The X Label brings to you the Jazzmatazz Loungin T-shirt! This artwork beautifly combines the album cover of Guru’s Jazzmatazz Vol 1. and the song “Loungin.” “Loungin” is a single from the Jazzmatazz Vol 1. album featuring the gifted trumpeter Donald Byrd. *Pre-Orders available now. **Comes in Black & Grey colors.

In 1993 Guru released Jazzmatazz Vol. 1. Guru decided to take music to new heights by utilizing the brilliance of actual jazz musicians to produce the sounds to rhyme too. He merges his potent and forever meaningfull rhymes with beats and instruments directly from authentic lounge jazz. The album fuses an assortment of jazz talents both old and new, including Donald Byrd, Lonnie Liston, Roy Ayers, Courtney Pine, Branford Marsalis , and Ronny Jordan. He used the melodic voices of Carleen Anderson and N’Dea Davenport and collaborated with french rapper MC Solaar. The variety of guest artists adds diversity and originality to each track, and gives the album a distinct jazz feel. In its own right the album is a historical document of jazz and hip-hop starting to blend.

Buy it now here.

Lord Finesse: “During the making of Funky Technician I would sit with Premier all day listening to records, trying to pick out loops for the album. I would sit there sometimes til we’d both be nodding off. [laughs] One day he pull out that Young-Holt Unlimited record and as soon as I heard the drums I absolutely lost my mind. I was like, “That’s it right there” – just off the drum loop alone! Man, I didn’t care what he added on top as long as he had that drum loop running. I knew we could come up with something funky.”

“Baby, You Nasty” samples Young-Holt Unlimited – “Wah Wah Man” (Cotillion, 1971)

Click here for Lord Finesse’s 10 Favorite Sample Flips.

A-Trak: “Premier beats were always so iconic that you became ultra-familiar with the samples, and then one day you’d hear the original source and it would be just a couple passing notes in the middle of a song and you’d respect him even more for noticing that section! I could easily do a Top 10 Sample Flips of just Premier. The “Ten Crack Commandments” beat speaks to me in particular because he scratched the sample and it make the scratching part of the production. It wasn’t a solo, it became an essential part of what the sample brought to the track.”

“Ten Crack Commandments” samples Les McCann – “Vallarta” (ABC, 1977).

Click here for A-Trak’s 10 Favorite Sample Flips.

Related: Ten Crack Commandments used in Modern Business

Hard to believe but this month marks 21 years since the release of Gang Starr’s sophomore album, Step In the Arena. The LP’s lead single, and some would argue, the definitive Gang Starr song, “Just To Get a Rep,” neatly encapsulates all the group’s signature musical elements (e.g. Guru’s detailed street narrative with a conscience; DJ Premier’s peerless production and precisely dispensed scratch hooks). But nearly as important to the record’s success with hip-hop devotees upon its release was its accompanying video. Inventively directed by Yo! MTV Raps host Fab 5 Freddy, shot in stark black and white, and prominently featuring several Gang Starr Foundation members, the “Just To Get a Rep” music video is perhaps the ideal visual rendering of the song imaginable. Ever the gentleman, Fab 5 Freddy recalls the making of this classic music video. Along the way, Fab talks no-budget shooting constraints and casting concerns, Williamsburg before the hipstaz took over, and how Guru and Premier captured the essence of a BK street institution: the stick up kid.

Read more…

Large Professor: “This is when Premier really started to take flight. This song musically translates decades of ghetto life. Those chops from Cameo “Hanging Downtown” sound like a hot summer night standing under a streetlight to me. When you hear how wobbly the original is, and [then] hear how Premier placed those sounds to the beat, that’s drum machine magic.”

“Supa Star” samples Cameo – “Hanging Downtown” (Atlanta Artists, 1984).

Click here for Large Professor’s 10 Favorite Sample Flips.

On-demand radio platform Mixcloud launch their “Best of 2011” today. And DJ Premier Blog Radio did it superb again! Last year we were on the 2nd place of best cloudcaster, but gold for the best cloudcast (R.I.P. Guru Tribute Show). This time we drop 7 places but that means Mixcloud getting more and more famous under the people which is a good thing. They are good people!

DJ Premier Blog Rankings:

Best Music Cloudcaster of 2011 – 9th Place

Best Music Cloudcast of 2011 – 23th place with “Heavy D Tribute Mix”, 30th place with “Nate Dogg Tribute Mix”, 90th place with “Guru 1 Year Anniversary Tribute Live On Hot 97 (04/19/2011)”

Best Music Playlists of 2011 – 4th Place with “Mixtapes”, 10th Place with “Tribute Shows”

Click here to visit DJ Premier Blog Radio

Hopefully we can do DJ Premier’s shows for your joy all 2012 long!! Thank you!! Big up to Mixcloud!!

