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Most Influential DJ's

mr.brettmr.brett 678 Posts
edited September 2007 in Strut Central
A journalist is doing an article about the local dj's in my town and was wondering who some of the most influential DJ's are. I gave her the following names, but was curious to get some of your opinions. Hip-hopDJ Kool Herc - Threw the first hip-hop parties, focused on looping the break. Question: To what extent did Herc bring the concept of the soundsystem clash from Jamaica and to what extent did this instill the concept of battling as key part of hip-hop?GrandWizard Theodore - "Inventor" of the scratchGrandmaster Flash - What was signficant about flash? He cut while flipping around, scratching w/ elbows and moving the fader with his back, but is there anything else?Who else?I told her that Jazzy Jeff and DJ Premier are worth mentioning as underground icons today. Who else falls in this category?Disco/HouseDavid Mancuso - Worth mentioning because his loft parties were the model atmosphere/vibe that clubs and party hosts tried to replicate in the 70's. While he didn't mix, his selections and sequencing were highly respected. Frankie Knuckles - DJ at the Warehouse. Knuckles imported the aesthetic found in the New York underground disco scene. People began calling house music house to describe the type of music he played at the Warehouse. Francis Grasso - first beatmatcher. Current underground icons - Mark Farina, Derrick Carter, Raoul Belmans.... it could go on and on... and names vary with personal preferences towards different styles of house.What about techno DJ's... the only name I really know is Jeff Mills.
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  Comments

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    Josh
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    It's all about Larry Levan...
  • DrJoelDrJoel 932 Posts
    Q Bert
  • LamontLamont 1,089 Posts
    Mojo
  • the_average_manthe_average_man 675 Posts
    Boy George
  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    In no particular order, but all of the following are pretty essential:

    Shadow and Cut Chemist
    Z-Trip
    Beat Junkies
    Scratch Picklz
    KDAY DJs
    Red Alert
    Stretch Armstrong
    Chemical Brothers
    Grandmixer DST
    Bambaataa
    Jazzy Jay
    Grandmaster Flash
    Grandwizard Theodorde
    Jam Master Jay
  • the_average_manthe_average_man 675 Posts
    A journalist is doing an article about the local dj's in my town and was wondering who some of the most influential DJ's are. I gave her the following names, but was curious to get some of your opinions.

    Hip-hop

    DJ Kool Herc - Threw the first hip-hop parties, focused on looping the break.
    Question: To what extent did Herc bring the concept of the soundsystem clash from Jamaica and to what extent did this instill the concept of battling as key part of hip-hop?
    GrandWizard Theodore - "Inventor" of the scratch
    Grandmaster Flash - What was signficant about flash? He cut while flipping around, scratching w/ elbows and moving the fader with his back, but is there anything else?[/b]
    Who else?
    I told her that Jazzy Jeff and DJ Premier are worth mentioning as underground icons today. Who else falls in this category?

    Bambatta - records
    Flash - techniques
    Herc - best sound system
  • soulmarcosasoulmarcosa 4,296 Posts
    Voted "best DJ in the World" 3 consecutive times by DJ magazine.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijs_Verwest

  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
    Q-Bert
    Craze
    Alaadin
    Cash Money
    Jazzy Jeff
    DJ Supreme (UK)
    Joe Cooley
  • picoandsepulvedapicoandsepulveda 1,026 Posts
    Tom "The Great" Sebastian.
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    Toni Peret & Jos?? Mar??a Castells




    Real fucking mixers know the deal...
  • SouthCrackalackSouthCrackalack 3,853 Posts
    Dude..


    end of story.
  • grandpa_shiggrandpa_shig 5,799 Posts
  • residentgiantresidentgiant 619 Posts
    Um, would be a pretty glaring omission




    Grandmaster Flash - What was signficant about flash? He cut while flipping around, scratching w/ elbows and moving the fader with his back, but is there anything else?

