CRASH COURSE

If you’ve got an itch to scratch

“Deejaying is very mechanical,” explains “professor” Hapa, as he manipulates the fader button on a mixer flanked by two twirling turntables. “You can’t rely on technology to do all the work,” he says to a roomful of captive novices. “It’s all in your hands, and that’s the beauty of it.”

With ice in his ears and ink on his arms, Hapa (no last name, but the prefix “DJ” is so ubiquitous here it inevitably becomes everyone’s first name) and his dreadlocked co-instructor, Power 106 jock Mr. Choc, don’t look like your typical teachers, and this isn’t your average classroom. It’s a record store called REHAB in an industrial area of West L.A., and the subject of study is the art of turntablism. This is the Scratch DJ Academy, and Scratch 101 is in session.

Attracting aspiring DJs from diverse backgrounds and a wide range of ages, the course not only gives students a chance to get comfortable with vinyl, it teaches them about the culture and history of scratching and its emergence during the genesis of hip-hop in New York circa 1975.

The school, co-founded by Run DMC’s late beat man Jam Master Jay, has been going strong in NYC for five years, and the L.A. offshoot has been getting a similarly enthusiastic response since classes began in January.

Hot wax and polish

For anyone who thinks deejaying is as simple as putting needle to wax, 101 is an eye-opening experience. Topics covered include counting BPM (beats per minute), setting up and dismantling DJ equipment and, of course, scratching -- which, like drum rhythms, possess myriad tempos and styles, such as “the baby scratch” and the “release scratch.”

“I’m getting a lot out of the class that I didn’t expect,” says student Sharon Houston, a cable TV music show producer in her 30s who chose the DJ name Delishhh (everyone in class is encouraged to come up with a snazzy moniker). “I came here just to get an education for work, but now I want to buy some turntables. I ain’t gonna be spinning up in the club, but it’s a hobby I want to pursue.”

“You learn more in six weeks than I learned in three years,” says Hapa, REHAB’s owner and a revered wax master at clubs and celebrity parties. “We teach you how to be a successful DJ, but it’s not just about the skills. People leave here with an appreciation for and different way of listening to music.”

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-- Lina Lecaro

Scratch DJ Academy is accepting registration for fall classes. Courses begin Saturday. REHAB Records, 2324 Cotner Ave., L.A. $300 (six 70-minute classes). Info: (310) 312-6599 or www.scratch.com/la.