dj premier Archives

Take a Tour of Moscow With DJ Premier (Video)

Hip-Hop has taken DJ Premier a long way from his hometown of Prairie View, Texas. The iconic producer recently traveled to Moscow for a DJ gig and decided to share it with his fans. Throughout the video, Preemo was deeply thankful for Hip-Hop and the life journey it's allowed him... Read more

April 29, 2015 Video

Watch Scarface Perform A Different Verse Over His Classic Gang Starr Collaboration (Video)

One of the standouts on Gang Starr's classic album Moment of Truth was "Betrayal." The song featured a dark and moody track that evoked poignant performances from both Guru and featured guest MC, Scarface. The 1998 song would be the first time Face worked with Preemo. Seventeen years later, when... Read more

April 28, 2015 Video

DJ Premier To Score Upcoming Film on The History of the Business of Hip-Hop (News)

The legendary DJ Premier has announced the next move in his already diverse and groundbreaking music career. VH1 has chosen the Gang Starr producer to compose, score and take on the role of executive music producer for their upcoming original movie The Breaks. The film will be written, directed and... Read more

April 24, 2015 News

AZ, DJ Premier & Joe Budden Put It Down For MoSS’s Breakthrough (Audio)

Heads may or may not be up on MoSS, yet... Working closely with DJ Premier and Year Round Records for years, the Toronto, Ontario producer has produced for certified lyrical vets such as Ghostface Killah, Sean Price, and Big Shug. Having also contributed a full project with Eternia (2010's At... Read more

April 21, 2015 Audio

DJ Premier Remixes Lion Babe’s Pharrell-Produced Single (Audio)

From Limp Bizkit to Craig David, Macy Gray to Christina Aguilera, when DJ Premier steps out of Hip-Hop, it's usually significant, and it usually bridges audiences. Premo took the Pharrell-produced "Wonder Woman" for eclectic non-Rap duo Lion Babe, and slowed things down with those hard drums and carefully programmed accents.... Read more

April 20, 2015 Audio

5 Years Ago Today We Lost Keith “Guru” Elam & Nothing Was The Same

April 19, 2010 was one of the most difficult days for Hip-Hop Heads. That day, after six weeks in a coma (announced February 28), Keith "Guru" Elam was confirmed dead in a Manhattan hospital. The Gang Starr founder went into cardiac arrest, following the coma in the midst of a... Read more

April 19, 2015 Food for Thought, Throwback

Ever Hear The 5 Deadly Venoms Of Brooklyn? It’s Widely Considered To Be Rap’s Greatest Tape (Mixtape)

1997 was an interesting year for Hip-Hop, especially as far as New York City was concerned. Tragically, The Notorious B.I.G. was murdered just months into the new year, throwing a dark cloud and massive vacancy in the hearts, souls, and earphones of many. Additionally, the part of Biggie's music that... Read more

April 5, 2015 Throwback

DJ Premier Is a Supreme Producer But Can He Rap? Nah, But Here’s a Dope Interview (Video)

While at SXSW, PRhyme, DJ Premier & Royce Da 5'9", stopped by for a special edition of Sway in the Morning. They spoke on a litany of new topics, including new music Royce and Preemo are listening to (2:30), Royce's newfound hunger as an MC (5:30), Premier's idiosyncrasies (6:50), similarities... Read more

April 4, 2015 Video

Nick Cannon’s Signee Got In With DJ Premier. The Results May Surprise You (Video)

For the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, one of the great ways to introduce—or really break an artist is to get him or her in the lab with DJ Premier. From Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. to Macy Gray and Limp Bizkit. One person who knows this is entertainment mogul Nick... Read more

April 3, 2015 Video

PRhyme & Dwele Get Elemental In A Stripped Down Setting (Video)

From one of 2014's highlight albums comes the video to one of the album's highlight tracks. "You Should Know" featuring Dwele is a standout on PRhyme, with DJ Premier scratching it up between warm notes and hard drums (thank Adrian Younge for that), and Royce Da 5'9" presenting his verbal... Read more

April 1, 2015 Video

Ras Kass Meets DJ Premier’s Bars In The Booth With Those Classic Snaps & Punchlines (Video)

