The art of Tunrtablism is a Hip-Hop born term. Turntablism, as defined by me, is being able to manipulate two (or one) turntable efficiently enough to play the turntables as if they were a trumpet or saxophone….
I am a little “Old School” and started spinning in 1998, when we had to buy wax. Spinning meant being able to manipulate wax. No Serato, no punch buttons, no programming your juggling on the computer so it’s “automated”, actually being able to mix wax…
From experience, the best DJ’s seem to have learned on wax. The analogy I cam up with is this. Learning to spin on wax, is like learning to drive a car with a manual transmission, no power windows, and no power steering. Once you learn that you can drive a Yugo to a Mercedes. Anything.
Unfortunately some of the art is getting lost. The mixes are getting iller, but the talent of the Newer school DJ’s is not comparible to the DJ’s who learned on wax…
Shout out to the DJ’s who stil;l spin on wax without using a CPU to guide you,and shout out to the DJ;s who use The new technology, but can still serve it on the wax, without the assistance of a CPU.
And I would like to point out one more thing. If you did not start spinning on wax, you are not any less Hip-Hop, but definetely show MUCH RESPECT to your predecessors.
But you ain’t driving my car if you learned on a time code or CDJ…lol
Peace,
Apademik
(c) Apademik 2009
Tags: Hip-Hop, Long Island, rap, underground
