DJ Craze - DMC 1998 US Finals Routine

[eforce1200]

This is fucking nuts!!!!

[djhyr0]

for craze to win this (USA DMC) says so much ..the field was so strong this year (swift, doboy, shortkut) this might as well been have the world finals

[Unthugged]

i wonder if Craze knew that Lord Finesse would be hosting that night?

[mysterymediacorp]

@Unthugged Craze used Lord Finesse songs in a lot of his battles around this time ,many when Finesse wasn't the host..including the World Finals in London where Finesse wasn't hosting. He just likes good hip hop :)

[eforce1200]

Wow!  This shit is ridiculous!

[alistilla2]

personally i like craze's itf 1998 set better and even his 2000 dmc set is better than this

[themadasian74]

This is by far the BEST DMC set ever, bar none. Lets not forget that this is a MIXING competition. Craze goes from one record to another seemlessly. No train wrecks. Mixing at its finest. Craze will even tell you that this set is his best. He did this same set at the worlds and while it was nice, it wasn't as precise and fluid as this one.

[cap1adrian]

i'm stoned right now...and the shit he did at 2:53 made my jaw drop so hard, I've broken the keyboard :O

[beatdownthek1d]

3 people are deaf/listen to skrillex

[rcfamwow]

when turntablism gets put in the dictionary they need a video of this routine

[Markharrison1985]

4:18 - 4:26 - whats that break? its used on a public enemy track - anyone know where it originates?

[MurderToCassette]

@Markharrison1985 ESG - UFO

Classic break

[Markharrison1985]

@MurderToCassette Thanks a lot dude, thats been bugging me for years!!

[nauris708]

he got so funky @ 4:22

[nauris708]

i enjoy house music but this video makes me think of all the suckas jumping up and down for some "house" dj.

[nauris708]

hip hop glory days

[BrentDThurman]

98 was my fav year by far

[djdonniewoo]

Dj Dummy (in red) was screaming at GOd why his needles had to be skipping just previously. Now his ass sits down and gets a lesson. =)

[showbizben]

@djdonniewoo fair is fair you watch the 97 USA DMC's Crazes needles skipped all the way through his routine which is why he didn't win that year, I think D.J Slyce actually said somwhere it was his fault as he'd set the tone arms incredibly high when he went on before Craze. Also Dummy's 98 set is one of my all time favourites but nowhere near this level. Plus it's a lot to do with technique, I have nver once seen Jazzy Jeff's needles skip which he put's down to learning the art on shit tables.

[djdonniewoo]

Why would you this dislike this? They must be LIL wayne fans. This is the BEST routine EVER! Creative, intuitive, impeccable-timing, rhythmic, funky, and its all vinyl. No timecode or pre-pressed. No set made from 1999-to now comes close to this. I had the honor of watching this live at Irving Plaza, NYC in 1998. Turntablism is dying. we need to honor Dj craze back in the competition.

[showbizben]

Watched an interview with Vajra after winning the 2011 DMC and he was saying if Craze performed this now he'd probably still win. Not sure if that's true but this was a definite game changer he didn't just step it up a level he absolutely destroyed everyone that came before and almost everyone who's come since.

[DJMidsole]

Flawless Victory

[ElaboratedSoulz]

best routine ever created!

he combined previous dj champs pass n present stylez

into 6 mins..thats mad clever!

[djclixthebeatman]

smashed every1 ,ouch

[jdub2612]

DAMN!!!!!

[shablaminablah]

unless you really watched dmc for years, you can't understand how craze changed the entire scene. there was NOTHING like this before him, nothing. dj dummy was the previous winner, there is no competition for craze for years.

[McShiffto]

he's not one of the best, he is the best.

[bigczaps]

man, i don't even particularly like scratchin but this dude is fxking talented.

[RomyFresh]

Is that a Lord Finesse sample at the beginning?

[therobmiester]

@RomyFresh

There are a series of Lord Finesse samples for the first minute... he was the host for the show that night too!

[thewiz33]

Definitely ill! Haven't seen since my VCR broke!

