From The Roots, to the Beastie Boys, to Stetsasonic, to Atmosphere, Hip-Hop has had some amazing acts that double as bands. DJ Premier, a legendary producer and turntablist, has announced a band that he will lead. The Gang Starr icon formed a five-person band, with his deejaying as the center-piece. The group intends to play Hip-Hop classics, including many produced by DJ Premier. A press release cited the catalogs of Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and Jay Z, in addition to Gang Starr’s five-plus LPs.

“I put a live band together because I’ve always dreamed of being in one ever since I was a kid. I have a funky group of players assembled to play my classics and perform new things,” DJ Premier told XXL. “I can play a little drums, bass and guitar but not like these guys, so I will stay on the wheels,” he added.

The members of DJ Premier’s live band are:

DJ Premier- (Turntables)
Brady Watt- (Bass)
Lenny “The Ox” Reece- (Drums)
Takuya Kuroda- (Horns and Keys)
Corey King- (Trombone and Keys)

The newly-formed band will perform for the first time in Osaka, Japan with two shows on January 28, 2015 and then with four shows in Tokyo, Japan at Billboard Live on January 30 and January 31.

Following Gang Starr’s final album, The Ownerz, Premier’s partner Guru formed the Jazzmatazz band, and toured with a series of Jazz messengers. Common, Nas, and Jay Z have also toured extensively with live bands.

Read the whole XXL news feature with DJ Premier.

Related: DJ Premier Crosses The Ocean To Make A Rowdy Cut For England’s Four Owls (Audio)