So you know Egyptian Lovers' lyrics, “What is the DJ if he can’t scratch?” The real question is what is Dayton, Ohio, hip-hop without Skratchmatik?

With no other viable scratching hip-hop group in the city, the “orchestrated turntablism hip-hop jam band” as they dub themselves has been firmly cemented and has been coming through with the records – and the vibe – that most others haven’t.

Formed in 2001, the group consisting of Etchaskratch, Fatty Lumpkins, Mezz, Don Mega, The Illness and MC F.O.R.C.E, came together to “present music in another form besides what everyone else was doing ... diggin’ more deep into records and finding scratches, ” says Etch.

They quickly formed what would become a hip-hop hot spot with the start of their Wednesday night weekly at The Nite Owl in Dayton’s Oregon District.
Three years later after a venue and day change to Elbo’s, Skratchmatik Monday Nights have attracted such artists as KRS-One to personally approach them about playing their night.

A handful of other artists including Blueprint, D-styles, Mars Ill, Glue, Gunkhole, Ming and FS, MCs Armanni and Sharpness and Cincinnati’s turntablists Animal Crackers have had their limelight on Skratchmatik’s stage too.

And they emphasize stage. “The DJs are the show. We’re not some meat market dance club ... that’s why we don’t have a DJ booth. We’re on the stage,” says Illness.

“Some people think the most popular thing we got working is the Open Mic,” says veteran MC F.O.R.C.E., a “straight-up Dayton legend” as group members see him. “That’s cool; it’s a crowd-bringer. It’s a gimmick that pulls people into it. But it’s the DJs that’s the meat ... It’s the job of the MC to keep people interested into what the DJs are doing ...”

But mostly, Skratchmatik is content with getting together once a week in front of a diverse crowd – they draw a mix of people from white, black to punk rock, straight-edge and emo kids — and flexing their skills on up to six turntables.

The result? “They’re either completely interested and awed, or they completely hate it,” says Fatty.
“For people who don’t know what we’re talking about ... we actually get up there [and] can flip and bounce how we want, but it’s still broken down and can be notated like a real band,” explains Illness.

And since they feed off each other in a freestyle vibe — none of their material is rehearsed — they’ll cater to the crowd throwing down a funk record if the breakdancers are there, or scratching to a metal record if the rockers are in the house.

As for their outlook on the whole rap industry game, “We could turn this shit into a major spot if we wanted to, but if it means we’re all selling out … it’s not fun anymore,” says F.O.R.C.E.

As they stay busy playing various nights in Dayton (their night is on a brief hiatus) and preparing for a party in October with DJ Swamp, to understand Skratchmatik, says Etch, “you gotta be there. It’s all live and fresh.”