Cut Chemist
Cut Chemist, real name Lucas MacFadden, is one of the most technically regarded turntablists to come out of the Los Angeles hip-hop scene, having built his reputation as a member of Jurassic 5 and the Latin funk band Ozomatli before establishing a solo touring career. MacFadden graduated from UCLA in the 1990s while developing the scratch-and-mix techniques that made him one of the genre's most respected solo turntablists, work that has run alongside his group affiliations rather than replacing them.
He has collaborated repeatedly with DJ Shadow, a partnership that produced joint mix projects built on obscure breaks and rare vinyl selections, a hallmark of Cut Chemist's approach to set-building. His solo live shows have often incorporated multi-format mixing, blending vinyl, reel-to-reel tape and other analog formats into a single continuous performance, an approach that distinguishes his sets from more conventional two-turntable DJ routines.
MacFadden's tracks have appeared on influential turntablist compilations that helped document the West Coast scratch and battle scene of the 1990s and 2000s. Decades into his career, Cut Chemist continues to perform as a solo artist and occasional guest with Jurassic 5, maintaining the technical, breaks-focused DJ identity that first distinguished him within Los Angeles hip-hop.