Remember when everyone was a rapper? Well, now everyone is a DJ. I mean EVERYONE! The term “DJ” is used looser than a…(I’ll keep it PG for you bitches.) Shit is so watered down nowadays…I guess I could go on about it but I’m just gonna post some songs that featured Dj’s that inspired me when I was first starting out. This is more or less the “scratch” aspect of Djing, also keep in mind, this was before mixers were tailor-made for scratching. (The first 3 were L.A. Hip Hop/R&B station 1580 KDAY Mixmasters)

Dj M-Walk, Los Angeles (Tone-Loc – Loc’ed After Dark – 1988)

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M-Walk freaking the classic “Ahhh” off the Fab Five Freddy song “Change the Beat” at about 4:08. Clean, precise and fast was what I always thought about M-Walk. 

Joe Cooley, Los Angeles (Rodney-O and Joe Cooley – Down Goes Another – 1990)

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Joe Cooley was THE man. At one time, in my mind, he was the best DJ in the world.

DJ Aladdin, Los Angeles (Low Profile  - The Dub B.U. Just Begun – 1989)

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Aladdin was just basically insane. I’ve seen him live a few times back in the 80′s. Pure crazyness. His “Rock The Bells” routines had me open.

DJ Premier, Brooklyn (Gang Starr – DJ Premier in Deep Concentration – 1989)

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I bought this record at Music Plus in 1989..kinda just based on what the cover looked like, didn’t know who it was at the time. And so started my obsession with Gang Starr throughout the 90′s. Premier had it all, the cuts, the beats..he was my main inspiration when it came to my early beat making.

Cash Money, Philly (Cash Money and Marvelous – Ugly People Be Quiet – 1987)

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Hey Cash, tell the people what your the king of..”Bip, a turntable..bip, a turntable…”, Ha man that shit was sweet.

Jazzy Jeff, Philly (Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince – The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff – 1987)

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Yeah yeah, the average Joe knows them from “Summertime”, but these guys were a serious force. This is pretty much the ultimate DJ song of all-time. “Some DJ’s are good, some DJ’s are fresh..” Man when I heard that first line, I’d get the chills everytime. Busting out the chirp and the transform scratch, shit had me open! The whole song is fire..but heres some highlights:

“Now make it sound like a bird/make it chirp”: 3:31

“Transform”: 3:55