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Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ
It's all about the scratch in Groove Music, award-winning music historian Mark Katz's groundbreaking book about the figure that defined hip-hop: the DJ.
Today hip-hop is a global phenomenon, and the sight and sound of DJs mixing and scratching is familiar in every corner of the world. But hip-hop was born in the streets of New York in the 1970s when a handful of teenagers started experimenting with spinning vinyl records on turntables in new ways. Although rapping has become the face of hip-hop, for nearly 40 years the DJ has proven the backbone of the culture. In Groove Music, Katz (an amateur DJ himself) delves into the fascinating world of the DJ, tracing the art of the turntable from its humble beginnings in the Bronx in the 1970s to its meteoric rise to global phenomenon today. Based on extensive interviews with practicing DJs, historical research, and his own personal experience, Katz presents a history of hip-hop from the point of view of the people who invented the genre. Here, DJs step up to discuss a wide range of topics, including the transformation of the turntable from a playback device to an instrument in its own right, the highly charged competitive DJ battles, the game-changing introduction of digital technology, and the complex politics of race and gender in the DJ scene.
Exhaustively researched and written with all the verve and energy of hip-hop itself, Groove Music will delight experienced and aspiring DJs, hip-hop fans, and all students or scholars of popular music and culture.
Today hip-hop is a global phenomenon, and the sight and sound of DJs mixing and scratching is familiar in every corner of the world. But hip-hop was born in the streets of New York in the 1970s when a handful of teenagers started experimenting with spinning vinyl records on turntables in new ways. Although rapping has become the face of hip-hop, for nearly 40 years the DJ has proven the backbone of the culture. In Groove Music, Katz (an amateur DJ himself) delves into the fascinating world of the DJ, tracing the art of the turntable from its humble beginnings in the Bronx in the 1970s to its meteoric rise to global phenomenon today. Based on extensive interviews with practicing DJs, historical research, and his own personal experience, Katz presents a history of hip-hop from the point of view of the people who invented the genre. Here, DJs step up to discuss a wide range of topics, including the transformation of the turntable from a playback device to an instrument in its own right, the highly charged competitive DJ battles, the game-changing introduction of digital technology, and the complex politics of race and gender in the DJ scene.
Exhaustively researched and written with all the verve and energy of hip-hop itself, Groove Music will delight experienced and aspiring DJs, hip-hop fans, and all students or scholars of popular music and culture.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2012
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122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 17, 2013
What a great historical review of the Hip Hop DJ. The wild part of this book is many of my DJ professors and mentors are mentioned at length. That was awesome. I wish I would have read this book sooner. There was so much happening in the scene as I was growing up and I was unaware. I need to go back over this book and review many sections more thoroughly, stopping to watch the Youtube videos to fully comprehend the stories. Highly recommend this for any DJ.
December 30, 2018
uno de los mejores libros que lei este año. Excelente revision sobre la historia del Hip Hop y el nacimiento del DJ y su manejo sobre las tornamesas. Lo recomiendo por mucho a todo aquel que le interese la musica Hip Hop y el Scratch.
January 18, 2018
Excellent book about a interest and hobby of mine but still written in a way to give insight into a subject matter not grasped by the general public.
March 21, 2012
I didn't grow up in New York City and my first introduction to the art form was through Rapper's Delight (unfortunately), but hip-hop is my favorite music genre. I use it to lift my spirits when I'm depressed, and to make me feel powerful when I need a boost of confidence. I've also been known to actually tear up when I hear a good sample used in a particularly masterful way or an intricate scratching routine. Seriously.
So I was excited to read this new book by music historian, Mark Katz. He specifically chose to focus on DJs that actually manipulate records, not the DJ/producers that are so popular today. Even though I've learned about the history from reading other books, it was still interesting to hear about who invented what scratch and how the technology has advanced and its effect on the industry. The inclusion of female DJs was nice, because they are so often overlooked, but I would have liked for that chapter to have been a little longer. This is a great addition to the growing canon of books about hip-hop.
So I was excited to read this new book by music historian, Mark Katz. He specifically chose to focus on DJs that actually manipulate records, not the DJ/producers that are so popular today. Even though I've learned about the history from reading other books, it was still interesting to hear about who invented what scratch and how the technology has advanced and its effect on the industry. The inclusion of female DJs was nice, because they are so often overlooked, but I would have liked for that chapter to have been a little longer. This is a great addition to the growing canon of books about hip-hop.
May 29, 2012
One of the best books on hip hop I've read, and far and away the best book on deejay culture I've come across. Katz covers a lot of ground, and manages to discuss the technical aspects of deejaying in a way that is easy to understand without dumbing things down.
April 22, 2014
Mark Katz uses both storytelling and description and succeeds in presenting the story of the hip hop Djing from its birthday till today by the most trustable way. The book is also of ethnomusilogical interest.
April 20, 2013
A terrific read from one of my favorite musicologists. My full review will appear in the American Music Research Journal in 2013.
March 26, 2014
a specialist interest...
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May 30, 2014782.42164 K1988 2012
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews