QL Instructor Guide Complete
QL Instructor Guide Complete
QL Instructor Guide Complete
A
hmir “Questlove” Thompson a successful doo-wop crooner; his
MIC CHECK can trace his fascination with mother, Jacqui Thompson, a well-
vinyl records back to the age of known singer and dancer. During the
Music is pro-
duced in beats, two. Growing up in West Phila- 1970s, Questlove would tag along to
bars, and phras- delphia as the son of two musical their nightclub gigs. At the age of four,
es. Most hip-hop, parents, he’d watch albums spin on he began joining their band on stage,
funk, and dance the family turntable and try to mem- playing a toy saxophone before up-
music is written orize the labels. grading to an actual tambourine. By
in 4/4 time (four
“Music is just a snapshot, a Pola- his seventh birthday, he was handling
beats per bar,
four bars per roid of your life’s memories,” he says. his dad’s wardrobe; within three
phrase). As the “My first love is records.” years, he’d learned sound and was in
record progress- Nearly five decades on, he’s charge of the lights. To pass the time
es, new elements amassed a collection of around before these shows started, he’d spin
are often intro-
200,000 records—a library befitting records on the unused turntables at
duced at the be-
ginning of a new his status as a musical tastemaker su- the venues, quickly becoming a prop-
four-bar phrase. preme, one of the world’s most be- er DJ. When the group’s drummer
loved DJs, and a leading authority on canceled on a show at Radio City
the soul, funk, hip-hop, and R&B Music Hall, Questlove grabbed the
genres. He’s a voracious oracle who sticks and took his place. He was 12.
can rattle off the release dates and lin- Those percussion skills caught
er notes of countless albums. As mu- the attention of Tariq Trotter (stage
sic journalist Robert Christgau once name: Black Thought), an insightful
put it: “His musical knowledge, for all and rebellious classmate at the Phil-
practical purposes, is limitless.” adelphia High School for Creative
In many ways, it’s his birthright. and Performing Arts. Together, they
Questlove’s father, Lee Andrews, was formed a band that would become
1
2
the Roots, releasing their first album, Night With Jimmy Fallon as the
Organix, in 1993. Breaking from the house band in 2009; when the come-
beat-heavy gangsta rap that was dian signed on to host The Tonight
trending at the time, Questlove and Show five years later, Questlove was
Trotter opted for a leftfield sound—a named the show’s musical director.
sophisticated blend of jazz, hip-hop, Those are just a few highlights
and vintage soul. from his prolific (and eclectic) career.
They would spend the next de- Some others: executive producing
cade honing that unique vibe. Along the Broadway cast recording of
the way, Questlove became one of Hamilton, writing five books, teach-
music’s most influential (and re- ing at New York University, hosting a
spected) fulcrums. Starting in the virtual cooking show for the Food
1990s, he was an engine behind Network, launching a radio show on
Soulquarians, a revolving collective Pandora, producing tracks for every-
of avant-garde Black artists who re- one from Al Green to Jay-Z, and
corded together at Electric Lady Stu- spinning records all over the world—
dios in New York. The tight-knit including at the White House.
To be sure, Questlove’s résumé is
stacked. His quest for musical en-
lightenment, however, remains insa-
MUSIC IS JUST A
tiable. He’ll never stop learning, hunt-
ing for rare vinyl, sharing his vast
SNAPSHOT, A POLAROID OF
knowledge with anyone who will lis-
ten. That’s why he’s here: Questlove
3
4
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COLLECTING
BEFORE TAKING YOUR ACT TO THE CLUB, YOU NEED
TO PERFECT IT AT HOME. EVEN IF YOU DON’T PLAN
ON SPINNING RECORDS FOR THE MASSES, HAVING A
KILLER VINYL COLLECTION IS ESSENTIAL. IT’S
WHAT MAKES A GOOD HOST AN EXCELLENT ONE. (THE
BEST DINNER PARTIES EVENTUALLY BECOME DANCE
PARTIES, RIGHT?) FROM BUYING TO PLAYING TO
CURATING, HERE’S A NO-NONSENSE PRIMER
5
and pick up the sound, multiple stag- Owning a hard copy of, say, Stevie
MIC CHECK es of amplification, plus speakers or Wonder’s Talking Book means you
headphones. All that kit takes up can pick it up and admire the gor-
The acronym
rpm stands for space inside your home, and it’s geous artwork on its outer jacket.
