If you haven’t noticed, here at The Demo Tape, we’re super competitive. Whether it be writing, content, or playlist curation, we have some very talented individuals that do it all, and very well at that. One of the things the staff here prides itself on is the before-mentioned playlist curation. We currently have somewhere in the ballpark of 150 playlists across our Apple Music, Tidal, and Spotify channels all curated by our talented staff.
However, over the past couple of weeks, there has been a debate amongst the staff as to who is the best playlist curator. To settle the debate, we bring to you our Playlist Wars. With seven members of our staff, and an 8th addition from Lache Vincent, we curated these eight playlists to settle the debate once and for all. Before you jump in to listen and vote, here were the guidelines each curator was instructed to follow:
- Each playlist must not exceed two hours (120 minutes)
- Each playlist may only feature an artist once. Whether it be said artists’ song, or an appearance via feature, each artist can only have their voice on one track. (Example: a Drake song can not be used in addition to a song featuring Drake - curator must use one or the other)
- The playlist must follow a theme or mood through the duration.
(Click the writer’s name to be directed to their Twitter. Click the name of the playlist to listen on Apple Music)
(1) Njera “Keep That Same Energy” vs. (8) Lache “Songs That Make Me Feel Sexy With a Dash Of Ratchet“
For the first matchup of the first round, we have Njera with her “Keep That Same Energy” playlist versus Lache with her “Songs That Make Me Feel Sexy With a Dash Of Ratchet” playlist. Njera used a mix of smooth R&B cuts like Ciara’s “Body Party” and Jacques’ “B.E.D.” for a late-night, mood-setter. Lache incorporated some of those same sounds in her playlist, infusing 80’s and 90’s artists like Keith Sweet and Janet Jackson with sounds of today from Miguel and PARTYNEXTDOOR. The playlist also mixes in some Hip Hop tracks from G Herbo with “Pull Up” and Lil’ Kim with “Big Momma Thing,” giving the mix that “dash of ratchet” edge to it.
(2) Sway “Simp Panther - The Original Soundtrack” vs. (7) Gabs “Plan B & Magnums“
Sway and Gabs’ playlists have completely contrasting sounds. For Sway’s playlist, he chose some of the most depressing, lonely music he could find with The Weeknd’s “Call Out My Name,” Anthony Hamilton’s “Charlene,” Ne-Yo’s “So Sick,” PARTYNEXTDOOR’s Drake’s “Wednesday Night Interlude”….you get the point - it sounds like a two-hour long “Marvin’s Room” interlude. If your ex just broke up with you, this playlist is for you. As for Gabs, her playlist is the perfect prelude to making mistakes off the midnight tip that you’re sure to regret in the morning, with Ginuwine’s “Pony” and Crime Mob’s “Rock Yo Hips.” If you listen close enough, you can smell your local strip club.
(3) Brandon “The Power Soundtrack” vs. (6) Taji “The Cool Down“
With Brando’s playlist, to celebrate Season 5 of Power, he decided to curate a playlist based around the themes of the Starz’s television series. Brando incorporated some tracks that Power watchers may catch the correlation with, like Jay Rock’s “Redemption” and Future’s “My Collection.” With cuts like “At The Club” and “Havana,” he mixes in some songs that could possibly be heard in the Truth night club any given Saturday. As for after the club, Taji’s “The Cool Down” playlist is the perfect mix of some slower-tempo, relaxing songs. With songs like Kendrick Lamar’s “A.D.H.D.” and Wale’s “The Need To Know,” “The Cool Down” is great for if you’re coming home after an evening out, or if you’re washed and didn’t have plans on leaving the house to begin with.
(4) BDJ “Hip Hop & Love” vs. (5) Justice “Chrome Doors“
A play on the Love & Hip Hop reality show title, BDJ decided to tailor his playlist with some of his favorite Hip Hop love songs. The mix features duets like Nelly and Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma” and Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s “03′ Bonnie & Clyde” as well as personal ballads like Cam’ron’s “Hey Ma” and Drake’s “Best I Ever Had.” As for Justice’s playlist, he went for a luxurious feeling - like a midnight ride through downtown in awe of the city skylines. Rick Ross’ “Amsterdam” stays true to that mission, alongside Twista’s “Overnight Celebrity” and Jazmine Sullivan’s “Let It Burn.”
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