Grand Wizard Theodore
Encyclopedia
Grand Wizzard Theodore is an American hip hop
DJ
. He is widely credited as the inventor of scratching
.
Born Theodore Livingston in Bronx, New York, his brother, Mean Gene, was Theodore's mentor, and began teaching him DJing before Theodore was even a teen. In addition to scratching, he achieved renown for his mastery of needle drops and other techniques which he invented or perfected. Theodore also apprenticed under Grandmaster Flash
.
In the early 1980s, Theodore was a part of the group Grandwizard Theodore & the Fantastic Five
. They released "Can I Get a Soul Clap" in 1980. He was also featured in the 1983 film Wild Style
, as well as contributing to the film's soundtrack. He explains the origin of the scratch in the documentary
, Scratch
.
Theodore's phrase "Say turn it up" from his track "Fantastic Freaks at the Dixie" was widely sampled by hip hop and rap acts such as Public Enemy (on the track "Bring the Noise"), Bomb the Bass
(on the track "Megablast") and many others.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. He is widely credited as the inventor of scratching
Scratching
Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...
.
Born Theodore Livingston in Bronx, New York, his brother, Mean Gene, was Theodore's mentor, and began teaching him DJing before Theodore was even a teen. In addition to scratching, he achieved renown for his mastery of needle drops and other techniques which he invented or perfected. Theodore also apprenticed under Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
.
In the early 1980s, Theodore was a part of the group Grandwizard Theodore & the Fantastic Five
Grandwizard Theodore & the Fantastic Five
Grandwizard Theodore & the Fantastic Five was an old school hip hop group, best known for their 12" single, "Can I Get A Soul Clap" -History:...
. They released "Can I Get a Soul Clap" in 1980. He was also featured in the 1983 film Wild Style
Wild Style
Wild Style is a 1983 hip hop film produced by Charlie Ahearn. Released theatrically in 1983 by First Run Features and later re-released for home video by Rhino Home Video, it is regarded as the first hip hop motion picture...
, as well as contributing to the film's soundtrack. He explains the origin of the scratch in the documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
, Scratch
Scratch (film)
Scratch is a documentary film, directed and edited by Doug Pray. The film explores the world of the hip-hop DJ. From the birth of hip-hop, when pioneering DJ's began extending breaks on their party records , to the invention of scratching and beat-juggling vinyl, to its more recent explosion as a...
.
Theodore's phrase "Say turn it up" from his track "Fantastic Freaks at the Dixie" was widely sampled by hip hop and rap acts such as Public Enemy (on the track "Bring the Noise"), Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass
Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
(on the track "Megablast") and many others.
External links
- Grand Wizzard Theodore bio The 411 on Grand Wizzard Theo