Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" (1983) was a left turn that no one saw coming. The jazz legend teamed up with producer Bill Laswell and turntablist Grand Mixer D.ST to create a track that fused electronic music, hip-hop scratching, and avant-garde sensibilities into a pop hit. The track's music video — featuring eerie, animatronic robots designed by Jim Whiting — became an MTV staple and won multiple awards.

"Rockit" brought turntablism to a mainstream audience for the first time. Grand Mixer D.ST's scratching on the track demonstrated that the turntable was a legitimate musical instrument, not just a playback device. The record bridged the gap between hip-hop's underground roots and mainstream pop culture, and it proved that jazz musicians and hip-hop artists could collaborate in ways that expanded both genres.