“revolutions per heavy, especially if you’re lugging You can ponder the trippiness of the
minute,” or the hundreds of records to a DJing gig, synthesizer on the Side A closer
number of rota- up and down flights of stairs, on and “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” while you
tions a record
off the subway, in and out of a car. flip the record over, then get excited
completes on a
turntable in 60 Plus, amassing thousands of albums all over again when the funktastical-
seconds. Most can get pricey—certainly pricier than ly perfect “Superstition” kicks off
record players a Spotify subscription. Side B. Vinyl demands a focus and
can toggle be- appreciation that its digital counter-
tween 33 and 45
rpm; some have
SHOULD I GET INTO VINYL? parts do not. It creates a physical
Well, that depends on how much connection between you and the
a setting for 78
rpm, too. There you love music. You certainly don’t music. Plus, each time you play a
are also variable need to own every album on vinyl. record, the grooves change ever so
speed control But wouldn’t it be nice to have your slightly—a sort of sonic entropy.
turntables, which absolute favorites in your posses- Which means your copy of Talking
can play records
sion forever—rather than just, you Book won’t sound exactly like any
at any rpm.
know, renting them from the cloud? other copy in the world.
6
DOES VINYL REALLY SOUND you’re a collector, there’s inherent
BETTER THAN DIGITAL? value in the aesthetic and tactile
It depends–a bunch of factors can pleasures of vinyl. Buying an old re-
affect the way a record sounds, in- cord is like owning an artifact, a lit-
cluding the quality of your turntable, eral piece of music history. And it
speakers, and headphones. The qual- doesn’t disappear when your sub-
ity of the record itself, which can be scription lapses.
impacted by where it was pressed
(most vinyl was manufactured in HOW DO I CLEAN MY RECORDS?
bulk using 20th-century machinery) Carefully. Buy a record-cleaning kit,
as well as the state of the record (is it which comes with a cleaning brush
dusty, scratched, or warped?) can in- and special fluid. Generally, you just
fluence the sound, too. Then there’s need to add a few drops to the brush,
the question of whether the record is gently place it on the record at a
a reissue: Some newer albums might 90-degree angle, and rotate the re-
be mastered from a CD source rather cord on the turntable underneath the
than from the original master studio brush. Dry off the remaining fluid
tapes, in which case you’re basically before playing the record so as not to
listening to an inferior copy of a CD. cause any damage. Don’t use house-
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In hold cleaning products on your vinyl.
terms of objective, measurable sound If you’re in a pinch, take a soft
quality, CDs were widely regarded as cloth—preferably an anti-static mi-
superior to vinyl. crofiber cloth—and a little soapy wa-
But measuring has its limita- ter, and clean the record that way.
tions—and objectively superior
doesn’t always mean superior in WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE
practice. Without getting too scien- MY VINYL?
tific, vinyl nerds will often reference First, get some plastic sleeves—
a “warmth” in vinyl that’s missing they’re cheap and can protect your
from digital formats. This is actually music from household peril. They
a result of the limitations of analog also prevent dust from getting into
recording—particularly how it cap- the jacket and onto the vinyl. When
tures bass. Digital recordings can you’re done playing a record, return it
capture a broader range of sound to its paper inner sleeve, put the
and are more precise, while analog’s sleeve back in the outer jacket, and
imperfect rendering of sound allows place it all in the protective plastic
for minor distortions that the human sleeve. Keep your records in a cool,
ear finds pleasing. dry place. Don’t stack them; instead,
Still, most people won’t notice prop albums upright, spines facing
much difference between the analog outward, in a shelving system. A six-
and digital versions of an album. It cube storage organizer ccomposed of
comes down to personal taste, and if 13.5 x 13.5 x 13.6–inch cubes works
ASSIGNMENT #1
7
great. You can put it on the floor and LISTEN UP
set your turntable and small speakers
on top (or place larger speakers on ei-
ther side). A console is another op-
tion. Just don’t use crates like you see
in record stores; it’s easy for the al-
PLAY BUTTON:
bums to fall forward and get crushed,
and the covers will fade if they’re con-
SAMPLE SAMPLER
tinually exposed to direct sunlight. If
you’re fixated on flipping through
your records like you do in the store, A solid sample—a small portion of
you can buy dedicated protective another song—riffs on context,
holders designed to allow for rifling. bringing together disparate (or, in
some cases, not-so-disparate) clips to
HOW DO I ORGANIZE THEM? add layers and texture. Listen to
However you want. The personal these tracks, and take note of how
route is perhaps best represented in each uses samples to cinch the sound
Nick Hornby’s vinyl-worship novel,
High Fidelity, wherein the main char- • Beastie Boys, “Brass Monkey” (1986)
acter arranges his records autobi- • Boogie Down Productions, “South Bronx” (1986)
ographically (i.e., corresponding to • Eric B. & Rakim, “Paid in Full” (1987)
the life events that led him to pur- • Black Box, “Ride on Time” (1989)
chase each one). But for the purpos- • Young M.C., “Bust a Move” (1989)
es of DJing, alphabetical order— • N.W.A., “Straight Outta Compton” (1988)
sorted by the band name or artist’s • Public Enemy, “Fight the Power” (1989)
last name—never goes out of style. • A Tribe Called Quest, “Can I Kick It?” (1990)
