DJ Scratch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids DJ Scratch |
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DJ Scratch in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | George Spivey |
| Also known as | Jam Master DJ Scratch |
| Born | June 21, 1968 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | B.U.D.A. Productions Inc. |
George Spivey (born on June 21, 1968), known as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop DJ and music producer. He is from Brooklyn, New York.
DJ Scratch is a very talented DJ. He won the New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ championship in 1988. He also won the Master of the Mix in 2010. He was named "Turntablist of the Year" at the Global Spin Awards in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Many albums he produced became very popular. Nineteen of his produced albums were certified Gold in the United States. Seven of these albums even reached Platinum status. This means they sold a huge number of copies!
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A DJ's Journey
DJ Scratch joined the hip hop group EPMD after meeting them through Jam Master Jay. This happened during the Run's House Tour. EPMD was very impressed by his skills. They made him their official DJ for their second album, Unfinished Business, in 1989. You can hear his amazing scratching and cutting techniques on many songs.
Besides being a DJ, he also started producing music. On the album Business As Usual, he produced the songs "Funky Piano" and "Rampage". In 1991, he also worked on a remix for the song "I'm Mad".
In 1992, DJ Scratch produced "Scratch Bring It Back, Pt. 2 (Mic Doc)". He also worked with his cousin DJ Magic Mike for a short time. Later, DJ Scratch became a well-known producer. He worked with famous artists like Busta Rhymes and the Flipmode Squad. This was for Busta's first album in 1996. By 2003, DJ Scratch was a highly respected producer in hip hop. He worked with many big names such as 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, DMX, The Roots, and Q-Tip.
DJ Scratch was also the main DJ for three TV shows. These were Hip Hop Hold Em and Uptown Comedy Club on Fox 5. He also worked on Rap City: The Basement on B.E.T.. He appeared in several movies too. These include Juice, The Original 50 Cent, Backstage, Fly By Night, Rhyme & Reason, and Spike Lee's film Bamboozled. Coca-Cola even asked him to produce and star in their first DJ commercial, called "3 DJs".
According to PMD from EPMD, DJ Scratch left the group in 2015. In 2016, DJ Scratch helped A Tribe Called Quest with their final album. He filled in for their DJ, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who was busy working on the soundtrack for the Luke Cage TV show.
As of 2022, DJ Scratch hosts "The DJ Scratch Show". This show is on LL Cool J's Rock the Bells Radio, which is a station on Sirius XM. On his show, he plays a mix of classic hip-hop songs. DJ Scratch looks up to Grandmaster Flash as his mentor.
Awards and Achievements
DJ Scratch has won many awards for his talent:
- 1988 — New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion
- 2010 — Master of the Mix winner
- 2012, 2013 & 2014 — Global Spin Awards' "Turntablist Of The Year"
Grammy Nominations for DJ Scratch's Work
Some of the songs and albums DJ Scratch produced were nominated for a Grammy award. This is a very important music award!
- Busta Rhymes — song "Gimme Some More" (1998) for "Best Rap Solo Performance"
- Busta Rhymes — album E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front (1998) for "Best Rap Album"
- The Roots — album Phrenology (2002) for "Best Rap Album"
Gold Certified Albums Produced by DJ Scratch
These albums, produced by DJ Scratch, sold over 500,000 copies in the United States, earning them a Gold certification:
- EPMD — Unfinished Business (1989)
- EPMD — Business as Usual (1990)
- EPMD — Business Never Personal (1992)
- EPMD — Back in Business (1997)
- Flipmode Squad — The Imperial (1998)
- Q-Tip — Amplified (1999)
- Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap — The Tunnel (1999)
- LL Cool J — G.O.A.T. (2000)
- Busta Rhymes — It Ain't Safe No More... (2002)
- The Roots — Phrenology (2002)
- Talib Kweli — Quality (2002)
Platinum Certified Albums Produced by DJ Scratch
These albums, produced by DJ Scratch, sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United States, earning them a Platinum certification:
- Busta Rhymes — The Coming (1996)
- Busta Rhymes — When Disaster Strikes (1997)
- Busta Rhymes — E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front (1998)
- DJ Clue — The Professional (1998)
- Method Man & Redman — Blackout! (1999)
- Busta Rhymes — Anarchy (2000)
- DMX — Grand Champ (2003)
Discography
