Preparation is key, in general with DJing but for the songs listen above, It is necessary.

My best way out of the tracks mentioned are Loops and Wordplay. I personally love getting creative and finding a piece of one track that will cleverly fit with another, preferably in key, otherwise its a drop in type of mix. I will give a few examples.

Wu-Tang – Triumph. When I was younger, I would play the intro to Triumph with ODB yapping away… right when he says “Lets take it back to 79″, I would drop MJ’s Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough or some Disco/Funk track from that era. That would be a themed mix.

ATCQ – Scenario
So many places you can mix in and out of this track. Take a loop of Busta Rhymes chanting “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” and beat mix the intro of ATCQ’s Oh My God or something similar for a wordplay mix. I’ve heard DJ Spryte mix out of Phife’s verse, where he goes “I’m vexed, fumin, I’ve had it up to here, My days of payin dues are over, acknowledge we is in there (YEAH)” and Spryte cuts the YEAH part over the intro of the next track.

Creative use of Loops and Wordplay help out alot, esp. on these no Chorus hits.

Canibus – 2nd Round Knockout
Yes. Im kinda pushing it with this one, esp. since only hardcore hiphop guys would play it live (like myself)…. Cipha Sounds said recently that when used to play this track and when Canibus’ chorus got to the part that said “The greatest rapper of all time died on March 9th”, That was the perfect time to drop a Biggie record. Again, Wordplay and Theme.

Great topic. I hope people can use all the knowledge you guys are dropping.

Thanks for the great response Audio1! You make a lot of good points about wordplay and those examples are perfect. Maybe we should do a wordplay series in the future.