he plays me something else entirely. I'm polite and don't say anything but I go over to him when I get off, and am like, "Why did you not play my songs?" and he's like "The Beastie Boys aren't musical."
Dude, they've sold 40 million albums worldwide. I think somebody thinks they're fucking musical, okay?
snowcake
09-30-2011, 06:59 PM
I wouldn't mind if my club limited it for sure. I don't care if girls want to dance to it, but all the DJs at my club are constantly blaring rap music when a girl isn't on stage. Unfortunately the other girls like it I guess. *Shrug* Just not my cup of tea, it gives me a headache. At least vary it a little? And it does tend to bring in some bad types.
tempest666
09-30-2011, 08:38 PM
At my current club we have a jukebox so DJ isn't an issue. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons we have a mgr on duty that won't let us play and rap/R&B before 5pm. (WTF)
I personally prefer a wide genre of music. I don't want to hear the same tired shit over and over again whether it be rap, rock, country whatever.
Rileygrl06
10-01-2011, 04:03 PM
My club bans all hip hop, rap, and country. There is some R&B played from time to time, but mainly rock during the day and house at night. I am happy with the restrictions as I'm a househead myself and can't stand most rap/hip hop or ANY country. I want the club to play music that the clientele like (who are mostly the older, middle/upper class type during the day). If they like the music, they'll enjoy themselves more and happy customers spend money. Rap, hip hop, and country cater to a more select group of people and this group tends to be on the younger side. I'm sure most would agree with me that young customers are usually trouble (ie. no money, big egos, etc).
Now, I may be a bit oversensitive, but I also find the lyrics in some of these songs to be demeaning and offensive to women. I don't want to have to talk over or much less dance to a song calling me a "bitch" or telling me to shake my ass, etc. (This isn't just rap, but that's a whole other thread) Offensive songs set a bad tone for the club.
infectiousDelirium
10-04-2011, 03:45 PM
Generally one or two girls a night are allowed to dance to rap/r&b/hip-hop on a 6 to 9 girl stage rotation. Luckily for everyone- our DJ is amazing at digging up AMAZING non-top 40 bullshit, relieving the crowd from listening to the same shit they overplay on the radio or at a venue or whatever. I love it! I love all kinds of music. I use to work at a club that didn't allow any of it and I always thought that was kind of racist.
Unfortunately he HATES what I like to dance to, which is mainly industrial and grunge. Le' sigh.
missfionna
10-07-2011, 12:44 PM
i wish my club would not necessarily ban rap, but definitely filter it. i actually used to like rap/hip hop until i became a dancer. now i pretty much despise it because it is so over played in my area. if i get a little tipsy ill smetimes(rarely) do some california love or some older stuff. we can dance to whatever we want, we even have personnal playlist that the dj just picks from. but it is always the same stuff. i have a large playlist that consist of mostly rock, but i also have techno, classic rock, metal, and 80's music. i even have t go tell the dj every night 'hey, you know i love my marilyn manson set, but im getting tired of doing it every night'. he would litrally play the same set every night. my club dos however discourage slow songs. i from time to time like to dance to eric claptons 'wonderful tonight'. older gentlemen with larger credit limits usually eat that song up. some men prefer achange in pace. and someone mentioned they love the chris issac song 'wicked game', there is a remake by 'him' that is pretty good : )
Kellydancer
10-07-2011, 12:50 PM
This just happened to me. We have one DJ who thinks that his personal opinion on music is the word of God. I tried to ask for two Beastie Boys songs (which go over fine here and which the other DJs will happily play me) and when I get up onstage he plays me something else entirely. I'm polite and don't say anything but I go over to him when I get off, and am like, "Why did you not play my songs?" and he's like "The Beastie Boys aren't musical."
Dude, they've sold 40 million albums worldwide. I think somebody thinks they're fucking musical, okay?
I despise most rap and love the Beastie Boys. Many of their songs (Fight For Your Right To Party and Sabotage to name two)aren't even rap at all.
Sometimes this idea to ban rap is silly and includes non rap artists. At one club they wouldn't even let me play a Duran Duran song because it was rap? WTF, Duran Duran isn't rap and the song I wanted to play was far from rap (I think it was Rio, which has no rap at all).
So Fine Divyne
10-08-2011, 02:37 AM
What pisses me off is when I start at a new club and I tell them I dance to rock and they play rap or r&b because I'm ethnic and I don't make any money onstage. Then later when the djs play what I like I bank to my rock. I dance to rock for a reason. On slower nites like sun/mon nites I'll dance to a little r&b like John Legend Green Light or Outkast I like the way you move, but only then. Otherwise I stick with rock and I earn. Girls always tell me how their customers talk about that girl that rocks out and dances well and it's me. Clubs always do that NO RAP deal trying to keep the clubs from becoming ghetto or hood. You know what? When people party they dance to party music and rap and r&b are party music. I understand what the clubs are trying to do but still it's just iffy. They will tell an ethnic girl no rap off the rip even if she doesn't dance to it, but put a non-ethnic girl up to Slow Motion by Juvenile in a minute.
Jay12
10-08-2011, 12:02 PM
I really really really really really dislike rap, reggaeton and R&B. I'm more ok with hip hop, though.
elijah
10-13-2011, 09:24 PM
My club does not allow any rap or hip hop music what so ever
to keep the wrong crowd out apparently I understand but some up beat music wouldn't kill
Nina_
10-14-2011, 08:13 AM
My club currently has a hip-hop ban. I went to another Detroit club and they also had a hip-hop ban. They can still play poppy r & b, they still play Nicki Minaj, SOME Drake, Wiz Khalifa, etc... I used to love dancing to old school rap but can't anymore. It's not the DJ's choice, it's the GM. But on Sundays the GM isn't there so we play whatever we want. :)
So Fine Divyne
10-14-2011, 09:20 AM
But on Sundays the GM isn't there so we play whatever we want. :)
LOL. Isn't it great when they go away?