Grand Mixer D.ST

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Grand Mixer D.ST, later known as GrandMixer DXT, is the stage name of Derek Showard, an American musician and DJ. His first name refers to Delancey Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York. He is regarded as a pioneer of hip hop, and as the first turntablist: the first to make the turntable sound like a fully fledged, improvising musical instrument.

Music and breakthrough

He devised the technique of changing the pitch of a note or sound on the record. In the early years of hip hop a DJ was someone who played records and mixed them together. With his work he showed that you can also play a melody or a solo with two turntables. He appeared in the influential hip hop film Wild Style.

Influence

His best-known contribution is the scratching on Rockit, the single by Herbie Hancock from the album Future Shock, which Bill Laswell and Material produced. That track brought scratching to a large audience and helped make the DJ's craft popular. Later he also appeared in the 2001 documentary Scratch. His work shows that the turntable can be an instrument.

Listening

In School of Rock

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