W here did it all begin? Many would think of Run DMC, the band that brought the “2 MCs and 1 DJ” to the big stage. Or you could lean as far back as the 19th century, when

Thomas Edison created the first machine that could record and play back sound.

The first known record of a turntable being used as an instrument goes all the way

back to 1939, when John Cage used two turntables to create Imaginary Landscape

No. 1. It wasn’t hip-hop, but it was the start of the Turntablist. Perhaps, then, the best place to begin is Jamaica...

BlOC PARTYEarly in the vinyl record’s life, it went up against radio stations, which clawed away at its profit. But it had one unique ability: during World War 2 it was expensive to send live bands to soldiers stationed abroad, so turntables became the medium of choice, playing the latest hits in mess halls. The same culture took off in Jamaica, where record shop DJs would tour around with

a turntable and big sound system, promoting the latest hits at impromptu

parties. What started in empty lots in Kingston soon became big events. They

were not mixing the songs yet, but these guys laid the foundation for the DJ.

It was out of this world that one of hip-hop’s pioneers cut his teeth. Kool Herc

arrived in New York in the Sixties, bringing his collection of music and DJ experience with

him. He was popular in clubs, but the watershed moment we are looking for happened when he

turned to the streets. Due to rising gang crime in

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DJ Kool Herc was popular in clubs, but the watershed moment we are

looking for happened when he turned to the streets.

The original Hip-Hop superstars Run DMC

Godfather of scratch: Grand Mixer DXT

The king himself: Grand Master Flash

Seventies were actually alive with pioneers like Jazzy Jay and Grandmixer D.S.T. The period also gave birth to the signature turntable sound: the scratch. It was a freak occurence – the legend is that DJ Grandwizard Theodore was interrupted by his mother while practising and as he listened to her, he wiggled the record back and forth, discovering the scratch sound. During this period Afrika Bambaataa released Death Mix, featuring MCs freestyling over DJ beats. The real Hip-Hop started over here...

Wheels Of SteelEverything up to this point was evolution. The Eighties kickstarted the revolution. Grandmaster D.S.T. made a collaboration record with Jazz legend Herbie Hancock, the classic Rockit, which netted Hancock a Grammy. Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren joined forces with The World Famous Supreme Team and released the single Buffalo Girl. Technics produced the Mk.II, the first turntable designed for what the DJs were doing. The DMC (Disco Mix Club) started holding mixing championships. And Grandmaster Flash released The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel.

This is regarded as the first true turntablism album, demonstrating Hip-Hop vinyl skills like scratches, stabs and beat-looping in a seven minute long production that would become the anthem of the Hip-Hop DJ. Many still refer to this as the origin of scratching and looping – not true, but it shows the profound influence Wheels Of Steel had. It created a whole new generation eager to sign up and become DJs.

Then the Eighties gave Hip-Hop its big break. Run DMC (Rev Run, D.M.C. and the DJ legend Jam-Master Jay)

became the first Hip-Hop group to hit platinum record sales, fill giant arenas and get heavy rotation on MTV. There was no stopping Hip-Hop. Lesser-known MCs, like The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) teamed up with top talent DJ Jazzy Jeff. Producers and record executives took note of the Hip-Hop sound and they work hard to emulate it. At the same time the art of Turntablism became better and stronger, with rival crews bringing more and more innovation as they battled for supremacy. Things could not look better...

My DJ Is In A ComaBut the honeymoon did not last. Soon MCs, better known as Rappers, started getting more of the limelight. The paths started to part and DJs increasingly went back to creating music instead of Hip-Hop backtracks, moving the genre underground again. Ironically this was just what the medium needed: The Nineties would become Turntablism’s most prolific period. In fact, it gave it its name. There is some dispute over who really coined the term,

NYC, club gigs became rarer and Herc had to make a plan: block parties, organised around the Bronx. During these sessions DJ Kool Herc stumbled upon a revolution, or at least its manifesto. He noticed that dancers were specifically waiting for certain parts of the song, usually percussion pieces, so he started to loop these bits, inventing Break Beat. The foundations of Hip-Hop were laid.

