Author Topic: DJ Premier Interview (Read 191 times)

D-Nice · « **on:** March 25, 2012, 01:03:51 AM »

http://illuminati2g.com/site/2012/03/25/dj-premier-interview/

I2G chilled with arguably the greatest hip hop producer of all time, DJ Premier for a exclusive interview. We discuss his new album with Bumpy Knuckles, Kolexxion, in stores March 27th, his upcoming projects on his label Year Round Records, what other artists he is working on, his thoughts on some of I2G’s favorite Premo beats and much more so check it out.

Also be on the lookout tomorrow for our interview with Bumpy Knuckles AKA Freddie Foxx and his thoughts on the new album as well.

Illuminati 2G is here with DJ Premier, hows it going?

Good man, all is well, just lounging at the Nas rehearsal at the VEVO awards that he is doing with Pete Rock. Pete is on the turntables interrupting my interview.

Shouts out to Pete say what’s up to everybody

Pete: What it do!

March 27th you have your new album entitled Kolexxion dropping with Bumpy Knuckles. Tell me a little bit about how the project came together for the both of you.

Really it is called Kolexxion because it is a collection of songs that we did together since 2005, 2006. That includes the Nas record, Turn Up The Mic, that is from 2006 and it was released already as a single, but we just redid the track.

There are also alot of updated and newer beats on the album as well and I sent those to Bumpy to see if he was feeling them and wanted to add new songs to the project. He ended up using all of the beats and I told him let’s just go ahead and make this a official album.

The Nas track I just went back then and redid the beat, even though lyrics wise it is from 2006 and give it a more modern sound. I mean he was talking about being married on the track and he is not married anymore, but for me history is history.

It’s not so much what you think of it as it is about what you do with history and we decided to embrace it and touch it up a bit. There are 8 new beats that no one has heard before that were made for other artists. We have The Life, which was on a 12 inch that I dropped years ago. The Key is on there, P.A.I.N.E., these are older tracks and then we just took the newer ones and mixed them all together.

After this album what is next for you and your label, Year Round Records?

The NYG’z are next, they are dropping a album. It’s called Hustler’s Union, Dom produced the whole album and I am really happy and excited for this album. This is that gritty, street New York sounding album that really sounds like the city. It is not on that bring NY back tip, it just sounds like the city, musically and lyrically.

I also have a artist from Houston, Texas named Khaleel. He has a album coming out entitled Already and I also have Teflon from M.O.P. 1st Family. This is a album he had back when he was on Def Jam years ago and we gave it a tune up and a face lift to it.

The album will have Joell Ortiz, Styles P, Saigon, Jaguar Wright, Krumb Snatcha are all on it. The album is called Contraband and it will drop through my label and Works Of Mart production company as well. Year Round Records is geared more towards newer artists and Works Of Mart for the vets.

Lady Of Rage will also be coming out and that will be on Works Of Mart. Me and Pete Rock are also doing a album together, it’s a battle album so we are working on that. I did 2 joints for Busta Rhymes new album, which he just called me yesterday and said he wants another beat, I am working on a Slaughterhouse joint right now as we speak. Did I miss anybody? Umm Immortal Technique, 38 Special, look out for him, he is from Rochester, New York, my man Kool Sphere from Verbal Threat, Inspectah Deck from the Wu Tang we got a joint that is popping. This is just some of the latest stuff that I have been banging out and I am looking forward to everything.

I just wanted to go over with you 3 of some of my favorite DJ Premier produced tracks. First is JFK To LAX on the Gangstarr Moment Of Truth album.

Well the one thing that stood out from that record that meant alot to me is that it was done around the time Guru got locked up. The emotion during that time was so real during that time and Guru’s just poured his heart out on that record. Being a black man in this world and just his viewpoint on things, that is still to this one of my favorite records of all time.

Microphone Pon Cok- Lady Of Rage.

WOW!

