KANYE / DJ PREMIER - "I Love Kanye"

Since I recently got a full-time job it's very hard to keep up with this blog, it seems most likely that the updates will be on the weekends, hopefully my trusted readers will understand my situation. After all I've been putting in a lot of work for y'all for five or six years by now. Now, The Lost Tapes has never been a blog to talk about artists like Kanye West and post-"Hard Knock Life" Jay-Z although this doesn't mean that I am not a fan of much of their work. Especially Kanye I feel is one of the few artists in todays Hip-Hop climate that comes with a unique presentation, original music that often succesfully crosses genre boundaries. In other words he is not afraid to experiment with the artform which to my ears is in direct contrast with a large population of the Hip-Hop community of the 2010s. For example, there's a lot of skilled underground artists out there that are very talented on a technical level but lack that thing that make them stand out from the rest and grab your interest, whether it be through production, flows, writing or their general output. This feeling of "I've heard it all before" is one of the things that are hurting Hip Hop as a music culture the most right now if you ask me. We need more innovators! And that is why albums like Kanye's "The Life Of Pablo" and Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp A Butterfly" are both albums that I truly believe will stand the test of time. I've been listening to the former very much since it first dropped and while I wasn't blown away on first listen it has continued growing - the main problem is that it lacks focus in some places, and especially during the middle section there's a lot of wack juice that should have been left off. This is interestig considering that the original tracklist only had 10 tracks which is the same amount of songs that I kept for my phone and which makes the album a much, much more cohessive and enjoyable listen.

But enough of "The Life Of Pablo" as an album - I understand that a lot of heads dislike it and its creator a whole lot but I still urge anyone of you to give it an open minded listen as you migtht be suprised. One of the last minute additions mentioned above is the accapella interlude called "I Love Kanye". Within the next couple of months you can count on a multitude of remixes of this one but I doubt many will be as interesting as Mr. DJ Premier's take on it. As fans of the good ol' Preem knows he has been trying to work with Kanye for years without anything ever coming to fruition. Taking matters in his own hands, Premier just unleashed his short but potent remix of said track which gives us a glimpse into what an official 'Ye / Premier collaboration might've sounded. Matter of fact this would sound great on the actual album, like a lil' boom bap type of intermission. You can be stream the song below, so be sure to TURN THAT VOLUME UP and get your head bopping!

[Demo] JERU THE DAMAJA - "Dirty Rotten Demos" ('91-'92)

This new 12" single from the good guys at Slice-Of-Spice is a real treat to true Hip Hop heads worldwide as it unearths never before heard material by legendary lyricists Jeru The Damaja and GURU. Two tracks recorded between 1991 and '92 these joints were born right around the same time as "Daily Operation" and Jeru's first on wax apperance on "I'm The Man"; some of these might very well even have been recorded in the same day, who knows. Cop your copy (along with brand new Damaja hoodie or T-Shirt) @ Slice Of Spice.

From what I've read about Jeru's inclusion into the Gang Starr fold, the original plan was for GURU to bring in 3 of his artists and for Premo to do the same. GURU had Big Shug, Jeru and Group Home which also were the three who ended up in the crew at the time - therefore it is not suprising to see that the first songs Jeru worked on following that was with GURU as producer (his original demo was produced by PF Cuttin'). On "God Of Rhyme" GURU shows that he picked up more than a few tricks over his years working with DJ Premier as he cooks up a bass heavy jazz banger that sounds like something born in between "Step in the Arena" and "The Low End Theory". "The Damaja" doesn't work quite as well from a production standpoint in my opinion, despite a nice sax hook and a grooving bassline it just never quite gels. Don't get me wrong though, it's a nice jam nonetheless but had it been put on an album of the caliber these guys were capable of hooking up back then I'd doubt it would be a standout. Closing the set is another interesting moment in the form of "Dirty Rotten Demo" - an early take of "D. Original" which Premo transformed into the mesmerizing opening track of "The Sun Rises in the East". While it does sound mostly as what it is, an early sketch of what would become a legendary track it does give us some insight into the recording process of one of the great albums of the 1990s.

To gain more of that insight I strongly recommend y'all to check out the chapter on that album in Brian Coleman's "Check The Technique Volume II", and in case you missed it when it was first posted, EgoTrip posted a chapter on Gang Starr's "Step in the Arena" for free online. The reason it wasn't included in the book was because of GURU's untimely death which meant that only DJ Premier's voice is heard throughout the article. Still a great read and as it heavily relates to the topic within this post I'll throw it in here for you - enjoy!

[Article] A look back at JERU THE DAMAJA's "Heroz 4 Hire"

In 1999, Jeru The Damaja returned to the music scene with his third solo album, "Heroz4Hire" on his own label Know Savage Productions. A lot of things had happened since The Damaja's last release, as he and his producer DJ Premier had a falling out, resulting in Jeru handling all of the production himself on the disc. Since Preemo is seen by pretty much every hip hop head as a top 3 producer, and his work with 'Ru is often held as some of his finest top-to-bottom work, there was no way that people would not be dissapointed. My personal first reaction was running through the album once or twice and putting it back on the shelf again for years. Yesterday I popped the disc into my stereo again and I must say I was pretty damn amazed at how slept this album truly is. Though there are a few wack selections here, the majority of the production is suprisingly solid and fits Jeru's style to a T... and it's like he just decided over a night that he was going to start producing because the disapperance of Preemo. Dating back to "The Sun Rises in the East", Jeru has been listed as a co-producer on all of his releases, meaning that he worked closely on the production with Preem for years, watching his process and helping to pick out samples and picking up studio tricks. And more importantly is that Jeru was planning to start producing more of his own shit even before the break from Gang Starr as revealed by this interview on a '96 Stretch & Bobbito show. One of the things about Premier that makes him a true master at his craft is his way to create a signature sound for his artists. So why many dismissed Jeru's production here as a bad imitation of DJ Premier. The fact is that On "Heroz 4 Hire" Jeru creates somewhat similiar beats to those heard on its predecessors - dark, sinister beats, stripped down to its bare minimalist essentials of broken piano chords, guitar stabs and thick, pounding drum programming that really compliments Jeru's commanding voice and raw flows in a major way.

