Tony Neal, DJ Rip City and Derek Juran of the Core DJs
Akon and Cassie to Appear at Core DJs Retreat in Atlanta
They say that mixtapes are dead. They say the Internet killed viable record breaking. They say the role of the DJ has inevitably changed. Tony Neal, founder of one of the most powerful DJ coalitions in the world, The Core DJs, thinks differently.
“The role of the DJ is to break records; that hasn’t and will never change,” he says. “That’s what it’s about in every aspect, from radio, street, mixtape, underground DJs, whatever.”
And at its core (pun intended) that’s what the Core DJs retreats are about. Now in its fifth year, the bi-annual retreat is hosting it’s 10th event in Atlanta and like previous years, artists are expected to be discovered at the weekend long event.
“The retreat is a staple in hip-hop,” says Derek Juran, VP of the Core DJs and director of programming for their nationally syndicated radio show. “A lot of artists—from Flo Rida to Yung Joc—have come through our event and gone on and did great things. We want to make sure that momentum continues.”
DJ Rip City, communications president of Core DJs concurs.
“The Retreat is where new artists and established artists come and break new records,” he says. “One day you’ll look in the lobby and see a guy who’s just a rapper and six months later, they’ll be at the Grammys or on the cover of a magazine.”
But networking and breaking records isn’t the only reason people have made the retreat one of hip-hop’s most coveted. It also provides an opportunity to soak up game and learn new industry trends—including how to utilize digital marketing strategies.
“Nobody can market yourself better than you,” advises Neal. “You already know what you want to target, so you need to take the time and learn it.” –jh
The Core DJs Retreat 10 will be at the W in downtown Atlanta April 24-27. The retreat will feature numerous events, including a special reunion of Guy and Blackstreet and appearances by Akon, OutKast, Goodie MOB and more. Stay tuned to rolling out for more exclusive coverage.
