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The Coming Sell-Out?

Will "turntablism" be the new breakdancing? That's the question posed by this unsigned editorial from the online edition of Pound Magazine. Looking back with a jaundiced eye on the early 80's, when b-boying became a national fad--and thereby lost all street credibility--the author warns today's DJ's about the dangers posed by increased media exposure. Beck's catchy chorus "Two turntables and a microphone" may have turned a generation of suburban kids on to the notion of scratching up records, but it also DJ culture square in the crosshairs of the mainstream press. The turntablist community would be wise, the editorialist argues, to limit its participation in commercial ventures, lest the embarassment of features like "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo" be revisited upon today's DJ's.

Wed, 24 Nov 1999 04:44:22 -0800