 

Don't get it twisted though, "Heroz4Hire" is a far cry from a classic album, not only is it a big step down from his previous material - at times the LP is all over the place and a few tracks are truly bad. Without the perfection of Premier's production Jeru, with his preachy style and monotone voice, isn't the type of Nas / BIG lyricist that can hold a listener's attention over wack beats which is the case on songs like "Bitchez With Dickz" and "What A Day". However, the point is that the LP is a whole lot better than it's given credit for and I would imagine a lot of heads might even never have bothered to check it out at all.... which would be a shame! "I did the Heroz4hire joint for liberation purposes, and to show cats I can do this shit. The beats are three years old, nah mean? I did everything, all the studio work, the production, everything." Lyrically, the Damaja sounds every bit as ill here as he passionately runs through his main themes of the dangers of overly commercial hip hop, African pride, the horrors of the ghetto, Brooklyn as well as introducing the concept of fake friends on songs like "Bitches With Dick" and "99.9%", the finest song on the LP.

As far as guests go Afu-Ra is nowhere to be found - "Man, money and fame change shit up. I taught the nigga how to rhyme and all that, but now I don't see the nigga anymore. It's basically the same thing with Gang Starr. We still cool and all that, but brothas ain't on the same level right now, nah mean?" However at least Lil' Dap of The Group Home pop up for a guest verse on the otherwise forgettable "Bitchez Wit Dikz". The main guest is female emcee Miz Marvel who appears on no less than three songs, strangely enough all of them being solo songs. To my knowledge she never appeared on anything else either after or before but she's definitely got some skills, though the decision to give her three solo songs is really weird.

In conclusion, I would like to recommend any fan of Jeru The Damaja to give this album an honest chance, without any preconceived notion of comparing it to his work with Gang Starr. You might just be as suprised as I was by the dopeness of songs like "Great Solar Stance", "99.9%", "Seinfeld", "Renegade Slave", "Billie Jean (Safe Sex)", "Another Victim", and "Presha". I give The Damaja major props for showing heads that he was able to deliver a good album entirely created by himself and him alone. You can tell that he was on a mission to really prove his own worth here as he absolutely slays mics all over this LP. Just like Nas with "Illmatic", "The Sun Rises in the East" is the gift and the curse of Jeru's career and as a true bonafide classic he will always be faced with that comparision. But dismissing Jeru The Damaja's work post-Premier is definitely a mistake as there's plenty of heat rocks on all of his later albums. Hopefully his next album will see him reaching out to more established producers again as his excellent "The Hammer " EP saw him linking up with Large Professor, The Beatnuts and the still underrated PF Cuttin' (who in fact was Jeru's first producer) to great effect.

Stream "Heroz 4 Hire" @ Spotify

DJ EFN Ft. SCARFACE, TROY AVE & STALLEY - "Who's Crazy" [prod. DJ Premier]

We've heard some excellent singles from DJ EFN's upcoming compilation-type album "Another Time LP" which drops March 3. The latest single is a slamming joint produced by none other than DJ Premier who does a great job providing the backdrop for the immortal Scarface with Stalley and Troy Ave. In other words not Preem's usual NY gritty emcee showcase, but perhaps all the more interesting for it. Especially interesting to hear Scarface on a Preem beat again. Pre-order and check the tracklist @ iTunes. Turn this up LOUD!

SCHOOLBOY Q Ft. NAS - "Studio Remix"

Nas last album, 2012's "Life is Good" was pretty much not only on of my favorite albums from perhaps my all-time favorite emcee, but since then the QB alumni has been rather quiet. Save for a few guest apperances for everyone from Mariah Carey to now Schoolboy . Here  Nasir is asked by Schoolboy Q to jump on the remix for his new single "Studio" and while the track isn't doing much for me, it's good to hear a pretty ill Nas 16 kicking things off so if that's the only thing you're interested in, you can stop around the one minute mark. The track which originally appeared on Q's "Oxymoron" album is produced by Swiff D and also features BJ The Chicago Kid.

What I'm really looking forward to is that Mass Appeal compilation (which is Nasty's new imprint, with the  younger God emcee introducing and rhyming with signed artists such as Fashawn, Schoolboy, Jay Eectronica, Puha T, Goldlink, and more.  Sunce thee original release date was September 2, hoopefuly it will drop very oon. Aminng the highlights, at least on paper is a Nas solo cover of Gang Starr's classic "Mass Appeal", stay tuned for more info!

[Press Kit] GANG STARR - "Step in The Arena" (1990)

Can you believe that it's now been four years since the tragic passing of Keith "GURU" Elam? Forever one of my favorite artists and the work he did with DJ Premier as Gang Starr has truly made him immortal. Although they did release their debut album "No More Mr. Nice Guy" in 1989 it was really with "Step in the Arena" that the Gang Starr saga truly began. In this press kit video seen above a young Premier and Guru discuss the creation of the now classic LP as well as featuring clips from live shows and in-studio sessions. A true gem in other words! As a little bonus I uploaded a HQ rip of the original 12" version of "Just to Get A Rep", the one with the extra GURU verse that was missing from the LP for some reason.

[Video] MARCO POLO x TALIB KWELI x PREMIER - "GURU"

All right, one more, but this is the last one for today, but you know I had to post this one considering we're getting closer to the release of Marco Polo's sophomore LP which is way up there with my most anticipated LP:s of the year. "G.U.R.U.", which actually was the first single to be released from the upcoming project, is of course a dedication to one of the greatest rappers to ever enter the game. Featuring Talib Kweli and DJ Premier over a beautiful Marco Polo production that sonically pays tribute to the Gang Starr sound of songs like "My Advice 2 You". Now the track gets the video treament and with the visuals its becoming even greater and more heartfelt. I can't wait to cop this album, and I hope you do the same.

Lil' Dap - "Real Emcees"

Group Home's illest spitter, Lil' Dap, is back on the scene with a seriously blazing new 7" single entitled "Real Emcees", made in collaboration with producers Freaqnik & WDRE who brings a powerfully layered heavy hitter that packs a real thump. Dap's voice has always been his strongest asset in my opinion, but the last few years has also seen his gritty street flows really connect with the strong songwriting that was lacking on the Home's classic '95 debut. This lyrical quality is on fine display on both sides of this 45; "Real Emcees" is a beautiful tribute to the culture and the real artists from then to now, while the B-side "Guru Cash Flow" sees Dap weaving together memories of his lost comrade GURU with life lessons to absorb over a booming track by Cash Flow. As expected, the A-side is the superior cut but together these two cuts form a welcome return for Lil' Dap as a solo artist, as I hope this will soon be followed with more releases. Support the real, because this one is highly recommended!

[EPK] GANG STARR - "Step in the Arena"

EgoTripLand posted this classic VHS promo sent out to various channels in promotion of GURU and DJ Premier's classic January '91 album "Step in the Arena". We'll get some nice behind the scenes footage of sessions, live performances and interviews nit inky by the griup themeselves but also Branford ´Marsalis and Biz Markie to drop by to drop sme wizdom. Shouts to EgoTripLand and DJSandman.

Marco Polo Ft. Talib Kweli & DJ Premier - "G.U.R.U."

I should have posted this when it was released yesterday as April 19 of course marks the three-year anniversary of the passing of the great Keith Elam, best known as GURU. Although we've heard a few slamming recent Marco Polo tracks, but this track of greatness with Preem and Kweli works as the actual lead single for the Canandian beatsmith's forthcoming "Port Authority 2: The Director's Cut". Prepare yourself for the July release on Soulspazm Records as it should be one of the definite records of the summer!

[Compilation] Hannibal Stax - "Prequel to Seize The Day"

The real Gang Starr heads are well aware of who are Hannibal Stax, and though he has yet to release a proper solo release yet he's been part of The Foundation since at least 1995. Together with underrated producer Mike Rone, he was part of Fabidden Fruit who was signed to GURU's Ill Kid Records back in the mid-'90s; releasing the banger "Hi Energy", produced by the Wu's True Master, on that GURU sampler which was followed by "Forbidden Fruit" on the first "D&D Project". People probably best know him for his memorable performance on the Gang Starr classics "It's A Set Up", and "Same Team, No Games", the Afu-Ra '98 B-side "Trilogy of Terror" and "All That" from his debut album. More recently H.Stax appeared on the DJ Premier produced Big Shug monster "Dirt" in 2005 and the Works Of Mart 2006 12" featuring "Proper Dosage" b/w the Mike Rone produced "It Iz What It Iz".

Now, finally he is preparing some well deserved solo material, as we got a testament of last week with the brilliant Marco Polo produced jawn "Sr8 Smashing". His mixtape, "The Honorable", mixed by the incredible PF Cuttin' and hosted by DJ Premier which of course guarantees quality will be made available in the coming days. The mixtape will serve as a prequel to Stax 2013 album "Seize the Day", which will be completely produced by Marco Polo. Polo has also announced that he's working on a second installment of his "Port Authority" series.

While we're waiting for the tape and following album, I put together a lil' Lost Tapes style compilation of H.Stax's previous works. As far as I know this is all the songs he ever officially released (not including his freestyle works); Thanks to the homie Fritz I was also able to include the 2005 B-side "Proper Dosage". Enjoy my little droogies!

01. F.A.B.I.D. - "Get It In" (Intro)
02. Afu-Ra / Fabidden Fruit - "Trilogy of Terror"
03. Fabbiden Fruit - "From Within Out"
04. Fabidden / True Master - "Hi Energy"
05. Fabidden Fruit - "Cup Of Life"
06. Gang Starr / H. Stax - "It'z A Set Up"
07. Afu-Ra / H.Stax / Mike Rone - "Trilogy of Terror"
08. F.A.B.I.D. - "Proper Dosage"
09. GURU / Big Shug / H.Stax - "Stay Out Of My Face"
10. Big Shug / H.Stax / Smiley The Ghetto Child - "Dirt"
11. Gang Starr / NYGz / H. Stax - "Same Team, No Games"
12. F.A.B.I.D. - "It'z What It Iz"
13. Hannibal Stax / Marco Polo - "Str8 Smashin'"

HANNIBAL STAX - "PREQUEL TO SEIZE THE DAY"

[VIDEO] Big Shug - "War In The Club"

The latest single from Big Shug's very dope "I.M. 4-Eva" project is the Lee Bannon produced "War in the Club". I can understand picking this for a single release, since it got a more commercial vibe than the majority of the album. However, to be honest, I never really liked this joint too much, and wouldn't mind if it would have been left off the LP. With that being said, "I.M. 4-Eva" packs more than enough heat, and besides his solo debut, I'd say it's his most focused record yet. The book case that the CD comes in are straight up fantastic too, and actually one of the best CD packagings I've ever seen; coupled with the music, it's one of the worthiest purchases of 2012. Support Gang Starr and order "I.M. 4-Eva" @ UGHH now!

[Exclusive Interview] Big Shug Pt. 2

Picking up the trail from where we left off last time, here is Part 2 of my interview with Big Shug. Make sure you got Part 1 covered, and pre-orer Shug's "I.M. 4-Eva" which will be available on the 24th.

c7: As you mentioned before when discussing "We Miss You", you're not only a hardcore rapper but a soul influenced singer with a strong voice as well. Not everyone might know that you're also a singer, so how do you deal with that?

Shug: I mean, I always sang so I was able to introuduce my fan base to it little by little. I'm always singing on my albums, singing the hooks somewhere, know what I mean. I sang the hook on Reks' "Black Cream", and there's a few other underground songs that I''m singing hooks on, so that's the next evolution after this album here. I want to totally dedicate it to that, you know.

c7: What should we expect from that project, and is that something you already got planned?

Shug: Definitely, that's actually the next project. It'll consist of all soul songs; original works, maybe a remake or something too. It's coming eventually.

c7: Already on your 1995 debut single, "Treat U Better" you recorded and released a full blown soul singing anthem, that was radically different from what the other members of The Foundation was doing at the time; although the production was probably as rugged as anything out at the time. How do you look at that song today?

Shug:  The song itself was probably before it's time. A lot of people loved the song, but with the state of hip-hop and everything, it wasn't really ready for it. Right now, I can do a song like that and it would probably be a totally different situation. But it was what we felt [was right at the time], and the crew always knew I could sing, so it was like we got to do this with them. And then on my early demos, I would have singing on them, and managers who were trying to manage me used to always be like "you need to go out there and sing", you know. It was always amazing to people that someone who rapped hardcore such as I did, could also sing.

c7: Yeah, I was definitely suprised the first time I heard that single! 

Let's get back to "I.M. 4-Eva" for a moment; I know that one of its selling points in the promo run is that the album comes packaged with a 36 page booklet, chronicling the legacy of Gang Starr and The Foundation. What can you tell me about that?

Shug: It's included in the CD packaging/booklet, but it's really like a book; There's sstories of how the group first came together, how me and GURU first hooked up, different stories about the tour bus, the shows and different things like that. There's also a lot of rare photos, and considering it's 37 pages long it really gives people a sneak peek into what was going on with the Gang Starr situation and Big Shug. And it's crazy, because it hasn't really been done before, and it's definitely gonna be a nice collector's item to have.

