In the parlance of the electronic music world, Los Angeles-based DJ Jedi (a.k.a. Terrence Cedricks) is a "turntablist" -- an "old-school" type who uses a turntable not only to seamlessly mix music samples with beats, but as an instrument in and of itself.
He's built a reputation for his eclectic choice of samples, matched to supple, unexpected rhythms and a complete mastery of the "scratch." He's currently on a two-year world tour in support of a reunited Digable Planets, but when he's home he returns to the same coffee house for his usual Monday night gig -- Green at the UnUrban Cafe in Santa Monica.
With the help of regulars MC Rat Pack Slim, resident "beat-boxer" Joshua Silverstein and DJ MikeCheck, DJ Jedi presides over probably the most vibrant open-mic venues on the West Coast.
Like a lot of electronic musicians, DJ Jedi is quiet and reserved behind his twin turntables -- his friends say he let his hands do the talking.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
