A Q&A With Grandwizzard Theodore

If DJ Kool Herc is the George Washington of hip-hop, Grandwizzard Theodore might just be the genre’s Ben Franklin. He invented some of the most crucial techniques used in the booth—from the needle drop to the scratch—and those sounds now show up in just about every corner of the music world.

Born Theodore Livingston and raised in the South Bronx during the 1970s, the DJ saw hip-hop evolve around him in real time. And with the genre’s 50th birthday year almost over, I thought now would be a great ...