(You can buy A to Z tabbed dividers • DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, “Summertime” (1991)
from an online store like Etsy.) If • Naughty by Nature, “O.P.P.” (1991)
your collection gets big enough, con- • P.M. Dawn, “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” (1991)
sider categorizing by genre first, then • Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’
alphabetizing each section; this can Thang” (1992)
be helpful for finding records from • Wreckx-N-Effect, “Rump Shaker” (1992)
more obscure artists whose names • Janet Jackson, “If” (1993)
you forget, compilations with multi- • Snoop Doggy Dogg, “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)”
ple artists, or various oddballs. And if (1993)
your stash gets really massive, make • Wu-Tang Clan, “C.R.E.A.M.” (1993)
a spreadsheet on your computer or • The Notorious B.I.G., “Juicy” (1994)
phone, listing all your records and • Portishead, “Glory Box” (1994)
the corresponding spot on your • Mariah Carey, “Fantasy” (1995)
shelf. (Yes, that might seem extra, but • Beck, “Devil’s Haircut” (1996)
if you’re spinning records for a living, • The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Puff Daddy and Mase, “Mo
it could make life a whole lot easier.) Money Mo Problems” (1997)
• Jay-Z, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” (1998)
WHAT KIND OF RECORD PLAYER • Stardust, “Music Sounds Better With You” (1998)
SHOULD I BUY? • Mos Def, “Ms. Fat Booty” (1999)
Vinyl has undergone something of a • Eminem feat. Dido, “Stan” (2000)
renaissance over the past decade; for • Basement Jaxx, “Where’s Your Head At” (2001)
basic playback, you can now get a • Daft Punk, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” (2001)
solid record player for around $200, • Missy Elliott, “Work It” (2002)
and it’ll plug right into your stereo • Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, “Crazy in Love” (2003)
and speakers. Most new systems • Kanye West, “Gold Digger” (2005)
have built-in preamps to help boost • Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy” (2006)
the sound quality, and they generally • Kendrick Lamar, “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” (2013)
look pretty sleek. • Drake, “Hotline Bling” (2015)
8
Predictably, design-forward turn- A few things to know as you’re
MIC CHECK tables with flashy tonearms (the lever shopping: Drivers are what produce
attached to the stylus) or wood-grain the sound that comes from your
Turntablism is
the art of altering bases (the plinth) will set you back speakers. Larger drivers are often bet-
or mixing exist- more. If you want the crispest sound ter, but it’s ideal to get speakers with
ing recordings to quality, you’ll move up in price multiple drivers so your music
create new ones again—and likely start diving into sounds clearer. Also, bookshelf
by moving or more intricate setups, where various speakers are either passive or active.
scratching re-
cords on turnta-
components are divorced and assem- Passive speakers don’t have a built-in
bles. The term bled piecemeal, then tuned. amp, so you’ll need to connect them
was coined in the Read the reviews and decide what to a stereo receiver. Active speakers
1990s, but many works for you. But most times, your have a preamp, ports (so you can plug
consider earlier best bet is getting something with a them into your turntable), and volume
acts like DJ Kool
preamp that you can just plug into controls. They’re heavier in order to
Herc and Grand-
master Flash to speakers using RCA (red and white) support all the hardware, but they’re
be forefathers. cables or a USB port (which can allow your best bet if you’re looking for the
you to rip records to your computer). complete package.
9
SO, YOU’VE STUMBLED ACROSS A USED OR RARE
RECORD THAT YOU KNOW IS WORTH A LOT, BUT IT
HAS A VERY LOW PRICE TAG ATTACHED TO IT.
QUESTLOVE’S ADVICE? CONSIDER IT YOUR LUCKY
DAY, AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. “IF THERE
WAS EVER A TIME FOR YOU TO DISPLAY POKER
FACE, THAT’S WHEN YOU DO IT.”
10
what you’ll find in the bargain bins.
Chat up the shop’s owner and man-
agers, get familiar with their tastes
and let them get familiar with yours.
They’ll offer recommendations, and
if you’re a loyal customer, they may
cut you a deal—especially if you buy
several albums at once—or set aside
records for you before offering them
to other customers. Another advan-
tage? Many shops have listening sta-
tions, where you can preview a used
record to make sure it doesn’t skip.
Past that, keep an eye out for re-
cord fairs, flea markets, and yard
11
Behind the Music
Recorded music is an ever-evolving organism consisting of hundreds of
genres and subgenres, forever amalgamating and diverging to amazing
ends. Follow the arrows below to get an (extremely) simplified look at
how just a few popular sounds are intertwined
DISCO
MODERN R&B
BOOGIE
FUNK
SWING
PUNK ROCK
AFROBEAT
HIP-HOP
ROCK 'N' ROLL
BLUES
GOSPEL
SOUL
JAZZ
SPIRITUALS
AMERICAN
MARCH MUSIC
DANCEHALL
REGGAE & SKA
WORK SONGS
DUB
JAMAICAN TRADITIONAL
FOLK MUSIC AFRICAN MUSIC
WESTERN
FOLK MUSIC
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6 Great American Record Stores
Questlove’s staggering personal vinyl collection wouldn’t
exist without the record stores he scours for everything from
classics to hidden gems. If you find yourself in one of the
booming metropolitan areas listed below, make sure to pop into
these analog wonderlands
partly because the store is overflow- Rent prices have doomed many of
ing with everything from jazz and New York’s finest vinyl storefronts
soul to country and polka. (National over the past decade; even Turntable
Geographic’s show Taboo featured Lab, a beloved early aughts standby,
Weber’s collection on an episode ti- has surrendered to online-only sales.
