Think about two hip-hop guys with turntables, a microphone and some hot dance beats. Now envision this in Old Cabell Hall.
"The History of the DJ," put on by the University Programs Council, featured two DJs from the Scratch DJ Academy based in New York City. Known as DP One and DJ Esquire, these two DJs schooled U.Va. on the history and art of the DJ.
With only two turntables, a mixer and a laptop, the DJs gave examples of scratching techniques and demonstrated how to mix different styles of music together to create an entirely new art form. Using techniques from simple scratching to elaborate mixing elements, DJ Esquire displayed the skill that goes into creating the elaborate DJ mix. He meshed different styles of music, from Ray Charles to disco to current hip-hop, into one cohesive musical playlist. And, of course, he made it look easy.
DP One broke down some of the techniques used by DJs. I never imagined that so many sounds and ideas could come from such a seemingly simple device as a turntable. After explaining the proper scratching form -- hand placed at 9 o'clock with a simple back and forward motion -- he asked for volunteers to come try it out. Being always willing to embarrass myself, I quickly volunteered. I figured I've got some sense of rhythm; heck, I could even be the next DJ prodigy! Let's just say I'm sticking with college. It goes without saying that even this "simple" technique was much harder than it looked.
You can't talk about DJs without bringing up hip-hop culture. DP One voiced a concern about the "diluted hip-hop" that is being played on the radio today. I'm no hip-hop aficionado, but it turns out that I'm not the only one who can't stand the vulgar language and unimaginative lyrics of many popular songs. It was refreshing to know that these DJs are taking their music seriously.
Both DJs felt incredible passion for their work, and DP One had numerous interesting stories about where DJing has taken him -- literally, around the world. His stories, however, sometimes went off into motivational speech tangents. I'm sure the audience respected his passion and gratefulness to his art, but I wanted to learn more about the art of being a DJ. My father was a DJ before scratching came around, and it would have been interesting to hear more about the development of the genre from his time. DP One also name-dropped other DJs, but as I know little about the subject, I didn't really connect to this either. Even so, his enthusiasm kept the energy and my interest alive.
The best part of the night, by far, was the DJ Battle between DP One and DJ Esquire. Done á la rap battle, both DJs took a turn doing their DJ thing for about five minutes. This was, in a word, incredible. Having just attempted to scratch some myself, I was even more impressed with their elaborate and complex routines. DJ Esquire combined the lyrics from two different tracks to create a whole new song and kept it unique by frequently switching up the tracks, combining completely different genres. DP One responded with his own style, preferring to use body tricks in his routine. He did everything but back flips while mixing his two tracks with lightning fast speed. To use some DP One hip-hop slang, the battle was "ill," "dope" and "fresh."
Seeing the DJ battle made me realize that it took incredible practice, skill and talent to create those sounds and beats. I shouldn't have been surprised that there is a world interest in the art of DJing, so much so that there are scratch shows attended by 30,000 people and a DJ World Title competition. Even in Old Cabell Hall, both DP One and DJ Esquire proved that their work as DJs is a true art.
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