Since the very beginning, Ras Kass has had no fear with his verses. The Southern California MC loves a good joke at a peer's expense, whether it's Lil' Kim, Seal, or even Prince, and it's what's made the confident and cocky lyricist so punchy. Those good ol' jabs are at... Read more

March 31, 2015 Video

Joey Bada$$ Goes To Town With A Freestyle Over Dre & Premier Beats (Audio)

Joey Bada$$ seemingly never is too fatigued for a freestyle. The Brooklyn, New Yorker who emerged from hallway cyphers and throwback-minded Rap activities is true to form. Stopping through the L.A. Leakers radio show, the hosts throw down some plates of production from the era Joey pulls from. Nimbly, he... Read more

March 26, 2015 Audio

Did You Know DJ Premier & Large Professor Share A Birthday? DJ Eclipse Does (Mix)

While DJ Premier remixed plenty of classic artists spanning three decades and nearly every genre, when it came to Gang Starr, remixes weren't typically the move—especially by another beat-maker. There were some exceptions however, and one trusted person who remixed one particular rare a la carte 1992 single ("Gotta Get... Read more

March 26, 2015 Audio

Ever See Eminem’s Lyrical Explosion on This Classic Biggie Beat? (Video)

Here's a look back at a young Eminem going absolutely berserk on the classic "Kick in the Door" beat that DJ Premier produced for The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album, Ready to Die. Although it's unclear when the footage was recorded it looks to be from the early 2000s. Marshall appears... Read more

March 21, 2015 Throwback

Big Shug & DJ Premier Wave The Gang Starr Flag In This Dedication To The Craft (Video)

Big Shug is more than 20 years strong in hittin' Heads off with straightforward, working man verses. The Boston, Massachusetts MC who was a member of Gang Starr prior to No More Mr. Nice Guy clearly put in his work. "I Bleed For This" focuses on that. With a slow and... Read more

March 17, 2015 Video

Scarface, Stalley & Troy Ave Over a DJ Premier Beat? That’s Crazy (Audio)

DJ EFN is on the precipice of releasing one of the year's best compilation albums. The LP, titled Another Time, features a smorgasbord of artists including MC Eiht, Sean Price, Joell Ortiz, Kxng Crooked (pka Crooked I), Juvenile, Masta Ace, Talib Kweli, Ras Kass, Black Milk, Kurupt, M.O.P., Inspectah Deck... Read more

February 18, 2015 Audio

The Militia Is Coming…Hear 3 Snippets Of Big Shug’s Next Album, All Produced By DJ Premier (Audio)

Gang Starr Heads know all about Big Shug. A member of the Gang Starr Foundation, the Boston, Massachusetts-based MC would appear on all of Guru & DJ Premier's albums from Hard To Earn through The Ownerz. Hard-nosed, fly, and wise, Shug paid dues in the wings for years, before becoming... Read more

February 14, 2015 Audio

DJ Premier Can Rock Without…Or WITH A Band. Catch ‘Em Rehearsing (Video)

If you're not in Japan this month, you might not be able to catch DJ Premier's new five-piece band in the flesh. Thanks to some cameras in the new studio though, you can. Premo is on the cuts with a brass, drums, and keys section. Some vocals from The Notorious... Read more

February 3, 2015 Video

DJ Premier & Royce Da 5’9″ Announce The PRhyme Tour Dates, With 2 Exciting Opening Acts

In the midst of ongoing success surrounding their self-titled 2014 album, PRhyme is taking the show on the road. DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" have announced that they will begin the US PRhyme Tour in less than one month, beginning officially on February 18, and running through 2015's South... Read more

January 29, 2015 Fresh

DJ Premier Forms 5-Piece Band & Announces Japan Tour Dates

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.... Read more

January 26, 2015 Fresh

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

From Craig David to the Brand New Heavies, DJ Premier has been one of the Hip-Hop mainstays who has been open with overseas collaboration. The Gang Starr producer/DJ seemingly sees no boundaries in Hip-Hop, and has been particularly open to making joints with artists from the United Kingdom. That quality... Read more

January 20, 2015 Audio

Joey Bada$$ Drops Wisdom While DJ Premier Drops A Scorching Beat (Audio)

"B4.Da.$$" is the title of Joey Bada$$' studio debut, releasing this coming Tuesday (January 20) on Pro Era/Cinematic/Sony Red. The Brooklyn, New York MC reflects this title, not just as a conveniently clever time-capsule of his rise to stardom, or an ah-ha to the doubters and skeptics. Rather, the Pro... Read more

January 17, 2015 Audio

Skyzoo & Torae Are The Latest To Rap On DJ Premier’s Bars In The Booth Series (Video)

With previous sessions featuring Jakk Frost, Dres, A.G., and Loaded Lux, Session 7 of DJ Premier's "Bars In The Booth" video series features the Barrel Brothers duo, Skyzoo & Torae. Now a true duo, this pair found success in the late 2000s, working collaboratively with Premier, on 12" singles also... Read more

January 15, 2015 Video

Do Remember: Haze Presents…NY Reality Check 101 (Mixed By DJ Premier)

This week, it was announced that 2015 will see the release of DJ Premier's first solo album, Last Session @320. The album and its title are an homage to the closing of HeadQCourterz Studios (f/k/a D&D Studios), which had been Premier's professional home for nearly 25 years. As fans eagerly... Read more

January 15, 2015 Throwback

Crooklyn Dodgers ’94 & Crooklyn Dodgers ’95 Trade Uniforms In This ILL Blend (Audio)

DJ Hellee Hooper (a play on famed Soul II Soul/Bjork/No Doubt producer Nellee Hooper), swapped the vocals of Special Ed, Masta Ace, and Buckshot from "Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers" with the instrumental to the 1995 original (Chubb Rock, O.C., Jeru The Damaja). The results (thus "94.5") trick your mind,... Read more

January 12, 2015 Throwback

DJ Premier Announces His First Solo Album, Last Session @ 320

Less than one week into his new studio home in Astoria, Queens, big news is coming from DJ Premier. The longtime Gang Starr producer/DJ has announced his first solo album, Last Session @ 320. Planned for 2015, the title is presumably an homage to the 37th Street address of his... Read more

January 12, 2015 Fresh

The End Of An Era For Hardcore Hip-Hop…DJ Premier’s Studio Closes Its Doors Today

Nas' Illmatic recorded there. The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready To Die recorded there. Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt recorded there. And nearly every song by Gang Starr, in addition to every track produced by DJ Premier since 1992 was recorded there. Today, on January 7, 2015, Premo announced that D&D Studios a/k/a HeadQCourterz... Read more

January 7, 2015 Fresh

After More Than 25 Years, DJ Premier & MF DOOM Will Work Together

Twenty five years ago, DJ Premier and MF DOOM (then known as Zev Love X) were getting comfortable in the industry. Premier, care of the group Gang Starr, was less than a year removed from releasing debut LP No More Mr. Nice Guy on Wild Pitch Records with partner and... Read more

January 5, 2015 Fresh

Phonte, DJ Premier & Royce Da 5’9″ Geek Out About Rap, Memories & Battles (Video)

Structure isn't everything in Hip-Hop interviews. Sometimes organic, natural, nonrestrictive discussions go a heck of a lot farther. In their ongoing PRhyme media campaign, DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" get an unlikely guest in Phonte. The Stashed orchestrates a casual discussion about a number of things with these three... Read more

December 29, 2014 Fresh, Video

With Sounds By The Roots & J Dilla, Preview Snippets Of Joey Bada$$’s B4.Da.$$ (Audio)

Over the weekend, the full artwork, tracklisting and production credits for Joey Bada$$' studio debut, B4.Da.$$ (January 20) were released: 1. Save The Children (prod by Statik Selektah) 2. Greenbax (prod by Lee Bannon) 3. Paper Trails (prod. by DJ Premier) 4. Piece of Mine (prod by Freddie Joachim) 5.... Read more

December 29, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Premier & Royce Talk About Fighting Through the Hard Times and Being in a Good Place (Audio)