tled “Hoarders.”) “I always tell peo- Luckily, we still have Human Head
ple you have to set aside four days at Records. Established in 2013, this
Jerry’s,” says Questlove, “and even Bushwick outpost is a relative new-
then you might get to the letter P.” comer, but the selection of Latin
ASSIGNMENT #2
CRATE EXPECTATIONS
Want to expand your musical horizons? Next time you visit a record store, spend at least two hours exploring a
section where you wouldn’t usually hang out. Plan ahead so you’ve got the extra time baked in and, if possible,
set aside a budget to buy at least one album that doesn’t fit into your existing collection.
13
ABOVE: music (much of it purchased from assortment of more than 15,000 LPs
The Wicker Park the neighborhood’s longtime resi- and cassettes, including reissues of
flagship location dents) and epic discount LP bins obscure soul, folk, and blues releases.
of Reckless (they’re all under $6) make it feel like
Records, one a refreshingly old-school DJ haunt. RECKLESS RECORDS
Chicago’s most CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
beloved (and
storied) local MISSISSIPPI RECORDS With three locations, the Windy City
vinyl chains. PORTLAND, OREGON staple has been in business for more
Portland is Questlove’s all-time-fa- than 30 years; its cozy Wicker Park
vorite city for vinyl hunting (he says store inspired the look of the fiction-
he’s encountered more great record al shop Championship Vinyl in the
COURTESY TIMEOUT
stores there than in any other city in 2000 film adaptation of High Fideli-
his 25 years of collecting). Founded ty. Expect a wide array of treats here,
in 2003, Mississippi Records re- from limited pressings to imports to
mains one of the best of the best; the new releases from indie labels like
spot carries a meticulously curated Matador, Sub Pop, and 4AD.
14
OR, HOW TO ACQUIRE AND CURATE A STELLAR RECORD COLLECTION
Q
uestlove started amassing vinyl ginning. The group released their de-
at the tender age of five, thanks but album in 1970, then navigated
to a chance encounter with a from jazz to funk to disco to pop in a
good samaritan named Ellie. 10-year period. Immerse yourself in
They got to talking at one of his par- the tunes and you’ll discover what
ents’ concerts; she was smitten with resonates most with you.
the cute budding audiophile and gift-
ed him a turntable and three re- USE THOSE ARTISTS’ MUSIC TO EXPLORE
cords—his first vinyl. He’s still trying NEW OR LESS FAMILIAR GENRES
to track down Ellie and thank her. If you’re a fan of Drake, chances are
It’s never too late to start building you like his ace sampling. He’s found
your own collection. You just need a inspiration in everything from old-
lot of curiosity and a little disposable school R&B and dancehall to Afrobe-
cash. If you can also get some wis- at and bounce, lifting lyrics, beats,
dom from Questlove? Well, all the and instrumental breaks to create his
better. Below, he shares some point- own hits. Read up on the songs and
ers for curating a musical library to genres that he—or anyone you like—
enjoy at home—and employ during sampled and interpolated, give them
future DJ gigs. a spin, then dip into the artists be-
hind those tracks and any associated
STUDY THE CANONS OF YOUR acts. You’re bound to unearth some-
FAVORITE ARTISTS thing else to add to your repertoire.
Nobody starts out as an expert, and
even Questlove admits he’s still LEARN THE LABELS YOU CAN TRUST
learning—that’s why he spends sev- Record labels and imprints are the
eral hours each Sunday studying and industry’s top-down curators: The
dissecting new stuff that’s caught his executives and talent scouts want to
ear. But you can pinpoint your tastes cultivate a distinct sound, building
and explore them. What are your fa- out catalogs that fans can trust.
vorite genres? Your favorite musi- (Some well-organized record stores
cians? Start by choosing a handful of even devote entire sections to fa-
each and diving into their catalogs, mous labels, like Blue Note or Sun
deepening your knowledge of their Records.) Like classic disco? Then
bodies of work—even if it takes you you should be on the lookout for al-
into uncharted territory. “A way that bums and singles released on Sal-
you can exercise your brain, and ex- soul, West End, Prelude, and Casa-
pand and let it grow, is to get out of blanca. Knowing which labels are
your comfort zone,” Questlove says. associated with your favorite genre
For example, if you like Kool & the can help you piece together a larger
Gang circa the 1980s, don’t stop musical puzzle—and open up a
there—try backtracking to the be- world of new possibilities.
