Blazin’ 2009 – Mixed by DJ Nino Brown

Blazin’ 2009 – Mixed by DJ Nino Brown

Review by Mawunyo Gbogbo

Unfortunately, it is not unusual for a DJ to slaughter a track to the point where your favourite song is, at best, unrecognisable. If you are in need of a good laugh, just log onto any mixtape website and read the comments. Just avoid listening to the tracks in question if you value your ears.

It takes a certain level of skill to know how much is too much when it comes to scratching. And only a good DJ can accurately assess what level of emphasis to put on a spin. After fifteen years in the game, it would be fair to say that DJ Nino Brown has a solid grasp on the intricacies of the art form.

Blazin’ 2009 is the eighth volume in a series mixed by the man often referred to as Australia’s number one Urban DJ. This album has none of those eternal loops that will drag out one section of a three-minute song for perpetuity. And you will not be left frustrated by hearing a track you dig end abruptly before the best part. Instead, listening to this album is comparable to experiencing one of DJ Nino Brown’s live sets. Amongst other things, the award-winning DJ is known for his ability to rock a crowd, attracting up to three thousand people to his live shows a week.

Each track on Blazin’ 2009 is mixed seamlessly into the next. Rather than interfering with the music, Nino Brown actually enhances some of the tracks. His adaptation of the Flo Rida and will.I.am collaboration almost sounds better than the original. The song selection is mostly tight and may have you nodding your head or tapping your fingers on the steering wheel to the likes of Lil’ Wayne, Rihanna, Lady GaGa, The Game, NeYo, P-Money and S.C.R.I.B.E.

You could probably throw away the second half of this two-disc compilation and still be satisfied you got your money’s worth. Except then you would miss out on getting down to a hot KillaQueenz track and you would also have to forget about taking an enjoyable journey back in time to the sounds of Naughty by Nature and Cypress Hill. The inclusion of Che’Nelle’s ‘I fell in love with the DJ’ seems a little self-indulgent. But also on Disc two are tracks produced by DJ Nino Brown himself.

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The Blazin’ series has had a loyal following since the first one dropped in 2002, and there’s a reason for that – the quality. Blazin’ 2009 has debuted at number one on the ARIA Urban Chart ahead of offerings from Beyonce, Akon, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West. Last year’s instalment – Blazin’ 2008 – was certified Gold and topped the ARIA compilations chart for weeks.

Blazin’ 2009 would provide the perfect soundtrack for a house party. Why mess around with rotating one disc after another when you could have it all in one package? And unlike your usual compilation, this album has less of the jukebox feel and more of the club sound.
Quite frankly, some DJs could do with a few lessons in how to show a little restraint. DJ Nino Brown does not fall into that category. He made history when he became the first Hip Hop DJ in Australia to be signed to a major record label. But history is often in the making.

Blazin’ 2009 is out now on Universal