DJ Premier
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DJ Premier

DJ Premier

Published Wed, December 31, 1969 at 7:00 PM EST

DJ Premier has one of Hip-Hop’s most storied production legacies. As one half of the legendary Gang Starr, Preemo was the sonic genius behind such tracks as “Just To Get A Rep,” “Mass Appeal,” “Full Clip” and “You Know My Steez.” Outside of that history-making partnership with Guru, Preemo has worked with a who’s-who of legendary emcees: from Jay-Z, Nas and the Notorious B.I.G., to KRS-One, Jeru Da Damaja, Bun B and many more. For DJ Premier, greatness has always been a daily operation. There is only one Preemo.

1994

DJ Premier

THE SAMPLE THAT GOT AWAY

DJ Premier has the uncanny knack of taking a sample, chopping it, and flipping it so that it seems both familiar and original. But, of course, with more and more recognition, he’s been forced to reconcile that clearing a sample isn’t always so easy. In fact, there was one that got away, and it still resonates with him today.

1992

Guru & DJ Premier

NOW YOU'RE MINE

In an era before social media, fans could only guess which Gang Starr stories were true and which ones were figments of Guru’s imagination. While many know the true stories behind “Just To Get a Rep” and “Moment of Truth,” involving tales of a carjacking gone bad and Guru’s legal troubles following a gun arrest, “Now You’re Mine” showcases how their in-fighting led to magic on wax.

1991

Guru & DJ Premier

THE MAGIC OF D&D STUDIOS

While a handful of Hip-Hop artists were already recording at D&D Studios, Premier’s experience inside David Lotwin and Doug Grama’s place would completely shift the trajectory of not only Gang Starr’s music but also of Hip-Hop as a whole.

1988

DJ PREMIER

THE MOVE TO BROOKLYN

For DJ Premier, New York City was where he’d go from a Prairie View A&M house party DJ to the man whose sound is widely considered to BE New York City.

1984

DJ PREMIER

SOUNDWAVES RECORDS

Chris Martin, eventually known throughout the world as DJ Premier, grew up in a household filled with music. His mother was a painter, and the sounds of the Temptations, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Barry White, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Grover Washington, Booker T & the MGs, and the Bar-Kays filled the living room as she worked. It was ultimately his thirst for the latest and greatest on wax at Soundwaves Records which took him from Houston to Brooklyn and launched his legendary career

1992

Guru & DJ Premier

NOW YOU'RE MINE

In an era before social media, fans could only guess which Gang Starr stories were true and which ones were figments of Guru’s imagination. While many know the true stories behind “Just To Get a Rep” and “Moment of Truth,” involving tales of a carjacking gone bad and Guru’s legal troubles following a gun arrest, “Now You’re Mine” showcases how their in-fighting led to magic on wax.

1988

DJ PREMIER

THE MOVE TO BROOKLYN

For DJ Premier, New York City was where he’d go from a Prairie View A&M house party DJ to the man whose sound is widely considered to BE New York City.

1994

DJ Premier

THE SAMPLE THAT GOT AWAY

DJ Premier has the uncanny knack of taking a sample, chopping it, and flipping it so that it seems both familiar and original. But, of course, with more and more recognition, he’s been forced to reconcile that clearing a sample isn’t always so easy. In fact, there was one that got away, and it still resonates with him today.

1991

Guru & DJ Premier

THE MAGIC OF D&D STUDIOS

While a handful of Hip-Hop artists were already recording at D&D Studios, Premier’s experience inside David Lotwin and Doug Grama’s place would completely shift the trajectory of not only Gang Starr’s music but also of Hip-Hop as a whole.

1984

DJ PREMIER

SOUNDWAVES RECORDS

Chris Martin, eventually known throughout the world as DJ Premier, grew up in a household filled with music. His mother was a painter, and the sounds of the Temptations, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Barry White, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Grover Washington, Booker T & the MGs, and the Bar-Kays filled the living room as she worked. It was ultimately his thirst for the latest and greatest on wax at Soundwaves Records which took him from Houston to Brooklyn and launched his legendary career

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