15
16
Sound
Factories DEF JAM TRAX/DJ INTERNATIONAL
Get acquainted with
some of Questlove’s
(BETWEEN 1985 AND 1990)
GENRE: House
favorite record labels GENRE: Hip-hop
ASSOCIATED ACTS:
Larry Heard (a.k.a. Mr.
(plus a few others ASSOCIATED ACTS:
Fingers), Frankie
Beastie Boys,
worth checking out) Knuckles, Marshall
LL Cool J, Public
Jefferson
Enemy, Run-DMC
17
LISTEN UP
18
IF YOU RECOGNIZE A TITLE ON AN ALBUM’S TRACK LISTING, CHECK
THE WRITING CREDITS IN THE LINER NOTES. IS THIS AN OLD SONG
THAT WAS REMADE OR AN ORIGINAL ONE THAT SHARES THE SAME NAME?
WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE ARTIST AND THEIR INTENT?
QUESTLOVE IS ALWAYS INTRIGUED IF THE ARTIST COVERS A TRACK BY
THE BEATLES. (TALK ABOUT GUTS…)
19
Track Stars GO AHEAD, JUDGE
AN ALBUM BY ITS COVER
“Asking me about my favorite song or record When Questlove was a kid, his
is like asking me what was my favorite mother often bought albums based
breath,” Questlove once told Philadelphia on their striking, regal, or downright
weird cover artwork. It’s okay to do
magazine. But there are some albums he the same, even if you’re not sure
continually revisits—the LPs that opened about the artist or genre. Go with
his eyes, defined his tastes, blew his your gut, he says, and trust what the
cover is saying. Take a risk. Your
mind, and were later folded into curricula collection will be bolder and more
for classes he taught at NYU. If you’re eclectic, and you’ll have more fat to
chew with other vinyl hounds. In the
looking for some building blocks, consider
end, even if the album isn’t your cup
starting with or a few of these picks, then of tea, the artwork will bring you joy.
chasing them down the rabbit hole
THE BEACH BOYS, ARETHA FRANKLIN, MILES DAVIS, SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE, RUFUS FEAT. CHAKA KHAN,
PET SOUNDS LADY SOUL NEFERTITI THERE’S A RIOT GOIN’ ON ASK RUFUS
(1966) (1968) (1968) (1971) (1977)
AVERAGE WHITE BAND, THE AVALANCHES, MARVIN GAYE, MICHAEL JACKSON, PRINCE,
PERSON TO PERSON (LIVE) SINCE I LEFT YOU HERE, MY DEAR OFF THE WALL DIRTY MIND
(1976) (2001) (1978) (1979) (1980)
PUBLIC ENEMY, IT TAKES BEASTIE BOYS, DE LA SOUL, MARY J. BLIGE, SLUM VILLAGE,
A NATION OF MILLIONS TO PAUL’S BOUTIQUE DE LA SOUL IS DEAD MY LIFE FAN-TAS-TIC (VOL. 1)
HOLD US BACK (1988) (1989) (1991) (1994) (1997)
20
SO YOU’VE STARTED COLLECTING VINYL AND PLAYING AT HOME. MAYBE YOU’VE GOT
AMBITIONS OF SPINNING RECORDS FOR A CROWD. TIME TO LEVEL UP YOUR GEAR.
“DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN SHOOTING FOR THE MOST EXPENSIVE, OR WHAT’S
PERCEIVED AS ‘THE BEST,’” QUESTLOVE SAYS. “FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.” NOT
SURE WHERE TO BEGIN? HERE'S THE EQUIPMENT QUESTLOVE USES FOR EVERY GIG
MIC CHECK
PIONEER DJM-800 MIXER
Every track has cue points—the optimal moments for the song to begin
playing. Before there were products like Serato, which make a cue point It’s not the latest model, but it’s Quest-
for you, DJs would mark these spots on the physical record, so they love’s mixer of choice. “When Pioneer
would know where to drop the needle during a show. (Grandmaster came out with the 800, I probably did
Flash, whom Questlove calls the “father of the cue point,” used crayons 20,000 hours of muscle memory with it,”
to draw arrows on his vinyl, indicating the ideal starting points.) he says.
21
RANE SERATO SL4 + USB CABLES OTHER KIT QUEST LOVES
The compact SL4 DJ hardware lets
you take your digital music to gigs; PIONEER DJM-900NXS2 MIXER
its interface connects your turnta- Questlove also recommends this
bles to a computer via USB cable, mixer, which closely resembles
with audio connections to line inputs his DJM-800. It has a feature that
on your mixer. The possibilities are he calls the “escape hatch”—a
endless with this thing: You can bend knob that lets you play the music
notes, make key changes, and craft on loop while you furtively slip
new arrangements. If Questlove out at the end of your set. “I love
hears a loop he likes while spinning a that Houdini trick of putting a
track during a set, he can edit it in beat on, looping it perfectly, and
real time without stopping the song. everyone’s dancing, and I’m long
gone,” he says. “That’s how I end
about 99 percent of my DJ gigs.”