It represents family because, you know, Premier and me are still involved and doing our thing. On the cover is both my sons, who have grown for as long as I've been in the game; now one's nineteen, and one is twelve. "I.M.4-Eva" means "Immortal Music Forever", because the music will always be there, when I'm gone, the music will still be around. So to have both my sons on there, thar will live on as a legacy of my family as well. So "I.M. 4-Eva" is not only a great album for the music, but also for the movement it represents.

c7: That's great! Are there any chances for a vinyl release of "I.M. 4-Eva"?

Shug: I'm not sure at the moment, it's possible that it will be done as a collector's item eventually. But right now I'm not sure what's gonna happen with that, you know, but we'll see about that soon!

 c7: All the way from your earliest 12"s and up to all your retail albums, DJ Premier has played a pivotal role in crafting the sound. Do you think it would be accurate to describe Preemo as your main producer?

Shug: Well, not really because what it is is, we're brothers and we're the legacy of Gang Starr, so that's why we make sure to have a few songs on every album. Always letting people know that we have a good sound and great chemistry. Also we're gonna do a collective album just the two of us, so that's another thing in the can.

We go back and we're family, you know, but as far as doing records I get a lot of different people, and Premier produces for everyone; but if you listen to the songs that him and I make there's a chemistry there and a certain type of sound, so he's always gonna be there, you know we're always gonna make stuff together.

c7: That's interesting you mention a full project with Premier as that is definitely something people been fiending for. What are the plans for its recording and when should we be looking out for that?

Shug: We'll start working on that very soon, we're gonna go on the road right after my album comes out - probably me, DJ Premier and Bumpy Knuckles. But as soon as we come back, me and him are gonna start working on that album; that's definietly something that we'll do.

c7: You mentioned touring in promotion of the new album, any chances for some European dates as well?

Shug: We're scheduling the tour right now, so I'm not sure exactly where we gonna go, but I really hope we can squeeze in some European tour dates as well. I love being out there in Europe, I love Sweden and all that, and the fans are fantastic so hopefully there'll be at least a few shows overseas as well.

c7: Any other plans for the immediate future that you would like to share with us?

Shug: As I said, I got the singing album, the album with Preem and the tour. I always keep it moving, besides music, I just auditioned for another movie [Shug previously appeared on screen in the movie "The Town" with Ben Affleck and Slaine] that should be out soon. I also coach kids basketball, my son is a real ace on B-ball too, so I got a lot of things planned for the future, and I always keep it moving, and I'm not only talk, I'm all walk. But right now it's all about "I.M. 4-Eva" which drops on July 24.

c7: Alright, that sums up the interview! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for The Lost Tapes, and I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors and keep repping that real hip-hop as you've been doing!

Shug: Thanks man, I appreciate that, and I will definitely keep it 100% real and deliver what the fans want to hear. Peace!

[Exclusive Interview] BIG SHUG Pt. 1

The Lost Tapes might not be best known as an interview site at the moment, but things are about to change with some exclusive interviews coming in a near future. You might remember my interview with Rasheed Chappell and Side Effectz; but this time it's none other than Boston's legendy OG Big Shug that's under the spotlight. The original Gang Starr Foundation member is about to release his fourth official album "I.M. 4-Eva"  on July 24; so much of our conversation dealt with the upcoming album, but there's of course also some room for some exclusive news and questions as well; after all the phone call was 30+ minutes long, and I gotta give major thanx to Shug for his patience and taking the time to answering all the questions in depth. Very humble dude for sure! Another major thanks goes out to my man Mal Moe for hooking up the interview! I highly doubt Big Shug need much of any further introduction, and if you got any questions hopefuly they will be answered in the interview. One last thing though; since it's quite a long interview I decided to split it into two parts. Without any further due, here is claaa7's / The Lost Tapes interview with the one and only Big Shug. Part two will be posted very soon so stay tuned. Here Shug will shed some light on future projects, his working relationship with DJ Premier (including news on a planne full-length album soon to come), tour plans, a slight trip down memory lane, and much more. So until then, enjoy Part 1, I doubt you'll be dissapointed!

c7: Your new album is called "I.M. 4-Eva". What should we expect from the LP as far as concepts, style, guests, and so on?

Shug: "I.M. 4-Eva", as each album, is growth. You know songs gonna be a little deeper [than on previous records]; that's the evolution of me as an artist. Also, you got a couple of hardcore shit that I do, As far as guests, I have my son Trumayne on the album; a collaboration with Fat Joe and M.O.P.; and also another collaboration with Slaine, Reks, Termanology and Sinapore ["For The Real"].

c7: A lot of Boston artists represented on that cut in other words? 

Shug: What it is is, I mean I'm the godfather of where I'm from you know - Boston, but I also expand worldwide so... I always try to bring along cats on that level. But I'm also good friends with New York rappers as well, so it could've just as esaily been Busta and Common you know, but everything happens for a reason at a certain time. You might hear something from me and those giuys collaborating in the future though.

c7: What producers are featured on "I.M. 4-Eva"?

Shug: Like I said the album here is about growth, and there's a lot of strong songs on it. There's three or four songs produced by DJ Premier, and then my in-house producer Kid Called Quest, also known as Jay Quest. He's an up-and-coming producer, who was on my second album and I continued to work with him and we've kept evolving together. He produced most of the album.

c7: Your two preceeding albums were in large part produced by MoSS. I was a little suprised that I didn't see him in the credits list this time. What was the reason for this?

Shug:  Actually MoSS was involved in all three of my previous albums; "Who's Hard", "Street Champ" and "Otherside Of The Game". I guess it was more a decision on his behalf, on my last album I had a couple of songs from him, but after that I wasn't really dealing with him; I mean he was doing some other things and we kept it moving, so that's how that happened you know.

c7: So there was no conscious decision on your part not to include him in order to switch up your sound for the new album?

Shug: Nah, I would've loved to work with him, but like I said he was doing other things and he wasn't accessible for whatever reason.

c7: Ok, back to what's actually on the album then; what's your personal favorite record on the LP and why?

Shug: There's a lot of good ones, [the single] "Still Here" is one of them because it represents the fact that I'm still here, doing my thing and banging it up; although it's more of a new school type of beat.

Also "Blue Collar Dollar", because hip-hop, well underground artist, struggle and got real hard work, so that's more of a reality type of track, you know, how life is so to speak.

