Scratch
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Transparent
Hip-hop’s been around now for 26 years. Its strange career has suffered the slings and arrows of the PMRC, Presidential candidates’ attacks, FOP assaults, its A-list stars becoming D-ranked actors, several slayings, and an Eazy-E dinner with George Bush. Now, it is time to be lauded and praised as the ingenious art form that it really and truly is. Two movies are now circulating, Freestyle and Scratch, that promise to do just that (I’ve seen and loved the former, and look forward to the latter).
This soundtrack delivers exactly what the title promises. So, if you don’t like the deft skills of turntablists, this CD is definitely not for you – because this has more screeching sound effects than “Chinese Arithmetic.” Part-document/part-soundtrack, Scratch is a must-have for any hip-hop nerd. Everybody (except Eric B., unfortunately) makes an appearance here. Afrika Bambaata, Cut Chemist, Shadow, Grand Wizard Theodore, and MixMaster Mike speak in brief interludes about what inspired them to become DJs, little-known history, and galactic realities (thanks, Bambaata). DJ Premier (a.k.a. God!), Grandmixer DXT, Faust, Krush, and Rob Swift contribute some nice cuts and cuttings.
The thing that really makes this disc, though, is the reworking of Herbie Hancock’s hip-hop classic, “Rockit.” MixMaster Mike, DXT, Rob Swift, Qbert, Babu, Faust, and Shortee all get their metacarpal tunnel syndrome on this Transformer-ed, eight-minute remix. For all you Old School B-Boys, this one can’t be missed.
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