MOBILE DJ PROFILE
DJ RAPTOR Tackles TikTok & More By Stu Kearns Baltimore, Md. — Chris Bartosik is the owner of Raptor Productions in Baltimore, and he’s been doing school dances for more than 25 years. A few years ago, he was an early adapter to TikTok, using the video app as a programming device for his job. But things have changed, as they always do with the school dances and online platforms, and DJ Raptor gave us an earful to get us up to date. DJ LIFE: A few years ago, kids were going wild for TikTok dances. How did that change the way you programmed events? Chris Bartosik: Yes, they were, and that was right before COVID took over and kids only had social media and online to communicate. Since then, TikTok videos have gotten longer, and more adults and businesses are using the platform. I’ve actually gone back to reading chats, getting requests ahead of time, reading the crowd and making sure I have some party favorites. It’s really how I program when I’m doing a club or pub, I play more for the women. Now they love singing along to songs they know, like “Party Rock Anthem,” “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2,” “Love Story,” “Party in the USA,” “Titanium,” “Stay,” “Take On Me,” “Empire State of Mind,” “Baby,” “Last Resort,” “Break Free,” “Starships,” “Mo Bamba,” “Deli,” “I Wanna Rock,” and many more. DJ LIFE: How did that Covid period impact things? Bartosik: There was a brief time when kids didn’t know how to act in public because they spent some of their years at home and not in school. I do believe some of that has passed. The only obstacle now will be some lower enrollment in schools for a few years, but that will bounce back, and we’ll have a boom in a few years. They still like some of the linedances, too, which are great in keeping it more fun for all. When looking at TikTok U.S. Hot 50, there really aren’t that many songs on there I would play at a dance, same with the TikTok Viral. It’s just not like it used to be. Most of what I program is from requests and my experience playing open format locally. DJ LIFE: Recently, you’ve seen a change. Kids are no longer asking for TikTok-related material? Bartosik: That really depends on how you look at it. I consider the TikTok-related ones as the ones everyone is using to make a video to. Now it’s more popular songs, which may include some TikTok songs, but I don’t lean on it for the new stuff, like I did before. When I send out a QR code prior to a dance, I might get up to 500 requests. I go through it and play the ones I feel will get the best reaction. I also have weekly club/bar gigs that keep me up to date on today’s music. The girls are all about Sexxy Redd right now and her 42
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VOL.3 NO.5
B’More DJ: Chris Bartosik (aka DJ Raptor).
song “SkeeYee.” That one goes over really well the last hour of a school dance – of course, I play the clean version. The way I look at it every child has a phone and access to the music. If we can’t play what they want, then they will go somewhere they can hear it, leaving the dance and probably doing things they shouldn’t. Many of our schools have an attendance of around 90-percent of the total student population. I do put a lot of work into what I’m going to play at schools. DJ LIFE: When did you notice this, and why do you think it’s happening? Bartosik: I noticed it a little last year, but wasn’t sure what direction it was going to go, so I didn’t react to it. This year, I definitely tried to stay clear of the short TikTok dances, as that really shows your age. Now keep in mind that my experience is mostly with high-school dances — middle school and younger are completely different in how I program my music. The high-school kids just want fun and popular music they can sing along to. Now that TikTok is getting oversaturated with pretty much everyone and businesses, it’s not as easy to find songs. DJ LIFE: What’s the best way nowadays to program kids’ events? Bartosik: I can’t stress this enough: Talk to them and ask them what they want! Of course, all the guys will ask for some of the underground rap or songs that just won’t go over well with dances. But like I stated prior, you play for the females. I also have a good network in my area, and we talked about our sets the next day. Having a network of peers is essential, you can never rely on a magic crate these days. Sometimes we forget about older songs the kids still love, like “Gangnam Style,” “Y.M.C.A.” – a tech-house remix, of course – or many other party favorites. I also like to use some remixes in my sets to keep it fresh and different than the same old songs. I always like to throw out bangers for the last 45 minutes and give the last few some great singalongs.