It's a shame that we live in a day n age where either our new DJs are just plane shit or it's not 'cool' to get busy on the 1s & 2s anymore. Everyone wants to be a rapper lol. I heard the NZ DMC competition is no more again, pretty much due to lack of interest from DJs. But then i think about how the battle scene has changed so much over the years and i often get people asking why?
Remember when DJs were flipping 'hip hop' records? That IMO is where the 'connection' between the DJ & the people met halfway. The manipulation of a well known hiphop record would cause the crowd to go ape! It was the best feeling to be amongst the masses when a DJ flipped a Nas record or a Gangstarr record real nice. Like wow how the hell he do that?
Then remember in 98 when DJ Craze brought a new style to the game with his jungle type drum n bass mixed with hiphop? He pretty much gave birth to the 'clone' generation. Next thing yah know kids are going crazy trying to be the next Craze or the next I-emerge! So as progression does its job, obviously these kids are coming up with quicker and more technical tricks, scratches and juggles. To the point where they're flipping techno records. And custom made ones at that.
Im lucky because im a fan of the art so i love what these kids are coming up with. So i understand the skill and hard work that goes into their sets.
Unfortunately after all the years of 'who can do the quickest shit' and 'look at me i can scratch like a muthafucka' the link between the hip hop fan and battle DJ has died. Maybe it hasn't in europe i don't know? But speaking for our own country no one gives two shits about a DJ battle accept a couple fans a handful of DJs and one or two dudes willing to put on these battles. Man times have changed!
Im not gonna ask how we can bring that real hiphop back n all that shit. But its pretty clear that time and progression have their own agenda. Makes you wonder don't it?
A big big biggg shout out to my dude DJ IMPACT from Hamilton our current NZ dmc champion. Imagine if this kid was around during the golden era of NZ DJ battles? ....exactly!
Peace be the journey where ever our art-form goes. I keep an open mind but don't get it twisted, I know what hiphop is!
Check homeboy out from the 2009 world dmc championships. Skillz!
Wow, like this post. You just took me back to some good times. I used to love heading out to the DMC's. Fun times. Real talent too. I'm a bit out of the loop as to who's got the goods nowadays. By the sounds of things it's a dying art. Pretty sad to see.
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