The Real Hip-HopHerc was Hip-Hop’s creator, but two other DJs would make it a culture. Grand Master Flash took Herc’s Break Beat and evolved the technique to seamless looping. Meanwhile Afrika Bambaataa became prolific in promoting Hip-Hop parties in the bronx, seeing it as a way to keep people out of gangs and out of trouble. These two are easy to single out, but the

Turntablism has transcended Hip-Hop, appearing even in metal bands like Linkin Park

The DMC Championship has fueled the rise of talent in turntablism.

DJ Q-Bert doing what he does best.

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Dr. OctagONecOlOgyst by Dr. OctagONThe debut record of MC Kool Keith from Ultramagnetic MCs also showcases Dan The Automator’s superior production and DJ Q-Bert’s unbelievable mixing.

eNDtrODuciNg... by Dj shaDOwMany consider this the best Turntablism album ever released, especially with the anthem Organ Donor. But you can grab just about any DJ Shadow album and it will blow your mind.

if yOu caN’t jOiN ‘em beat ‘emby Dj fOrmatBritish Turntablism is alive and strong, with DJ Format leading the charge. This is one of two brilliant collaboration albums he made with Canadian MC Abdominal.

scratchOlOgy by the X-ecutiONersThe X-Ecutioners are an elite crew and was co-founded by Rob Swift. This is arguably their best release, featuring all of the original members in their prime.

maN Or myth? by Dj faustThis record stands unique from other albums – it doesn’t use any samplers or sequencer, but throughout its 27 tracks it is a tour de force of using the turntable as a musical instrument.

the PlatfOrm by DilateD PeOPlesDilated Peoples is a revolution in socially conscious rap from the West Coast and a terrific place to see DJ Babu, who also happened to have coined “turntablist”, do his thing.

Hall of Fame if you want to hear the real deal, we recommend these records:

The art of Turntablism became better and stronger, with rival crews bringing more and more

innovation as they battled for supremacy.

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<< Dj shaDOwDJ Shadow made his name in the mid-Nineties with the record Endtroducing... and he’s never looked back since – > tinyurl.com/djshadowmix

Dj Qbert >>Some consider this guy to be the best turntablist alive. That, incidentally, includes Grand Master Flash. All bow down to the mighty DJ Qbert.> tinyurl.com/qbertmixing

<< miX master mikeHis talents made him one of the biggest names in the Nineties and his skills raised The Beastie Boys to a superstar act. > tinyurl.com/mmmikemix

kiD kOala >>Not all turntablism is Hip-Hop. Kid Koala makes music that spans Jazz and Blues. He’s one of the genre’s most unique artists.> tinyurl.com/kidkoalamix

<< rOb swiftSwift is one of the biggest and best talents the genre has ever seen and his scratch and beat juggling skills have given rise to the X-Ecutioners and East-Coast turntablism.> tinyurl.com/robswiftmix

Vinyl Surgeonsthere are too many great Djs to choose the best, but here are charged’s top active turntablists:

but most credit Washington’s DJ Babu, who wrote ‘Turntablism’ on one of his mix tapes that he handed around. The name stuck, as did the need for supremacy – and the Nineties delivered some of the best DJs the genre has ever seen. The DMC championships let many of them step into the limelight, including Mix Master Mike (later to join The Beastie Boys), Rob Swift, DJ Apollo, Peanut Butter Wolf, DJ Babu and possibly the greatest of them all, DJ Qbert.

Between all of these and many more talented DJs they created new scratching, looping and mixing techniques that elevated DJing to a whole new artform. It was so prolific that Turntablism became recognised as a musical genre and the turntable got official recognition as a musical instrument. The first “battle records”, vinyls containing music and snippets that DJs can easily flick through, appeared on the scene.

Press Rewind : Blow Your MindThe full history of Turntablism can fill books – it already does – as well as award-winning documentories like Scratch. Today we see a lot more of the movement return to the mainstream. Top turntablists like DJ Yoda, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist and Kid Koala amaze and stun audiences with their cutting-edge technique. New equipment, such as digital turntables for CDs, keep breaking new ground. What was one Jamaican DJ’s start at block parties in the Bronx has grown into a world-wide culture that spans borders and communities. Above all, it has taken the vinyl record player – developed by Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Emile Berliner – from playing sound to making music. Turntablism has even transcended Hip-Hop and finds itself in everything from Pop to Metal. Forget the drummer: give the DJ some, because that is where it all started.

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