    Flash's influence shouldn't be downplayed! While Kool Herc might've been the first to double up breaks, Flash took it to a whole other level.. He was really the first to make it sound seamless and segue between breaks without missing a beat. People were so blown away by it that they'd just stop dancing to watch him... Enter the MC, to keep the people moving and get some of the attention off of Flash.

    Not to mention he modified his mixer to have a cue listen.. I'm not sure if that was a feature on a lot of mixers back then, but apparently it was a big breakthrough for him.
  • DubiousDubious 1,865 Posts
    Mancuso
    Walter Gibbons
    Levan
    Knuckles
    Ron Hardy
    Electrifying Mojo
    Hot Mix 5
    Francois K
    Baldelli
    Loda
    Mozart
    Harvey
    Tee Scott
    Nicky Siano
    jim Burgess
  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    John Peel


    Gilles Peterson (?)
  • DongerDonger 854 Posts
    A journalist is doing an article about the local dj's in my town and was wondering who some of the most influential DJ's are. I gave her the following names, but was curious to get some of your opinions.

    Disco/House

    David Mancuso - Worth mentioning because his loft parties were the model atmosphere/vibe that clubs and party hosts tried to replicate in the 70's. While he didn't mix, his selections and sequencing were highly respected.

    Frankie Knuckles - DJ at the Warehouse. Knuckles imported the aesthetic found in the New York underground disco scene. People began calling house music house to describe the type of music he played at the Warehouse.

    Francis Grasso - first beatmatcher.

    Current underground icons - Mark Farina, Derrick Carter, Raoul Belmans.... it could go on and on... and names vary with personal preferences towards different styles of house.

    House is so global

    NYC = Walter Gibbons (!), Tee Scott, Larry Levan, Francois K (who is still influential to this day), and in the last 10 years - present Timmy Regisford, Joe Claussell, Little Louie Vega

    Chicago = Ron Hardy always.

    UK = Harvey, and for "rare groove" Norman Jay & Gilles Peterson

    Spain = Ricardo Villalobos

    Norway = Prins Thomas and Lindstrom

    Not sure where Maurice Fulton is living nowadays

    What about techno DJ's... the only name I really know is Jeff Mills.

    Most influential "techno" dj of all time = Electrifying Mojo or whatever his name is.

    I-F is very influential right now, and has been for the last 5 or more years.

    Carl Craig, Derrick May, Juan Atkins

    DJ Hell
  • phatmoneysackphatmoneysack Melbourne 1,124 Posts
    Are there any Northern Soul DJs of global significance?

    Have any been mentioned?
  • deejdeej 5,125 Posts
    Spain
    Chile = Ricardo Villalobos
  • deejdeej 5,125 Posts
    DJ Clue
    DJ Drama
  • piedpiperpiedpiper 1,279 Posts
    Germany Spain Chile = Ricardo Villalobos

    and how about Sven V??th?
  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    THA PUMPSTA AND DIPLO
  • bobbydeebobbydee 849 Posts
    Norman cook/fatboy slim has to be up there - he brought a hip hop cut & paste aesthetic to what had become an impersonal techy scene. Reignited house music in alot of ways by mixing it with the hip hop & the Chemy's big beat sound.

    2 many DJ's & A skills w. Krafty Kuts have got to be other more recent DJ's who changed a scene.
  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    Are there any Northern Soul DJs of global significance?

    Have any been mentioned?


    Ian Levine, Kev Roberts....and not to forget the mighty Keb Darge, who rose from the ranks of the Northern Soulies...
  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    John Peel




    Gilles Peterson (?)
    No way
  • WoimsahWoimsah 1,734 Posts
    DJ Clue
    DJ Drama

    uuuhhhh
  • UkranianLandlordUkranianLandlord 145 Posts
    Toni Peret & Jos?? Mar??a Castells




    that was dope!
  • LamontLamont 1,089 Posts

    Gilles Peterson (?)
    No way
    Easily one of the top ten dj's ever, sucka
  • SLurgSLurg 446 Posts
  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
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