January 30, 2011

DJ Premier: The XXL Icon Interview


DJ Premier talks to XXL magazine about his 20+ years in hip hop and many of his most poignant moments during that time.  Premo is a fairly well documented character, but this interview brings new stories (like him berating Chuck D in front of his kids for suing him) and expands on some of the old ones, in particular the strained relationship between him and Guru. 

Premo reveals some of the industry's secrets whilst at the same time providing his own honest viewpoint, like admitting Group Home had very little lyrical ability (just goes to show how important a dope beat is)!

This interview gives a fresh insight into the life of the super producer, but instead of me telling you anymore, go and enojoy it for yourself.

http://www.xxlmag.com/features/2010/12/dj-premier-the-xxl-icon-interview/

January 26, 2011

What does it take to make you whyl?


For most people a can of Brasso inhaled rapidly will do the trick, for Ace, Buckshot and Special Ed, living in Crooklyn was enough. A classic video where you can almost smell the crime, of which Special Ed seems to be particularly aware as he spends most of his verse looking round like he wished the car they were tied to was travelling much, much faster. And he was inside it!

Three legends on the microphone in my opinion, i feel in particular that Special Ed didn't get his props. He had a very different style, which sounds as fresh now as it does then, and was always positive on the microphone, without making the listening feel that they'd accidentally walked into a sermon staffed by an overbearing local youth worker.

Ace was, and continues to be, one of my favourite. His lyrics were always on point, his stories always kept me interested and painted a picture that invited the listener into his world and offered you a comfy seat next to the TV. His first album, 'Take a Look Around' is a very good place to start if you fancy catching some of his insightful rhymes. Musically he was very versatile, so if this doesn't fit the bill for you, one of his later masterpieces might!

Buckshot has a flow that is instantly recognisable, and its great to see him still recording today with all manner of noted producers. 9th Wonder in particular suited his style i felt.

Firearm to your, i'm sure, gorgeous face, who would you chose as you your favourite of all time? I have to stay that is the second hardest question after, would you like to be buried or cremated? I still don't have an answer to either. Do you have any thoughts? Primarily to the first one really. I don't have a particular interest in the second unless i'm apologising profusely through teary eyes and your legs are sticking out awkwardly from under my car.

If you are interested in a copy of the video, here it is:

January 16, 2011

Podcasts












I stumbled across some podcasts that might interest some of you.  A couple of interesting interviews that are worth a listen.

Dead Prez - 30 minute interview with M-1 & Sticman
Crazy Legs - 50 minute interview with Rock Steady Crew's frontman

Both of these can be downloaded for your future listening pleasure.

January 9, 2011

3:6 Philly - Funky Alcohol

I couldn't find this video on YouTube, so I decided to rip it from my own collection and share it with you.  Released in 1992 on the Zoom record label (who also signed Red Ninja), this funky little number followed up their edgyier debut Those Flags Offend Me.

The B side to this was The World Still Turns, and if anyone is interested in either of these 12"s then leave a comment and I'll get them uploaded.

If you like this video, the download link is at the bottom of this post.



Download Link (Hotfile - 80mb)
http://hotfile.com/dl/88989067/ce8e8b8/3.6_Philly_-_Funky_Alcohol.avi.html

January 4, 2011

Pete Rock & DJ Premier Interview

Pete Rock and DJ Premier were undoubtedly the most influential producers during the whole of the 1990's.  They raised the bar and set the standard for other producers to aspire to. 
In recent times their presence, and prominence, has slightly diminished but 2011 looks like it could be the year for both of these super producers to return to the top of their game.  With a new Pete Rock and CL Smooth album and a Pete Rock vs DJ Premier album due for a 2011 release, we hopefully have a something to look forward to.

In the meantime they have released a DJ Premier vs Pete Rock DVD, but this is only available in Japan (although it can be obtained on import).  The interview below is 1 hour of bonus footage from the DVD.  Both take a retrospective look at many of the tracks they have produced over the years, going right back to their early material, and telling stories about each one.  Some of the history to how these tracks came to be is fascinating and this is certainly worth a watch.  I just need to track down the rest of the DVD....