Crate Diggers: Cut Chemist Once Cleaned Out Brazil's Record Collection

FUSE TV - Crate Diggers: Cut Chemist Once Cleaned Out Brazil's Record Collection

In a converted horse stable in Los Angeles, pioneering DJ/producer Cut Chemist is sifting through 15,000 of his 35,000+ records, explaining the method to his madness. "One thing you can look at is what label got the most usage over the years," he says in the latest episode of Crate Diggers. "If you look at Def Jam, spines are split; dinged corners; those records got a lot of mileage."

In the video above, the Jurassic 5 co-founder and Ozomatli member recalls his first digging trip: a cross-country jaunt accompanying his parents to take his sister to college. "This is the perfect opportunity," says Cut. "I’m 13 years old. I’m going to New York for the first time. All this stuff that I love about hip hop is New York-based and this is my chance to figure it out.”

“That was the beginning of break collecting,” he continues, after discussing his first purchase of compilation series Ultimate Breaks and Beats. “This was the first time I stated obtaining records and hence begins a larger scope of what to start completing. I was kinda the man in ’86.”

The episode also details "The Big Dig," a Brazilian record-shopping trip made by Cut, Madlib, Egon and Beat Junkies' Babu and J. Rocc (the latter a "Crate Diggers" alum).  “We turned that country upside down. We changed the whole infrastructure of their economy just based on how many of us there were. It was like they brought in the army. Here comes the American DJs. It may have been the most amount of records I bought in one trip.”

Cut also shows off his ultra-rare test pressing of T La Rock’s “It’s Yours”—the first single released on Def Jam—with Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin's handwritten signature and NYU dorm phone number. Hip hop history right there.

Check out the video above, and listen below for some of the tracks featured in the video, hand-picked by Cut Chemist himself.

Cybotron, "R-9"

Crate Diggers

Crate Diggers

DJ Eclipse's Vinyl Collection on Crate Diggers

13m

DJ Eclipse's Vinyl Collection on Crate Diggers

DJ Scratch's Vinyl Collection on Crate Diggers

14m

DJ Scratch's Vinyl Collection on Crate Diggers

Crate Diggers - Trailer

31s

Crate Diggers - Trailer

CRATE DIGGERS Sizzle

2m

CRATE DIGGERS Sizzle

Sneak Peek Inside J. Dilla's Record Collection

1m

Sneak Peek Inside J. Dilla's Record Collection

Dancin' On Air Producer Once Told Madonna to Clean Her Mess

1m

Dancin' On Air Producer Once Told Madonna to Clean Her Mess

Where Did People Get All These Milk Crates?

21m

Where Did People Get All These Milk Crates?

Domino's Vinyl Collection

16m

Domino's Vinyl Collection

Evidence's Vinyl Collection

11m

Evidence's Vinyl Collection

Egon's Vinyl Collection

13m

Egon's Vinyl Collection

Hank3's Vinyl Collection

13m

Hank3's Vinyl Collection

DJ Qbert's Vinyl Collection

17m

DJ Qbert's Vinyl Collection

Tim Westwood's Vinyl Collection

15m

Tim Westwood's Vinyl Collection

Mr. Thing's Vinyl Collection

14m

Mr. Thing's Vinyl Collection

Ben Blackwell's Vinyl Collection

12m

Ben Blackwell's Vinyl Collection

DJ Babu's Vinyl Collection

12m

DJ Babu's Vinyl Collection

Shepard Fairey's Vinyl Collection

13m

Shepard Fairey's Vinyl Collection

Jello Biafra's Vinyl Collection

13m

Jello Biafra's Vinyl Collection

Krafty Kuts' Vinyl Collection

16m

Krafty Kuts' Vinyl Collection

DJ Rhettmatic's Vinyl Collection

10m

DJ Rhettmatic's Vinyl Collection

J Dilla's Vinyl Collection

26m

J Dilla's Vinyl Collection

House Shoes' Vinyl Collection

15m

House Shoes' Vinyl Collection

Young Guru's Vinyl Collection

13m

Young Guru's Vinyl Collection

Afrika Bambaataa's Vinyl Collection

10m

Afrika Bambaataa's Vinyl Collection

DJ Jaguar's Vinyl Collection

13m

DJ Jaguar's Vinyl Collection

Mr. Scruff's Vinyl Collection

21m

Mr. Scruff's Vinyl Collection

Adrian Younge's Vinyl Collection

12m

Adrian Younge's Vinyl Collection

Tony Touch's Vinyl Collection

9m

Tony Touch's Vinyl Collection

Kid Capri's Vinyl Collection

8m

Kid Capri's Vinyl Collection

Chief Xcel's Vinyl Collection

15m

Chief Xcel's Vinyl Collection

Mr. Bongo's Vinyl Collection

16m

Mr. Bongo's Vinyl Collection

Spin Doctor's Vinyl Collection

12m

Spin Doctor's Vinyl Collection

Mark Ronson's Vinyl Collection

22m

Mark Ronson's Vinyl Collection

You're Cut

20m

You're Cut

Making the Cut

46m

Making the Cut

Good Records

1m

Good Records

Rare Vinyl

6m

Rare Vinyl

DJ Nu-Mark's Vinyl Collection

11m

DJ Nu-Mark's Vinyl Collection

Dan the Automator's Vinyl Collection

15m

Dan the Automator's Vinyl Collection

Once a Stripper, Always a Ho

24m

Once a Stripper, Always a Ho

Clean Up Aisle One

46m

Clean Up Aisle One

Jello Biafra's Vinyl Collection (Part 2)

