Before commenting on this 1985 record, I have to contextualize what the hip-hop landscape was like up to that point.Between 1979 and 1982, for example, Rap groups recorded "real bands", that is, they used bass and drum riffs to imitate sounds that would come from famous samples in the minds of people who frequented hip- hop. When Grand Master Flash recorded "The Adventures" in 1981, it was the first time people heard "a record in another record".Over time, Rap's process of composition improved and the music became more diverse. The bands disappeared and the studio equipment began to dominate the productions. That was the age of the drum machine. It all started with the roland used in "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force in 1982. In that period, it also symbolizes a special moment in the production of hip-hop: the rite of passage between the sound made by "bands "for electronic drums such as Oberheim DMX, Linn Drum and Roland Tr-808, and in 1984, some sounds had only electronic drums, rap and scratch; the sounds of this Electro Rap song added melodies created by synthesizers and vocoders in this equation, but what dominated was the heavy beat.DJ Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC had the idea of ​​using the song "Scratchin '" from the Magic Disco Machine group as an element in the development of their scratch. Again, we were listening to a record in another record. The idea of ​​Jam Master Jay, in a way, inspired the sampling boom of the following years; the technological advent of emulator samples pieced together this idea in the mid-1980s. But another artist was definitive in the rite of passage from the era of drum machines to samples: Marley Marl.Marley Marl was very important in shaping the way modern hip-hop records are created. After all, he is the artist who introduced the sample of hip-hop production. And this discovery was the result of an accident. An accident that made Marley Marl widely recognized in the history of hip-hop through his pioneering in the art of samples.During his internship at Unique Studios, Marley Marl did some stunt work. And among them, he remixed Captain Rock's singles as "Cosmic Blast" in 1984; when doing the remix, realized that the box beat was picked up by the sampler. While playing the sample over a beat, he realized that in the sampler, the drum beat sounded better than the original beat. At this point Marley Marl realized the importance of his discovery. In this way, he realized that he could use drum riffs from any record of his collection, from a Soul / Funk classic like James Brown, or from a record from another country; everything could be incorporated into a musical creation with the advent of the sample. At that point, he left his internship position in the studio, bought three samplers, and set off to start producing records following the sample's musical premises. Then began to look at the modern sound of hip-hop.This record - "Marley Marl Scratch" - symbolizes the beginning of this form of hip-hop production. In this case, Marley Marl experienced a great drum loop from a James Brown song then superimposed with another drum loop from another song by James Brown. And their contributions made a strong impact on hip-hop, from Mc Shan to Roxanne Shante, from Big Daddy Kane to Kool G. Rap, and changed the status quo of that moment.One note: Many have said over the years that Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock" track, released in 1982, was the first to use samples; but anyone who searches deeply will see that "Planet Rock" uses elements of Kraftwerk's "Trans Europe Express" through composite melody through synthesizers, not through samplers; other people say that "1982's" Fearless Four "Rockin 'It" has samples from Kraftwerk's "Mean Machine". However, this theory has not been proven and I have my doubts about it, given that the technology at that time did not allow sampling in this way. Between 1984 and 1985, however, the samplers allowed this musical evolution. If you have any theory, history or comment on this, please share here in this review.

There are indeed two versions of the Original pressing, both with sound maker stamps and one saying DJ Shan and one MC Shan. I have both and owned them at least 20 years I never noticed the difference until people started talking about the bootleg.

a dope record but PLEASE don't pay these stupid reseller fuckers more than 15bucks for this record

Label on the reissue when compared to the original is a different yellow.

id be shocked if they where coz theres none on eny promo and ya think there would reissue 2007-8 my mate had them shipped when they bootleg them thanks

The bootleg of this says DJ Shan on it; originals say MC Shan. However there are also originals which say DJ Shan! Check the runout groove for the Sound Makers stamp to check whether its an original or not!

Correct. Supposedly, one of the first runs on the record presses already had an error on the labels showing "Dj Shan". Although, those pressings still have the SoundMakers stamp in the dead wax proving to be an original. This error was corrected immediately, and thus the remainder of the original pressings have "MC Shan" on the label.As Kuma.chan mentioned, look out for the SoundMakers stamp and F/W etching in the dead wax. This is the one you want.Any more info is appreciated.