DJ Scratch Interview

[bigted]

DJ Scratch calls himself your “favorite DJ’s favorite DJ,” which is a hefty claim, but his boast definitely holds weight. Few turntabilists have the versatility to bust a stuttering transformer scratch, produce a head-nodding track for LL Cool J and 50 Cent, and then have the know-how to rock a packed club party.

But the former EPMD DJ, known recently for producing Busta Rhymes’ thematic “New York Sh*t,” has a newfound ambition: bringing the crown back to NYC.

DJ Scratch spoke to NobodySmiling about how the Big Apple needs to come correct, which up-and-coming MCs are repping the City right, and how “New York Sh*t” was almost a Jay-Z song.

NobodySmiling : You’ve always been a behind-the-scenes, low key kind of person – even when you were DJing for EPMD in the 1990s. What made you become more vocal nowadays?

DJ Scratch : No reason in particular, it was just that you’ve got to keep reinventing yourself throughout the years, you know what I’m saying? I’ve been in the industry for over 23 years now, and just like LL Cool J, you’ve got to keep reinventing yourself. The DJs are usually the man in behind, and the rappers are out in front. I never really was interested in the shine and all that, because everybody who always reaches for the shine, they always get in trouble in some way.

And that’s not my personality really. I might show my face here, but then I keep it moving. I’ve seen what happened throughout the years in this rap game with people. People get caught up because they’re so visible, you know what I’m saying? I’m a private dude; I still want my private life to be private. I could still go to the mall with my family, and nobody recognizes me. There might be one or two diehard hip-hop heads in the street that would know me by face. And it’s cool, I could relax. I could go to the movies and cool out. But I see a lot of people I work with, they can’t just do regular things that I do. I still cherish that.

NobodySmiling : Are there any downsides to that? Because I remember reading an interview with DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples, and he said you were one of the reasons he got into scratching. You’ve influenced a lot of DJs, but you haven’t become “famous” as a result, so you might not receive the props and recognition you deserve.

DJ Scratch : Yeah, but I was never in it for the props. The real people know, and that’s all who really need to know. My peers know through the years, they make me a legend, you know? Not the general public. So I was never in it for the props. But the only downside of it is like, if you try to get into a club or a concert, security at the door doesn’t recognize you. You know, that’s the only real downside. But other than that? I rather walk with Busta Rhymes, or stand with Jay-Z – and they look at Jay-Z and don’t know who I am, so I could just walk right out of any situation.

NobodySmiling : Talk a little bit more about that, because I heard that you actually used to spin for Jay a few years back…

DJ Scratch : One day, I went up into Def Jam and I bumped into Jay – and I know Jay from back in the days in Brooklyn. And he asked me for some tracks, he’s like: “What up Scratch, can I get some tracks?” And I was like: “Yo, can I get a twenty-minute solo on stage?” And he was like, “Are you serious? For real? Because I really need that ****.” So I was like, “Dog, I’m with it.” His Hard Knock Life Tour [in 1999] was about to leave within a month, and we flew out to Arizona to rehearse for about a week, and we just got it cracking from there.

NobodySmiling : The heads know you primarily for your onstage set, especially for Big Daddy Kane’s “Friday The 13th I’ma Play Jason” line that you scratch up. But it’s been a while since we’ve heard any real scratching on a mainstream record. Once in a while, you might get a DJ Premier track where he cuts up the chorus, but even that’s been a minute. Why do you think that’s happened?

DJ Scratch :It’s because, basically, it’s a new generation. In hip-hop – well, let’s say rap music; I wouldn’t even give it that much credit. In rap music, a new generation comes along every three years. So the last few years, who do these new rappers have to look up to that does scratches on songs? Nobody, you know what I’m saying? So it’s gonna take dudes like myself, dudes like Busta Rhymes – cats who witnessed the golden era and want to bring that flavor back. Like this “New York Sh*t” song, I had to bring the flavor back to the game, because nobody’s even thinking about that kinda ****. You can’t expect dudes to put scratches in songs when they never even witnessed none of that. It’s not about doing their homework, because these younger dudes are not looking back on their history, they’re looking forward to getting paper. So it takes us, from the golden era and beyond, to school these cats.

