One of the best parts about the DMC is that if you don't get to attend the finals live each year, some of the more talented participants record their sets in high quality and well put together videos afterwards. That way, everyone around the world can watch, enjoy, and study the best of the best. One such DJ is DJ Shota. He made it to the 2015 World Finals after winning the Japan DMC. Unfortunately for him Vekked came out on top at the world stage but Shota gave his all with his routine. Shota started DJing in 2006 and won the Teen DJ section of the DMC. He went on to win the Japan DMC tournament in 2009 as well.
After a short Japanese intro, Shota goes from an acapella of LL Cool J's "Rock The Bells" into a live cover of "Eye Of The Tiger" by using the hot keys on the mixer. This evolves into a scratch and beat juggling demo that is hard to keep up with. He also utilizes the pitch control on the turntable to change the note coming out of each hot key. Shota sneaks in a behind the back juggle and then gets wicked fast with the juggling and scratching combination. Then using "Drop It Like It's Hot" Shota makes his own beat by scratching with all of the faders at his fingertips. Eventually it turns into a Breakbeat where he spins one record ahead to get a high pitched effect. Using the pitch control again, he uses the same beat to recreate "Nothing But A G Thang." Soon after he juggles a gunshot sound, cross armed, and uses his forearm on the cross fader. Then with the ultimate show off move, he answers his phone mid routine and continues to juggle and scratch with one arm. Back with two arms at his disposal, he juggles a Dubstep beat like a madman before getting into a scratch heavy segment. For the final minute, he turns the turntable more into an instrument, tweaking the new Bass song with platter movements and more lightning fast juggles. There are a lot of things Shota does right in this routine that many DJs could learn a thing or two from.
Keep up with DJ Shota on his Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter.