MICK Has Created The Ultimate DJ Premier x JAY-Z Mashup Mix (Audio)
DJ Premier and JAY-Z have a history that goes back more than 20 years. Preemo was a major contributor on Jay’s debut, Reasonable Doubt, the album Jay still contends is the finest work he ever created. Premier would go on to have a presence on Jay’s next 3 albums, but the two have not worked together since 1999’s Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter.
The chemistry between the two men is undeniable, as their collabos yielded classics for both, including “D’Evils,” “Bring It On,” and “A Million And One Questions / Rhyme No More,” to name a few. Still, many fans of the 90s era New York Rap that Jay and Preem’ embodied rightfully feel like they left some fine meals on the table. One such person is DJ and producer MICK (fka Mick Boogie), so he decided to take matters in his own hands.
The frequent DJ Jazzy Jeff collaborator along with collaborator Chi Duly decided to take matters into his own capable hands and put together a dream mashup project featuring Jay’s vocals over choice Premier beats. Rather than just a hodgepodge of tracks, MICK and Chi crafted a theme in which he also paid homage to Brooklyn, Jay’s hometown and a place that has been deeply influential to Preemo and MICK, as well.
Titled 7:18, a nod to the burrough’s area code, MICK says of the mix “This mixtape is a love letter to the hiphop we grew up listening to. This is for the people who grew up analyzing the b-side of every Gangstarr and Group Home single. This is for the people who listened to Jay’s “A Million And One Questions” a million and one times.” The veteran DJ also sets the tone for the setting in which the mix should be enjoyed. “This is music you should only listen to wearing Carhartt jackets and wheat Timbs. Do not listen to this album at a beach under a palm tree. This is music for a cold, grey day. Preferably enjoyed in a 1994 white Lexus. This is raw and uncut Brooklyn hiphop in it’s prime. A tribute to two of the best who ever did it, and in a way only we could bring it to you.”
In addition to drawing from all eras of Jay’s music, MICK and Chi Duly also tap into featured verses from songs such as Drake’s “Pound Cake,” and other records.