Posted on 12/02/2009


There was a buzz in the city of Toronto on November 14th. Asking most hip-hop heads where they were heading that night was a given. There was an event being born so unique, so new, and so revolutionary that it had to be witnessed. DJ Starting from Scratch, Scratch formally of The Roots, and Skratch Bastid collaborated to deliver a performance that was awe-inspiring to say the least. And of course, your boy Sean Deezill was there to cover the show on behalf of Okayplayer at Revival that fine evening.

The event was packed to the door with a short lineup on the outside. That’s always a great sign. Like I said, there was a buzz. TTC buses were filled with people heading to the event; chatter along the street of this “Skratch Bastid guy” was amongst smile-worthy moments of the night as well. The Dilla vibes were in full effect as MyManHenri, started the crowd up with mellow and much appreciated soulful, head-nodding tunes. We heard soul-glowing hip-hop sounds that stick to the ribs as much as they blast through the eardrums.

Skratch Bastid was the first one up on stage, eagerly anticipating the performance. In fact, he looked like a kid in a candy store with 4 turntables and a nifty beat-machine on the stage’s table. Next up, taking his place to the right of SB, was DJ Starting From Scratch, who is unarguably Canada’s most famous, most prominent, and flat out best DJ. As I stood next to [beatboxer] Scratch, I saw focus in his demeanor. Soon he entered the stage too, and took his place in the middle of them both. This garnered an appropriate photo for anyone in the audience. Of course, the build up was cinematic, anticipation was in the air, and the guys got to work.

Right off the bat, the chemistry was evidently natural. In fact, it was so natural that it was surreal how three different styles could be so in sync with each other. It was seamless weaving in and out of traffic, even in moments of doubt, all three combined at every split second to collaborate on a solution. It really was difficult made easy.

The team sailed through a flurry of tracks like “We Will Rock You,” “Shout,” and “In the Air Tonight,” automatically involving the crowd directly in the show. You could see the crowd reminiscing as they were jolted with shots of nostalgia from the days when MTV actually played videos. What was consistently impressive was the tip-top bass Scratch was able to hit. This beat-making was also seen on the artist’s 2009 album, Loss 4 Wordz. While Scratch was beatboxing, DJ Starting from Scratch, whose musical knowledge is second-to-none, calmly rotated in and out of instrumentals alongside the rapid-fire handwork of Skratch Bastid, who complimented SFS’s keen ear for mixing and mastering. Once again, the timing of all of this was impeccable. It was somewhat of a Marxian society up on stage; each individual working hard at what they were best at to achieve the greatest possible outcome for the community.

The trio did numerous specified sets, such as a Busta Rhymes medley that intertwined “Pass the Courvoisier” with “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” which led to a subtle dose of “Touch It,” and then to a masterful blending of “Light Ya Ass On Fire” and “Dangerous.” There was also a Rakim and Notorious B.I.G set that had Scratch beatboxing with his nose…yes, with his nose. This was certainly a first for me to witness, and I know I wasn’t the only one. Additionally impressive was the De La Soul set, starting creatively with “A Rollerskating Jam Named Saturdays,” then looping into “Keeping the Faith,” “Eye Know,” and “Me, Myself, and I” and finally many of their recognizable samples. Chants of “Hip-Hop” or “Bravehearts” or whatever people wanted to chant when listening to “Made You Look” flourished, as Starting From Scratch and Bastid did a little more back-and-forth for a Queensbridge set, until they ended it by blatantly distributing some Jigga to round everything out. Chances are, you don’t hear this much variety, skill, and perfect mixing at your regular hip-hop clubs (of course, unless these guys are spinning).

Most surprisingly was the welcomed transition from Jay’s “Empire State of Mind” to Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” If this gig moves to the Big Apple one day, you already know this one is certainly getting hit out of the New Yankee Stadium. From here, they seamlessly moved on to the ballpark favorite, “Sweet Caroline,” getting the whole crowd involved. I mean, these once absurd connections and renditions became a norm of the night, and frankly, the craziness didn’t stop at any point (ahem, and I won’t mention Skratch actually showing his tits when Pharoahe Monch asked him too via “Simon Says”).

Listen, this was one of the best nights of this hip-hop reviewer’s life. Even though some steam was lost nearly halfway through the show, it must surely be expected given the stamina, both physical and mental, it takes to keep this up for nearly 3 hours. Regardless, whenever a “low” point was hit, it was followed by an immediate high; a little trick frequently used by DJ’s. And while there is still speculation and buzz about these three going on the road to make this a regular gig, I certainly urge every reader and fan of hip-hop and good music (and good times) to get these guys to play your city. Make this a popular demand because truly, this is one of the most unique musical experiences that you are ever going to experience.

-Sean Deezill Watch Skratch Bastid and Scratch (formerly from The Roots) go to town:



Here are some more videos from the night below (props to Samantha for the vids):