[DJContagious360]

I have this on VHS!!! Def best routine I've ever seen... Been watching this shit since '00! I watch a few times a month at least! I met Craze in Portland, OR a few years back... I was all shy and shit and he invited me over and had a beer with me... One of best moments in my life!!! CRAZE IS IT!

[thabboy]

"YOU BETTER GIVE ME THE RESPECT THAT I DESERVE." DJ Craze = One of the most humble dudes on the planet!

[demotitan]

And the scratch game was the never the same again....

[S3V1LL3]

:O i much prefer this to the world final set!

[Ibanezium]

4:26 is so sick!

[paulfredric]

This set by Craze was light years ahead of its time. Far and away the tightest, most creative, and musical set ever in a DMC competition.

[djdaisentertainment]

I never realized for 13 years that he was paying homage to Lord Finesse (the host of the battle) at the beginning of the routine.

[djdonniewoo]

I was there! Hammerstein Balllroom NYC 1998. BEST event ever. I miss those days =(

[MrTeeboogie]

Its best routine of the DMC championships of all time HANDS DOWN!!!

[modernsunrecords]

the best turntablism show of the history.... sincerely...MASSACRE ON THE TURNTABLES

[naydo]

the best routine ever in the universe!

[iLIKEtoBREAKitDOWN]

THE BEST THERE IS

[SouljaBoyCommunity]

sorry but craze should have win all DMCs he attended. no more to say.

[cosmobaker]

And at 5:33 Crazeroni invented Dubstep.

[bugstrut]

By the way, I've just forgotten the name of the last record he juggles, can someone remind me what it's called?

[helbman]

@bugstrut

canibus- 2nd round knouckout

[bugstrut]

@helbman But what about the last record he juggles?

[bugstrut]

This was an amazing year for turntablism, with the ITF World final also being amazing. By the way, I've noticed that nobody ever talks about DJ Develop's routine from this battle, which is weird, because I thought he should've got second place, ahead of Shortkut. He did that dope needle-drop on the Swamp guitar-tone record on one turntable, whilst drumming with the record on the other turntable. Also, he did that crazy juggling, using the volume faders, instead of the cross-fader.

[cynreveal]

@bugstrut AWwww man.. finally someone who thought Develop was tight. I've been looking for his set from this US Finals competition for ages. I think his juggles were crazy in the set, and they still stick in my head 13 years later.

[GIO147]

@npsiebe1 i noticed the same thing and ya, dummy's set was crazy nice, too.

[555maggotmask666]

Absolutely amazing!!

[josepchappa]

he losed right?

[krazzyyo2]

garbage

[DJNet66]

I was there when he won that title.He was off the chain!

[kahu247]

yeah ive herd hella dj shit,but goddamn! this set is STILL one if not THE dopest ive ever heard..so much style....fuckin ridculous....and look @ dj red fit-shit talker in the back..u can tell he hates it..BUT LOVES IT SO DAMN MUCH!!LOL

[kahu247]

yeah ive herd hella dj shit,but goddamn! this set is STILL one if not THE dopest ive ever heard..so much style....fuckin ridculous....

[cigarbong]

This routine has it all. Diss. Body tricks. Scratching. Juggling. Musicality. When he does body tricks, he combines it with juggling and made it sound good. Same thing with scratching. Probably one of the best if not the best routine.

Only complaint is, if you can call it a complain. The opening routine, the diss routine, I think was suppose to be a ShortKut diss. He kind of misses it a little bit. That was suppose to be the year ShortKut takes it all. Hence the diss.

[MrEclipse]

@cigarbong It wasn't a shortkut diss. He was talking about the his set for the 1997 us finals when he had the skipping incident

[kingflynn1]

yeah yeah !!

[kingflynn1]

!!//

[readybeeill]

maybe the most flawless set ever. This set is so musical and ahead of its time its crazy.

[TheWilly2fly]

Hands down my fav routine ever. That section with the pitch control and gameboy sample is too sick for words.

[Fnkychld]

Most shocking intro, routines and outro ever. He was inventing something new every second while still being funky. No loud Euro electro crap with custom records. True legend.

[rutturu]

dj battling, rest in peace.

[stoker11100]

the dogs lips stick.

