WTK WORLDWIDE SCRATCH BATTLE 2010

[Le jad]

You're right P-Nuts, but this kind of rule may push some people to try at least, and maybe to be very creative and talented. I agree the limit is very hard to fix... but a rule is a limit that can make surprises.

 

I had some correct/good surprises with some of the routines, and less with freestyles. I was impressed by some freestyle but not as much as I thought before to watch the videos. Many lack of flow and no expressive ways of scratch except a few guys (to my taste of course).

[d00ban]

Yes, there's some much better technical freestyles videos, much cleaner than in the list. You're right and all the jury who decided of the 14 of this list agree on that point. But as you said, there was a rule : make a routine.

 

Kurteek is in the 14, he's like the defender, LigOne did not defend. But it's not corresponding to the rules...lol, but he's defending!!!!!!

 

For Mr Brown, Fluins and Mr Dust, we hesitated too... but is it routines or not? the limit is very difficult to find. Some of the other guys said Muzzel didn't make a routine, but for me, it's like a sort of scratch routine that we can see in a battle + you use your mixer (faders) + you have a battle attitude in your video. That's the differences with other freestyles that were closed to the limit.

 

We also hesitated with many routines, but really, some are routines, but dirty, or not technical at all. At the very end, we said : if this guy is in the top, he's better than this other guy that tried this kind of routine, so we keep only the one who did the best... in our opinion of course. Mike L made something dirty, but he really had banging samples for the beat he used, it was a real routine, not techhnical as many freestyles, but it's one of the most "routine" video of the battle. D beam didn't make a crazy dope routine, but he made the effort to respect the rules + he has dope scratch skills... that's examples. Many people will disagree with the choices.

 

If we keep a guy, another we'll say he was at the same level, etc. There was a first selection of 50 guys, then 40, then 35... at the end 20. But with 20 there was too much similar styles, why should we keep in the list 2 similar styles when 1 guy is better in the opinion of all the jury?

 

Sorry to have been so long (+ my english is still average) but it took days to make this list and it was very hard to decide because we like many other vids. I think that for the top 3, or top 5, there's no doubt, so the winner will be a guy who respected the rules (except if Kurteek wins) and can we ask people to decide between 150 vids? of course not. 50 would have been really too much. 30 was too much. 20 was the good deal, but in the 20 there was guys better than others on the same style.

 

I won't disagree if people say that the list isn't perfect. Another jury would have made different choices, but for sure, not for the 3 or 5 best guys. (where are girls???)

 

Hmm I understand what you are saying, and in no way am I saying my video should be in the last 14, because I dont think it should. But I think its ridiculous to put people through on the fact they used more samples when there are people whose videos obviously showed more skills. Its so much more difficult to rip the plain ahhh sample for 1 min 30 than putting a few pre arranged sounds on an mp3 and scratching that, nevermind the fact it shows much more musicality, we are turntablists not producers are we not?

 

I really feel that the whole pre produced routine thing is really ruining turntablism, the feeling of someone taking something that was meant to be something completely different and flipping it on its head is all but lost nowadays.... This is why I really like the B4B stuff, it shows real skills and musicality not a pre produced gimmic.

 

Anyways il be at the DMC's this year with my REAL hip hop and funk records even though I will likely lose to someone with customs, skilled or not. A wise man once told me, its not about winning or losing, its about representing what you believe in.

 

Sorry for the rant, this is probably a terrible way to get started on a forum, but this is something I am really passionate about.

 

PS.

 

Im not hating on all the DJ's that use customs, some of them do have real skills and could rip regular vinyl a hell of a lot harder than me. It just not my steez.

 

 

haha, ranting is what this board was made for. to be honest i pretty much agree with you, i think a lot of people on this board have a similar view too if im not mistaken (which i probably am ha)

[mighty atom]

Does anyone know what this new list of 23 is?

[djfoly]

^^^^ according to mister dust it is this .

 

Jackzbaroo, DJ KUT KAOS, DJ HESA, DJ WAYSTYLES, DJ A-kut, DJ D-beam, MUZZELL, DJ CLAIM, DJ TEDU, Mister Dust, S-Trix, CLIX, MIKE-L, DJ BEPASS, ADJectif, Dj Odilon, DJ VEGA, DJ GetBack, Dj EbKaito, Sosa Dj, DJ SKUNK, DJ TOMMY D, DJ-SHUB

 

 

Thats unofficial though!

