MC Eiht will link with longtime friend and collaborator DJ Premier of Gang Starr to release Which Way Is West later this year. The duo has worked together on several remixes and the famous “Aiight, Chill” interlude dating back nearly 20 years. With the album reportedly due on Premier’s Year Round Records imprint, Eiht was asked whether recording his first album in over three years. “I’ve been going back and forth,” the Comptons Most Wanted front-man told HipHopDX. “I’m a true Hip Hop nigga. I might be [from] Compton, west coast, but I’m a true Hip Hop [head]. I’ve always been a few of New Yorkers: EPMD, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Kool Moe Dee/Treacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa – I know what the foundation is. So when it comes to shit like that, I’ll go where the flow is. Working with [DJ] Premier, I’ve been dealing with Premier for about the last 20 years, so I wanted to record [in HeadQcourterz Studios].” Thus, the 24-year veteran worked out of the same studio where artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Nas and Jay-Z laid down street classics.

Nearly 15 years removed from Rap’s ugly memories of an east/west conflict, MC Eiht remains one of the few artists who always appeared embraced by east coast titans like Premier, Pete Rock and Wu-Tang Clan’s U-God. With this collaborative album, the O.G. wanted that side to come across in the music. “I wanted to capture some of that feeling too. Everybody knows I’m west coast to the fullest, but I get love on the east too,” said Eiht. “Anytime I go to New York, I walk around, ‘What’s up, Eiht?’ Niggas recognize me, no problems. I just like to show that respect too. [DJ Premier is based in New York], that’s his foundation, that’s where his base is, and it’s not like I’m unfamiliar with the place. It doesn’t bother me with the transition, as long as the music is heated. I’m where I’m at, everywhere’s home to me.”

With this album being Eiht’s 11th solo album, and 19th album within his catalog, the veteran was asked where it will stand within his already legendary legacy. “I think [Which Way Is West] is going to be well-accepted, and it’s going to go down as one of my best records,” began the 42 year-old emcee formerly signed to deals with both Mack 10 and Snoop Dogg. “I’ve really been puttin’ my heart and soul, as far as trying to represent the west and real music is concerned. The vocal content and the lyrics have been [amazing]. Everybody always said I had nice punchlines and lyrics, or I was always a good storyteller, I just tried to advance that to the next level. So it won’t just be one of those [albums] where people go, ‘Oh yeah, another Eiht record, it’s a gonna be a couple of dope-sales, a couple of shoot-outs…’ [Which Way Is West] is really focusing on some real west coast feel-good music and some real to-the-point [music].” “With what is going on in Hip Hop right now, I think [fans and critics] will perceive this record as one of Eiht’s best.” Like Freeway and Jake One’s The Stimulus Package or Young Jeezy’s The Recession, this is album that contains commentary on today’s tough economic times. “If you feel like you’re stuck in the struggle and you’re sick of [rappers rapping about] ‘everybody’s fine, we all got billions of dollars,’ then come on, pick up this record.”

Source: HipHopDX

The winners are known of the contest we did this week with Redefinition Records and Damu the Fudgemunk! It took a couple days before the right tracks were given (some were very close) but now the wait is over. I had a lot of fun organizing the first DJ Premier Blog contest! A big big up to Redefinition Records for keeping it real, giving the fans what they deserve. A lot of respect to them. Damu’s music is inspiring.

The winner who won the prize without naming the tracknames that were used is:

canzoski from USA.

The winner who named all the tracknames that were used is:

ty-kitty from Denmark.

Both of them should check their inbox for the mail, they can expect their vinyl soon.

If you want to know check you out and the rest of the answers, click here.

Thanks to everybody who tried!! Up to the next one hehe.

How It Should Sound Vol 1 vinyl
How It Should Sound Vol 2 vinyl
How It Should Sound Vol 1&2 CD
Travel At Your Own Pace – Instrumentals vinyl
Travel At Your Own Pace – Instrumentals CD

Previously: Damu The Fudgemunk – How It Should Sound

The Game talks some respectful words for DJ Premier. And believe me, he isn’t lying, he really wants Premo. He even holla at me with his phone number to get that joint finished before R.E.D. I forwarded it to Preems managers if you wonder.

Tracklist:

1. John T.
2. Ch-Ching
3. Dots
4. Doomp Doomp Doomp
5. Stylesss
6. Epic-ishh
7. Beautiful
8. Change
9. Live Pro
10. I Don’t Know
11. Late Night
12. N.Y.S.O.M. #20

Via LiveFromHQ Blog.

Previous: Beats That Collected Dust Vol. 2 Sampler

Here are the tour dates of DJ Premier & Nick Javas for the next couple months. Looks exhausting. Feel free to add any! It will be an emotional show after Guru‘s passing, Gang Starr!!