You know, there's a lot of good ones; my son rapping on "No More" was special. Because he's been like a little rapper kid in the studio with me since he was like three, so I had to get him on the project now, being eleven. He's 12 now but we recorded that right before he turned twelve. So it's great just having him on there.

c7: Another track that I want to touch on is the DJ Premier produced "Hardbody", featuring Fat Joe and M.O.P. That's definitely one of the songs people been buzzing about since the tracklist was first announced. What was that vibe like and what can we expect from that record?

Shug:  "Hardbody" speaks on our lifestyle; you know, me, Fat Joe and M.O.P. all come from that hard side of life, so we represent that in the song. That's why we got those guys for the record; we're all OG's and all represent that hard side. Even though Fat Joe makes pop records or whatever, you know, I've known him since I first came to New York and I know that he's one of the realest cats out. We're all friends too, and it makes for a good song with everybody bringing it, so that's what it is, you know, hardbody!

c7: You talked about growth on the coming LP, how would you say your music has evolved with each album so far?

Shug:  I mean, each album represents growth  because you never stay where you at. Otherwise your music can tend to fall off or dissapear. I continue to evolve because I'm in the game, and I do verses for people all over the world; 16's for hire, you know, so I keep myself alive everywhere, and this albums reflects that growth, as do all of them, you know. Further down the road I'll probably do an album that's a singing album too. But right now, "I.M. 4-Eva" is the next power piece, and that's what it is, in the legacy of Big Shug.

c7: One of the best tribute tracks I've ever heard is yours and DJ Premier's touching letter to Keith Elam in "We Miss You", that will appear on "I.M. 4-Eva". What was that recording session like?

Shug: Well, you gotta remember that me and GURU started this whole thing together. I actually taught him how to rhyme, and we hung out and we grew into this, you know what I mean. When he passed, I heard about it, and everybody threw out these songs, and I never would have thrown a song out just like that, because I probably knew him better than anyone. That was just the way we came up.

Premier actually did the track and sent it to me, and I just went in, you know. Actually I sat in my vehicle and played it for myself, and sat and started writing which is very easy to do in a situation like that. The song could've been half an hour long, because that's how far back we go. You know, it was just real emotional because my man was gone and I know I will always miss him, You kmow when we started out together, we used to both sing and rap. Of course, I was the stronger singer but he could hold a tone too, so that was our forté.

So when I'm singing [on the song], I was able to spit stuff we went through when we came up, and when I'm singing, I'm singing to him. That's why when you listen to how it sounds, it disembodies the whole thing, because I'm singing, and I'm a pure singer as well, you know what I'm saying. And I'm also, of course, singing on the song as the pure singer i am.

c7: It's a beautiful record, and I learned a lot from it, and overall it's a huge and very important track.

Shug: Yeah, that's what it's about man!

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2....

BIG SHUG - "The Crush EP" [Extended]

The name Gang Starr will always be synonymous with quality hip-hop, you can take my word on that. Besides the main duo of GURU and DJ Premier, the chain and the star was also protected by The Gang Starr Foundation; a group of like-minded East Coast rhymers that appeared on the duo's albums and got the advantage of getting Preem and Guru beats for their own projects. There's been several semi-official members over the years but the real core of the Foundation is the trio of Jeru the Damaja, Group Home and Big Shug. Of course Jeru and Group Home released incredible full-lengths in the mid '90s, produced by Premier and generally hailed as classics today. Why Big Shug didn't get the same opportunity at the time despite being just as important to the dynamics of the crew is something I never really understood.

What Shug did, however, was to release two Gang Starr produced 12" singles in 1995 and 1996 respectively. These five songs gives us a good idea of how a '90s Shug album produced in the same manner as "Living Proof" would have sounded - certainly a lot of potential. Who knows, maybe the Boston rapper turned New York emcee just wasn't ready yet? One thing that's interesting is that the first single's A-side, called "Treat U Better", was a Premier produced love song with Shug singing throughout. The B-side tracks were both typical hip-hop joints for the time. It suggests that neither the artist nor the producers could decide on the direction they were to take with his career. They are all good tracks but it definitely caught me a bit off-guard hearing the A-side for the first time. On the second single, which dropped on Pay Day/FFRR about a year later, Shug seemed more certain about being an emcee rather than a singer. "Crush" is classic Gang Starr style boom bap with Preem providing one of his classic scratched vocal clips hooks. The B-side "Official" might be even more interesting considering it's a posse cut representing some of the finest rap talents to emerge out of the Boston area. Over a dark and moody soundbed produced by someone called Bless One, Shug invites the tag team of Edo G and the great late emcee Scientifik (who I believe made his last cameo here) to rip the track in half with him. Mission accomplished!

To get a good glimpse into what an album by this guy would have sounded like around 1996 I have put together a lil' compilation with the songs from the two 12"s that's represented by tracks 1 to 5. The remaining tracks are the majority of Big Shug's guest apperances in the mid '90s, taken from albums by DJ Krush, Group Home, Gang Starr and the promotional compilation for Guru's Ill Kid Records.Crank up the volume, sit back and let the missing link of the Gang Starr Foundation take you on a trip back to the '90s.

01. "Crush" [Street]
02. "Stripped & Pistol Whipped" [Street] (Ft. GURU)
03. "Treat U Better"
04. "Official" [Street] (Ft. Edo G / Scientifik)
05. "P.D.S. (Pimp Style)" [Street]
06. "Momentum" (Ft. GURU)
07. "Do What Pays Ya"
08. "Serious Rap Shit" (Ft. Gang Starr / Group Home)
09. "Most Wanted Men" (Ft. GURU)
10. "Fuck Around, Lay Around" (Ft. Gang Starr)

BIG SHUG - "CRUSH: FOUNDATION OFFICIAL"

Big Shug / DJ Premier tribute to GURU

The remaining members of the original GangStarr Foundation just released this heartfelt dedication to their fallen comrade GURU a/k/a Keith Elam. Produced by DJ Premier and performed by Big Shug, the song is called ""We Miss You" for what would have been Guru's 50th birthday on July 17. I've said it before and I'll say it again, rest in peace GURU; you truly blessed hip-hop with your presence, and as the track title states, you surely are missed. Thanks to The Preemo Blog for the link.

BIG SHUG & DJ PREMIER - "WE MISS YOU"

We miss you GURU

I can't believe a year has already passed since we lost Keith Elam, The GURU; a true legend in hip-hop and one that will never be forgotten. He created timeless music as one half of Gang Starr and with his early "Jazzmatazz" projects and always gave the impression to be a real stand up guy. GURU made sure his people got their chance to shine just as he had gotten his; he managed artists like Group Home, SikkenMoov, Fabbiden Fruit, True Master, Bahamadia, Jeru The Damaja and established his own Ill Kids Records imprint.