Here's a deceptively candid interview of PRhyme (DJ Premier & Royce Da 5'9") by NW3 Radio. After glossing over fascinating stories like Rock the Bells once offering Gang Starr $2 million to perform and Rakim once being arrested at a Royce show in NYC, the two men speak from the... Read more

December 27, 2014 Audio

Your Old Droog Shows Off Over Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers (Video)

For the second time in less than a week, Your Old Droog goes HAM over DJ Premier music during a freestyle. This time, he flows for Statik Selektah during his Showoff Radio show. About halfway in, Statik flips the beat to Premier's classic "Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers," and Droog... Read more

December 22, 2014 Video

Your Old Droog Freestyles Over Some Vintage DJ Premier (Video)

Your Old Droog stopped by NYC's Hot 97 for his first interview with Peter Rosenberg. Droog spoke about his ethnic origins, raising his status this year, traveling to Europe and more. At a little over ten minutes in, Rosenberg put him to the test and Droog stepped up with nearly... Read more

December 19, 2014 Video

Royce Da 5’9″ & DJ Premier Shift Between 1992 & 2014 In A Non Album Track (Video)

As if the nine-track, acclaimed PRhyme album was not enough, DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" vibe overtop Adrian Younge samples for a bonus round. "PRhyme Time" playfully shifts between 1992 and 2014, with varying BMW coupes, sneakers, and fashion signaling the metamorphosis. In the track, Nickel Nine slams skeptics... Read more

December 17, 2014 Fresh, Video

Royce Da 5’9″, DJ Premier & Adrian Younge Takeover the Boiler Room (Video)

Royce Da 5'9", DJ Premier and Adrian Younge, the collective known as PRhyme, tookover the Boiler Room recently for a night for true music Heads. The event, which was held at New York's Chung King Studios, began with a DJ set by Younge, where he spun 45s of breaks used... Read more

December 13, 2014 Video

Royce Da 5’9″ & DJ Premier Shut Down The Backroom With a Hot Verse & Beat (Video)

PRhyme (Royce Da 5'9" and DJ Premier) were the latest to hit The Backroom on 106 & Park, and the dynamic duo shut it down. Royce kicked a blistering verse that was part new and part from PRhyme's song "To Me, To U," all over a custom-made Premier beat. Press... Read more

December 12, 2014 Video

Royce Da 5’9″ Hid The PRhyme Guests From DJ Premier At First (Video)

Yesterday, PRhyme's self-titled album released. The three-man crew of DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9" and Adrian Younge rolled out their fourth segment of the "Raiders Of The Lost Art" documentary series. Tracing the group through their release party performance earlier in the week, Royce admits, "I didn't tell Preme about... Read more

December 10, 2014 Fresh, Video

PRhyme Had Vinyl Beginnings, But Is Going All Out Digitally (Video)

In the third part of PRhyme's "Raiders Of The Lost Art" documentary webisode series, Royce Da 5'9" explains his goal of making a lasting, classic album, with his joint project with DJ Premier and Adrian Younge. Although PRhyme (December 9) began as a five-song, vinyl-only idea, the project took on... Read more

December 5, 2014 Fresh, Video

DJ Premier Ranks PRhyme Among Best Albums; Royce Da 5’9″ Talks Sobriety Saving His Life (Video Interview)

We are less than one week away from PRhyme (December 9), the self-titled project by the newly-formed group of Royce Da 5'9", DJ Premier, and Adrian Younge. Late last month, in HeadQCourterz Studios, Nickel and Premo sat down with AFH TV to discuss, at length, the album. In the nearly... Read more

December 4, 2014 Featured-homepage, Food for Thought, Fresh, Video

Yes-Men & Soft Rap Lovers Are Poked Fun At Featuring PRhyme, Miguel & Lady Of Rage (Video)

Funny Or Die linking with PRhyme doesn't seem too expected. Still, the online video channel knows their Hip-Hop, and in celebration of the new self-titled album by DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9", and Adrian Younge, they rolled to the studio. Specifically, Funny Or Die appears to be tongue-in-cheek making fun... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Video

DJ Premier Mixes Up A Special Set For Def Jam’s 30th Anniversary (Audio)