NobodySmiling : So how’d the “New York Sh*t” song come about? Did Busta Rhymes initiate it, or did you approach him about it?

DJ Scratch : It was all me, basically. The song was done before I even gave it to Busta. I just placed that song on Busta’s album. I felt that he can lead this movement that I started. Like, I was complaining for a while because New York radio is 99% Dirty South, and 1% New York hip-hop. And a lot of rappers are complaining that [the South’s] getting played on the radio heavy, but you can’t get mad about that because they’re doing their thing. You just gotta do your thing, too. Wasn’t nobody really making no hot records repping for New York. Like you know, Dip Set was doing their thing, but it’s only Dip Set out right now. G-Unit hasn’t came yet – they’re making all of their albums right now, along with all these other cliques – but the only ones that are out now is Dip Set. So the only thing getting played from New York is Dip Set, because everybody else’s albums ain’t done yet.

So I did this beat, and Swizz Beats came up with the hook. We played it around town and it started a crazy buzz, then it became a bidding war for the song. A lot of cats wanted it, and they were like: “Yo, we wanna do an album.” But I was like, nah, if we do an album this song won’t be out until 2007. This song needs to be out right now; New York needs this **** right now. So I was like, whose album are we gonna place this song on? Jay-Z wanted it, but Jay ain’t coming out no time soon. I hear Jay’s recording his album, but he’s not coming out no time soon. Busta Rhymes heard it first, and he wanted it too. So I was like, okay, let’s give it to Busta. For one, me and Busta have been working for ten years now. His career is ten years strong, and I know he would rep the song right. So we gave him the song, he put his vocals on it, and the rest is history from there.

NobodySmiling : Looking forward, who are some up-and-coming New York artists who you think are going to rep the city right in the next few years?

DJ Scratch : Well, I hope everybody reps New York, but it’s basically up to us to guide it. Like DJ Kay Slay’s a veteran, so I’m sure he’s gonna guide Papoose. I think Papoose is gonna be the next dude from New York that’s gonna make an impact. I like Maino. And Jae Millz. Jae Millz is real sick with it, too. We just gotta make sure these dudes are making quality music. Because you could spit whatever you want, just make quality records to bring the essence back to NY. If we don’t do it, who else is gonna do it?

NobodySmiling : I heard you’re planning on making four remixes to “New York Sh*t” featuring a lot of prominent guest MCs. Is that true?

DJ Scratch : Yeah. I can’t even mention the artists on that right now, but it’s about to be crazy. And it’s crazy because there are so many mixtape versions of “New York Sh*t” that have been made. I think this is going to be the most remixed song in history, just on the mixtape level. Everybody’s freestyling over “New York Sh*t” right now. It’s real catchy. But I can’t even mention who’s gonna be on the remixes. I can’t expose that right now. [Laughs].

NobodySmiling : So aside from Busta Rhymes, who are some people you’re currently working with on a production level?

DJ Scratch : Right now, Papoose. Maino. P. Diddy, he’s working on his album right now. And I’m doing some R&B ****: Chauncey Black from Blackstreet. He’s signed to Flipmode Records, too. A few other cats, but I’m basically trying to make a mark with Maino and Papoose, just because they’re the new breed in NY right now. I’m not just trying to give them a beat to get a check. I’m gonna give them a real concept record that’s gonna make cats think, and make their heads nod also, instead of just giving them a beat and letting them do what they do with it. And that’s how I’ve always worked anyway. When I do business with somebody, I wanna make some **** that’s gonna mean something. Whether it’s for the streets, for the clubs, or whatever.

NobodySmiling : You mentioned Jae Millz. He’s been out for maybe two, three years now – and he’s probably been grinding for longer than that. How do you think a NY artist like him can break through, where he can get some nationwide spins? What would he need to do to break through that local shell?

DJ Scratch : Well, there’s a bunch of different things to it. There’s a bunch of rappers that’s hot out here, and their labels don’t support them. That’s one thing, too: the labels are running to Down South artists – not because of their talent, but because they’re selling on their own down there. It’s basically a numbers game with these labels right now; they’re signing movements instead of signing the hottest artists. It’s just dollars and cents with labels. But with us, it’s about talent. Like, Jae Millz is talented. He’s nice as hell, but his label might not support him. They might run Down South and put out their **** before his, you know what I’m saying? Basically, everybody needs to support everybody’s movements up here in NY. And Millz got a hot joint now. “Bring It Back” is hot for the clubs, hot for the radio, but we need to support our own.

NobodySmiling : Let’s talk a little bit about the “Scratch-umentary” DVD you’re working on. How’s that been going?

DJ Scratch : It’s going good, I’ve been filming for like a year-and-a-half now. It’s basically celebrating over 23 years in the game. There’s a lot of never-before-seen footage. I’ve been in DVDs before about DJs, I’ve been in books, but I can’t tell my story in five minutes. I have a lot to talk about, a lot to share, and a lot to show. It’s basically three parts: (1) DJ Scratch, the battle/concert DJ. (2) DJ Scratch, the producer – interviewing cats I look up to, such as Pete Rock, Marley Marl, and DJ Premier. (3) DJ Scratch, the party DJ. People think because of all the tricks I’ve done on the turntables throughout the years, they think I don’t know how to rock a party. But that was the first thing I was doing. Basically, everything you didn’t know about me will be on the DVD.

And I’m paying homage to DJs that never get mentioned: Mixmaster Ice from UTFO. DJ Cash Money. Barry B and Chill Will from Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew. Grandmaster DXT. Howie Tee. These are DJs who were doing these tricks in arenas, and people don’t even mention them. But I don’t blame them for not mentioning them, because they don’t really know. When these young dudes go back, they go straight to Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, and Grand Wizard Theodore. They skip over the whole age from the ‘80s to the mid-‘90s, and there were a lot of DJs during that time that put so much work. They invented stuff that DJs are doing right now. So I’m just doing my part.

http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/interview/86214.php

EDIT: Here's a list of all the tracks he's produced in his career in case you didn't know:

BUSTA RHYMES/ THE COMING

"Do My Thing"

"The Finish Line"

"Woo Hah Remix"

"Abandon Ship Remix"

"Do My Thing Remix"

"Intro"

"Outro"

BUSTA RHYMES/ WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

"Intro"

"The Whole World Lookin At Me"

"Survival Hungry"

"When Disaster Strikes"

"Get High Tonite"

"We Could Take It Outside"

"Get Off My Block"

"Outro"

FLIPMODE SQUAD/ THE IMPERIAL

"Intro"

"Cha Cha Cha"

"Everybody On The Line Outside"

"To My People"

"I Got Your Back"

"This Is What Happens"

"Where You Think You Goin"

"Money Talks"

"Do For Self"

BUSTA RHYMES/ ELE

"Gimmie Some More"

"Party Is Goin On Over Here"

"Do The Bus A Bus"

"The Burial Song"/ Outro"

BUSTA RHYMES/ ANARCHY

"Salute Da Gods"

"We Comin Through"

"Cmon All My Niggaz"

BUSTA RHYMES/ IT AINT SAFE NO MORE

"What Do You Do When Your Branded"

BUSTA RHYMES/ THE BIG BANG

"New York ****"

LL COOL J/ G.O.A.T.

"Ill Bomb"

"LL Cool J"

"Hello"

"You & Me"

"You Cant **** With Me"

"Homicide"

LL COOL J/ ANY GIVEN SUNDAY SOUNDTRACK

"Shut Em Down" Featuring LL COOL J

SNOOP DOGG/ DOGGY STYLE ALLSTARS VOL. 1

"I Just Get Carried Away" Featuring Snoop Dogg

DMX/ GRAND CHAMP

"Stop The Rain"

TALIB KWELI/ QUALITY

"Shock Body"

THE ROOTS/ PHRENOLOGY

"I'll Rock You"

50 CENT/ POWER OF THE DOLLAR

"I'm A Hustler"

DJ KAY SLAY/ THE STREETSWEEPER VOL 1

"50 Shot Ya" Featuring 50 CENT

DJ CLUE/ THE PROFESSIONAL

"Whatever You Want"

BAMBOOZLED SOUNDTRACK

"Blak Iz Blak"

RED MAN METHOD MAN/ BLACKOUT

"1,2,1,2"

FUNK MASTER FLEX/ VOL. 3

"Wutang Cream Team Lineup"

PHAROAHE MONCH

"Intro"

"Right Here"

GURU/ JAZZMATAZZ STREETSOUL

"Keep Your Worries" Featuring Angie Stone & Guru

RAH DIGGA/ DIRTY HARRIET

"Handle Your B.I."

SET IT OFF SOUNDTRACK

"Live To Regret" Featuring Busta Rhymes

RAMPAGE/ SCOUTS HONOR BY WAY OF BLOOD

"Intro"

"Flipmode Iz The Squad"

"Talk Of The Town"

"Get The Money & Dip"

"Flipmode Enemy #1"

"Conquer Da World"

"Hall Of Fame"

"We Getz Down"

"Outro"

EPMD/ BUSINESS AS USUAL

"Rampage"

"Funky Piano"

"For My People"

EPMD/ BUSINESS NEVER PERSONAL

"Scratch Bring It Back"

ERICK SERMON/ DEF SQUAD PRESENTS ERICK ONASIS

"I Do Em"

EPMD/ BACK IN BUSINESS

"Intro"

EPMD/ OUT OF BUSINESS

"The Put On"

LYRICIST LOUNGE/ VOLUME 1

"Be Ok" Featuring Rah Digga & Bahamadia

DJ TONY TOUCH/ THE PIECE MAKER

"Likwit Rhyming"

DAS EFX/ HOLD IT DOWN

"Comin' Thru"

"Bad News"

ILL ALL SKRATCH/ KEEP IT MOVING

"Stick & Movie"

PMD/ BUSINESS IS BUSINESS

"I'm A B-Boy"

"Nuttin Move"

PMD/ SHADE' BUSINESS

"I Saw It Cummin"

"Phuck It Up Scratch"

112 (PART III)

"Dance With Me"

Credited Role: Scratching

SHUT EM' DOWN

"Black Bust"

"Street Niggus"

"Conspiracy"

BEANIE SIGEL/ THE REASON

Credited Role: Scratching

"So What You Saying"

BUSTA RHYMES/ TURN IT UP!:

THE VERY BEST OF BUSTA RHYMES

"Gimmie Some More"

"Do My Thing"

"Do The Bus A Bus"

"Party Is Goin On Over Here"

BUSTA RHYMES/ TOTAL DEVASTATION

"Gimmie Some More"

"Do My Thing"

"Do The Bus A Bus"

"Party Is Goin On Over Here"

LL COOL J/ PHENOMENON

"Phenomenon"

Credited Role: Scratching

STICKY FINGAZ/ BLACK TRASH...

"Why"

"Baby Brother"

"Get It Up"

GURU/ JAZZMATAZZ/ VOL 1

"Respect The Architect"

Credited Role:Scratching

VIOLATOR: THE ALBUM

"Do The Buss A Buss"

MYSTICAL/ TARANTULA

"The Return"

Credited Role: Scratching

MOD SQUAD SOUNTRACK

"Party Is Goin On Over Here"

CONCERT FOR NYC

Credited Role: Performer

THE LIKS/ XO EXPERIENCE

"Bully Foot"

BUSTA RHYMES/ SINGLE

"Comin' Off"

LORDZ OF BROOKLYN/ GRAFFITI ROCK

"Forget A Bout It"

THE SOURCE HIP HOP MUSIC AWARDS 1999

"Party Is Goin On Over Here"

DJ MAGIC MIKE/ REPRESNT

"Represent"

BUSTA RHYMES/ FLIPMODE REMIXES

"Woo-Ha!! Got You All in Check

[The DJ Scratch Albany Projects Remix]"

"Do My Thing [DJ Scratch Remix]"

"Abandon Ship [DJ Scratch Remix]"

BLUE JAMS VOL 2

"Respect the Architect"

RAMPAGE/ SINGLE

"We Getz Down"

WAKE UP SHOW: IN THE MIX

"Funky Piano"

ALICIA KEYS/ DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS (DVD)

50 CENT/ GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN' (DVD)

"50 Shot Ya"

Edited May 23, 2006 by bigted

[JumpinJack AJ]

Thanx 4 posting this. I'll have 2 read it later tho.' I don't think i saw the work he did with FP on there tho.' He remixed both "Men In Black" and "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It."

[bigted]

DJ Scratch did produce "Men In Black" and "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" remixes? I never knew that, what album are they on? That's probably why they weren't mentioned, they were probably just something that was on a mixtape and not on an album, DJ Scratch is definately one of the producers I would wanna see FP work with if it ain't Jazzy, he's dope, I heard that KRS-ONE was on a remix to "New York S***" with Busta Rhymes, I don't think it's gonna be on Busta's album though, does anybody know what mixtape it's on? I'd definately wanna check into that, nice to hear that Chauncey from Blackstreet is still making music too now that he's signed to Flipmode...

Edited May 23, 2006 by bigted

[JumpinJack AJ]

On the US version of the "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" CD single, there is a DJ Scratch Remix of "Men In Black." It has some of the same sound efx on the track, but it's much rougher. The album version is smooth...but this remix has more energy (tho' the same vocals are used). There are 2 CD singles (both of them are a lil' rarer than your typical CD single). One of them has a dope remix that is, like the MIB remix, alot more rougher. It's probably one of the top remixes of FP's "solo" career. Then there is one that has a slightly retro feel which is like the other remix, but stripped down and a bit smoother. There is actually a part or 2 where the beat doesn't fit with the vocals perfectly...but it's still dope.

[Turntable]

It looks like The Trackmastas made the better side of the G.O.A.T then.

[Turntable]

DJ Scratch : Well, I hope everybody reps New York, but it’s basically up to us to guide it. Like DJ Kay Slay’s a veteran, so I’m sure he’s gonna guide Papoose. I think Papoose is gonna be the next dude from New York that’s gonna make an impact. I like Maino. And Jae Millz. Jae Millz is real sick with it, too. We just gotta make sure these dudes are making quality music. Because you could spit whatever you want, just make quality records to bring the essence back to NY. If we don’t do it, who else is gonna do it?

---

Hes right about that.

[bigted]

Hey AJ do you know what'd be the best website for me to get those FP singles you were mentioning? btw, Allhiphop.com has now done an interview with DJ Scratch, check it out:

DJ Scratch: Face Off

By Melanie J Cornish

H aving traveled around the world and back again during his 20 years in the game, New York’s very own DJ Scratch is on a mission. This mission isn’t impossible, it is totally viable. He wants his home city to be recognized for quality music. That want is made clear in his recent Busta Rhymes and Swizz Beats hit, “New York S**t.”

But beats and track-boards are not all that keeps this legend motivated. The New York street bike community is where Scratch mysteriously rides on a chromed out Suzuki with a helmet to match. The former EPMD DJ unveils his identity. Whether it’s lacing hits for Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J, or popping wheelies, the face is revealed and the game is real.