2 May 2010, Ebisu Liquid Room, Tokyo, Japan (With Pete Rock)
6 May 2010, Cabaret Aléatiore, Marseille, France
7 May 2010, Kugl, St. Gallen, Switzerland
8 May 2010, Gare de Lion, Wil, Switzerland
10 May 2010, Molodoï, Strasbourg, France
11 May 2010, Le Phare, Tournefeuille, France
12 May 2010, Theatre De Vaudeville, Brussels, Belgium
13 May 2010, Bahannon, Berlin, Germany
14 May 2010, Élysée Montmartre, Paris, France (With The Alchemist & Just Blaze)
15 May 2010, Sala Santana 27, Bilbao, Spain
17 May 2010, Jazz Cafe, London, United Kingdom
19 May 2010, Berns, Stockholm, Sweden
20 May 2010, Living Room, Oslo, Norway
21 May 2010, Sala Eventual, Malaga, Spain
22 May 2010, Melkweg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (with DJ Scratch & Deams)
9 June 2010, San Francisco Bath, Wellington, New Zealand
10 June 2010, Zen, Auckland, New Zealand
12 June 2010, The Esplanade, St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia (With The Beatnuts & Masta Ace & Edo G)
13 June 2010, The Forum, Moore Park, Sydney, Australia (With The Beatnuts & Masta Ace & Edo G)
15 June 2010, Hip Hop Jam Festival, Stare Zdanice u pardubic, Czech Republic
18 June 2010, Shape Bar, Perth, Australia
25 June 2010, The Shelter, Shanghai, China
19 July, Jazz Cafe, London, United Kingdom -CANCELED
23 July, Rocker33, Stuttgart, Germany -CANCELED

Round 3 of VIBE’s Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All-Time is heating up. Perhaps the most intriguing match-up pits iconic producer and Gang Starr member DJ Premier (1) vs. legendary Run DMC, LL Cool J and Beastie Boys studio visionary Rick Rubin (4). For Preemo, the dream showdown is worth all the hype.

“That’s a big deal… Rick Rubin is definitely among my favorites of all time that I look up to,” DJ Premier said to VIBE. “He’s one of the main reasons why I make music. Even though I’m a competitor and I like to always win, if Rick beats me, I wouldn’t even be surprised because that’s a bad motherfucker.”

As for his own top five producers, the man who has crafted game-changing beats for the likes of Nas (“NY State of Mind”), The Notorious B.I.G. (“Unbelievable”), Jay-Z (“D’Evils”), KRS-One (“MC’s Act They Don’t Know”), M.O.P. (“Ante Up”) and, of course, Gang Starr (“DWYCK”), goes way back.

“Marley Marl is my number one, because his influence on me as a producer was just huge,” Preemo said. “Rick Rubin is next because he took a chance on hip-hop in its early stages, and then for him to be a white dude from the rock & roll era?”

He continues: “Then I would have to say Larry Smith at no. 3 from all the Whodini, Kurtis Blow, and all those early Run DMC records. And I loved King of Chill and Howie Tee. It goes on and on. I’m 44, so I respect music on a different level.”

So what can fans expect from DJ Premier in the future?

“Right now I’m all about my label Year Round Records,” he said. “I have an eclectic roster which includes an artist from Texas named Khaleel who is on some different shit. Then I have an artist named Nick Javas from New Jersey. This guy is an athlete who just graduated from Rutgers University. There are still some things I have to school him on because he’s younger, but he really wants to rhyme circles around everybody. I love his hunger to win. And of course I have the NYG’z and my radio show Live From Headquarters, which I do every Friday night from 10 p.m. to Midnight on Sirius XM. My show is dedicated to only breaking new hip hop music. I play the stuff I think is hot, so I don’t do any favors when it comes to playing records. I don’t care who it is…if I like it, I play it.”

VOTE NOW FOR DJ PREMIER ON VIBE.COM

With Kanye West busy recording his upcoming tentatively-titled album Good Ass Job in his Diamond Head, Hawaii studio, another legendary producer is offering insight into the buzz-heavy project.

“I’m working with Kanye. He reached out to me like, ‘Yo, you at the studio?’” “DJ Premier tells VIBE. “He came by at 8 p.m. and didn’t leave until three in the morning. We were drinking Grey Goose and just bugging out. It was me, Kanye and Showbiz, from Showbiz & AG talking about the whole industry.”

As for Good Ass Job’s overall sound, Preemo says the album, which also reportedly features production from RZA, Q-Tip and Pete Rock, will be a nod to early ‘90s hip hop.

“He told me how he wanted this album to be really boom-bap, hard, hard beats,” Premier says. “He said, ‘No electro Preem, I swear no electro [Laughs].’ Ye is still that crazy dude he’s always been. He’s really focused on making this album raw. So I gave him a banger and he said he wanted two more on top of that one. I’m giving him two more this week.”

Source: VIBE.com

10 days ago the world was blessed with another DJ Premier beat. The rap artists Truck North & The 3rd leaked their song they did with DJ Premier. Supported by NahRight who told me the beat was authentic. Like I said in the post of that leak, it’s quit strange we hear a Premo beat outta nowhere…

A reliable source told me DJ Premier never heard of the track until he was asked about it by him. The beat belongs already to a not-further-discussed other artist. How the Premo beat got in hands of them is still unknown, by time of this article, they were not reachable for further comments. DJ Premier is working on it to shut them down my source reported.

Update (12/17/2012): The not-further-discussed artist was Nas and he was the only one who had the beat. To this day DJ Premier still wonders how Truck North & The 3rd stole that beat. Anyway, the beat is now given to Teflon for his upcoming album “Contraband” and the Truck North track will be considered as a bootleg/fake on the trackology.

Story continues…