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.
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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
