DJ Ralphy Ray Interview. Tri-Cities Mixtape Podcast

Somewhere in the last 20 years, DJs wanted to differentiate themselves from just like your average radio DJ or the guy who just plays quinceañeras on a MacBook, you know? And the word turntablist kind of came up.

And I guess I assumed that it was for DJs to be like, oh, I'm not just some regular DJ.

I actually, I'm on the vinyl.

I scratch.

I do the, I guess, am I right in assuming that it was a way for them to be like, hey, I'm not just a DJ.

I do a little more.

I'm a turntablist.

I'm a scratcher.

So, man, that's a great question, man.

To be honest, from what I know, the knowledge that I've gained, being a turntablist basically just means you use turntables, right? Oh, okay.

So the turntable becomes your instrument.

It's almost like saying you're a flute player or a violinist.

Yeah,

yeah, yeah.

A tablist essentially is somebody who uses a turntable like an instrument.

You'll manipulate the sound with your hand as you use the crossfader.

And so you start becoming what they call a tablist because now you start going, and you start making your own sounds off a little word or off something.

That becomes traditionally known as, oh, you're a tablist, because that's what you do.

The word DJ, I think it would always remain DJ.

You're a disc jockey.

You take records.

You play music.

You get the people going.

That's a DJ.

Then you have your MCs, who the MCs are literally the people that hype the crowd.