Scratch [the movie]

Scratch is a must-see for every self-respected hip hop fan. It doesn’t really make a difference whether you are actually a dj or not, this film is like an on screen hip hop encyclopedia for everyone to watch. It was actually Mixmaster Mike who you might know from his long term collaboration with the Beastie Boys, who persuaded the director Doug Pray to come up with the idea for the movie. As the name implies the story revolves around the evolution of the hip hop culture in its every aspect, from scratching and rapping to breakdancing and graffiti, and throughout the movie you can see some of the biggest names in the game such as Dj Babu and Dj Qbert share their knowledge on the subject and even provide some of their own personal experiences. The film is broken down into different chapters that go through the various elements on which the hip hop culture was built. From Grand Wizard Theodore’s introduction of scratching that came about around the time when Afrika Bambaattaa was putting together his Zulu Nation collective back in the 80’s, and the collaboration of Dj Shadow and Cut Chemist with Steinski, to the evolution of beat making throughout the past 30 years as dj Premier explains it and the visions and aspirations that some of today’s most successful Djs hold about their career and their role in the hip hop world. Scratch also features a number of interviews from Djs such as Grand Master Flash, Rob Swift and Roc Raida from the X-Ecutioners and Dj Craze, not to mention the countless other names that appear on screen including Madlib, Z-Trip, Dj Nu-Mark and Dj Krush.