[Le jad]

Hi,

 

I copy paste the list from B4B:

 

JACKZBAROO

DJ KUT KAOS

DJ HESA

DJ WAYSTYLES

DJ A-kUT

DJ D-BEAM

MUZZELL

DJ CLAIM

DJ TEDU

MISTER DUST

S-TRIX

CLIX

MIKE-L

DJ BEPASS

ADJECTIF

DJ ODILON

DJ VEGA

DJ GETBACK

DJ EBKAITO

SOSA DJ

DJ SKUNK

DJ TOMMY D

DJ SHUB

 

There's no order of vote from the jury. This order is the order of posted date on youtube by competitors (sorry I don't know how to say this correctly in english, if somebody can correct me please!).

 

People who have an account on B4B can vote. The B4B community vote will count as one vote with the final jury's vote (wich isn't the jury who made the top list).

[Jon]

Yes, there's some much better technical freestyles videos, much cleaner than in the list. You're right and all the jury who decided of the 14 of this list agree on that point. But as you said, there was a rule : make a routine.

 

Kurteek is in the 14, he's like the defender, LigOne did not defend. But it's not corresponding to the rules...lol, but he's defending!!!!!!

 

For Mr Brown, Fluins and Mr Dust, we hesitated too... but is it routines or not? the limit is very difficult to find. Some of the other guys said Muzzel didn't make a routine, but for me, it's like a sort of scratch routine that we can see in a battle + you use your mixer (faders) + you have a battle attitude in your video. That's the differences with other freestyles that were closed to the limit.

 

We also hesitated with many routines, but really, some are routines, but dirty, or not technical at all. At the very end, we said : if this guy is in the top, he's better than this other guy that tried this kind of routine, so we keep only the one who did the best... in our opinion of course. Mike L made something dirty, but he really had banging samples for the beat he used, it was a real routine, not techhnical as many freestyles, but it's one of the most "routine" video of the battle. D beam didn't make a crazy dope routine, but he made the effort to respect the rules + he has dope scratch skills... that's examples. Many people will disagree with the choices.

 

If we keep a guy, another we'll say he was at the same level, etc. There was a first selection of 50 guys, then 40, then 35... at the end 20. But with 20 there was too much similar styles, why should we keep in the list 2 similar styles when 1 guy is better in the opinion of all the jury?

 

Sorry to have been so long (+ my english is still average) but it took days to make this list and it was very hard to decide because we like many other vids. I think that for the top 3, or top 5, there's no doubt, so the winner will be a guy who respected the rules (except if Kurteek wins) and can we ask people to decide between 150 vids? of course not. 50 would have been really too much. 30 was too much. 20 was the good deal, but in the 20 there was guys better than others on the same style.

 

I won't disagree if people say that the list isn't perfect. Another jury would have made different choices, but for sure, not for the 3 or 5 best guys. (where are girls???)

 

Hmm I understand what you are saying, and in no way am I saying my video should be in the last 14, because I dont think it should. But I think its ridiculous to put people through on the fact they used more samples when there are people whose videos obviously showed more skills. Its so much more difficult to rip the plain ahhh sample for 1 min 30 than putting a few pre arranged sounds on an mp3 and scratching that, nevermind the fact it shows much more musicality, we are turntablists not producers are we not?

 

I really feel that the whole pre produced routine thing is really ruining turntablism, the feeling of someone taking something that was meant to be something completely different and flipping it on its head is all but lost nowadays.... This is why I really like the B4B stuff, it shows real skills and musicality not a pre produced gimmic.

 

Anyways il be at the DMC's this year with my REAL hip hop and funk records even though I will likely lose to someone with customs, skilled or not. A wise man once told me, its not about winning or losing, its about representing what you believe in.

 

Sorry for the rant, this is probably a terrible way to get started on a forum, but this is something I am really passionate about.

 

PS.

 

Im not hating on all the DJ's that use customs, some of them do have real skills and could rip regular vinyl a hell of a lot harder than me. It just not my steez.

 

my thoughts exactly with regards to battling.

 

live shows and sets etc are a different thing all together though

[Guest loop skywalker]

Theres a lot of french djs in the finals haha.Just saying haha

[Mike-L]

Big up to mike L,i was really shocked to see an entry from him but glad as its been a long time ( i remember your first dmc in manchester like it was yesterday mate..that was a huge day for us both haha)

 

That battle was amazing! I had condensation forming on my records cause there was so many hot and sweaty punters crammed into that venue..

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sUEe4TMlcg ! )

 

I decided to do the battle cause I've had mad delays with my album coming out .I finished it last October and was originally hoping to have it out after new year and do some mpc/turntables/instruments/loop pedal shows . That's all on hold now until the album drops. The good thing about it is it gave me a bit of time at the end of April to put a set together for this. I wanted to do something that had that battle energy but without compromising what I would normally create musically . In that regard I feel happy and I appreciate all the positive feedback, whether that's for my old routines or for this battle (thanks for the vote Le Jad!)

