DJ Premier Blog » 2017 » August

Slaine & Termanology – Anti-Hero (Tracklist)


La Coka Nostra veteran Slaine and Termanology will finally combine forces like Captain Planet for their collaborative LP Anti-Hero.

“We were rivals,” Slaine remembers about his friend. “When I started buzzing, Term was coming up at the same time,” remembers Slaine. “I viewed him as competition.”

“Doing a record with Slaine, I’m thinking like this is hardcore, raw, shock rap,” Termanology adds. “I wanted to make it so that Slaine’s fans could feel me as well.”

Tracklist:
1. Still Here – Prod. by The Arcitype
2. Anti-Hero (feat. Bun B & Everlast) – Prod. by DJ Premier
3. Life of a Drug Addict (feat. Catero) – Prod. by Evidence
4. Some Other Sh*t (feat. Madchild & DJ Revolution) – Prod. by Statik Selektah
5. Apocalypse (feat. Nems & Ill Bill) – Prod. by Billy Loman
6. Land of the Lost – Prod. by Statik Selektah
7. Bringing Much Terror (feat. Chris Rivers) – Prod. by Psycho Les
8. Blink of an Eye (feat. Ras Kass) – Prod. by Statik Selektah
9. Snakes (feat. Sick Jacken & Jared Evan) – Prod. by Termanology & Artisin, co-prod. by The Arcitype
10. The Demon’s Peace – Prod. by The Arcitype
11. It Doesn’t Matter – Prod. by DC The Midi Alien
12. Blood In My Eyes (feat. Ea$y Money) – Prod. by Billy Loman
13. Comeback Story – Prod. by The Arcitype
14. Came a Long Way (feat. Conway) – Prod. by Billy Loman

Album dropping October 6. Support!

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gimantalon, August 29th 2017 | Posted in News

Torii Wolf – Big Big Trouble (Produced by DJ Premier)


“Big Big Trouble” is Wolf’s second recent song produced by DJ Premier, following the release of “Free” with Macklemore a few weeks ago. Flow Riiot is set to drop on September 29 via DJ Premier’s TTT (To The Top) imprint.

Full tracklisting & credit’s for Torii Wolf’s “Flow Riiot” Album:

1.) “Everlasting Peace” (produced by DJ Premier)
2.) “Meant To Do” (produced by DJ Premier)
3.) “1st” (produced by DJ Premier)
4.) “Big Big Trouble” (produced by DJ Premier)
5.) “Body” (Produced by araabMUZIK)
6.) “”I’d Wait Forever And A Day For You” (produced by DJ Premier)
7.) “Take It Up On Monday” (Produced by King Of Chill)
8.) “Go From Here” (produced by DJ Premier)
9.) “Shadows Crawl” (produced by DJ Premier)
10.) “Nobody Around” (produced by DJ Premier)
11.) “You’re Not There” (Produced by King Of Chill)
12.) “Where We Belong” (produced by DJ Premier)
13.) “Free” f/ Macklemore & DJ Premier (Produced by King Of Chill)
14.) “Pain Killer” (Produced by Mike Zombie)
15.) “Moscow” (Produced by Torii Wolf)

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gimantalon, August 26th 2017 | Posted in Track

ASAP Ferg talks about working with DJ Premier


Check it out at 6:55!

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gimantalon, August 25th 2017 | Posted in Interview

Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G. – “NYC” (Feat. Jadakiss) (Official Music Video)

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gimantalon, August 24th 2017 | Posted in Clips

DJ Premier Breaks Down His Classics With Nas, JAY-Z, Biggie & Gang Starr

On August 8, legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier sat down with Genius for the latest installment of Genius Level, our live conversation series with icons of the music business, including influential artists, songwriters, producers, and executives. The event was hosted by Genius’ Head of Artist Relations Rob Markman and sponsored by Cîroc and Breather. During the wide-ranging interview, Premier reflected on his legacy in hip-hop, from his early days has half of Gang Starr to his work with legends like Nas, JAY-Z, and The Notorious B.I.G.

Jump To A Topic:
Intro (0:00)
What’s The Greatest DJ Premier Beat? (1:24)
The Making of Nas’ “NY State of Mind” (2:40)
Gang Starr’s First Press Photo (5:27)
Premier’s Early Exposure to Music (6:04)
The Origin of Gang Starr (8:52)
The Making of Gang Starr’s “Just To Get A Rep” (13:24)
Why Guru & Premier Made The Perfect Team (15:24)
What’s The Greatest Gang Starr Album? (17:11)
Will There Ever Be a Posthumous Gang Starr Album? (18:22)
How KRS-One Turned Premier Into The Hottest Producer (20:38)
The Making of Biggie’s “Kick In The Door” & Jeru’s “Day One” (22:32)
The Making of JAY-Z’s Reasonable Doubt (26:42)
JAY-Z’s Original Black Album Idea (28:26)
Working with Kendrick Lamar (29:09)
The Making of D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” (31:13)
Working With Christina Aguilera (34:58)
How Premier Makes Beats in 2017 (37:20)
Dabbing & Keeping Up With Modern Rap (38:38)
Sampling Adrian Younge on PRhyme (39:47)
Hearing A Sober Royce Da 5’9” Rap For The First Time (41:25)
How Premier Picks Vocal Samples (44:09)
Guru’s Famous “Lemonade Is A Popular Drink” Line (45:40)
On Break Records & Sample Snitching (46:44)
On Working Under Pressure (50:13)
PRhyme 2 Update (52:46)
Collaborating with A$AP Ferg (54:21)
Goodbyes & Thank Yous (56:30)

