You’ve spent hours and evenings planning, practicing, and perfecting your DJ set. You understand the concept of good phrasing, counting bars, marking records, beatmatching, and dropping it on the one. Flowing seamlessly from track to track. Studied legends like Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool Herc, Kurtis Blow and Afrika Bambaataa. “I just need an opportunity to showcase my skills,” you think to yourself.

I gotchu.

Cincinnati’s legendary, award winning, turntablist collective The Animal Crackers present Technics DMC Live Regional DJ Battle, returning to Cincinnati Sunday, June 25th to the 20th Century Theatre. This is DMC’s classic solo showcase style DJ battle, established in 1985. DJs will each perform a 2 minute routine for the elimination round. Judges will select the top 6 to advance to the final round. The top 6 finalists will each perform a 6 minute routine. The champion of this battle will advance to the next battle level (National or World Finals).

Even if you aren’t a DJ, DMC DJ battles attract a large audience of music enthusiasts, industry professionals, and fans (like me). It’s also an opportunity to hob knob with like minded individuals, meet new people, and watch DJs showcase their turntable and technical skills, creativity, and showmanship.

Showcase performances by DJ D-Styles, DJ Precision, DJ Topspeed,The Animal Crackers with special guest Mr. Dibbs. It’s an all ages show, and any DJ of any age can enter. Best yet, DMC does not charge an entry fee for DJs to compete!

A bit about the showcase performers:
 DJ D-Styles is a hip hop producer and DJ highly regarded as one of the most skilled scratch DJs in the world. He has been a member of Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Beat Junkies, and Third Sight. D-Styles is an instructor at the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound.

DJ Precision is a two-time DMC US Champion and member of The X-Ecutioners. Highly respected in hip hop for his turntable skills, he is a collector and turntable professor. DJ Topspeed's love for DJing started from his bboy days as part of the Galactic Rockers Crew. A long-time fixture in the Indianapolis scene, Topspeed learned his chops in the early days of hip hop, listening to intense Dr. Dre mixes and perfecting his own. “I stick to the rule of playing what’s popular and putting my own take on it, maybe mixing them together or mixing in a beat nobody’s ever heard before.” (Fun fact: Topspeed’s first rap album was Personality Jock by The Fatback Band.

The Animal Crackers are a group of DJs, MCs, and producers based in Cincinnati. Their resume includes team and individual member work with hip hop producer Hi-Tek, Scribble Jam, MC Paul Barman, and the legendary ‘Ambassador of Funk’ Bootsy Collins.

Mr.Dibbs is an American DJ, music producer, and member of The Animal Crackers. He is also co-founder of Scribble Jam, which was an annual hip hop competition dubbed “America’s largest hip hop festival” (Dear Mr. Dibbs - we need Scribble Jam back in our lives).