ericuk Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I heard an old D Styles performance today from way back, then this eve I heard Qbert performing. One thing that dawned on me is that I prefer watching/listening to QBert, but D styles actually sounds better. D styles was funky, structured and everything came together nicely. Qbert was 100mph of sloppy madness that sounded more experimental. It was one of his £5k seminars in europe somewhere and ppl got to cut with him. Obviously he was 10000 times better than anyone but every now and then I would wonder if it was Q bert or one of his fans. Thats when it hit me. I may do a jizz to qberts speed, techniques, variation and unpredictability but D is nicer to listen to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 #obvs? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dopez Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 #obvs? Yeah I thought it was obvious also. I saw D-Styles a couple of weeks ago and the fact that he cuts over sub 80bpm beats with multi-syllable samples (with fat fucking kicks to boot) is the ultimate headnod. I can appreciate Qbert's technique and speed but in terms of funk D > Q. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chile Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Qbert was my favorite scratcher the first few years i got into cutting, but eventually my appreciation of D styles grew to the point where I consider him pretty much number one.. I think D has a particular approach to cutting that's so well balanced and genuinely versatile that it can fall under the radar for many since hes more music orientated and less showy, while Qbert uses his technique in a way that's tailored to draw a lot more attention. I think both of them are incredible in their own ways, but IMO D has shown more musical versatility over the years in his scratches.. He can cut fast, slow, funky, understands technique on Q's level, uses silence in scratching better than most, and tailors his cuts more on how things sound than how it looks.. I don't think its something Qbert isn't capable of though.. With Q it seems more his own aesthetic choices and ingrained musical habits that have set him back at points (something we all have to deal with), since his understanding of technique certainly isn't what holds him back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djnumnuts Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Its like Qbert for the technical and D for the funkiness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Qbert was my favourite scratcher in the 90s. I prefer his older style, like this: - Q1 (1997).mp3 Or this: - Q2 (1991).mp3 This is sloppy by his standards today, but the first time I heard this 20 years ago I'd never heard anything like it. The speed of the chirps for the time and the bit where he's pushing the "1, 2, 3, 4" forwards had me thinking "what witchcraft is this!": - Q3 (1994).mp3 Today I would much rather listen to D-Styles or IQ, but there's only a few scratch DJs that I enjoy listening to consistently now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Agree with Steve, I preferred Q in about 96-97... Camelbobsled, Dr Octagon, Run the line, the Summit performance. Apart from the fact he was less technical and more funky, I think because he was doing more stuff on recorded music, he was dropping a more considered musical flow. After this time he focused more and more on just freestyle performances and whilst his technical prowess grew and grew, his stuff seemed to be more about dropping your jaw in a few minutes than making something that you'd want to listen to again and again. D has been my definite favourite ever since early 2000s and that "D Styles in Korea" vid on YouTube still remains my gold standard freestyle scratch vid which all others have to be measured against. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d00ban Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I think Q likes to see himself as some crazy Jazz musician who is pushing the art form as far as it can go. Just wish he kept a bit more funk in his style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest petesasqwax Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I thought we all understood that D was sxckqratchGOD and that his prophets Excess and Toad were to be worshipped only slightly less reverently. Funkshitup 3:16 teaches us this 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkei Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I thought we all understood that D was sxckqratchGOD and that his prophets Excess and Toad were to be worshipped only slightly less reverently. Funkshitup 3:16 teaches us this Amen (praise to the mustached One) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blak Randy Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 D Is the best by a miiiilllllleee for me. His choice of sample, cuts, flow everything. One of the things that got me when I saw the Rock hard bastards thing live is how much better than Toad or Excess he is. Like. they are not even close. It was basically the D Styles show when it came to freestyles. Around the times of Demolishion Pumpkin Squeeze, Dr Octagon, Camel Bobslay ride, q was the best though. Even up to like 200o, Scratchcon n stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Symatic Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I realized d was the don when i watched the vestax extravaganza and his hands are like fuckin weird alien crab beasts makin the most controlled funkyness ever. Q has the showman thing down tho and his faderless scratch demo is rediculously good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 All about the D. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vet Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Q hasn't been listenable for almost 20 years IMO....D all the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey-Hands Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 When I first heard Q I was like WTF this is dope but nowadays I don't like it so much anymore. He sound very unclean and as if he's trying to do shit he can't do. D has to be my favorite of all time. IMO noone beats him on the cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d00ban Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 All about the D. No homo? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wax On Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Hahaha this is DV d00b 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericuk Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Maaaannnnn. I watched the boiler room qbert set and it was a bit dry. Then I watched his DMC performance in London few years back when he cut to the dead Prez beat and killed it hard. That scratching reminded me how amazing he can be. D is funky and dope always but maybe he isn't on that level? Technically anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Rock Well Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I think you're right eric, nobody can trump Q on number of different scratches and outright technical prowess. But it's meant to be music and for me, D wins that... plus he's still got a few moves... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldielocksnthethreebrares Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 "I like Qbert, and I also like D-Styles, but which is better? There is only one way to find out... FIGHT!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blak Randy Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I think you're right eric, nobody can trump Q on number of different scratches and outright technical prowess. But it's meant to be music and for me, D wins that... plus he's still got a few moves... The best scratching on the net pretty much. That's never changed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assemblyworker Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I would rather have the D, providing I didn't have to Q for it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericuk Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 ^^^BOOM BOOM TISH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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