He might not have been the most complex lyricist but his passion, heart, unique voice and hundreds of memorable verses more than made up for it. If you don't got the Gang Starr catalouge in your record collection I just want to say shame on you as each and every one of their LPs are incredible and justifies Guru and DJ Premier as one of hip-hop's finest MC/producer duo's. They also recorded several additional quality tracks, songs that popped up on soundtracks, B-sides, mixtapes as well as guest spots on other peeps albums. All which I collected on two volumes at the very beginning of me starting the blog you're reading.

I have now also added a third installment, this one featuring all the DJ Premier remixes of Gang Starr tracks, most originally appearing on the 12" singles. So what I present here to y'all are, to my knowledge, every released Preemo/GURU track besides their six must own retail albums (i decided to include the three original tracks from the "Full Clip" compilation although I strongly recommend any fan of this duo to cop that one too). But before you hit the play button let's all take a moment of silence for a fallen soldier - Rest in power Keith.

01. "Full Clip"

02. "Disciple" (Ft. Total)
03. "All For Tha $"

04. "The Piece Maker"

05. "Hustlin' Daze" (Ft. Donell Jones)

06. "Where's My Ladies" (Ft. Big Shug)

07. "1/2 & 1/2" (Ft. M.O.P.)

08. "So Wassup?!"

09. "The Militia II" (Ft. Rakim & W.C.)

10. "Jazz Thang (Video Mix)"

11. "The ? Remains"

12. "Watch What You Say" (Ft. Chaka Khan)

13. "Lifesaver" (DJ Premier Remix)

14. "Doe In Advance"

15. "Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot)"

16. "Credit Is Due"

17. "Battle"

18. "Back 2 Back" (Ft. Mendoughza)

19. "Natural"

20. "Tha Squeeze"

"MOVEMENT I: THE CHAIN & THE STAR"

01. "Here's The Proof"

02. Dream Warriors & Gang Starr - "I've Lost My Ignorance"

03. Slam Slam & Gang Starr- Free Your Feelings [Gifted Mix]"

04. MC Solaar Ft. Gang Starr - "Qui Séme Le Vent Récolte Le Tempo [Remix]"

05. Loose Ends & Gang Starr - "A Little Spice [Remix]"

07. Soul to Soul Ft. Gang Starr - "Intelligence [Jazzie to Guru Mix]"

08. Neneh Cherry & Gang Starr - "Sassy" (Ft. Gang Starr)

09. N'Dea Davenport & Gang Starr - "Bring It On [Premier & The Guru Mix]"

10. Group Home & GangStarr - "Serious Rap Shit" (Ft. Big Shug)

11. M.O.P. & GangStarr - "Salute Part II

12. Macy Gray & GangStarr- "I've Committed Muurder [Remix]" (Ft. Mos Def)

13. Tin Tin Out & GangStarr- "What I Am [Remix]" (Ft. Emma Bunton)

14. Lina & Gang Starr - "It's Alright [Remix]"

15. Big Shug & Gang Starr - "Sucker Punch"

16. Krumb Snatcha  & Gang Starr - "Indestructible"

17. AG, OC, GangStarr & Party Arty - "Weed Scented"

18. Afu-Ra & Gang Starr - "Blvd."

19. Group Home & Gang Starr - "The Legacy"

"MOVEMENT II: THE COLLABORATIONS" 

01. "Words I Manifest" [Remix]

02. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" [Fed Up Mix]

03. "Positivity" [Whole World Mix]

04. "Gotch U" [Hunter Mix]

05. "Just to Get A Rep" [Extended 12" Mix]

06. "Check The Technique" [12" Remix]

07. "Jazz Thing" [Movie Mix] (w. Branford Marsalis)

08. "I've Lost My Ignorance" [Gang Starr Remix] (w. Dream Warriors)

09. "Love Sick" [Extended Remix]

10. "Ex Girl to Next Girl" [DJ Premier Remix]

11. "DWYCK" [Horny Mix] (Ft. Nice & Smooth)

12. "Flip The Script" [Minor Adjustment Remix]

13. "Doe in Advance" [12" Remix]

14. "You Know My Steez" [Three Men & A Lady Remix] (Ft. Kurupt & Lady Of Rage)

15. "Jazz Thang" [Extended Instrumental] [*]

"MOVEMENT III: THE REMIXES"

THROWBACK: Guru's "Jazzmatazz Vol. II" review

GURU released his second album in the ”Jazzmatazz” series in the summer of 1995 and to me this eclectic fusion of East Coast hip-hop, jazzy live instrumentation, soul singers and ragga hooks still stands as a testament of the man’s greatness. GURU was a leader in hip-hop; as a rapper from Boston he was pushing the envelope of how true New York hip-hop was supposed to sound together with DJ Premier in Gang Starr, and with the “Jazzmatazz” series he creatively and successfully bridged live jazz and hip-hop. Many hip-hop acts had used samples from the Blue Note and Columbia Jazz catalogues but it was GURU who first incorporated actual instruments to a beat and thereby created the so called “jazz-rap” when he and DJ Premier invited Branford Marsalis to play sax on the Gang Starr classic, “Jazz Thang”. Something that was bound to happen sooner or later for sure, but also something that needed a leader to first take the step and test the waters.

While 1993s “Jazzmatazz Vol. 1” was a short but effective punch (10 songs in 40 minutes), its follow-up almost doubles the length with its 20 tracks clocking in at 74 minutes. It also features a massive amount of guest features, so much in fact that the artwork presents the LP as one being “hosted by GURU” rather than a solo album in its own right. Unlike its predecessor it does not feature jazz instrumentalists exclusively but rather a mix of artists representing jazz, rap, soul and reagge – black music if you will. Names involved include Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Garrett, DJ Premier, Mica Paris, Chaka Khan, Bahamadia, Branford Marsalis, Kool Keith, True Master, Ini Kamoze, Jamiroquai and many more. An all-star line up to say the least but sometimes too many chefs in the kitchen is a recipe for a disastrous and unfocused effort. This is not the case with “Jazzmatazz II: The New Reality” because although its filled to the limit with high profile names from four different musical genres, GURU is always present and ties it all together, making sure the album flows and the sound is cohesive. Despite what the front cover states there’s no doubt that this album is GURU’s, his voice graces every track, he’s been involved with the production and picking the guests and “The New Reality” clearly represents and realizes his vision.