Rage seems to put a little bit extra on it lyrically when she is over a Premo beat. Well she is a lyrical beast all the time but what was it like working with her on that track and overall?

She is surprisingly very hard on herself when it comes to her music, reminds me a little bit of Jay-Z. Jay would come up with a dope song, have some ill rhymes and then come back and ask me yo did you understand what I meant by this verse or that line? I’d say yeah and he would be like what does it mean? She does the EXACT SAME THING, like I am just making some stuff up but it could be a ill quotable about turkey.

She asked me what it means and I would say to her you were cooking in the kitchen, you cooked it and served it up because you knew everyone was hungry for that next Rage verse. She would say EXACTLY, and Jay is the same way, they both want to make sure that you understand their wordplay and that is what makes them seasoned, dope writers. She is very hard on her music, and I will tell her all the time yo that shit is banging and she will say no it’s not and you have to pretty much convince her it is. Once she’s convinced though, it’s a wrap, just like that song. You will be hearing from her soon, and she is just as fresh and swift with the tongue as when she first came out.

Batman & Robin- Lady Of Rage, RBX and Snoop

Wow!

Yeah, same thing with Snoop, he murders your production, that track, Protectors Of 1472, The One & Only, the list goes on. What was it like working with Snoop?

Fun, because we already knew each other from the early Death Row days because I was there around that time. You may not have seen me rolling around with them like that, but I was around alot of those sessions, even when DOC’s voice was changed after the accident, they would do these cyphers and he would be killing it. Rage, Warren G, DOC, RBX, Kurupt, Daz and it was just dope to watch that. Lots of Tanqueray bottles too, everywhere just like the song (laughs).

But yeah doing Batman & Robin was great they got it, they told me the concept and it allowed me to show my skill and my interpretation of the Batman theme. All the skills were laid down by everyone involved on that record.

That leads perfectly into my next question. This is the 20th anniversary of The Chronic, and 15 years since Biggie’s death. What are your thoughts on both of those milestones and their contribution to hip hop? I know you have done too many classics to name with B.I.G.

Well I mean the The Chronic for me it was more about the moments I spoke about earlier that stick out. The music I mean it’s timeless, enough said. I mean as far as working with Big in the studio, he would always like to sit and watch me make the beats. He would say in that deep voice of his, yo Premo I just want to see you do it. Because he knew I would make beats on the spot and have 20+ beats for him to choose from. Constant professional, would just go in and knock out the track no problem and another thing I remember about him is he was naturally a funny guy. You know most people try too hard to tell jokes, he was funny by nature. I mean his humor would be all mixed in with everyday life and other things he would talk about that was going on, yo guess who got shot or who got locked up. Regular old barbershop talk, but that was how it was. I won’t say him studying me may or may not have made him a better MC but I will definitely say him admiring my work and me the same with his rhymes made for great chemistry between us in the studio.

Do you have any upcoming shows or tour dates?

Right now I have to go to Moscow next week and do a festival with me, Busta Rhymes and a whole bunch of people. Me and Bumpy Knuckles got our album release party on March 26th, 27th the album comes out, oh and before I forget, I am still putting out MC Eiht’s album, Which Way Iz West, that gonna be dropping real soon.

Alright do you have any last words or shoutouts?

Much love to hip hop man.

Eric - Dubcnn.com · « **Reply #1 on:** March 25, 2012, 01:07:06 AM »

Classic interview...keep up the great work.

The Predator · « **Reply #2 on:** March 25, 2012, 11:11:11 AM »

Quote

The NYG’z are next, they are dropping a album. It’s called Hustler’s Union, Dom produced the whole album and I am really happy and excited for this album.

I also have Teflon from M.O.P. 1st Family. This is a album he had back when he was on Def Jam years ago and we gave it a tune up and a face lift to it.,

Lady Of Rage will also be coming out and that will be on Works Of Mart.

Me and Pete Rock are also doing a album together, it’s a battle album so we are working on that.

Bring it on.