If you ever get serious about turntablism or even the culture of DJing, in general, The X-Ecutioners need to be a part of your core curriculum. They can be and should be considered for placement on the Mt. Rushmore of DJing, if they were ever to construct one. Not only could they cut up the turntables solo, as a group, and combine the two, they also produced and worked with all of your favorite old school rappers. One of the founding members, Rob Swift, has gone on to assemble a tribute album for Roc Raida, put out a few documentaries, and also become a professor at the New School for Liberal Arts in NYC. The other living founding member[1], Sinista, has judged DMC competitions, toured with Lauryn Hill, and starred in a TV show, Espia.
In a rare video uploaded by Rob Swift, he and Sinista give the world a sample of their routine that they will be performing at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival this July. With Swift on the guitar and Sinista on the drums, the X-Men are very convincing as a new band that blends Rock and Hip-Hop. Even though Swift is equipped with only a few different guitar lines, he manages to scratch, twist, and turn them into an impressive solo. Meanwhile, Sinista fits in several drum fills to create a seamless track. They round out the set with the instrumental from Roc Raida's "M.I.A." and some old school party rocking. If you're in the metropolitan area this summer, you don't want to miss the routine live.
Stay up to date with Rob Swift on his Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook. Also, support his Kickstarter for his upcoming album, X-Files: Lost & Deleted. Stay up to date with Sinista on his Facebook.