AllHipHop.com: Everyone is on the “New York S**t” track right now; does it still feel the same hearing your tracks on the radio now as it did when you started producing?

DJ Scratch: Yeah I still get excited when I hear my songs on the radio, you know it’s been over 20 years now, and I still get the same feeling.

AllHipHop.com: Was that track made with Busta in mind?

DJ Scratch: Nah, it was just made with New York in mind. Me and Swizz were talking, and I was talking about how New York Hip-Hop basically doesn’t exist anymore and the South is 90% on the radio - no disrespect to the South. [but] I was telling Swizz and I said I wasn’t doing any records for any other region until New York has a banger. So we came up with this record and it was done five months ago. I had that beat for 17 years. I gave that beat to EPMD for their second album, but they didn’t use it. We did the record and played it for a couple of people, and it created a buzz and a lot of people didn’t hear it, but they heard about it. Flex heard about it; Angie Martinez heard about it. Angie Martinez used to call out on the radio and asked Swizz to bring the record up and let them hear it. We had to place someone on this track as it needed to be out there right now. If Swizz had done an album it would [normally take] a year and a half or whatever, I wanted the record out right now. Jay-Z heard about it, he backed up off it for a second. Busta heard it and he wanted it from the first time he heard it.

AllHipHop.com: Has Swizz got co-production on this track? As a lot of people appear to think that this is actually his beat?

DJ Scratch: No, Swizz is just doing his vocal on there. When Busta’s album comes out, it will show that the production credit goes to DJ Scratch.

AllHipHop.com: Since Busta aligned with Aftermath, you don’t appear to be involved in his projects as much as you once were; is there a reason for that?

DJ Scratch: Since Busta left Elektra Reords, we didn’t work as much and even his first album, which was on Elektra, I had no tracks on that album. I always give Busta the hit singles that he needs, because if nobody knows what to give Busta, I know what to give Busta. Artists want to try new things and you have to let them do new things and hopefully they are successful and if they are not, they can always come back home. I wasn’t on the Genesis album, but I did five tracks on that album; the one after that, It Ain’t Safe No More, only one track made the album. Everyone tries new things. He was doing his thing and I was doing my thing. I just want him to win regardless; even if I don’t do any tracks I will help him pick his tracks. You know it all came back together and look what happened.

AllHipHop.com: That seems true of LL Cool J too. After working with The Trackmasters in recent years, he went to you for G.O.A.T. How did that come to be?

DJ Scratch: Well that was basically through the Funk Master Flex [and Big Kap] project, The Tunnel Album. I gave a beat to Flex, it was the track “Ill Bomb,” Flex put LL on it and he killed it and that is one of my favorite songs out of my whole discography. I went to do the scratches on the song, and LL was there in the studio, and he asked me if I had any beats. I gave him a CD with six songs on it, and he picked all of them for the album.

AllHipHop.com: What sort of an experience was that for you working with him?

DJ Scratch: Man, I had always wanted to work with LL, he is basically the “G.O.A.T.,” he has been here the longest, he has the most consistency, he is still current. You know his first fans are 40 years old now. It was a great experience working with LL, he works professional, he writes fast as hell. In the studio, he gives advice on life and on business; it was a cool relationship. Both of us have been in the game near the same length of time and we are still current, as when he was on the mic, I was on the turntables. We shared a lot of stories, but working with LL was a great experience.

AllHipHop.com: I heard your intro-track on Rampage’s album, Have You Seen? is crazy…

DJ Scratch: Well that is another guy, Rampage, Flipmode family, he hasn’t had an album out in nine years. I was like, “S**t, I have tons of beats, and he said he was working on his album, and he was telling me he was working on his project. Of course I am going to support him regardless. So I didn’t give him some C-Class beat that I had because it wasn’t going to generate that much money you know what I mean, I gave him the hottest s**t, and it is about preserving this s**t and helping people out.