 

Here's my routine for those that haven't seen it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NplGajY3G7c

 

 

does anyone know who'll be judging? I also thought results were due in next week but on the b4b site voting continues until may 20?

Edited May 8, 2010 by Mike-L

[jimmy penguin]

'we cant make turntablists'. maybe, but you definetely influence the scene by picking the winners of a battle.

 

i didnt enter this competition to win, i hoped that people would see my routine and maybe next year we could have a lot more entries that display routines with some genuine creativity.

 

if muzzell and mike l dont come top 3 i think that its a poor choice.

 

also, some of those eentries dont belong in top 20, definetely not, nothing to do with taste because i know how differant my taste is.

 

'muzzell's entry isnt a routine..' aahahaha. that is so ridiculous.

imo, congrats man, you wiped the floor clean.

[Le jad]

Jimmy penguin,

 

You did a video I appreciate. But when I was asked to be part of the jury, there was 30 videos left. And your video wasn't in the 30... I was asked to help to make a top list. I see your video now and I would have liked to see you in the final top list (no dick sucking, that's what I think).

 

For the rest, of course we have taste and different opinion and we can't be 100% fair, BUT we can't invent turntablists... the freestyle level is better than the routine level. This is a fact.

 

By the way, there's a big big big beef around this battle at the moment, can't go into details, but this is a shame now. I feel very bad to have been a part of the jury (but I assume the original top 14).

[muzzell]

"By the way, there's a big big big beef around this battle at the moment, can't go into details,"

 

please do tell

[P-Nuts]

the freestyle level is better than the routine level. This is a fact.

 

If you know this then why were routines chosen over peeps like Mr Brown who clearly went hard? Why is a scratch battle different to a bboy battle? If a bboy at a higher level can will win by doing foundation moves with dope style against a guy who tries big power moves and flips but has no style and is sloppy? Turntablism derives from Hip Hop no matter what music style you spin? Why is it different? They are elements in the same culture.

 

Anyways I do agree that the list shouldnt have been changed even if people didnt agree with it, it damages the integrity of a competition when the judges decision can be influenced by the competitors.

 

This thing is really a huge mess to be honest, Im just interested to see if the best DJ actually wins the battle now....

[Jon]

'we cant make turntablists'. maybe, but you definetely influence the scene by picking the winners of a battle.

 

i didnt enter this competition to win, i hoped that people would see my routine and maybe next year we could have a lot more entries that display routines with some genuine creativity.

 

if muzzell and mike l dont come top 3 i think that its a poor choice.

 

also, some of those eentries dont belong in top 20, definetely not, nothing to do with taste because i know how differant my taste is.

 

'muzzell's entry isnt a routine..' aahahaha. that is so ridiculous.

imo, congrats man, you wiped the floor clean.

 

 

 

completley unrelated but i just did the first of two shows im doing with pain and egadz. pain said he stayed at yours last night- totally small world huh. kiler file dude

[Jon]

if muzz doesnt win somethings up

[kut_class]

I think the mistake has been the judges talking about the results before announcing the results. Should have just announced the winner then let everyone bitch and moan about it ... think it takes a lot to judge and is down to personal taste, but as long as you've got diverse taste in the the judges then the personal tastes should balance out. If you all try to pick out winners by discussion , the judges start swaying each other and telling the other judge whatthey should be looking for - not good.

 

Props to Jad for coming on here to explain the situation, even if he only got grief for doing it...

 

BTW Muzzell FTW ;-)

[Le jad]

"By the way, there's a big big big beef around this battle at the moment, can't go into details,"

 

please do tell

 

We'll keep it private for the details. But we never (me, MLP, Hert, LigOne)have been informed of the rules modifications. And after all those beef around thhe rganizer, I wanted to explain more in details how we decided to keep this kind of video or not etc. This was constructive for me and some of the DJs. But the organizer who moderates the topic on B4B erased all what was written, then he started to writte weird things and to erase even people who were asking "what happens here?".

 

"I think the mistake has been the judges talking about the results before announcing the results."

 

When I had a list I gave it, it was nearly the same list as LigOne and MLP... after, there was too many mistakes made to list them. We are in outer space now.

[djfoly]

This is a shame...I think Adams right that Le Jad is trying to do the right thing and explain to everyone. But the fact remains that some of the routines are not worthy of their place simply because there are better routines out there.

 

Props to Jimmy for coming on and defending his set thats refreshing and it is a fucking joke its not in the top list of however fucking many its meant to be! Also welcome to the board man looking forward to the tour this year!

