Last year, DJ Premier and his manager Ian Schwartzman launched their Youtube series, So Wassup?, the legendary producer’s salute to the floppy disc, as he takes Hip-Hop fans on a trip down memory lane, giving the backstory to some of his most iconic instrumentals.

In the most recent episode, Preemo tells the story of the show’s title track, “So Wassup,” which was originally a B-side on track on the group’s, Moment of Truth single, “You Know My Steeze.” Preemo explains Gang Starr was inspired by Public Enemy to put out a B-side track after witnessing the success of their revolutionary track, “Rebel Without a Pause.”

“When it came to Gang Starr [releasing B-sides], we took a page out of Public Enemy’s book. ‘Rebel Without a Pause’ was one of the biggest records of their career and it wasn't on an album until ‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,’” Preemo explains. “Prior to that, it was a raw version and an instrumental… We followed suit.” 

DJ Premier chopped up the samples using the iconic Akai MPC 60, recording the sample on reel-to-reel tape and preserving the track on a floppy disc. Although an antiquated piece of technology today, Preemo saves all the original discs from his studio sessions to give music fans a lesson in Hip-Hop history as he breaks down his most popular tracks. 

Check out the full episode to the latest episode of So Wassup? And stay tuned for more classic Hip-Hop news.