AllHipHop.com: So working on independent projects like Rampage's doesn’t bother you?

DJ Scratch: Oh not at all. I didn’t even charge him for that beat.

AllHipHop.com: Yeah he mentioned that he didn’t pay for any beats on his album.

DJ Scratch: Yeah, I mean people always want their money. I could have definitely got some cake for that beat from someone else. Like when [DJ] Premier heard that beat, I was overseas. He hit me up telling me the beat was retarded.

AllHipHop.com: So it’s got to be something big if that is what Premier is saying.

DJ Scratch: Yeah I mean people like Premier and Beatminerz, that’s my satisfaction right there. Those are the guys I look up to on some producing s**t.

AllHipHop.com: How is your School of Turntable Arts working out? Is that still a go with you being out on the road so much?

DJ Scratch: That’s still a go. I do classes on Saturdays and Sundays. Obviously, with touring, I haven’t been doing them lately. It is like one-on-one tutoring, and I am teaching DJs the basic art of DJing. I am not teaching them how to scratch and do a bunch of crazy s**t, I am teaching them the basics. A lot of DJs watch the DJ battle videos and they are learning advanced scratches, but they don’t know the basic s**t. When I taught myself how to DJ, I took ideas from Kung Fu movies when I was training myself. I used to have my brother’s turntables, and his needles were really light, and you couldn’t scratch on the record so I had to figure out how to make my hands light so I could scratch on these wack ass turntables. So I took the idea from a Kung Fu movie and I put ankle weights on my wrists, and practiced with those on everyday for months. I am letting you into a secret right now. I used to teach myself with these weights and I am not sure if people have ever done anything like that, but there is so much strain on your arms and your shoulders so from doing that it is painful at first. Once I took them off, my touch was so light and my arms were so strong at the same time and I was so fast that I could cut on anyone’s turntables. Back then, the needles weren’t made for scratching, so you had to put your quarter on there - or your nickel, depending on your needs. I was able to scratch with no quarter.

I teach them placement when you are DJing. The DJ ramp [isn’t] big on some stages, and you only have a couple of inches of foot room behind you when you are up there. I always gotta do tricks, and if you can only take one step back, you can’t really do much. So I used to practice with two milk crates on each side of my feet and spin around where I had just enough room to do that, spin around clockwise, spin around counterclockwise, everyday and that basically made me stay in one spot and do tricks; so when I get on stage with a little riser I can still do tricks and not fall off the stage.

AllHipHop.com: Motorbikes appear to be important in your life, is that your hobby?

DJ Scratch: Yeah, besides DJing, that is. [laughing]

AllHipHop.com: So what do you ride?

DJ Scratch: I got a Ducati 998 and I got a Suzuki DXR 1000. The Ducati is just like the Bentley, it is powerful as hell.

AllHipHop.com: Is that the appeal of bikes, the power?

DJ Scratch: Yeah, if you are a bike rider, everyone wants a Ducati. It is a street bike, but a classy bike - fast enough to blow everything else out of the water. It is multi you know (laughing.) The Suzuki, that is one of the fastest bikes on the street and I went and got that customed out. I painted it and I chromed it. When I ride around, I ride around with a chrome hockey mask on and a chrome helmet so people don’t know who I am.

AllHipHop.com: Well if they know their Hip-Hop history they should.

DJ Scratch: Yeah, one day I didn’t ride around with the hockey mask on. I parked up on this bike strip and the guys that were standing next to me with their bikes, they was talking about me - they was saying they had seen this dude in Brooklyn, and he has a chrome bike, he had chrome knuckles on his gloves and he had a chrome f**king hockey mask on. When he said the hockey mask, the other guys were like, “Yeah I seen him too.” I jumped in the conversation and I was like, “Yeah, I saw him down Atlantic Avenue.’ It is like a secret identity.