Grandmaster Flash (credit: grandmasterflash.com)
DJ and hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash recently gave a lecture at New York’s Hot 97 on the development of hip-hop DJing. The presentation came just one week after the debut of The Get Down, a new Netflix series that explores the rise of hip-hop in the late ’70s.
The hour-long lecture focused on Flash’s technical contributions to hip-hop DJing, including the “peek-a-boo” system, which combined a microphone mixer, preamps, and a studio mixer. As Scratch DJ Academy’s book On the Record states: “this new setup enabled [Grandmaster Flash] to preview the combined sound of two records through headphones before it went through the speakers.”
Flash also explained and demonstrated his “quick mix theory,” which was made possible by the peek-a-boo system. Quick mixing enabled Flash to extend the drum break of a song indefinitely so that crowd could keep dancing to it. The technique was not only a major advancement in hip-hop DJing but led to the development of rap music.
While the innovations that Flash discussed were introduced over 30 years ago, they are still considered standard DJing techniques today.
Watch the full video below.
Topics discussed:
– Some of the most famous samples in hip-hop history (7:00)
– Discovering that the conical stylus is the best type of needle for DJing (13:10)
– Inventing the slipmat (15:10)
– Discovering that the Technics SL-23 was the best turntable at the time for DJing (17:50)
– Inventing the “peek-a-boo” system (21:00)
– His fascination for electronics as a child (22:50)
– Inventing the “clock theory” and “quick mix theory” (28:00)
– Embracing the latest DJ technology (34:00)
– Mentoring Grand Wizzard Theodore, who is credited as the inventor of scratching (36:50)
– Demonstrating his “quick mix theory” and finger drumming with the “beatbox” (42:00)
– The story behind the beatbox (52:00)
Related: Hot 97 Honors Grandmaster Flash
👻 Halloween season is here, and we've got a fresh batch of exclusive edits, remixes, and bootlegs to help you set the perfect vibe for your October gigs. T...
These are DJcity’s most downloaded tracks of October 2025. Our monthly charts feature top downloads from around the world, plus regional charts for Latin...
Notable tracks that were added to DJcity this week. View them all here. Download the tracks below. (* indicates DJcity Exclusive) Armani White - SAY IT TO...
*** UPDATE: check out our updated 2024 and 2025 playlists! Wedding season has arrived! DJcity’s Remix Director Sir Marcus has put together a list of...
DJcity Playlists is your go-to monthly guide for discovering the hottest club tracks. Handpicked by top DJs worldwide, these playlists keep you ahead of th...
Pioneer DJ has introduced the DDJ-SZ2, a new four-channel controller that adds dedicated controls for Serato DJ's latest features. DJcity's Mojaxx says, "W...
A common, shared music library across different DJ apps has been a dream of many DJs for a long time. Today, we come one step closer to that with the launc...
Last week we debuted our new series of simple tutorials to help you get the most out of our updated website. Today we will show you how to utilize the "Bat...
Arabian Prince in the late 1980s. Kim Lezan, better known as Arabian Prince, was a pioneer of west coast hip-hop and one of the founding members of...
🎃 Attention DJs! The spookiest season of the year is just around the corner, and DJcity is here to make your Halloween sets unforgettable! This year, we’re...