 

Finally Muzzell's set is amazing and is the winner for me but there are a few other sets out there that are unbelievably sick and I for one am not going to moan and take anything away from them if they are one of the decent ones!

[jimmy penguin]

its not a 'battle' its a contest, like skratchfactor or scratch idol.

 

or like 'q-factor' coming to a reality near you soon. who will be the next q-bert.

 

 

anyway yeah. if your going to call it a battle, have a head to head round, without head to head, its just a competition.

 

no matter what people say at this point it doesn't change the entries or the quality of the videos.

wtk 2010 brought lots of us together that never even heard of each other, and it was fun partaking in a competition with nearly 200 entries.

 

but please keep in mind that we do create/influence the future of skratch music by taking part in these events, entry/judge we are responsible for what dj's in the future might be doing.

thanks for the opportunity to compete with and meet all these guys.

 

unfortunately the placing wont be acurate because the entries are all so differant.

props to the judges for taking on this incrediby awkward task.

 

wurd.

[Guest loop skywalker]

Like i said earlier,its great that people are putting on competitions like this and keeping it alive.Skill level these days is icredible..well done to everyone involved,i got my money on getback...but i think muzzell is deffo the real winner!

[mr brown]

just signed up to drop in my two cents (i won't be staying)

 

First off thanks to all the peeps on here that thought my video was nice, cheers guys.

 

If anyone knows anything about me you'll know I don't battle, i've never done dmc or any other kind of official battle and although i'm really not fussed about this 'battle' and it's not gonna change anything, I do believe jimmy P and myself should both be in that list. we both easily beat some of the people in that final list and thats me being totally objective, not just picking what I like. who are the judges by the way?

 

I entered this in good spirits and for a bit of good fun, but it's turned into the same old bullshit, bitching and shit talking. my entry was 100% freestyle and i'm proud of that, I know I could have done way better (like muzzell, he is so much better than his entry shows) I don't make scratch routines I go with the flow so maybe next time the rules should be clearer that you expect a 'routine' and not a freestlye, cos it sounded like all you had to do was pick a beat off the designated looper and do whatever you wanted for 1:30 mins.

 

Also like jimmy said, i thought it would be good to see a few cats enter that you don't normally see, a few old faces and some new fresh talent that doesn't go for the usual dmc format battle, maybe step the game up for next year and make this boring scene (and it is boring) and bit more interesting, exciting and inspiring again........... but i guess not.

 

suffice to say i won't be entering any battles again.

 

PS. also, were we as competitors going to be informed that we didn't make the cut?(pun fully intended) an official email from the organiser with the definite list of 'fnalists' would have been nice at least, rather than trying to find out by word of mouth.

Edited May 9, 2010 by mr brown

[djfoly]

just signed up to drop in my two cents (i won't be staying)

 

First off thanks to all the peeps on here that thought my video was nice, cheers guys.

 

If anyone knows anything about me you'll know I don't battle, i've never done dmc or any other kind of official battle and although i'm really not fussed about this 'battle' and it's not gonna change anything, I do believe jimmy P and myself should both be in that list. we both easily beat some of the people in that final list and thats me being totally objective, not just picking what I like. who are the judges by the way?

 

I entered this in good spirits and for a bit of good fun, but it's turned into the same old bullshit, bitching and shit talking. my entry was 100% freestyle and i'm proud of that, I know I could have done way better (like muzzell, he is so much better than his entry shows) I don't make scratch routines I go with the flow so maybe next time the rules should be clearer that you expect a 'routine' and not a freestlye, cos it sounded like all you had to do was pick a beat off the designated looper and do whatever you wanted for 1:30 mins.

 

Also like jimmy said, i thought it would be good to see a few cats enter that you don't normally see, a few old faces and some new fresh talent that doesn't go for the usual dmc format battle, maybe step the game up for next year and make this boring scene (and it is boring) and bit more interesting, exciting and inspiring again........... but i guess not.

 

suffice to say i won't be entering any battles again.

 

PS. also, were we as competitors going to be informed that we didn't make the cut?(pun fully intended) an official email from the organiser with the definite list of 'fnalists' would have been nice at least, rather than trying to find out by word of mouth.

 

You're video was the ill shit and I think more indicative of what real heads want to see. Its a shame that you are not going to stay on the forum I'm sure there are a lot of people on the board who would appreciate your input and contributions (particularly musical). Anyway man i think its fair to say that you should have been in the list particularly if they are going to include kurteek who also done a freestyle!

[mr brown]

just signed up to drop in my two cents (i won't be staying)

 

First off thanks to all the peeps on here that thought my video was nice, cheers guys.