BACKUP HEADPHONES
PIONEER DDJ-SB3 CONTROLLER
Headphones are useful in finding the cue point (see “Mic Check: Cue Points” on
page 21); the DJ can preview a track without the audience hearing, locate the This is the affordable, light-
cue, then adjust the playback controls or the record’s position accordingly. weight digital alternative Quest-
Questlove allows that headphones aren’t always necessary—provided you have love recommends for kids inter-
the right cueing devices and know your songs inside out. Still, he recommends ested in DJing, or beginners who
wearing them while DJing. “When you’re doing tricky, intricate blending and don’t want to spin vinyl. “It’s the
matching,” he says, “you want to make sure it’s as perfect as possible.” mixer and control device all in
one,” he says. “All you have to do
is plug it into your computer and
have a Bluetooth speaker.”
22
Spin Doctors ABA SHANTI-I
This London-born
reggae/dub maestro is
D-NICE
The former Boogie Down
Productions member
Questlove has devoted his life known for his use of de- (born Derrick Jones) so-
lay; his No. 1 weapon, ac- lidified his sampling cre-
to studying not only the most cording to Questlove, is dentials on his 1990 de-
influential music of the past silence. But Aba Shanti-I but, Call Me D-Nice.
(born Joseph Smith) also Since then, he’s spun
70 years but also the set lists
brings a unique ap- classic R&B and hip-hop
and mixing mastery of the most proach to echo and re- everywhere from Oscar
important DJs who ever got verb, and performing live parties to President
(he plays with his back to Obama’s 2012 inaugural
behind a turntable. Some of the audience). He’s been ball. In 2020, he won a
them left a serious impression, a DJ and producer for Webby for his “Club
broadening his horizons and over three decades. Quarantine” Instagram
Live party.
informing his style LABELS:
Falasha LABELS:
Jive, Roc Nation
PAST COLLABORATORS:
Blood Shanti (his PAST COLLABORATORS:
brother), the Shanti-Ites KRS-One, Naughty by
Nature, Too Short
LISTEN TO:
Blood Shanti & the LISTEN TO:
Shanti-Ites, Pure Spirit Call Me D-Nice
02
03
05
04
01
06
23
COSMO BAKER DJ JAZZY JEFF DR. DRE
Another Philly native, You might know him as The former N.W.A. member’s G-funk hip-hop sparked an
Baker cohosted the late- half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the entire movement in the early 1990s. But before that he was a
1990s party the Remedy, Fresh Prince, but Jeff DJ at the L.A. club Eve’s After Dark. Back then, he referred to
a big hit with the neo- Townes (a.k.a. Jazz) is himself as the Master of Mixology, and for good reason;
soul community—includ- also one of the guys Questlove admires the way he’d mix old Motown with more
ing the Roots and J Dilla. responsible for modern sounds—the Supremes and Afrika Bambaataa, or
Later, he formed the Rub, developing the the Temptations and Run-DMC—to create something fresh.
a DJ and remix collective “Transformer scratch”—
specializing in open-for- the now-foundational LABELS:
mat (genre-spanning) move in which the DJ Aftermath, Death Row, Interscope, Macola, Priority, Ruthless
sets, along with DJ Ayres moves a record back and
and DJ Eleven. He contin- forth across the turntable PAST COLLABORATORS:
ues to spin records pro- while toggling the 2Pac, 50 Cent, Eazy-E, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, N.W.A.,
fessionally all over the crossfader. He changed Snoop Dogg
world. hip-hop forever.
LISTEN TO:
LABELS: LABELS: Dr. Dre, The Chronic; Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, “The Next
The Rub, Scion BBE, Groovin’, Jive, Episode”; N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton
Rapster
PAST COLLABORATORS:
DJ Ayres, Grandtheft, the PAST COLLABORATORS:
Rub Eminem, the Fresh
Prince (a.k.a. Will Smith), SKRILLEX GILLES PETERSON
LISTEN TO: Musiq Soulchild, the
The Rub, It’s the Roots, Jill Scott
Motherfucking Remix His name has become The French-born DJ and
and It’s the LISTEN TO: synonymous with EDM, radio host has been spin-
Motherfucking Remix DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh but Questlove credits ning experimental jazz,
Volume 2; his monthly Prince, He’s the DJ, I’m Skrillex for being “on the soul, hip-hop, Latin, trop-
mix “Cosmo Baker the Rapper; the Roots, train early” to South Afri- ical, and electronic music
Presents” “The Next Movement” can house music and the for decades. He’s also
growing Afrobeat move- founded three record la-
ment we’re witnessing bels and helmed more
today: “He was collecting than 100 compilations.
