label: thump
mix cd includes: dj qbert, mixmaster mike, cut chemist, dj shadow, dj cash money, dj craze, radar, kurtis blow, others.
year of release: 2003
 
When real DJs do real scratching in a mainstream commercial, you know it's on. The background is no longer the dwelling ground for the DJ, nope, they now claim center stage. So, basically rap music and the hip hop culture has once more created a musical super hero, a character that's cool, and quite obviously, hip hop will get very little credit for it. While we must wait and see which DJs will be hyped next. That commercial had Skratch Picklz in it, true and real DJs. But will the mainstream hug newbies or veterans next? Will they find wack, but marketable DJs to promote, instead of all the originals and incredible ones?
Man, quite a cynical outlook. But an interesting outlook and this is not the worst place to discuss it. As when Thump Records steps up to kick start their "Deadly DJ Cuts" series (at least that's the plan), then there must be some amount of attention and expectation scratching has already garnered. Even though Thump is quite a ghetto compilation label. And their backlist of records shows many records that are just at the brink of being quickly thrown together. Mainly because they go for two thirds obvious choices, combined with one third of 'it was easier to get a license for these songs', and the odd genius pick here and there. But added up, that does make it an interesting mix, as the obvious ones are classic and impossible to dismiss, and the other tracks are usually wacky enough choices to be interesting.

 
tracklisting
1. Q-Bert "Turntable TV (re-vizion)"
2. Mixmaster Mike "Surprize Packidge"
3. Cut Chemist "Lesson 6 The Lecture"
4. DJ Shadow "Changeling (Transmission 1)"
5. DJ Rectangle "Turntable Terror"
6. Peanut Butter Wolf feat. Babu & J-Rocc of the Beat Junkies "They Don't Fall Down"
7. DJ Cash Money "3:00 In Da Morning/Circus Of Hell"
8. DJ Craze "Act Up"
9. Rodney O & Joe Cooley "Cooley High"
10. Mixmaster Mike "Audio Mass"
11. Q-Burn Abstract Message "Book Of Changes"
12. Radar "Radar Frees Tibet (gasho remix)"
13. Salt-N-Pepa "Spindarella's Not A Fella (But A Girl DJ)"
14. Kurtis Blow "AJ Scratch"
And it's exactly the same here. Once again the mere list of names is awe inspiring. Just think: Q-Bert, Craze, Cash Money, Shadow, Mixmaster Mike, Cut Chemist, Radar and the list goes on. The elite of the best is on here. Of course with a couple of people left out. But for those, there's volume two. So the two thirds of obvious choices, well, are obvious, but they are also too strong, too good to even raise the tiniest voice of objection.
Now the other third is where it gets funny. First of all, the title of the record obviously has you expect songs done by DJs. Interestingly enough, Thump chose to also add tracks by rappers done about their DJs. Now, that might seem inconclusive to the concept, but in actuality, it works very well. So when Rodney O & Joe Cooley's "Cooley High" comes on, when Kurtis Blow does his now classic "AJ Scratch", or even when Salt-N-Pepa do "Spindarella's Not A Fella (But A Girl DJ)", the appreciation of these artists for their DJs is perfect on such a compilation. Especially as second, with a DJ Shadow's "Changeling (Transmission 1)" or with a Q-Burn Abstract Message "Book Of Changes", we also get tracks that focus on the production skills of the DJ, rather than his turntable trickery.
What then leads us to another thing: these tracks have all been previously released. So nothing new under the sun. Well, at least for the guys that have each and every record. But as not everyone bought the "Deep Concentration" or the "Return Of The DJ" compilations (and I had to throw these two classic and pioneering DJ compilation series in here), not everyone owns every single album on this planet, and not everyone is as down with this scene as you and me. What then makes this record good for those that it's catered to anyway: the people that are really interested in hearing what these DJs they see on stage with rock groups (or lately pop groups for that matter), in videos, commercials, etc. etc. etc. do. And with this compilation really containing true legends, true masters of the trade, it gets its job done.
review: tadah
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