The amazing opener “Lifesaver” kick things off with a laid-back beat with emphasis on a heavy bass line and jazzy sax and vibes (uncredited and probably sampled) floating in and out in the background which puts the artist in the zone. One of GURU’s biggest strengths as an emcee was his ability to touch the listener’s heart and making us relate without sounding forced or corny; I often say that he rapped with more heart than any other rapper when he was at his peak. Here he speaks on life’s ill but also offers a solution, something a lot of rappers fail to dwell on and the sweet-sung vocals of Baybe adds color to the song. “Living in this World” follows a similar pattern with GURU doing his best to educate through his rhymes and Jay Rodriguez and Sweet Sable helps push the song to the next level with the addition of gorgeous flute, clarinet and vocals, respectively. The last verse is a performance that captures everything that makes people quote the MC’s name in G.O.A.T. discussions.

The following two songs are also my two favorites on the entire album; “Looking Through The Darkness” is produced by True Master (of Wu-Tang fame) and stands as one of his finest productions yet. The drum pattern is heavy enough to knock down a wall, with True’s traditional chopped up sample style, here using at least two songs to create one masterpiece – the majestic trumpet and whatever string instrument that is comes off as simply amazing. GURU absolutely tears the beat apart, sounding hyped up and angry as he almost shouts out the verses, a true classic and proof that he was very capable of creating such tracks without help from DJ Premier. But of course one can’t deny the impact he and Preemo’s relationship have had on hip-hop and that pure quality is showcased on “Watch What You Say” where Guru rhymes about the importance of being a role model and embracing that role. Premier’s backdrop has his traditional pounding drums and bass and comes off as a perfect example of “jazz-rap” with the inclusion of a sampled trumpet being looped under the vocals throughout. The young but great saxophonist Branford Marsalis closes the track on a very high note with Chaka Khan wailing intensively. Whereas “Jazzmatazz Vol. 1” was completely separate from his work with DJ Premier, it’s good to have at least one Gang Starr track on this album. And a banging one at that!

Although the LP doesn’t feature jazz artists on each and every song the vibe throughout is that of hip-hop meeting jazz whether that sound is achieved through the use of samples or live instrumentation. GURU is really shining here, strongly influenced by the jazzy and soulful music he allows himself to go deep and often get personal in his verses. The lyrical themes range from a wide array of topics; “For You” is a heartfelt tribute to his family and friends while “Medicine” is a slamming anthem for all the weed heads with Ini Kamoze providing some sweet toasting. The jazz vibe is maintained by absolutely impeccable blowing by the one and only, Mr. Donald Byrd. Byrd also appears on “The Traveler” where the rapper touches on life on the road and all the countries he visited while on tour. “Lost Souls” is another one of those tracks where G rhymes with all his heart, making sure that every word is captured by the listener, while Jamiroquai provides background vocals and instrumentation to great results.

There are so many ill songs on this album that I could just go on describing them all to you but you’d be better off listening to it for yourself. GURU was in peak form between 1994 and 1998 if you ask me, with “Hard to Earn” and “Moment of Truth” speaking for itself but also the little recognized “Jazzmatazz Vol. II: The New Reality” which is a very personal album. For me this is slightly better than its predecessor (which is also a great album however) and besides his work with DJ Premier it stands as the finest solo album he did. When GURU spoke you’d really listen because you could relate to him. He invited you into his world with his words, as a peer and someone that wanted change for the better. The King of Monotone as he called himself, his voice was unique and loaned itself perfectly for jazz inspired music which is one of the reasons why this album wouldn’t have worked with any other rapper. 

To give some critique it is slightly too long, at 74 minutes it could have benefitted from tightening up a bit; maybe cutting off maximally three or four songs. Most of the tracks hold a very high quality though and there is nothing on this disc that’s bad, far from it, but “The Traveler” and “Feel the Music” doesn’t sound as inspired as “Respect the Architect” or “Something in the Past” for example. Yet these are very minor things, overall this album is packed with more heat than the oven door and it’s a goddamn shame that it’s so overlooked and underrated. The singles released from the album came with some now classic remixes that didn’t appear on the album; DJ Premier’s take on “The Lifesaver” and Buckwild’s mix of the Bahamadia featured “Respect the Architect” (both included at the bottom of this post). I recommend you all to pick up “Jazzmatazz Vol. II: The New Reality” in tribute to Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal a.k.a. Keith Elam, we all sure miss you – Rest in peace.

GURU - "RESPECT THE ARCHITECT" [BUCKWILD REMIX] (FT. BAHAMADIA)

GURU - "LIFESAVER" [DJ PREMIER REMIX] 

Premier breaks down 38 classic productions

Complex.com is a pretty hit-and-miss site when it comes to these things but once in a while they drop a real bomb on us. Such is the case with this lengthy DJ Premier interview just posted over there, The amazing and legendary producer breaks down no less than 38 of his classic recordings for us. Definitely not one to miss, who doesn't want to hear Preem speak his mind on sessions that led to tracks like "New York State Of Mind"; Kane's "Show & Prove", "Jazz Thing", "Crooklyn Dodgers '95", "MC's Act Like They Don't Know", how DJ Premier landed the remix of that "Classic" joint with KRS-One,, Nas, Rakim and 'Ye? Props for days to Complex for this one and my hat off to Premier himself for caring enough to do stuff like this for his longtime fans and at the same time gaining further promotion!

A very interesting part from the article was that GURU and Preem fought to get "DWYCK" on 'Daily Operation' in 1992, in fact on the actual CD (not back cover or inserts) the song is actually listed as track #10; right after "2 Deep" (here's a pic of the actual CD with the intended tracklist). I always loved stuff like that, making little changes to albums that the artist intended but for sample clearance reasons or label problems it didn't happen but with the technique of today I can easily make those changes (although I of course have all the Gang Starr retail albums as well). Especially considering "Daily Operation" is my favorite Gang Starr album, tied with "Hard to Earn". Gang Starr Forever man and rest in peace to Keith Elam a//k/a The Guru, you meant a lot to me and still do. One Love.

ARTICLE @ COMPLEX.COM

DJ Premier breaks down "Step in the Arena"

One of the most groundbreaking rap masterpieces of all time, DJ Premier's and the late, great Guru's second album as Gang Starr really set them apart  from the majority of hip hop artists and was the start of an incredible legacy. In celebration of the albums 20 year anniversary HipHopDX.com conducted this incredible interview with Preemo; an essential read for any fan of Gang Starr or its members. Below is an excerpt of the interview to give y'all a taste and at the bottom of the page is a direct link to the article.

