Marley Marl and Kid Capri overshadow Kendrick Lamar, Grand Wizzard Theodore,
A-Trak at World Spin Awards
A virtual who "s who of turntablists gathered Monday night in
Midtown Manhattan for the Global Spin DJ Awards, a ceremony celebrating the
role of the DJ in the hip-hop culture, as well as honor two of the biggest
names in the history of the sub-genre: DJ Marley Marl and Kid Capri. Marl
received the Legendary DJ Award, and Capri received the Lifetime Achievement
Award.
Marl earned renown as the go-to producer for Queens rap collective
The Juice Crew during hip-hop "s "Golden Age," helping to build the
careers of Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie, as well as outside rappers including
LL Cool J and Eric B. & Rakim. Those in-the-know cite the DJ as the first
to sample and reprogram a breakbeat, an essential moment in the evolution
of hip-hop. Capri made a name for himself in the industry through his acclaimed
mixtapes, and broke into the mainstream by appearing on HBO "s Def Com Jam.
Russell Simmons, the producer of Def Com, spoke in support of
Capri via a video tribute.
"Kid Capri is a direct link," he said. "So many
DJ "s came before and inspired his work, but he brought it to the future."
The night "s popular theme was discussing how often DJ "s get
slept-on in the grand scheme of hip-hop, versus the work of the emcees working
with their beats. Capri stuck to the mantra, reminding the audience during
his emotional speech that "without us, there "s no party."
Marl "s star-studded tribute ended the night in grand finale
fashion, parading a slew of classic hip-hop names onstage. Legendary producer
DJ Premier joined Pete Rock for a turntable highlight reel of Marl "s hits,
followed by performances from Queens emcees Big Daddy Kane, Masta Ace, Craig
G. and Roxanne Shanté. The lattermost ave perhaps the most honest summary
of Marl "s relevance to hip-hop.
"Marley Marl has made so many people in hip-hop rich,"
she said, after describing his popularity in her neighborhood. "And I
thank God I "m one of them."
Kendrick Lamar was the biggest name in a night full of celebrity
presenters, and Marl playfully called him out when accepting the Legendary
DJ prize.
"Right now Kendrick, I feel like the motherf----n " king
of New York," he said with a smile.
Monday "s event marks the second annual Global Spin Awards, and
a few technical glitches couldn "t damper the spirits of the convivial crowd.
Other performances came from turntable legends including Grand Wizzard Theodore
and DJ Scratch, as well as more current artists such as A-Trak. DJ Drama and
DJ Irie were the night "s other big winner "s, with the former taking home Online/Satellite
Radio DJ of The Year and National Mixtape DJ of The Year, and the latter winning
National Club DJ of The Year and DJ Entrepreneur of The Year.
The night "s guests of honor gave Music Times a few bits of advice
to pass along to new generations of beat-makers. Marl acknowledged advances
in technology, but suggested going retro.
"The TR-808 (drum machine)," he said, nodding wisely.
"I introduced it and I still use it."
Capri was more accepting of the modern methods for producing
mixtapes, but he offered a general rule for creating beats, which he said
worked for him and still applies today.
"Keep it as real as possible. Don "t use too much trickery,"
he said, before breaking into a grin. "And if you use trickery...keep
it as real as possible."
musictimes.com