Who invented vinyl scratching?

(Credits: Far Out) Mon 18 November 2024 16:50, UK Many record collectors would wince at the thought of scratching their precious vinyl, recoiling at the image of that impossibly fine needle being dragged back and forth over their most prized possessions. But many DJs, particularly those working in the realm of hip-hop, frequent the practice of record scratching. They use it to punctuate their set, to fade between tracks, and simply to add intrigue. The sound of record scratching is now one that is familiar to music fans worldwide. It can be found all over hip-hop music of every era, from ‘Can I Kick It?’ by A Tribe Called Quest to the catalogue of MF Doom. But the art of record scratching has extended beyond the genre that spawned it into the work of trip-hoppers like Portishead and Massive Attack, as well as huge pop hits. Record scratching has become a staple in modern music and modern DJing, entertaining audiences for decades now, and it seems that the practice is here to stay. But where exactly did record scratching come from, and who was the first person to discover it? The answer to that question is actually a pre-teen born...