It all started from scratch

At 27, hip hop DJ A-Trak might seem too young to be regarded as a 'legend'. Consider the fact he was crowned DMC world champion at the age of 15 and it's not such a mental leap.

'It all started with a passion for scratching, for the very technical side of DJing,' recalls A-Trak (right), born Alain Macklovitch, who was 13 when he scratched his first record on his father's turntable. 'It was like a hobby for me at first and it grew very fast. I was fascinated with all the different sounds that I could create by manipulating records.'

After spending his bar mitzvah money on a used Technics 1200 turntable and mixer, he closeted himself in the basement of his home in Montreal, Canada, listening to Pete Rock and Jazzy Jeff while studying videotapes of the greatest turntablists in action. Within two years he amazed the DMC world championship judges with his mixing and stunts, becoming the youngest winner in what remains the highlight of his career to date.

Stardom came quickly. He joined the Bay Area crew led by DJ Qbert and Mix Master Mike, and went on to win the 1999 and 2000 ITF world championships and the 1999 Vestax World Extravaganza, making him the first DJ to win all three major titles. He stopped competing at 18.

Instead, he began touring the world and mixing tracks in the studio, to great critical acclaim. As the plaudits snowballed, A-Trak's elder brother Dave helped him stay focused and grounded. 'I just worked really hard and tried not to get overwhelmed,' says the DJ, who plays Volar in Central tonight.

Hip-hop star Kanye West spotted A-Trak spinning in a London record store in the summer of 2004, and invited him to become his DJ on a 40-city North American tour, and then Europe and Japan. It was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between A-Trak and his favourite artist.