and curating those acts
LARRY LEVAN back in 2014.” LABELS:
Acid Jazz, Brownswood
LABELS: Recordings, Talkin’ Loud
“The boldest DJ ever,” according to Questlove, Levan’s Atlanta, Big Beat, Owsla
decade-long residency at the New York nightclub Paradise PAST COLLABORATORS:
Garage, during the 1970s and ’80s, is now the stuff of legend. PAST COLLABORATORS: Roberto Fonseca,
His sets mixing soul, disco, Italo disco, funk, new wave, dub, Justin Bieber, Diplo, Ghostpoet, Seu Jorge,
electro, punk, hip-hop, and house could be challenging, but Missy Elliott, Rick Ross, Omar Souleyman
they were highly influential. “He did not subscribe to the Ty Dolla $ign
theory that the customer is always right,” Questlove says. “He LISTEN TO:
subscribed to the theory that Larry Levan’s always right.” LISTEN TO: Peterson’s BBC Radio 6
Jack Ü feat. Justin Bieber, Music show, which airs
LABELS: “Where Are Ü Now” every Saturday
Prelude, Salsoul, West End
PAST COLLABORATORS:
Gwen Guthrie, Inner Life, Peech Boys, Taana Gardner
LISTEN TO:
MIC CHECK
Gwen Guthrie, “Seventh Heaven” (US Remix); Inner Life feat. DJ Steve Dee helped pioneer the art of beat juggling, in which a
Jocelyn Brown, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (the Garage DJ uses a mixer and turntables to switch between two identical
Version); Loose Joints, “Is It All Over My Face (Female records very quickly, looping or recombining their beats or vocals
Version)”; Peech Boys, “Don’t Make Me Wait”; Taana Gardner, to produce an entirely new composition. Beat juggling took turn-
“Heartbeat” (Club Version) tablism (See “Mic Check: Turntablism” on page 9) to another lev-
el, but it can also be done digitally.
24
AT HOME OR IN CONCERT, SPINNING VINYL CAN ACTUALLY BE A FORM OF THERAPY
T
here’s a reason you feel good about.” Therein lies the efficacy of
MIC CHECK when the right song comes on music therapy, stemming from a com-
the radio, plays during a party, bination of mental hardwiring and
The acronym
bpm stands for or booms inside a nightclub. socialization. We begin forging these
“beats per min- “Music lights up more parts of the connections in utero; they’re fostered
ute”—literally the brain than anything else,” says Alan throughout our life by way of class-
number of beats Turry, managing director of the room sing-alongs, hymns at church
(see “Mic Check: Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music services, or chants at sporting events.
Beats, Bars, and
Phrases” on page
Therapy at New York University. And concerts. Turry explains that
1) you hear per “Listening to music energizes, ani- large music events, like EDM festivals,
minute of music. mates, activates us.” can evoke an almost “oceanic com-
Classic disco is This is partly the result of dopa- munal feeling.” Neuroscientific data
often 120 bpm, or mine, a neurochemical the brain re- suggest that, when hearing live music
two beats per
leases as a “reward” drug. It’s linked in the presence of other humans, we
second. Quest-
love tends to to behavior that promotes survival; experience a brain synchrony appar-
gravitate toward when you eat or mate, you get a hit. ent in the delta range, which happens
music that rang- Curiously, your brain will also dole to be the area related to both enjoy-
es from 95 bpm out dopamine in response to more ment and a sense of oneness. This
to 130 bpm, while abstract, less primitive activities, like could help explain why a night at the
he says the aver-
age Gen Z listen-
falling in love. Or listening to music. club or a rollicking wedding reception
er prefers music Beats and melodies have other provides a layer of bliss beyond spin-
that is 64 bpm to ways to alter your mental activity. For ning vinyl at home. Song sequencing
70 bpm. the duration of a song, you can enter can play a crucial role, too.
into what some psychologists call “What’s important with DJs is
“transient hypofrontality.” In this timing the intensity,” Turry says.
state, areas of your brain that gener- “You’re pacing just as you would in a
ate fears and anxieties become less music-therapy session: having a
active. Your inhibitions dissipate, sense of the beginning of the session,
leaving room for only the here and building to a very intense moment,
now, like meditation does. And you’re bringing the session down so that
not only engaged with what you’re there’s a sense of ‘We’ve completed
hearing—you’re also captivated by something together...’ ”
the idea of what’s about to come. With a great playlist, the DJ isn’t
“Our brains are great predicting simply hyping the crowd. They could
machines, and when we’re listening actually be guiding our brain chemis-
to music, we’re not just listening to try, using mental priming and reward
the notes,” says Turry. “We’re antici- functions, and forming a neurologi-
pating the next note.” cal bond between a group of listen-
He adds that music can “bypass ers. So if you’re playing a set and
our defenses,” offering “a way to con- start feeling the vibe, it’s not just in
nect to things you’ve forgotten your head. Keep spinning.