HipHopDX: “Making you succumb to the drums of Gang Starr.” Why wasn’t “Check The Technique” a single?!

DJ Premier: It was a single. It was our third 12”. “Just To Get A Rep” was the first 12”. And then “Step In The Arena” was the second. “Check The Technique” was the third. And “Credit Is Due” was the B-side…

DX: Oh okay, I didn’t know that. I guess ‘cause there wasn’t a video I didn’t know there had been a single release… Those drums are only like three seconds of the original song you sampled, Marlena Shaw’s “California Soul”. So how did you make those drums come to life like that?

DJ Premier: Whenever I produce, I do it with a deejay mentality. When I say a deejay mentality, we pay very close attention to everything that comes out on a record. We dissect it. And in the Hip Hop format, when it comes to sampling, I’m always trying to find a way to be unique with my drum sounds, and the way I chop. Sometimes you just can’t get enough of the parts to make it whole. So that’s when you have to really brainstorm to force it. Sometimes I force things to work, and they just happen to come out. But that’s just me understanding the science of sampling and piecing together breaks. I loved those drum sounds and those claps in the Marlena Shaw record and I just said, “Hey, I’m gonna chop it.” Thanks to Showbiz and Large Professor, I learned how to chop samples. They taught me early on before I even was doing it – I used to just do straight loops.    

DX: So you would cite “Check The Technique” as the birth of Preemo the chop-master?  

DJ Premier: No, it’s not the first. But, it’s one of ‘em.

DX: Now, I learned from watching the joint interview you did with Pete Rock for y’all’s DJ Premier vs. Pete Rock DVD that “Just To Get A Rep” was the first real production you did entirely on your own. What happened between [Gang Starr’s first album in 1989] No More Mr. Nice Guy and Step In The Arena that led to you becoming the solo beatmaker for the group?  

DJ Premier: I wanted to be a solo beatmaker to begin with, but I wasn’t that nice yet. I was okay. I was just using the sounds that was actually in the drum machine back at that time. ‘Cause I didn’t know that sampling was what they were doing in order to get those old-sounding kind of drums, until I started hearing all this Marley Marl stuff. I was just amazed at how he was using all these James Brown samples, and using these drums – Like, [The Honey Drippers’] “Impeach The President,” which I knew the song as a kid, but I was like, “How’s he making those drums play in place of these pre-made kicks and snares that come with the drum machine?” I had no clue. And once I saw he was using the S950 Akai sampler, I was like, “I gotta get one of those!” I saved my money. And the legendary [Audio Two and MC Lyte producer] King Of Chill, who actually works for me to this day, taught me how to work it without even having the drum machine to control it yet. I just did it manually by hand. And then once I was able to save money to get the drum machine to trigger it, then I bought an Alesis drum machine. I was on the [E-mu SP-1200] and then I went to an Alesis drum machine.

I met my engineer, Eddie Sancho, at D&D [Studios] – that was my first time working there because of Showbiz, who took me there to lay scratches for a Lord Finesse remix for “Return Of The Funky Man.” We worked out of Studio A in D&D. And when I heard the mix in my car I was like, “Damn, this shit sounds dope! I’ma start working here now.” So I gotta give Showbiz a lot of credit… Prior to [D&D] I was at Calliope Studios. I was trying to get the sound, like I said, that Marley and all them was getting [from Calliope]. I didn’t know Marley personally, so I couldn’t get at him. I used to like the way the Jungle Brothers were mixing their records down, and De La Soul, and they were all working at Calliope. So being that the Straight Out The Jungle album was done there, and De La Soul did a lot of stuff there [for] 3 Feet High And Rising, I was like, “Yo, you know what? If I start doing beats on a better level maybe I can get it to sound like their records.” Without bitin’ of course, but still to get that raw, old drum sound.

And now that I had learned all these different techniques, I started practicing at my apartment - when me and Guru lived together in the Bronx. We had just moved to the Bronx. And that’s how I met Panchi from NYG’z. That’s how I met Malachi The Nutcracker from Group Home. That’s how I met Smiley The Ghetto Child. That’s how we all got cool, because I moved to the Bronx ‘cause Guru was going out with this girl who was subletting her apartment and we moved in: me, him and our dancer, H.L. Rock.

From there, Guru was saying that I have to do more than just deejay on the records and do scratches. He said, “Just scratching on the records is not enough to get [you] paid half the money.” So that’s when I was like, “Well what else I gotta do?” He said, “You gotta make the beats, by yourself.” And I was like, “Alright. Well let me start practicing.” So since we lived together, I used to just practice everyday – just looping on turntables the parts that I wanted. And I’d mark the records and set ‘em aside. Then when it came down to getting it crackin’ [for the Step In The Arena album], and we finally got a budget – ‘cause we had just left Wild Pitch Records [after No More Mr. Nice Guy] and got a budget with Chrysalis Records – I was able to now really, really work on my craft. And I started practicing more and more. Then I started making all these beats. “Step In The Arena” was the first one I made. “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight?” was the second one I made – I was cuttin’ that little horn whistle [from Maceo & The Macks’ “Parrty”] over and over with two copies. And I would just mark all this stuff down on a piece of paper and make it happen. Guru put his trust in me and said, “Yo, I like every beat. Let’s roll.”      

DX: And would you say there was a strategic sonic aim for the sophomore album, or was it just diggin’ and using whatever you unearthed at the time?

DJ Premier: Oh yeah, definitely, sonically it was the most important because I’m trying to get the sound that I like just as a fan [of the music] that these other artists are doing. When I heard [De La Soul’s] “Plug Tunin’” I’m like, “What the hell?!” And the echoes, and their vocal structure, and the way they were rhyming, they were being different. So I always wanted to be different. That’s the reason why I started using Jazz samples, ‘cause none of them were doing that. Everybody was James Brown, or rare [Funk and Soul] samples. But no one was really messing with Jazz samples, so I was like, “Well shit, these don’t even have singing and stuff on ‘em, it’s just an instrumental. I could rip all kinda things off of that.” I was just using Jazz samples ‘cause nobody else was. I wasn’t trying to create a new thing called Jazz Rap or something like that. I was just staying ahead of the curve, which is what my father always told me to do: be a leader and be different from everybody else. And that’s exactly what my whole mentality is now, and was back then.

CONTINUE READING @ HIPHOPDX.COM