DJ Qbert scratches Beijing where it itches

Legendary musicians have legendary instruments. Hendrix had his Stratocaster, Page is forever linked to his Les Paul, and DJ Qbert is known for revolutionizing hip-hop with two Technics turntables and his Vestax mixer. Known by many as the world’s greatest hip-hop DJ, Qbert is set to rock the wheels of steel at China Doll on Thursday, December 6.

In addition to winning many world DJ championships and DMC Hall of Fame status, the Bay Area native has been credited with redefining the art form of hip-hop DJing. Recognized for coining the term “turntablist,” Qbert has led a 22 year mission to spread the gospel: The turntable is a legitimate musical instrument. “Banging with a stone on a piece of wood is an instrument,” asserts Qbert in an interview with Fresh Element. “So to me of course turntables, mixers, records, needles and speakers are musical instruments.”

If you’ve seen him perform live on YouTube or in the film “Scratch,” the reason for Qbert’s fame is clear: He uses dizzying eye-hand coordination to produce melody, percussive elements and sounds you never thought a turntable could make with as much control and precision as Miles Davis exercised with his trumpet or Max Roach demonstrated on his drum kit. Whether beatjuggling (reconstructing a beat pattern “live”) or expanding his arsenal of sounds and effects with his crossfader and turntables, Qbert is the defining force of his genre.

DJing since 1985, Qbert put out some of the first sound effects records for scratch DJs and designed his own needles and custom DJ mixer. He also assembled the Invisbl Skratch Piklz to create a “turntable band.” Likening scratch DJs to Jazz musicians, Qbert reveals the affinity between hip-hop, DJing and jazz. “I like the solos they play. I like Bennie Goodman and Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong … I pretend that they were scratching and I try to make my scratching sound like them,” says the Q in an interview with the Bangkok Recorder.

Everywhere he travels, Qbert seeks opportunities to mix (literally) and mingle with local DJs. Wordy, three-time China DMC Champ, eagerly anticipates Qbert’s arrival. “Qbert is the master, the best scratcher on this planet,” says Wordy. “He’s the creator of so many techniques DJs use today … I got into DJing because of what Qbert could do with turntables. He opened my eyes to what’s possible as a hip-hop DJ.”