25
26
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND EVERY WAKING MOMENT DISSECTING MUSIC TO BECOME
A DJ. BUT IF YOU WANT TO WIN OVER YOUR AUDIENCE—WHETHER IT’S A CLUB
FULL OF FUSSY KIDS OR THE GUESTS AT YOUR NEXT PARTY—YOU CAN LEARN A FEW
THINGS FROM A SEASONED PRO. LET QUESTLOVE BREAK IT DOWN
KNOW YOUR SONGS INSIDE OUT of it all, and determine exactly how
Before a song lands in your set or on he’ll use it for his playlists, he main-
your playlist, you should be intimate- tains an almost maniacal system of
ly familiar with it—artist, era, genre, folders on his computer. Whether
duration, key changes, the bpm, you’re using Spotify, Apple Music, or
where it speeds up or slows down, special DJ software like Serato, come
where it peaks. School yourself on up with categories for your favorite
new discoveries. Questlove uses the tracks and keep things organized.
app Shazam constantly, and he “I’m a 24-hour curation machine,”
spends every Sunday analyzing as Questlove says. “If I hear a song,
many as 200 songs in one sitting. then I’m instantly thinking, Okay,
This sort of thing takes commitment. this is good for a wedding song, this is
If you really love music, though, it’s good for the after-work party, this is
the best type of homework. good for a dinner song.”
27
“THE ONE GENRE
OF MUSIC THAT IS
THE ABSOLUTE,
MOST BULLETPROOF?
DANCEHALL
REGGAE.”
–QUESTLOVE
28
MIC CHECK DON’T START WITH THE SONG
OF THE MOMENT
Phasing, also
known as stage
“When people fall for that WHATEVER SONG YOU CHOOSE,
YOU SHOULD KNOW FIVE OTHER
trick, it’s pretty much
matching, is a
downhill from there,”
form of beat-
matching in
which two phras-
Questlove says. “There’s a
difference between being SONGS THAT PERFECTLY FIT LIKE
es (see “Mic
Check: Beats,
effective and being good.”
Save the crowd-pleasers HAND-IN-GLOVE WITH THOSE
SONGS. THAT, TO ME, IS HOW YOU
Bars, and Phras- for later in your set, when
es” on page 1) of
the venue has filled up, the
music are played
simultaneously
in such a way
that their musical
audience is more liquored
up, and you’ve taken them BUILD THE STRUCTURE.”
on a journey. Instead, try
structures are opening your set with an
not disrupted.
instrumental track. (Quest-
For a seamless
transition from love usually starts with one by J Dil- keeps it danceable, playing big-band
one song to an- la, a 1990s underground hip-hop jazz and old-school songs followed by
other, phrases icon, which also helps him ascertain hip-hop tracks that sample them. For
should be the age and fluency of the audience.) the climax, he’ll aim high: “I will
aligned so that Then, for your next cut, transition to figure out a way to infuse the popular
both songs’
something safe—a song, Questlove song of the moment without
beats play on top
of each other. says, that “isn’t exactly bulletproof compromising my artistic integrity.”
Cue the incom- but that will buy you some time.” Look for funky edits of the hits to
ing record so its shake things up, but stay uptempo,
first beat is the PLAN BACKWARD— since the audience will be loosened
start of a phrase;
begin the mix at
AND TELL A GOOD STORY up and ready to move. In the falling
the start of a According to Questlove, people will action, Questlove plays the “hit-and-
phrase on the remember only two moments in your quit game”—a song or two that folks
outgoing record. DJ set or playlist: the first 10 minutes love followed by a less familiar track,
and the last 20 minutes. For that and repeat. When you’ve reached the
reason, he always determines his end of your set, treat yourself and play
“closing statement” first and then whatever you want. You’ve earned it.
works backward. Save your heavy
hitters—Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, HAVE A FORMULA
the song of the moment, Bell Biv Once you’ve kicked off your playlist,
DeVoe’s “Poison,” whatever—for the you’ll need a plan to keep listeners
last hour. Imagine your set in classic hooked. Again, you don’t want a
dramatic structure. For the rising string of hits—spinning nonstop
action, Questlove genre-hops but bangers is a surefire way to tire out
ASSIGNMENT #3
STOCK EXCHANGE
Odds are, you know somebody else who collects vinyl, be it a friend, parent, sibling, or coworker. Ask them to
lend you their strangest album for a week—and offer to lend them your oddest record in return. At the end of
the week, discuss what you liked (or didn’t) about the other person’s pick. You’ll learn something new about
music and, if you’re lucky, get a better understanding of what defines people’s tastes.
29
your audience. One of Questlove’s LISTEN UP
methods is to play three mega hits,
followed by two songs that aren’t
hits to bring the mood down a bit,
and then come back with three more
hits. By the end of the night, he’ll PLAY BUTTON:
tease the audience a bit more, alter-
nating between a hit and a non-hit to
FLOOR FILLERS
keep partygoers from leaving.
30
The Record
Books Want to learn more about what makes Questlove tick?
Take your pick from the slew of tomes he’s written
or contributed to over the past 15 years
31
SOMETHING TO FOOD ABOUT:
EXPLORING CREATIVITY WITH INNOVATIVE CHEFS
CLARKSON POTTER, 2016
CREATIVE QUEST
ECCO/HARPERCOLLINS, 2018
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