Diplo
Dirty Hairy's at LIV, Miami Beach
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Better Than: Being dead or in jail.
Trappin' is hard work. But someone's gotta do it.
Good thing the World's Crunkest DJ came through town last night to serve the fiends with every bit of crack music they could handle. He even had the bitches twerkin' off in the aisles and shit. 'Cause that's how Diplo does it.
See also:
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-Diplo Talks Reggae, Chris Brown, KPop
We got there mad early, just as the club was opening its doors. Resident beat masher Jessica Who was in the building, working the place up with some classic hip-hop jams. As the heads came through the gate, getting things started at the bar and moving toward the dance floor, Ms. Who livened up the mood with more and more funky rhythms.
Suddenly, there was a commotion on the floor as a special guest arrived. None other than Hulk Hogan and his son, who happens to be an aspiring DJ himself. A half-hour or so later, the man of the hour made a quieter entrance. But by the time he reached the stairs to the stage, girls had taken notice.
"Diplo! Oh my god! Diplo!" they screamed.
It was still another half hour until the Mad Decent maestro took control of the decks. But the crowd was primed and ready.
"Miami! How you feelin' tonight?" he shouted into the mike. "I heard LIV is the best club in the whole country. That's what I heard. Tonight's gonna be the craziest night we've had at LIV. Ever."
The Mad Decent boss got right down and dirty with it, dropping some hard-edged moombah beats beneath the flashing blue-and-red ceiling. Dudes in suits in the VIP booths were getting loose, pouring entire vodka bottles down their throats as the females shook ass around LIV in Diplo shades. Almost immediately, girls got on their boyfriends shoulders.
Mr. Dip was dropping that real booty- and titty-shaking shit, calling every three songs or so for Miami to "put those hands in the air."
It wasn't too long before he went into some classic Major Lazer originals, like "Pon De Floor" and "Jump Up." He kept the vibe blazing with Azalea Bank's "212," always finding room for a well-timed "Diplo" sample name drop.
Never afraid to cross cultural boundaries, he dropped a sick mix of the classic Da Rude hit "Sandstorm" with timely anthem "Epic." A nice remix of Alex Clare's "Too Close" with tropical drums was a sweet vibe. But his best mashup was definitely old favorite "Push Me" with viral sensation "Gangnam Style."
The last half of his set, though, was going hardest and heaviest in the paint. Once he dipped into that Floss remix of his own "Original Don," it was a trapathon and a half. He was laying down the drug-dealin' beats from both sides of the game, repping both mainstream hip-hop giants and underground traphouse start-ups.
Rap videos played on the giant screen behind him while skinny-ass white bitches busted their best chicken-head moves. A few times, Hulk Hogan was so inspired that he had to get on the mike and remind everyone that "Diplo is in the motherfuckin' house, brrrrroooooother!" He even did some strong man poses and ripped off his shirt for the kids.
As the party wound down, Diplo started tossing off threats about his "last song." But it took him two or three tries before he could find the heart to let go. He finished with a string of favorites, everything from "We Are Your Friends" to "Booty Clap," "Thunderstruck," and "Turn On the Lights."
By 3:45, the white boy was finished spinning, though the party on stage was still as lively as ever and the peeps on the floor were still steady drankin'. Was it the craziest night ever at LIV? Maybe not. But damn if we could hardly walk leaving the place.
Dancing that hard is practically a full-time job.
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: Seriously, trap is taking over the world. EDM is probably gonna dissolve into hip-hop all over again.
The Crowd: Young, hip professionals ready to get loose and make those dirty bass faces.
Diplo's Setlist Highlights
-"Cashin' Out"
-"Pon De Floor"
-"Jump Up"
-"212"
-"Sandstorm"
-"Epic"
-"Too Close"
-"Push Me"
-"Gangnam Style"
-"Birthday Cake"
-"Crush On You"
-"Kick Out the Epic Motherfucker"
-"Babylon"
-"Devil's Den"
-"Original Don"
-"I Can't Stop"
-"Niggas in Paris"
-"Pop That"
-"Snapbacks and Tattoos"
-"Harlem Shake"
-"Hangover"
-"Beez in the Trap"
-"Song 2"
-"Jump Around"
-"Express Yourself"
-"It's a Party"
-"Same Damn Time"
-"Cinema"
-"Mercy"
-"Don't Like (Remix)"
-"A Milli"
-"Ima Boss
-"Did It On'em"
-"Technologic"
-"Antidote"
-"Feel So Close"
-"Booty Clap"
-"Thunderstruck"
-"Turn On the Lights"
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