Turntablism
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Turntablism treats the turntable as an instrument: scratching, beat juggling, backspins, body tricks, battle routines, sample manipulation and live reconstruction of records. It is hip-hop's DJ craft pushed to virtuosity. The best routines are rhythmic, physical and compositional at once, turning fragments of vinyl into percussion, melody and performance language. It matters because hip-hop began with DJs before the MC became the commercial center.
History
Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore established break manipulation and scratching, while DJs such as Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Qbert, Mix Master Mike, Roc Raida, Rob Swift, Babu and A-Trak turned turntablism into battle art through DMC competitions, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, X-Ecutioners, Beat Junkies and Scratch Piklz culture. Digital DJ tools changed the medium, but the core idea remains: hands can compose with recorded sound.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel — Grandmaster FlashSpotifyYouTube
- Rockit — Herbie Hancock feat. Grand Mixer DXTSpotifyYouTube
- The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff — DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh PrinceSpotifyYouTube
- Wave Twisters — DJ QbertSpotifyYouTube
- Three MC's and One DJ — Beastie BoysSpotifyYouTube
- Raida's Theme — Roc RaidaSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Turntablism histories
- DMC and battle DJ documentation
- Scratch film and DJ biographies
- artist discographies