Actually, i think if you listen to your albums carefully and dig through versions beyond just what was released on the album, you’ll find that most tunes are designed to be easy to mix into, although they may only have an 8 or 4 bar intro. Remember that when 90s hip hop tunes were released, we were using two copies of a 12 inch single, and we would mix using both copies. We would cue up the instrumental and mix that in through scratching or a blend, and then mix the acapella or the album version over that on the other turntable. Unlike EDM, that’s how those songs were “meant” to be mixed (not saying that it is the only way, just the way that was in producer & engineer’s minds when they mastered & released the singles). Within that, there are of course infinite ways to scratch, drop, or blend in a new song, and of course now a days many “edits” of these tracks are available with intros & outtros.
Beyond that, one thing to keep in mind are the cardinal sin of playing lyrics over lyrics. Many DJs also prefer to leave a measure or two of an instrumental to “reset” the crowd before switching into the next song’s chorus. As far as scratching goes, remember that for tunes like the ones you mentioned there are countless amazing examples of mixes available online (many of hem made with vinyl only) with much expert scratching in them. Much of your crowd may have heard them countless times. If you choose to scratch, make sure you are decent at it and remember that for some, scratching can take away from the song. Even scratch legends will only scratch a few bars between songs when club mixing (as opposed to trick mixing). Whatever your plan, remember to record your sets and seek criticism and of course critique yourself relentlessly!
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