14m

Jello Biafra's Vinyl Collection (Part 2)

Folk Arts Rare Records

13s

Folk Arts Rare Records

Extra G Comes Clean: G-Thing

1m

Extra G Comes Clean: G-Thing

Shake Out

21m

Shake Out

The Dirtiest Song Ever Recorded

21m

The Dirtiest Song Ever Recorded

Address Queen Ts Madison Correctly (Extended Cut)

14m

Address Queen Ts Madison Correctly (Extended Cut)

Comin Out Swinging

20m

Comin Out Swinging

Out in the Ring

1h 43m

Out in the Ring

Young M.A. and Ayo and Teo - Long Cut

20m

Young M.A. and Ayo and Teo - Long Cut

Issa Rae Talks 'Raedio' and Prioritizing Therapy (Extended Cut)

12m

Issa Rae Talks 'Raedio' and Prioritizing Therapy (Extended Cut)

DeRay Mckesson Addresses Shaun King Controversy (Extended Cut)

13m

DeRay Mckesson Addresses Shaun King Controversy (Extended Cut)

Anthony Ramos On 'The Good & The Bad' (Extended Cut)

12m

Anthony Ramos On 'The Good & The Bad' (Extended Cut)

Fluffy At Home Ep. 1: So Fresh and So Clean

2m

Fluffy At Home Ep. 1: So Fresh and So Clean

Monalisa Discusses The Nostalgic Appeal of Vinyl Records

1m

Monalisa Discusses The Nostalgic Appeal of Vinyl Records

Carlos Niño Shares His All-Time Favorite Record

2m

Carlos Niño Shares His All-Time Favorite Record

Who Will be Cut from Team Freedia to Save Finances?

2m

Who Will be Cut from Team Freedia to Save Finances?

Out in the Ring - Trailer

2m

Out in the Ring - Trailer

GTFO: Get the F&#% Out

1h 14m

GTFO: Get the F&#% Out

Lena Waithe On Making What She Wants To See (Extended Cut)

17m

Lena Waithe On Making What She Wants To See (Extended Cut)

GTFO: Get the F&#% Out - Trailer

1m

GTFO: Get the F&#% Out - Trailer

David Bowie: Out of this World

59m

David Bowie: Out of this World

Does Sports Need a Time Out?

23m

Does Sports Need a Time Out?

Fluffy At Home Ep. 2: Gabriel Iglesias Shows Off His Vintage VW Bus Collection

2m

Fluffy At Home Ep. 2: Gabriel Iglesias Shows Off His Vintage VW Bus Collection

Cody Spells Out Love On The Field

1m

Cody Spells Out Love On The Field

Out With The Old, In With The New

20m

Out With The Old, In With The New

Free The Robots Reveals Where He Found One of His Rarest Records

1m

Free The Robots Reveals Where He Found One of His Rarest Records

Clash of the Corps Drummers Step Up and Show Out in Rhythm

1m

Clash of the Corps Drummers Step Up and Show Out in Rhythm

Ian Sings His Heart Out in "Starts With You Baby" Music Video

3m

Ian Sings His Heart Out in "Starts With You Baby" Music Video

Does Finance Talk Stress You Out? Amara La Negra & Sharelle Rosado Tell All

5m

Does Finance Talk Stress You Out? Amara La Negra & Sharelle Rosado Tell All

Rudimental

10m

Rudimental

The Missing Child Support of DaBaby Yoda

1m

The Missing Child Support of DaBaby Yoda

Chika On Building Community Through Her Music (Extended)

14m

Chika On Building Community Through Her Music (Extended)

Maid To Order

45m

Maid To Order

Sneakerheadz - Trailer

2m

Sneakerheadz - Trailer

Sneakerheadz

1h 3m

Sneakerheadz

Tucked

1h 15m

Tucked

Beach Beauty

22m

Beach Beauty

Mark Farina

10m

Mark Farina

Unboxing with T-Pain at ComplexCon - Ep 1

3m

Unboxing with T-Pain at ComplexCon - Ep 1

Inside UBIQ Sneaker Store

5m

Inside UBIQ Sneaker Store

Quantic

10m

Quantic

Allie

13m

Allie

The Hottest Music x Sneaker Collabs of 2016

2m

The Hottest Music x Sneaker Collabs of 2016

Big Bear 2: The Wrath of Tito

23m

Big Bear 2: The Wrath of Tito

Backstage

Backstage

Rogelio Shows Off "Rotography" and Editing Skills

1m

Rogelio Shows Off "Rotography" and Editing Skills

Ciara

20m

Ciara

Jason Markk Delivers Premium Care For Your Kicks

3m

Jason Markk Delivers Premium Care For Your Kicks

Cuffed and Stuffed

44m

Cuffed and Stuffed

Sassy Vs. Sweet

22m

Sassy Vs. Sweet

Mike and Gabe

40m

Mike and Gabe

A Stolen Tour Bus With Blackbear

2m

A Stolen Tour Bus With Blackbear

Lily

11m

Lily

She Wanna Have A Good Time

20m

She Wanna Have A Good Time

It Just Got Real

41m

It Just Got Real

Meet LA Radio Host and EDM Master Jason Bentley

2m

Meet LA Radio Host and EDM Master Jason Bentley

Desus & Mero On Recognizing their Social Responsibility

10m

Desus & Mero On Recognizing their Social Responsibility

Visit Stance & Learn About A Gucci Mane Sock Collaboration

4m

Visit Stance & Learn About A Gucci Mane Sock Collaboration