Props to Genius.com

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gimantalon, August 23rd 2017 | Posted in Interview

A$AP Ferg & DJ Premier Made a “Raw New York” Song Together


Last night in Brooklyn, Genius held its second in-depth interview event Genius Level with legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier. During the wide-ranging discussion hosted by Genius’ own Rob Markman, Premier addressed a question from Genius community member Skhills about his favorite unreleased record.

Although Premier explained that he doesn’t keep much unreleased music in the vault, he’s excited about an upcoming song he recently recorded with Harlem rapper A$AP Ferg:

I just did a joint with A$AP Ferg. It’s dope, it’s straight raw New York. It’s Preem Ferg, it’s not ‘New Level.’ I love ‘New Level’ and all that stuff, but it’s a Preem joint and he went in. The Ferg joint is head nod Preem, and it sounds like we connected, not Ferg over here and Premier over here, it’s merged together. It’s real simple but dope scratches.

Premier is referencing Ferg’s 2015 Future collaboration “New Level,” which served as the lead single for his sophomore album Always Strive And Prosper. “New Level” peaked at No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was eventually certified Gold.

The Gang Starr veteran went on to explain how he and Ferg immediately had chemistry in the studio:
We went in to see if we could even vibe and we clicked right away. We did it in a day and we’re like, ‘Let’s throw it out right now just to get the streets warm to show that you do styles like this as well.’ A lot of his stuff has more of a sound that’s popular with the youth right now. He even said, ‘I wanna do it like you did it ’90s style,’ and he came to the table.

Ferg is gearing up to release his new mixtape Still Striving on August 18; while a full tracklist hasn’t been released yet, his DJ Premier collaboration could very well end up on that project. The unreleased track will mark Ferg’s first time working with Premier.

Props to Genius.com

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gimantalon, August 22nd 2017 | Posted in Interview

DJ Premier & The Badder Band – NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Three-time Grammy winner DJ Premier, one of the definitive architects of New York hip-hop, brought a new type of life to NPR’s Tiny Desk: our first concert helmed by a DJ.

A packed house of head-nodding journalists grooved through their lunch hour to a nine-song medley of iconic Premier productions while decompressing from the unrelenting grind of the news cycle. The set list rested on the undeniable footprint of Preemo’s classics, but this was more than just another DJ mix. His touring outfit, The Badder Band, overlaid Premier’s blends with an undulating electric bass courtesy of Brady Watt, a steady accent on the one from drummer Lenny “The Ox” Reece and boisterous horns from Mark Williams and Jonathan Powell.

But it was Premier who remained front-and-center, commanding the crowd like a true party rocker. With throwbacks ranging from Gangstarr’s “Step into the Arena” to an amped rendition of Jeru The Damaja’s “Da Bitches,” embellished by The Badder’s jazzy horns, Preemo concluded the set with a “Moment of Truth,” featuring the exalted rhymes of his posthumous Gangstarr partner, Guru.

Tiny Desk concerts are short by design, so naturally the format could barely scratch the surface of Premier’s vault of street anthems, done for the likes of the Notorious B.I.G., JAY-Z, Nas, Kanye West, Big L, M.O.P., Mos Def, Group Home, Jeru the Damaja, AZ, Snoop Dogg, and many more. Even after a career spanning almost three decades, the man born Christopher Martin has managed to stay authentic to his analog grit and sample-chopping integrity, as if he were still an underdog.

Tracklist:

KRS-One – “KRS-One Attacks”
KRS-One – “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know”
Das Efx – “Real Hip-Hop”
Nas – “Nas Is Like”
Jeru The Damaja – “Da Bichez”
Gang Starr – “Step In The Arena”
Gang Starr feat. M.O.P. – “1/2 & 1/2”
Royce Da 5’9 – “Boom”
Gang Starr – “Moment Of Truth”

Musicians:

DJ Premier (producer); Brady Watt (bass); Mark Williams (trombone); Lenny “The Ox” Reece (drums); Jonathan Powell (trumpet).

Producers: Abby O’Neill, Bob Boilen, Niki Walker, Morgan Noelle Smith; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Kara Frame, Colin Marshall; Photo: Liam James Doyle/NPR.