Sad news here. Well, he doesn’t really retire from hip hop (because that’s impossible), but he does retires from rhyming. Gang Starr Foundation member announced on his facebook he’s going to retire from the rap game. As an old friend of Guru from Boston he was introduced to DJ Premier very early. One of his early appearances was on the ’98 Gang Starr album “Moment of Truth” on the historical song “Make ‘Em Pay”. His verse on that song immediately gave him the shine in the Hip Hop world. He received The Source’s Hip Hop Quotable for his verse on that song and became the first to ever receive a Quotable while being locked up in prison. After that he only made more classics with DJ Premier and others. This is the open letter he wrote to his friends and fans:

Unfortunately due to unfortunate circumstances I have decided to no longer be a part of certain elements and or musical endeavors. As of this day I no longer am affiliated with any label and/or management… I apologize to friends and fans but changing and putting self first is in my best interest. There will be no next album from me… I have decided to honor my commitment to the youth. Thank you all… God bless!!! -Demetrius Gibbs aka Krumb Snatcha

With no doubt a Boston pioneer!! He’ll be always a Gang Starr Foundation member!!

Here’s an interesting interview

Brand new album by KRS-One & Kenny Parker out today on iTunes & Amazon. Featuring Channel Live & Jesse West!! You can check the snippets here. It will also be available limited on vinyl.

Like every year DJ Premier presents to you his top 25 albums of a year, also in 2010 he did that. There’s always a big commotion around it but check out Premos top 25 of 2011:

Rank:

25. Large Professor & Neek The Exotic – Still On The Hustle
24. Edo G – A Face In The Crowd
23. Ill Bill & Vinnie Paz – Heavy Metal Kings
22. Greneberg – Greneberg
21. Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well Done

20. Apathy – Honkey Kong
19. The Away Team – Scars And Stripes
18. Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne
17. Torae – For The Record
16. Bumpy Knuckles & Statik Selektah – Lyrical Workout
15. Common – The Dreamer, The Believer
14. Maffew Ragazino Sr. – Rhyme Pays
13. Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel
12. Drake – Take Care
11. Statik Selektah – Population Control

10. Random Axe – Random Axe
09. Malcolm And Martin – Life Doesn’t Frighten Me
08. Royce da 5’9″ – Success Is Certain
07. Phonte – Charity Starts At Home
06. 50 Cent – The Big 10
05. Reks – R.E.K.S.
04. M.O.P. & Snowgoons – Sparta
03. Evidence – Cats & Dogs
02. 9th Wonder – The Wonder Years
01. Game – The R.E.D. Album

Honorable Mentioning: Fresh Vetz “Fresh 2 Def”, Pharoahe Monch “W.A.R.”, Raekwon “Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang”, Rasheed Chappell “”Future Before Nostalgia”, Sadat X “No Features”, Showbiz & KRS-One “Godsville”, Skyzoo “The Great Debater”, The Regiment “The Panic Button”, The Roots “Undun”.

Voila. Sorry Elzhi, Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun, J-Live & Tyler, The Creator.

Closure Note From DJ Premier:

For all of you dumbfucks that are late or not hip to my yearly list, this is my own list of what I was bumpin’ for my enjoyment in 2011… Even though there were so fuckin’ many LPs that came out, I wish we had time to do Top 40 but fuck that… So if you don’t like my list, make your own… I ain’t mad atcha… Hate it or love it, I don’t give a fuuuuuck !!!

Note for DJ Premier for ’09

I judge my list based on dope beats, dope rhymes, scratchin’ and cutting, creativity, uniqueness, originality, and overall packaging of the product’s integrity. I don’t care if you sold a million copies, that does not make it dope. I went through more than 60 LP’s released in ’09 on major and indie labels over and over to get it as close as i possible could to being satisfied with the list so here it is along with the list.

“Be Glad or Be Mad” -DJ Premier

DJ Premier’s Top 25 of 2010
DJ Premier’s Top 20 of 2009

Related: Best DJ Premier Beat of 2011

Tracklist:

1. My Thoughts
2. Shake The Room (Feat. Flava Flav)
3. B.A.P. (Bumpy And Premier)
4. eVrEEbOdEE
5. wEaRe aT WaR
6. P.A.I.N.E.
7. The Life
8. FYPAU
9. D’Lah
10. More Levels
11. GrEaTnEsS
12. EyEnEvErPuTmY4cUsAwAy
13. Turn Up The Mic (Feat. Nas) (DJ Premier Remix)
14. The Key
15. OwNiT
16. The Gang Starr Bus
17. Word Iz Bond

Release date: March 27, 2012 (Vinyl, CD & Digital)

In anticipation for the LP we’ll see an EP released called “StOoDiOtYmE” early March with non album cuts!