In a world taken over by laptops and various programs used to create beats and mixes, there are still some out there that keep things pure and strictly on wax. DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist are two artists that understand the true nature of the blessed DJ. The two have announced the Renegades of Rhythm tour, which will celebrate the legacy of Afrika Bambaataa, founder of the Universal Zulu Nation.
“I would consider Bambaataa to be one of the three biggest musical influences in my life, along with Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Mantronik,” Shadow tells Rolling Stone. “He was a DJ with a vision and a sense of purpose, with a desire for social change. He wanted to use the music to help foster a revolution, and the reverberations of this concept are still being felt today, and probably will be forever. His ability to embrace and incorporate all different types of music and art, and contextualize them with a hip-hop mentality, is what the entire culture is based on.”
Using only vinyl pulled from Bambaataa’s historic collection – over 40,000 strong and permanently archived at Cornell University – the two masters of the turntables will present the genre-busting and socially-minded complexity that Afrika Bambaataa’s music gave the world in a mind-blowing experience that will use six turntables and a variety of real-time effects.
“This has never been done before, definitely not on this scale. They’re HIS records, with his blessings. This isn’t just ANY copy of ‘X’ breakbeat, it’s THE copy, THE copy that started everything. Not just any records, the MASTER OF RECORDS’ records.” – DJ Shadow.
DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist’s “Renegades of Rhythm” Tour
9/1 Toronto, ON – Guvernment
9/3 Boston, MA – House of Blues
9/4 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
9/5 New York, NY – Irving Plaza
9/6 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
9/8 Washington, DC – The Fillmore Silver Spring
9/9 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
9/11 Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
9/12 Atlanta, GA – The Loft At Center Stage
9/14 Orlando, FL – House of Blues
9/16 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
9/18 Austin, TX – ACL Live
9/19 Dallas, TX – House of Blues
9/20 Houston, TX – House of Blues
9/22 Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
9/23 Chicago, IL – House of Blues
9/24 Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theater
9/26 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
9/27 Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen
9/29 Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
10/1 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/2 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
10/3 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
10/7 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
10/8 Seattle, WA – Neptune
10/9 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