[DjBlackJack1]

1:26 This one is so ILL that I have as a ringtone!

[gedbeat15]

@DjBlackJack1 really?! that's sick

[bigfatdick5000]

when craze does it , it's really cool .

[ClainDoleBoy]

whats the tune at 1:10 dose anyone know?

[DjBlackJack1]

@ClainDoleBoy Sum Lord Finesse track I don't know...

[DJKrissJ]

A very well deserved victory for this routine. It was definitely cleaner than Shortkut's. Classic battle between two legendary DJs. Just brilliant.

[5Spekter]

D-D-DDaaaaammnn!

[bodstrom]

God has it been 12 years already?

[TonyBanana08]

best routine ever like someone already said before!!!! did i mention i wanna see lord finesse' face after craze started his routine with finesse tracks? :D

[DJERNIEBTV]

wat is that little tune at 4:28>

[thisonerightMFhere]

I know the sample horn.

It's 'Funkin' For Jamacia' By Tom Browne

[r1d3ordie]

ima see him tomarow

[furiousfingers27]

His rhythmic precision is incredible. It's one thing to scratch fast, but he never loses the beat...

[groovynezzhaha22]

I was literally within 2 ft of him last night at during his set in Miami.

[agath194]

A genius! like Bethoven in his field!!

[RyanSet]

best routine ive EVER seen

[MrMaxPounder]

def one of the best

[Surreal1985]

What are the tracks that start at...

2:20 and 5:05? Thanks in advance...

[rtadd]

I can't do half of this. And I have better needles. Fuck me.

[djrakman]

practise practise practise its taken me three years to do no more than half his skills and craze had been entering since 94 i wanted shortkut to win but i think craze fully deserved this one i met him and asked him how he got so good and he said he practised the hard way like everybody else until he got it right good luck practising

[TheDJdkutz]

awsome set!!!

[Jimpsterz]

the vinyl record he uses on this set alot is called Super Duck Breaks.

good tool

[wordperfect]

whats the beat at 1:08 anyone ?

[wordperfect]

@wordperfect art of noise " hoops and mallets "

[nauris708]

SO SICK. A+++++++++++++++

[thehumanshin]

He Fuckin makes the whole routine BLEND like a frikin mixtape, all while layin down a skill clinic, INSANE

[readybeeill]

the most musical routine at the time. So far ahead of everything that was out there in 98.......still as sick as the first time i saw this.

[roboshuffle]

Absolutely mental.

[djclixthebeatman]

smashed the fuck out of it

[TheNYBOMBER]

whats that beat at 1:08 ??? he killed that shit damn

[wordperfect]

@TheNYBOMBER art of noise " hoops and mallets "

[spinDAknight01]

to be honest i always thought craze was always overated. but this is a claissic routine. HOTNESS SON.

[thisisdrink100]

is the host mike smooth?

[sekure808]

no the host is lord finesse...which is funny because its lord finesse in craze's intro...

[elonepb]

Who was the DJ that put the needle on the non vinyl part of the record... and then made the beat from that noise?

[glict]

Kentaro

[DJHALFMOON]

A few have done it but the 1 first person recorded doing it was Qbert

[tsmith11]

This is HipHop everybody!!!

[funkyill]

the sickest intro yet!!!

[Japcat21]

In the DMC, can you repeat your US routine for the World DMC? or at least use bits of it?

[Flibzy]

I think so, I'm sure i remember Klever doing the same one for his 2000 routine

[au049]

Doubt it, and I doubt you can use parts of your previous routine to your new routine. You can use soundtracks and such, but not the same samples of a previously presented routine.

DMC Championships is about new and unique routines.

-Auz

[Rottenfusion]

People use the same routine for regional - national - world finals in a single year with some rearranging of intros etc where appropriate. Its not common for someone to make large changes to a routine that is winning. From year to year of course its all new material.

[au049]

This is true too. Thanks for adding.

-Auz

[bkflatbushtone]

anyone knows that beat thats starts at 1:08 ???

