Scratch That: The Evolution of TurntablismSouth Bronx In the 1970s, the Bronx was in ruins. The entire burrow was riddled with evidence of arson and poverty. Abandoned and burned buildings. Some buildings, however, were still occupied by tenants but were dirty and terribly maintained, which was most likely the result of slum landlords raising rents until tenants could no longer afford to pay. In this case, they would hire thugs to burn it down, and the slum owner would get the insurance money back (Chang, 2005). Due to the economic crisis, the unemployment rate was increasing. The streets were overrun with drugs, crime and violence (Chang, 2005). For this reason, the police rarely visited this area. Without police or protection, Bronx residents had to protect themselves. They formed gangs to prevent drugs and other arson from happening. These gangs were mainly made up of young people and used any means necessary to keep their streets safe. Due to the violent nature of these street gangs, nightclubs and dance halls would not allow the youth of the Bronx to access these places (Chang, 2005). Needing a place to socialize, young people in the Bronx organized their own house and block parties (Chang, 2005). It was in these evenings that the evolution began. Throughout time, since the creation of the phonograph, there has been the disk jockey, the one who plays the records. It wasn't until the 70s that someone decided to manipulate records and/or turntables to play whatever they wanted. At first it was just to extend part of the song; however, later it would involve making music as an instrumentalist. A Disk Jockey, or "DJ", is a person who simply plays music for an audience. A record player... in the middle of a paper... will be heard! .com/artist/afrika-bambaataa-mn0000929862/biography Bush, J. (August 13, 2013). Retrieved from www.allmusic.com: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/afrika-bambaataa-mn0000929862. /biographyChang, J. (2005). Cant Stop Wont Stop New York: Picador St. Martin’s Press. Chin, B. (January 26, 2004). kooldjherc.asp. Retrieved from www.hiphop-network.com: http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/djarticles/kooldjherc.asp Mcbride, J. (2007 Hip-Hop Planet, National Geographic, 100-). 119. Pray, D. (Director). Scratch [Motion Picture]. The musical world of Afrika Bambaataa (2004, taken from zulunation.com: http://www.zulunation.com/. afrika.html