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gimantalon, August 22nd 2017 | Posted in Clips

Torii Wolf – Free (Feat. Macklemore & DJ Premier) (Prod. by King of Chill) CDQ

New track from the upcoming album of Torii Wolf “Flow Riiot” (with 9 Premo productions on it!!), out in September 29th. Here’s more details about the single “Free”:

“When we had our first meeting to compile which songs were going to make the album [Wolf’s upcoming Flow Riott], King of Chill plays this track that I hadn’t heard,” Premier told Complex. “It was only a beat and Torii was singing a line from the Police’s ‘Voices Inside My Head.’ I asked both of them, why have I never heard this? It needed lyrics, but we removed the hook because I wanted to scratch on it. Torii came back to the studio, wrote and recorded her vocals and she decided to call it ‘Free.’ I was instantly hooked on this being one of the single releases from the album.”

The track’s subject matter holds very special meaning for Wolf as well.

“‘Free’ is a special tune. It’s very relatable,” she explained. “True freedom comes from within; it’s the battle we face each day with our own identity. Having the confidence to be comfortable in our skin and with who we are; and being our true authentic selves. I find the content of someone else’s mind most attractive.

She continued, “Feeling free in my gender fluidity and the way I connect with other humans is vital to my being. To feel safe in outwardly expressing what it is that ignites a spark in me can be very challenging in the society we live in. However, it’s only harder when I try and resist it. It feels very important for me to lead by example in sharing with others how we are in control of our own destiny. To be in touch with ourselves in knowing what we want, who we are and what feels good is such a gift. It radiates and it is very liberating. Allowing your spirit to shine can be contagious and that freedom from within is the light that we all need.”

Despite the fact that Wolf didn’t mention the song’s deeper meaning to Macklemore, he still hit on it in his verses.

“Without even getting too in-depth with him conceptually, Macklemore’s verse fell so in line with the feel so organically,” Wolf added. “Ben’s words are so dope and I feel so grateful to hold space for them on this record. ‘My spar partner is the devil, but I train with God’ and ‘As long as I’m me, then you know that I’m free’ are such incredible lines that truly resonate.”

The song’s artwork was done by the mother-daughter team of Amanda and Jaxon Demme. Amanda, who also created the artwork for the DJ Premier/Royce Da 5’9″ collaboration PRhyme, has a long history in the entertainment business, having done music supervision for movies like Judgment Night, Blow, Garden State, and Mean Girls.

Support!

Related: TORII WOLF EXPLAINS NEW SINGLE “1ST” & WORKING WITH DJ PREMIER

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gimantalon, August 14th 2017 | Posted in Track

Hendrix Lives On In the Hearts of Hip-Hop Producers (And the Internet)


There’s a saying that heroes never die, they just get sampled. The art of sampling is a cornerstone of hip-hop culture, and it’s also become a vital part of keeping the legacy of older artists alive. When a sample is done right, it can spark fresh interest in a classic or obscure song and bring new attention to deserving influential artists.

They say that game recognizes game, and that’s definitely the case when it comes to the most talented producers. These are people with record-collections that will make your eyes bug out. They have a unique ability to introduce listeners to brand-new sounds and make you hear classics in a unique way you never thought possible. Nowhere is this more evident than with the catalog of Jimi Hendrix.

The rock icon has been sampled in some of hip-hop’s most recognizable songs including classic tracks like The Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario.” Hendrix is one of those artists with such a rich catalog of music (despite his tragically short career) that his samples appear everywhere from the old school to the new school. Rick Ross can be found sampling Hendrix’s blistering hit “Fire” for the song “The World is Ours” with Pharrell and Meek Mill. For another terrific example, look no further than the master himself, DJ Premier. Premier has flipped tons of samples during his career with Gang Starr, but one that stands out in particular for me is the way he puts Hendrix’s “Stone Free” on its ear in the remix for “The Militia II.” It’s such a simple riff, but Premier renders it nearly unrecognizable as it becomes the backbone of the driving track.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Hendrix has such an influence on hip-hop, despite the disparity in genre. As a matter of fact, one of his old producers said that if he was alive today Hendrix might have gotten into rap. Given his willingness to push boundaries and constantly experiment with what’s possible in music, it makes sense that he would continue to be on the cutting edge of industry. Hendrix was an innovator that tested the limits of what’s possible not only with a guitar, but also with production and technology.

That’s why it’s more than just fresh music that’s helping to keep Hendrix at the front of the public consciousness. We still see his legend all over the internet in everything from tribute pages to streaming albums and now there’s video games, too. An online slot game made with the musician’s likeness and music as part of a collection of multiple big name rock band branded slots is a fun way for fans to kick it with the rock god while playing some casual games. These games have proven to be an effective method for older artists to get their names—and their music—in front of fans. They also help to keep influencing new generations beyond their established discographies.

Jimi Hendrix remains one of the most iconic recording artists that ever lived and he managed to accomplish more in a little less than ten years than most musicians do in their entire lives. The affect of his music can still be felt through his classic albums and the producers who continue mining his catalog for some of the best beats in hip-hop.

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gimantalon, August 7th 2017 | Posted in Uncategorized