Unlike the 80s when turntablism was at its peak, hip-hop DJs of the 90s fell second to the emcee, which began to take center stage in the genre. However, the exploding popularity of music sampling on tracks gave rise to an entirely new breed of DJs and producers.
Famous hip hop DJs from the 90s were and continue to be some of the most influential DJs of all time.
The 90s are often dubbed as being the golden age of hip-hop. Nearly every major album featured a new stylistic technique that set it apart. MTV’s Sway Calloway said it best: “The thing that made that era so great is that nothing was contrived. Everything was still being discovered and everything was still innovative and new.”
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Ali is one of the 90s most famous hip hop producers/DJs. He is best known as a member of A Tribe Called Quest with rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Together the group released groundbreaking albums from 1990 to 1998.
Jam Master Jay
Jay was the DJ of the influential hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. has been credited with breaking hip-hop into mainstream music. Jam Master Jay began his DJ career after buying a pair of Technics 1200s and joined the band in its early years. He is also known for his skills with re-working classic guitar records and was named one of the greatest guitarists of all time by Spin magazine.
DJ Tony Touch
Tony began his career as a B-boy during the early 1980s. He was greatly influenced by DJ masters such as Jam Master Jay, Grandmaster Flash and Crazy Legs. From legendary mix tapes to live mixing on 1s and 2s, Tony Touch, or Tony Toca, became known everywhere as the ‘Mix Tape King’.
DJ Jazzy Jeff a.k.a. ‘Jazz’
Jazz began his career following a reputation and following as a school and block party DJ. He is best known for his career with Will Smith where together, they were known as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The duo received two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance in ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand’ and the single, ‘Summertime’. Jazz also won the world DJ championship in the 1986 New Music Seminar Battle. Throughout the 90s he continued to create singles after his duo with the Fresh Prince ended.
DJ Yella’s
Yella’s career extends beyond just DJing. He was a member of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru with Dr. Dre and later went on to become one of the founding members of the gangsta rap group N.W.A. Along with Dr. Dre, DJ Yella produced N.W.A. member Eazy-E’s first album ‘Eazy-Duz-It’ along with all three N.W.A. albums. From his DJing and producing on albums by artists including J.J. Fad, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Menajatwa, his influence is incredibly widespread. In 1996, Yella released his debut solo album ‘One Mo Nigga ta Go’.
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