The track was driven by its deejay scratch style, performed primarily by DXT, and its music video created by Godley & Creme, featuring the robotic art of Jim Whiting, which was put in high rotation on MTV.

The production duo of Material (bassist Bill Laswell and synth player Michael Beinhorn) were based at Martin Bisi's BC Studio, recording experimental, no wave and underground club music.

To gauge this potential new direction for his career, Hancock accompanied Laswell to hear a set of popular club DJs including Afrika Bambaataa and D.ST spin at Roxy NYC in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Warily eyeing the crowd, which to him looked like a riot, Hancock needed more convincing by Meilandt before he contracted with Laswell's team to deliver two tracks.

Laswell and Bisi took the tape to RPM Studios in Greenwich Village, but instead of simply transferring the format, they added some extra sounds, especially a stab of guitar taken from a Led Zeppelin song on the album Coda.

Using the repeat hold function of a Lexicon Prime Time digital delay, they attempted to capture a Led Zeppelin snare drum sound, but a moment of inattention resulted in the guitar stab, which Laswell found better suited his purpose.

Carrying a cassette tape of the final mix, they listened to "Rockit" on some loudspeakers at the shop, attracting the attention of children from the neighborhood who were amazed and curious.

[7] "Rockit" was performed at the 1985 Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles, California, in a synthesizer jam with contemporaries Howard Jones, Thomas Dolby, and Stevie Wonder.