Grand Wizzard Theodore

Who is Grand Wizzard Theodore?

Grand Wizzard Theodore is an American hip hop DJ. He is widely credited as the inventor of scratching.

Born Theodore Livingston in Bronx, New York, Theodore's brother, Mean Gene, was his mentor, and began to teach him the technique of DJing during his childhood years. 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.

Though variants of the story exist, it is generally accepted that Grand Wizard Theodore was playing records at a high volume in his bedroom. Fed up with the noise his mother entered and ordered him to turn the music down. At this point he looked away from the turntable to face her. While his mother lectured him he continued slowly moving the record back and forth, which produced a sound all its own. When she left the room he was intrigued by the sound the vinyl made when manipulated in this fashion. After months of experimentation he introduced this technique at a party and thus the scratch was born. Every form of popular music has at one time or another used the scratching sound in a composition. It is not uncommon to hear the technique used to this day in a wide variety of genres.