Kool Keith's quirkier sides are well-documented, especially on the heels of a new Dr. Octagon album. However, the decorated veteran MC can also let his guard down and make some pretty reflective Rap. It's what he's doing on his latest song, paying tribute to his ex-wife and youngest kid's mother... Read more

One week from today (April 6), Dr. Octagon will release its second album with the founding lineup. Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation packs excitement in the careers of Dan The Automator, DJ QBert, and MC Kool Keith. After releasing their latest album's first two singles "Octagon Octagon" and... Read more

This month, Oakland, California's Del announced the collaborative project with renowned producer/musician, Amp Live (formerly of Zion I). It represents a merging of two very meaningful Hip-Hop artists, especially to the Bay Area. The duo's debut album, Gate 13 is due to drop on April 20, and they teased its... Read more

Herbie Hancock is a 14-time Grammy Award recipient (as well as an Oscar winner) that many cite as a provider of their introduction to Hip-Hop and DJ'ing on television. Although the Jazz impresario's recording career began at the top of the '60s, Hip-Hop and Hancock helped each other achieve mainstream... Read more

This past weekend, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) revealed that he and Talib Kweli are reuniting for a sophomore Black Star album. Meanwhile, another late '90s Hip-Hop squad finally debuts new music with its founding lineup. Dr. Octagon returns with Kool Keith, Dan The Automator, and DJ QBert. Moosebumps: An... Read more

In 2017 Dr. Octagon is making big waves after years in idle. More than 20 calendars after Kool Keith, Dan The Automator, DJ QBert and others recorded the cult-lauded Dr. Octagonecologyst album, the fictional persona is back in the symbolic operating room. Keith, Dan, and QBert performed their first ever... Read more

Dr. Octagon is making some serious waves in 2017. Twenty years after the group went public (with a lengthy hiatus), things are really heating up. The duo of MC Kool Keith and producer Dan The Automator (along with DJ Qbert) had recently announced two California dates, the same state where... Read more

The Technics 1200s turntable is one of the tools of the Hip-Hop trade. Introduced in October of 1972, the SL-1200 has grown step-by-step with the musical culture credited with a birthday less than one year apart (August 11, 1973). Over the years, more than three-million units have sold, many in... Read more

For more than 25 years, Northern California has been an epicenter for turntablism long before the term even existed. Labels like Bomb Hip-Hop put out compilations that celebrated scratching, mixing, and juggling in ways that took the DJ from a featured player in 1980s and 1990s commercial Rap music, and... Read more

Films like 2001's Scratch have covered the role of DJs in Hip-Hop music's genesis. However, the artist who uses turntables and mixers to create, alter, and present music live spans across genre. Soundtrack: The Story of the DJ is a forthcoming film that examines the mix-master. The film, made by... Read more

These days, Hip-Hop loves a good cypher. MCs coming together to collaborate in the moment - a balance of competition and cohesion. But what about the DJs? The Red Bull Music Academy recently assembled 40 of the world's best DJs, and asked them to plug in, together at the academy's... Read more

DJ QBert is still on one. The longtime title-winning DJ follows up his April Hard Boiled Scrambled mix with a part two (joined by "DJ Rockit Rooster"). The Invizibl Skratch Piklz co-founder stays in the Rare Groove format, but seems to step a bit more into the '70s/formative Hip-Hop sound.... Read more

Although he does not get nearly enough credit in mainstream Hip-Hop circles, DJ QBert is one of the proven masters within the culture. The San Francisco, California DJ/turntablist/producer born Richard Quitevis has advanced the possibility of the turntable, mixer, and scratch language beyond comprehension. The leader of the Invisibl Skratch... Read more

Chances are that if you own a pair of turntables, you know who DJ QBert is. The San Francisco, California DJ helped coin the term turntablism. The front man of the Invizbl Skratch Piklz crew (which also includes Beastie Boys' DJ Mixmaster Mike, and Fool's Gold Records founder DJ A-Trak,... Read more