Banjos To Beats’ Scratch Session Series At The It’ll Do Will Feature Headlining Sets From DJ Jazzy Jeff, Z-Trip, Just Blaze, Mix Master Mike, DJ Nu-Mark and Kid Capri.

Since it opened in 2012, no one could ever argue that the East Dallas’ It’ll Do was lacking in the star power it managed to draw into its DJ booth. (Actually, it’s a bit overwhelming now to recall some of the names that have popped up in there: iconic international house icon Kaskade, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, rappers GoldLink and Spank Rock, ’00s party icon The Juan MacLean, house legend Marc Kinchen and hometown heroes Leon Bridges and a reunited The Party, just to name a very few.)

But, even in the face of the venue’s history and internationally renowned reputation, the lineup that the spot’s boasting this summer is still bound to impress even the most salty of scene vets.

This summer, the team at Dallas event promotions company Banjos to Beats has teamed with the venue to book a six-event series called “Scratch Session” that will to town some of the biggest names in hip-hop DJing history: Fresh Prince partner-in-crime DJ Jazzy Jeff, Beastie Boys jock Mix Master Mike, mash-up pioneer Z-Trip, legendary rap record producer Just Blaze, Jurassic 5 member DJ Nu-Mark and Def Comedy Jam vibe curator Kid Capri.

The idea of bringing in such legendary names in the rap game, says Banjos to Beats co-owner Josh Smith, is to highlight an often-disregarded part of hip-hop history.

“To understand hip-hop, you have to understand that it all started with the DJ,” Smith says. “Before the rappers took center stage, the DJ was the party starter. The DJ was the star. So, with Scratch Session, we want to help tell hip-hop’s story by paying homage to that fact — and since we happen to have It’ll Do, one of the world’s elite DJ’s clubs, in our own backyard, this series just seemed like a natural progression.”

Smith is quick to note, though, that while the party — each of which will feature opening sets from Majic 94.5-FM’s DJ Menace and Too Fresh Productions’ DJ Leo J — may be intended to highlight an important part of cultural history, it will not be a backward-thinking affair.

“Scratch Session isn’t about nostalgia,” Smith says. “[It’s] about bringing people together to witness the skills and imbibe in the musical tastes of some of the world’s finest DJs — and to have a damn good time doing it.”

It could prove a good time for your wallet, too, if you play things smartly. Tickets to each of Scratch Session’s offerings (see full schedule of events at the bottom of this post) are currently on sale here, with access to Nu-Mark’s June 29 kickoff party going for $10, tickets to DJ Jazzy Jeff’s September 7 series closer currently going for an “early bird” rate of $20 and entry into the four other events currently set at $15 “early bird” rates. But a “season pass,” which is available right here, gets purchasers access to all six parties for the lowered cost of $49 a head (or $54.08 after fees).

That’s not a bad price to see some of the figures most responsible for keeping the torch alive on one of hip-hop’s four key elements.

Smith, as you might expect, concurs with that assessment.

“We put a lot of thought into the initial lineup and landed on six iconic figures that span four decades worth of hip-hop,” he says. “Each of them completely changed the game in some way or another. It’s rad to have the co-sign from such a diverse set of artists that [has] pushed the culture forward and [continues] to be champions for the longevity and legacy of hip-hop.”

Yeah, that’s what we were saying.

Full Scratch Sessions 2018 Lineup:

June 29: DJ Nu-Mark ($10)
July 13: DJ Z Trip ($15)
July 27: Just Blaze ($15)
August 3: Kid Capri ($15)
August 17: Mix Master Mike ($15)
September 7: DJ Jazzy Jeff ($20)

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