Phonographs-Turntables
DJ Arabian Prince had to get creative with his overprotective mother. He figured out that by utilizing his new interest in DJing he could be the first at a party and the last to leave while his mother would drive him around and be able to keep an eye on him. As he DJ’d at dances and skating rinks...
DJ Melo-D saw his first mobile DJ set up during a middle school dance and was more interested in the set up than the dance itself. He begged his parents for a turntable and would seek out any DJs performing near him to learn all he could about style and techniques. In 1995 he landed a job on the...
DJ Rhettmatic entered into the hip-hop world as a dancer (popping) and as a graffiti artist but quickly moved over to the DJ side. As a member of The Beat Junkies he won ITF World Team DJ titles in 1997 and 1998 as well as DMC West Coast champion in 1996. He was featured in the cult classic...
DJ Evil E was thirteen years old when he heard the pioneering artist Grandmaster Flash, which inspired E to get his own turntable rig. As a young DJ, Evil E was inspired by a performance in Los Angeles by Ice T. As it turned out the two would meet and become collaborators on many musical projects...
DJ Grandmaster Flash combined his love of music with his passion for electronics to become one of the pioneers of Hip Hop music. His innovative style of mixing records and blending beats provided the foundation for a generation of DJs and MCs, as well as set the stage of EDM and other forms of...
Dave Lopez grew up in East Los Angeles and witnessed the explosive evolution of the mobile DJ, beginning in the late 1970s. During high school Dave was asked to provide the music for a dance party. Before he knew it he was part of a DJ troop, originally known as French Twist, who later changed ...
Christie Z is an arts advocate who, lucky for each of us, focused on encouraging young artists and musicians in the Bronx, New York. She organized park concerts and later DJ battles that have been inspirational for countless young performers. Along the way, Christie has also worked to preserve the...
Stephen Webber is a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and helped create the Music Production/Engineering program. After working at Mid South Recording Studio in Nashville, Stephen learned firsthand the need for serious studies on the subject. While teaching at Berklee he developed...
DJ GrandMixer DXT brought the turntable front and center as a musical instrument! DXT is a proud member of the "first generation" of DJs in the dawn of Hip-Hop. When he recorded a session that was played for Herbie Hancock, the result was the breakthrough hit instrumental "Rockit." The success...
DJ Tony G pioneered many scratches and tricks as a DJ in the early days of Hip Hop on the West Coast. The art of turntablelism began in New York, but before long the sound and the style made its way to California. Out in East LA Tony G spun the platters, scratched and MC’ed as well as hosted a...