Grand Wizard Theodore (real name Theodore Livingston), is a hip-hop DJ. He is widely credited as the inventor of scratching. Born in Bronx, New York.
Theodore’s brother, Mean Gene, was Theodore’s mentor, and he began teaching him to DJ before Theodore was even a teen. In addition to scratching, he achieved renown for his mastery of needle drops and other techniques which he invented or perfected. Theodore also apprenticed under Grandmaster Flash.
In the 1980s, Theodore was a part of the band Grandwizard Theodore & The Fantastic Five. They released “Can I Get a Soul Clap” in 1980. He was also featured in the 1983 film Wild Style, as well as contributing to the film’s soundtrack. He explains the origin of the scratch in the documentary film Scratch.
Grand Wizard Theodore’s mixing style is still innovative, as he does not simply stick to baby scratches and cuts - his mix sets sound similar to extended DMC routines, using all of the current DJ tricks and styles. This is in contrast with other old school DJs, such as Grandmaster Flash or Kool Herc, whose mixing style and music selection has remained basically unchanged for the past 30 years. |
