Stories
The Man Preemo, More than just a DJ by Rahmon Abdulazeez
by Rapjoint Lagos
Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966),known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr—alongside the rapper Guru—and presently forms half of the hip hop duo PRhyme, together with Royce da 5'9".
DJ Premier spent time in Brooklyn and Houston while growing up, and studied computer science at Prairie View A&M outside Houston. Known as Waxmaster C, he'd already learned to play a variety of instruments and also managed a record store.
DJ Premier style is distinctive. Aggressive and raw, a Premier track is an instantly recognizable soundclash of battling loops and heavy scratching -- all of them perfectly timed -- that evokes the sound of Brooklyn better than anyone. DJ Premier's name refers to his claim to be the first and the best in his style.
Besides helming albums for Gang Starr, Premier's productions appear on many of the East Coast's most important records of the '90s, including Nas' Illmatic, the Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Jeru the Damaja's The Sun Rises in the East, and Mos Def's Black on Both Sides. In the following decades, Premier attained his highest level of pop success while continuing to power the nationwide rap underground.
Notable artists he has worked with include Anderson .Paak, AZ, Big Daddy Kane, Big L, Blaq Poet, Bun B, Canibus, Christina Aguilera, Common, D'Angelo, Dilated Peoples, D.I.T.C., Dr. Dre, Fat Joe, The Game, Ill Bill, J. Cole, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Joey Bada$$, Kanye West, KRS-One, The Lady of Rage, Limp Bizkit, Lord Finesse, The LOX, Ludacris, Mac Miller, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Mos Def, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., O.C., Papoose, Rakim, Royce da 5'9", Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and more.
It's a common trend that any artiste that uses a Premo's beat makes a shout out to him even before the song starts.That shows how ecstatic these artistes are to work with him.This trend we can find on songs like "Nas is Like" by Nas and "So ghetto" by Jay Z.
Noreega spoke to complex on what it was like working with DJ Premier. “We was starving to work with Premier. We was so starving to work with him that I think we paid him all his money up front. He was like, ‘I want this amount.’ We were like, ‘Here!’ And this is the first time we paid somebody up front. And it’s the first time we ever waited. Premier had us waiting for a good four to six months. To this day, Premier doesn’t give out beat CDs. If he makes a beat, then he makes it deliberately for you. It’s not like if you don’t want it, Nas or Mobb Deep could get it. Nah, if you don’t like it then it gets erased.
When it comes to work ethics, DJ Premier is very professional. On the track "Kick the door" by Notorious BiG which was recorded at Preemo's studio, Biggie threw direct shots at DJ Premier with the line "Son, I'm surprised you run with them". But he didn't take offence, he put the music first and he let the song fly.
DJ Premier's style of production is considered "underground" Hip-Hop or "alternative" Hip-Hop. He is known for sampling Jazz artists, as well as sampling an artist's past work, when he is creating a new track for that same artist.
He is also known for combining small vocal portions from multiple artists to make one hook on a track he is producing. This creative technique has made him one of the most sought after producers in Hip-Hop.
Dj Premier has won three Grammy Awards, from Christinia Aguilera's "Aint No Other Man",Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life" and D'Angelo's "VooDoo".
For its 20th-anniversary issue in 2008, The Sourceselected DJ Premier for its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's history.He also made the finals in Vibe magazine's 2010 search for the greatest hip hop producer of all time—he finished second after Dr. Dre received 62 percent of the votes.
In 2008, Premier appeared in Grand Theft Auto IV as himself - the host for radio station The Classics 104.1.
But don't sleep on his raw talents as a turntablist. From filling up his tracks with scratched-up vocal samples to remaining a constant presence behind the 1s and 2s at various parties in New York City and beyond, Premo's standing in the DJ community is ironclad.
DJ Premier hosts a weekly two-hour show, Live From HeadQCourterz, on Sirius Satellite Radio's Shade 45.
DJ Premier was married to Shaklee Jeter with whom they have a child together, a son who was born in 2011.DЈ Рrеmіеr іѕ еntіrеlу rеѕеrvеd rеgаrdіng hіѕ rеlаtіоnѕhірѕ аnd реrѕоnаl lіfе. He likes to keep his personal life private and away from the public eye.
As a businessman, DJ Premier has his own record company named Year Round Records. Among its artists are New York group NYGz, New Jersey rapper Nick Javas, and Houston rapper Khaleel. Tha Blaqprint by Blaq Poet, which features 13 Premier productions, was released by Year Round Records through Fat Beats Records in June 2009.
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