Features
From Vinyl Records to Serato
Hip-Hop Day LA Editorial
From crates of vinyl and two turntables to laptops, controllers, and Serato, technology changed how Los Angeles DJs play, but never why they play.
Since its beginning, DJ culture started with two turntables, a mixer, and vinyl records.
DJs carried crates of records to backyard parties, clubs, skating rinks, radio stations, and arenas, using two turntables and a mixer to blend songs, scratch records, extend breaks, and create a new party experience in real time.
As technology evolved, so did the DJ. Vinyl gave way to CDs, digital files, controllers, and eventually software such as Serato, allowing DJs to store thousands of songs on a laptop while maintaining the creative techniques developed on turntables.
The transition changed more than equipment. It transformed how DJs discovered music, organized collections, performed, traveled, and shared their craft with the world.
Yet the foundation remains the same: know your music, understand your audience, master your craft, and move the crowd.
The format changed. The art of DJing didn't.