In his career, neither DJ Premier nor his group Gang Starr were ever signed to Def Jam Records. However, the HeadQCourterz Studios producer has worked with an arsenal of Def Jam's talent over the years, ranging from Jay Z and Method Man, Ludacris to Kanye West, to Teflon and WC.... Read more

December 3, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Royce Da 5’9″, DJ Premier & Adrian Younge Are In Their PRhyme (Album Review)

In what felt like the last days of Underground Hip-Hop, a relative unknown named Royce Da 5’9” teamed with DJ Premier to release a 1999 12” single, “Boom.” Although Game Recordings placed their trademark bikini-clad “Hip-Hop Honey” on the picture cover single, no alluring marketing tools were necessary, as the... Read more

December 2, 2014 Featured-homepage, Food for Thought, Fresh

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop of November 2014 (Audio)

November was dominated by members of Wu-Tang Clan and Shady 2.0. Eminem, the Wu, Royce Da 5'9" & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah and Slaughterhouse all had big records (or several). Here's a playlist featuring music by them, as well as De La Soul, Chuck D, Juvenile, Big K.R.I.T., M.O.P., AZ,... Read more

November 30, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Playlists

You KNOW Bumpy Knuckles Got Bars In DJ Premier’s Studio Booth (Video)

Still waters run deep. Bumpy Knuckles and DJ Premier crossed paths back in 1997, when they recorded a pair of songs with O.C. for Jewelz. The energy stuck, as Bumpy earned the coveted spot on appearing on Gang Starr's seminal LP, 1998's Moment Of Truth. On "The Militia," the artist also known... Read more

November 26, 2014 Fresh, Video

Get A Deeper Look At A Joint From M.O.P.’s New EP With Cuts By DJ Premier (Audio)

M.O.P.'s new EP, Street Certified is now available. Within the Nature Sounds-released effort, executive produced by DJ Premier is "Heistmasters (Still At It)." The cut is produced by DJ Skizz (Your Old Droog, O.C., Roc Marciano), with Preem on the cuts. Within, Billy Danze and Lil Fame kick some classic... Read more

November 25, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Royce Da 5’9″ & DJ Premier Bring Adrian Younge’s Role In PRhyme To Focus (Video)

In the studio, the same HeadQCourterz that's said to be closing, DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" plug away at the PRhyme album (December 9). In the second installment of "Raiders Of The Lost Art," Bun B narrates, while Preem and Nickel explain the role of third member, Adrian Younge.... Read more

November 25, 2014 Fresh, Video

DJ Premier’s HeadQCourterz / D&D Studios To Become Luxury Apartments?

For 30 years, D&D Studios has been a destination recording studio in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Encased above 320 37th Street, the lab has been a longtime home to Gang Starr's DJ Premier, who co-owns the studio today, re-named HeadQCourterz in honor of Gang Starr's slain friend. A report... Read more

November 25, 2014 Fresh

DJ Premier Honors Fab 5 Freddy With A Wild Style Quick Mix (Video)

Whether as a filmmaker, a VJ, or an artist, Fab 5 Freddy has played an integral role in Hip-Hop culture since the early 1980s, and even before. A New York icon, Freddy connected the Downtown art and Punk scenes of the 1980s with the Hip-Hop musical movement of The Bronx,... Read more

November 24, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

DJ Premier & Royce Da 5’9″ Show No Courtesy to Hip-Hop Pretenders (Video)

As the year goes on, the Hip-Hop keeps getting stronger. Weeks ago, DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" made an announcement that left many Heads licking their chops in anticipation. The two were coming together to form a new supergroup, Premier's first since the legendary Gang Starr. What's more, the... Read more

November 24, 2014 Video

Royce Da 5’9″ & DJ Premier Take The PRhyme Message To The Next Level (Video)

Fresh off of premiering the "PRhyme" title track, Royce Da 5'9" and DJ Premier unload the visual. With some cool imagery, boom shots, and big production value, the video takes Royce's points from the song, in a stream of consciousness, and elaborates them in living color. Footage of Nickel Nine's... Read more

November 20, 2014 Fresh, Video