16 DJs That Can Actually Scratch
Typically, every “DJ” knows how to push buttons and play music. But there are a select few who have a particular set of skills. Skills that they have acquired over a long period of time. Skills that make them a nightmare to phonograph needles everywhere. That’s because scratching is a lost art. Real scratching, not the stuff you were attempting to do back in the day on your dad’s old Isley Brothers record that almost got you put in time out.
In 2015, the term, DJ, elicits thoughts of someone who plays records on the radio or at a party, or someone who puts out mixtapes where they typically over-interject themselves into the product. In the early days of hip-hop, you had to be able to prove your skills on the crossfader before you could be stamped as official. In the early ’80s, pioneering turntable technicians like DJ Kool Herc, DJ Jazzy Jay, and Jam Master Jay were vinyl-manipulating gods, helping usher in a culture and a genre of music with a flicka da wrist. Others would follow. Films like Beat Street in 1984 would later highlight the position of the cut creator on the silver screen.
After Just Blaze hit The Sprite Corner over the summer to show young teens how to create a beat, it got us thinking to which DJs can actually scratch. With technology advances everyone seems to be a “DJ” these days. We brought it back to the roots and came up with a list of DJs that started by actually scratching on their turntables.
Here is a list of 16 disk jockeys who can really get busy on the wheels of steel…
Grand Wizard Theodore (New York)When it comes to scratching, G Wiz is generally accepted as the alpha, having created the technique as we know it today. He is also credited with inventing the “needle drop” technique where the DJ drops the needle onto the exact beginning of the song. And yes, he still gets busy.
Grandmaster Flash (New York)Another scratching triple OG, Flash worked closely with G Wiz. He’s the inventor of the backspin technique and punch phrasing, which are both widely used by DJs today. He along with the Furious Five were the first hip-hop acts to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Can he rip it? Yes, he can.
DJ Jaycee (Detroit/Atlanta)The 2015 DMC Atlanta champion is one of the most heralded cut creators to walk this earth. Not only is he Ludacris’ personal DJ, but you can catch him spinning daily on Atlanta’s V103 radio station.
DJ Scratch (New York)The Brooklyn turntablist is well known for his work on the 1s and 2s as well as production. His scratching accolades include winning the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle for World Supremacy DJ Championship, as well as being named the 2010 Master of the Mix Winner, and the 2012 and 2013 Global Spin Awards Turntablist of the Year. The name really says it all.
DJ Qbert (San Francisco)Q is a legend in the scratching business. Some argue that he is the best, with an award-winning career that dates back to the early ’90s. He was awarded DMC World Champion four times in three different categories, during a span of four years. He was voted America’s Best DJ in 2010 and has been inducted into the DMC Hall of Fame. ’Nuff said.
Mix Master Mike (San Francisco)M3 is another DJ with tons of clout and hardware. A 3-time DMC World Champion and HOF inductee, Mike was the first West Coast DJ to win the New Music Seminar/Supermen Inc. DJ Battle for World Supremacy in New York City in 1992. He also worked with the Beastie Boys in the late ’90s and 2000s.
DJ Kid Capri (New York)Kid Capri is synonymous with the early ’90s New York hip-hop scene, having gained popularity for being the requisite party-starter at the famed Studio 54, along with his mix shows on Hot 97. He later became the house DJ for HBO’s popular Def Comedy Jam and can still scratch like his life depended on it today.
DJ Scientist (South Carolina)The Ying Yang Twins’ tour DJ is about more than playing crunk and twerk anthems. A wizard behind two rotating records, Scientist’s sets are always memorable.
DJ Babu (Washington, D.C.)As one-third of the group Dilated Peoples, Babu is another icon of the competitive scratching circuit. He has multiple Vestax and ITF (International Turntablist Federation) World Championship wins under his belt, and is credited with redefining the beat juggling technique. He is currently the curator for Dash Radio’s Beats Junkies Radio and a true monster on the turntables.
DJ Jazzy Jeff (Philadelphia)There’s no need to look up the stats or count the trophies for this one. Jazzy Jeff is a legend. Point blank. Almost universally cast as the coldest cat currently rocking parties all over the world, ain’t nobody tossing Jazz out the crib, especially when it’s party time. Jeff’s sets are an AP class of what it is to be an all-around DJ. At this point, he could rip shows in his sleep.
DJ Nabs (Atlanta)Nab is one of the leaders of the old school in ATL, earning his stripes in the early ’90s as SoSo Def’s exclusive DJ. He later toured with Mariah Carey, Ludacris, Ciara, and Michael Jackson. You can currently catch him spinning classic hip-hop on Atlanta’s Boom 102.9. His scratch game is on 100.
DJ Premier (New York)It’s hard to hear a DJ scratching a record and not think of Premo. That’s because the DJ has kept the method alive in mainstream hip-hop for the past three decades with his iconic scratch and sample-heavy medleys. It’s not just in the studio. The former Gang Starr member can scratch the roof off a party.
Tony Touch (New York)Toca might be known more for his ’90s mixtape series 50 MCs and his Peacemaker compilation albums, but the original b-boy is nasty on the turntables too.
DJ Sara (Japan)Sara and her younger brother hopped on the Japanese DJ scene at young ages, after placing in an online scratch battle, and were soon ripping shet up, catching gigs at high profile parties in the U.S. As you see, big sis, now, 15, has only gotten better with time.
Just Blaze (New York)Producer of multiplatinum hits? Yes. One of the greatest producers to ever grab a turntable? Check the yes box there too. Just Blaze will go down as one of the most impactful producers in hip-hop history, and Sprite was able to have him show a handful of teenagers how to create a beat at their bodega in downtown New York. Anytime you see Blaze on the turntables it’s a special moment.
DJ D Styles (Bay Area)A former member of the Bay Area turntablist dream team, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, as well as Beat Junkies, and Third Sight, Styles’ name rings bells in the scratching circuit from the Bay to Bangkok. He released Phantazmagorea, a full-length scratch album in 2002 and continues to kill at events all over the world.
DJ Netik (France)Netik is an alchemist on the turntables and has the trophies to prove it. He was the 2006 DMC World Champion, World Champion at the "Battle for World Supremacy" in 2002, Champion of Europe Scratch ITF in 2002, and on and on….
DJ Funkmaster Flex (New York)The Hot 97 staple isn’t all growls, bombs, and rants. Say what you will about Flex, but unlike most radio disk jockeys these days, he can pull the ancient art of scratching out of his track bag.
DJ Paul (Memphis, Tenn.)Prior to being the front man for Three 6 Mafia, Paul was, you guessed it, a DJ. The Memphis, Tenn., native would later employ his scratches on various Triple Six tracks, and despite his physical limitations Paul is no slouch on vinyl or Serato.
A-Trak (Montreal)Mostly known in the mainstream as a producer and Kanye West’s former tour DJ, A-Trak is important in the turntable business. In 1997, Trak became the youngest person to win the title of DMC World Champion. Throw in multiple wins at the ITF and Vestax and there’s no denying A-Trak is among scratch royalty.
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