 

If anyone knows anything about me you'll know I don't battle, i've never done dmc or any other kind of official battle and although i'm really not fussed about this 'battle' and it's not gonna change anything, I do believe jimmy P and myself should both be in that list. we both easily beat some of the people in that final list and thats me being totally objective, not just picking what I like. who are the judges by the way?

 

I entered this in good spirits and for a bit of good fun, but it's turned into the same old bullshit, bitching and shit talking. my entry was 100% freestyle and i'm proud of that, I know I could have done way better (like muzzell, he is so much better than his entry shows) I don't make scratch routines I go with the flow so maybe next time the rules should be clearer that you expect a 'routine' and not a freestlye, cos it sounded like all you had to do was pick a beat off the designated looper and do whatever you wanted for 1:30 mins.

 

Also like jimmy said, i thought it would be good to see a few cats enter that you don't normally see, a few old faces and some new fresh talent that doesn't go for the usual dmc format battle, maybe step the game up for next year and make this boring scene (and it is boring) and bit more interesting, exciting and inspiring again........... but i guess not.

 

suffice to say i won't be entering any battles again.

 

PS. also, were we as competitors going to be informed that we didn't make the cut?(pun fully intended) an official email from the organiser with the definite list of 'fnalists' would have been nice at least, rather than trying to find out by word of mouth.

 

You're video was the ill shit and I think more indicative of what real heads want to see. Its a shame that you are not going to stay on the forum I'm sure there are a lot of people on the board who would appreciate your input and contributions (particularly musical). Anyway man i think its fair to say that you should have been in the list particularly if they are going to include kurteek who also done a freestyle!

 

Thanks allot man, I appreciate it.

 

I've just read back a few pages of this and I just have to laugh......

 

(first off this is in no way a aimed at kurteek, he's one the guys that brought some skills and deserves to be in the list, props to kurteek. this is aimed at the people running this joke of a battle)

 

Kurteek is in the first list but not the second? also why does he automatically get to defend if he didn't actually win last year? I've never understood that the runner up gets to defend if the winner don't want to...... fuck that! if he didn't win before he has to go to the back of line and queue up with the rest of us, plus cos he's the defender you overlook the fact that his entry was freestyle but then say other people didn't get through becasue they didn't respect the rules? if anything that should relegate him with the rest of us who didn't 'respect the rules'.

 

this battle is full of contradictions and biased opinions...... but then thats just business as usual i guess lol

Edited May 9, 2010 by mr brown

[djfoly]

^^^ Yup! I just don't get it I mean at the end of the day freestyle routine what difference does it make give it to the folk that are clearly the best!

[Le jad]

The jury who decided of the top list didn't wrote the rules. One guy organize this battle, as he says it's a battle, for me it's a competition, but that's not that much important. He wrote rules. When he asked me to be part of this jury he explained me very clearly : the rule was to make a scratch routine, not a freestyle.

 

I asked him if he was sure of the communication this time and he said YES. Last year people voted for LigOne because he made a routine, and it was a problem because the jury was asked to judge a routine, buut the rule for the DJs who suscribed to the batttle wasn't that clear. Many people didn't understood why Kurteek lost last year.

 

So now, if somebody complains or say this battle is bullshit, he's right because it seems it wasn't clear this year too... or people who complain didn't read the rules. But as a member of this jury, I was asked, as the other guys to judge a routine, and the organizer repetead us: if it's a freestyle scratch, it musn't be in the list. But Kurteek will bbe be in the list as the defender.

 

I repeat the same things again, but I read the same kind of reactions... writte a mail to the guy who created this battle, but don't complain eternaly about the list (and this list was already reducted when we were asked to make a "top").

 

And when I read this sentence : "my entry was 100% freestyle and i'm proud of that, I know I could have done way better", it's not clear. You're proud of your freestyle, the rule was to make a routine + you say you could have done bettter... but you should have been in the finall list??? WOW. Sorry if I don't understand you.

 

But I will stop talking about this battle, now the organizer changed everything and we're sure of nothing. And yes he should communicate better the rules, the lists to each DJs who entered, because if he does not, this is disrespect.

[Le jad]

Just one question:

 

People who entered with a freestyle right now, if you would have read a rule like "make a routine, not a freestyle, a freestyle will eliminate you from the competition/battle", would you have make a freestyle? would you complain about the definition of what is a routine, what is not a routine, whhat is a freestyle that can be considered as a routine???

 

I'm sure if the rule was written like that, many guys wouldn't have make a video, and many others would have done a routine and effort to "look like" a routine.