[wordperfect]

@bkflatbushtone art of noise " hoops and mallets "

[bkflatbushtone]

thanks

[BangTheBridge]

one of the dopest routine ever.

i really would like to see finesse, when he heard that craze sampled him in his routine;)

[poopheadIII]

Insane Routine !!!!!

[RyanSet]

Craze is an animal... Dude really FLIPS records in the truest sense of the word... he doesent even need a sampler, a true hero for turntables and hip hop in general!!!!!!!!

[VinyLV2020]

And he's still the man!! DMC will never be the same

[bugstrut]

@VinyLV2020 I read an interview in which Craze said he'd enter DMC again, if he was paid $20,000. The only person I'd like to see enter again, more than Craze would be Q-bert...oh and Mixmaster Mike!

[RED3isme]

Craze has mad skillz!

[scklm]

tipical nigger....

[tomassinbrooklyn]

Its a shame good people die and youre still alive.

[skaya562]

hhahahaa i wish i'd seen what he said

[tomassinbrooklyn]

+1 AM so dope.

[cxtdjam32]

This is my fav routine ever made... EVER and still, 11 years later, no one has come close to me in making a better 6 min routine. All hail Craze.. master of Style.

[rhinonose]

some people forget to make this shit listenable and danceable. but this is fucking awesome

[prly]

that's that shit... sick.

[TimMaundrell]

mad propz

[gambitt3000]

the look on steve dee face at 2:35 is priceless

[rc72015]

3:59-4:08..

only craze could make tht shit look easy

[Gelbsenf]

the whole set is the dopest routine ever played on 2 TTs

[noisicerp]

2:19-3:00 is one of the sickest routines ive ever heard

[AlphaXQ]

im not surprised that Dj Craze can still be dope at his routines :D

[creydadj]

sick scratch routine

[DonJuanDeMarco2]

Lord of style

[nauris708]

what an instrument

[YellaDevil1]

It doesn't seem like it's been over a decade since this competition, yet, Craze still amazes me with his beat juggling and the way he has the wax talking to the crowd.

[ilikeitsnice]

classic shit. dummy was fucking funny that year tho.

[readybeeill]

this routine changed the game. there was nothing like it at the time. Craze blew the roof off the game.

[ArcadeOne]

Dopeeeeeeee !!

[JOSERULZ69]

now this guy fuckin talks with his vinyl

[tableturns77]

This is the best dmc routine in history. Whats more dope is that Lord Finesses was the host and then Craze comes out with a Lord Finesse routine. Finesses mustve been like whaaaaaaaaaaat

[fortychops]

agreed 100%

[fortychops]

I remember pickin this video up at play de record in toronto when it came out...craze blew my mind

[djwerd]

God has it been 10 years already?

[maxpounder]

CRAZE!!

[amosliz724]

which art of noise song is it at 1 14

[wordperfect]

@amosliz724 art of noise " hoops and mallets "

[dougiedocious]

Craze is a sick man

[zipcodeareacode]

wow so clean and technical... 10 yrs ago now..

[showbizben]

If it weren't for the needles he would have won in 97 but i'm glad he didn't cos he went away and came back with this which was on another level. Slyce who won the u.s in 97's back and Skully from the u.k so maybe the old cats will bring something good to DMC this year.

[djfatfingaz11432]

its good that the needles were fucking up on him in 97...because history would have been written differently...shit happens for a reason!

[djfatfingaz11432]

and slyce won DMC USA 2008 this year! WERE YOU AT WITH THE NEWS LOLZ!

[fredomeireles]

I agree! A classic routine! sounds great!!

[sittingcow]

uh he won right?

[aphexmonk]

holy shit, craze is the man

[xDESTRADO]

DRUM N BASS FTW

[shmeezle]

That lord finesse intro just set it off

[HipHopLanguage]

What's that song called on 4:40?

[tableturns77]

This has to be the best dmc routine that i have ever seen

[Inus]

yeah .. its tight from begin to end

really tight!

[LordCarlito27]

propz 4 postin this classic routine

[bstrut118]

wow

[SkratchTV]

my all time fav DJ battle rouine

[djbis]

I think I am with you on that... great variety, fuckin clean, confident, eclectic, and just well put together.

[calyx06]

sick ass cr8z