A special survey on the history of the Hip-Hop DJ, produced by Billy Jam for Art Radio WPS1.org. Billy Jam is a longtime hip-hop DJ/journalist/archivist who has been actively presenting and reporting on the art form since the early 1980s via various media outlets including radio, television, print, and the Internet. He has written about hip-hop for such publications as the Source, Vibe, XXL, the Bay Guardian, and the San Francisco Chronicle and contributed to numerous books including the Vibe History of Hip-Hop and The Ego Trip Book of Rap Lists. He is currently contributing to publications including the NY Press and working on a book about DJs. A radio DJ since 1984, he has worked at over a dozen radio stations including KPFA Berkeley, CA and WFMU Jersey City where he currently (2006) hosts Put The Needle on the Record on Friday afternoons. For more information visit his website: hiphopslam.com or e-mail him at billyjam@hiphopslam.com.

Playlist

01 History of the Hip-hop DJ Intro
02 Grandmaster Flash & Kurtis Blow - Live @ Randy's (1979)
03 Grandmaster Flash - adventures on the wheels of steel (1981)
04 Jazzy Jeff with Fresh Prince - live @ Union Sq (1986)
05 Grand Wizzard Theodore quote about creation of the scratch
06 Grand Wizzard Theodore & Kevvy Kev Rockwell - Military Cut (1983)
07 World's Famous Supreme Team/Malcolm McLaren - Do ya like scratchin'?(1982)
08 Billy Jam mic break/Tom Silverman (Tommy Boy) quote about discovering Afrika Bambaataa/excerpt of Planet Rock
09 Afrika Bambaataa quote on early eighties New York scene
10 DST/Herbie Hancock - Rockit (1983)
11 Davy DMX - one for the treble (1984)
12 Kool Herc quote about definition of hip-hop records
13 Uncle Jamm's Army/Egyptian Lover - what is a DJ if he can't scratch? (1984)
14 Knights of the Turntables - techno scratch (1984)
15 Double Dee & Steinski - Lesson 1 (1985)
16 Cash Money - the music maker (1988)
17 Billy Jam mic break/Just Ice quote about Bronx parties in 1970s
18 DJ Premier - deep concentration (1989)