URB Magazine's 1998 DJ Issue Spotlights Turntable Visionaries Like Shortkut
Yes, these are the best DJs in the universe
URB Magazine Issue #57, January/February 1998. Photo by B+
I went to the wonderful DJ Shortkut Block Party Benefit at Victory Hall in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and it was heartening to see his friends and the DJ community come together to support him in what will be a long recovery following a hemorrhagic stroke on July 1. A GoFundMe campaign set up to assist him has raised significant funds, but I hope people will consider making a donation of any size to keep that fund rising! It’s important not to forget about it.
Mixmaster Mike and DJ Qbert were among the day party’s performers, and Mike later shared a video of a fan asking him to autograph the Invisibl Skratch Piklz cover of URB Magazine from January/February 1998. The fan explained that this had been a goal of his for years and has gone to see Mike play many times, but was never able to get backstage and ask.
I felt a flood of memories, inside jokes and appreciation after seeing that video, and I thank Mike for posting that moment! I worked on about 70 issues of URB, starting as an intern in 1993 and progressing to a writer and editor through 2001. While there’s so much to be proud of what we published during that time, I realize now how much this issue means to me and meant to so many readers and people who were featured in its pages.
The ISP story was written by James Tai, one of our editors who turned me on to endless amazing artists and DJs, just as I was moving back to the Bay Area from Los Angeles in late 1997 to work remotely on a book that ultimately fell through. If the story makes you feel like you’re on psychedelics while reading, well, that may not be a coincidence.
The story caught them in their Twenties, but I first saw Mike and Qbert as teenagers performing on a local weekly TV show called Home Turf, hosted by Dominique DiPrima on Channel 4. They helped to spark my interest in becoming a DJ, which I later became in college!
The issue also profiles the Beat Junkies (by Kevin Moo) and New York City’s X-Ecutioners (by Damon P. Noisette); Babu from the former and Rob Swift from the latter have both subsequently provided me with next level DJ instruction that has put me levels above where I was on my professional path via the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound and Brolic Army DJ School, respectively.
I got to cover Coldcut for this issue, too, and that was a dream! I flew to London to interview Matt Black at the former Ninja Tune office on Clink Street, which was partially under water. I remember sitting in a window nook with Black and feeling like we were at an aquarium.
It was years before Serato and Traktor came out, and Coldcut was authoring its own digital mixing software and predicting that DJ would one day stand for digital jockey. I saw the future that is now reality. And I got to interview former San Francisco mayoral candidate and Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, who was a guest star on the Coldcut album Let Us Play! He was one of the more intimidating voices I ever faced on the phone.
There’s gems on every page, including writing by our then-intern Carlos Niño, now a world-famous artist and the one who drew André 3000 out of his shell. MF Doom even granted an interview for this legendary issue! Save the date for November 8, when my Music Book Club will host its first in person event in honor of S.H. Fernando Jr.’s forthcoming MF Doom book. More details below:
There’s also another Bay Area opportunity to gather and have fun in support of Shortkut. 45 Sessions is hosting a benefit party on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Brick & Mortar Music Hall with J-Rocc from the one and only Beat Junkies. Tickets are on a sliding scale donation of $10-$500, and every dollar helps!
Speaking of, here’s that GoFund Me link again, in case you can help Shortkut by donating or donating again! Let’s please keep his recovery front of mind and fueled by the same positivity that we have seen thus far.
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