The banger gets a visual.
DJ Premier
Weekly Dope: Yo Gotti, Marlon Craft, DJ Premier + Westside Gunn & More
A collection of our favorite songs of the week.
Today In Hip Hop History: Big L’s Second And Final Album ‘The Big Picture’ Dropped 23 Years Ago
On this date in 2000, Big L’s posthumous album The Big Picture was released on Rawkus Records. The LP was originally slated as the late Lamont Coleman’s debut album, but L was tragically murdered in Harlem while the album was in production.
The album was produced by DJ Premier, Ron Browz, Ron G, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Shomari, Mike Heron, Ysae, and Showbiz and features appearances from Fat Joe, Guru, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane and the late Tupac Shakur.
Big L is regarded as one of the games best emcees that never got their chance in the spotlight, however, because of his ability to foresee great talent, he was the one who introduced Jay-Z as a force in 90s era crime rhyme, which dominated NYC Hip Hop via the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show in 89.9 FM in 1995.
Big up to the Rawkus team, the entire DITC and Big L himself for this eternal Hip Hop classic!
The post Today In Hip Hop History: Big L’s Second And Final Album ‘The Big Picture’ Dropped 23 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.
The post Today In Hip Hop History: Big L’s Second And Final Album ‘The Big Picture’ Dropped 23 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.
DJ Premier Taps Westside Gunn, Rome Streetz For “Runway” Single
Premo and Griselda can’t miss.
Today In Hip Hop History: Gangstarr Dropped ‘Full Clip: Decade Of Gangstarr’ 24 Years Ago
On this day in Hip Hop history, famed rap duo Gang Starr released their first compilation album, Full Clip: Decade of Gang Starr.
Dropping a year after the duo’s most popular album, Moment of Truth, this compilation album contained some of the group’s biggest singles stemming from their prolific 10-year career.
It’s common knowledge Gang Starr had one of the longest successful careers in Hip Hop, and this double LP greatest hits compilation is proof of their longevity. Only after the passing of 2Pac had there been a greatest hits compilation spanning two discs. This project’s sheer volume and quality perfectly describe the ability of one of rap’s most underrated tandems. Commercially, the project did fairly well, peaking at #33 on the Billboard 200 chart and appearing on music charts in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Sweden. The album was certified gold in the year of its release and continues to sell copies across the globe. Following this release, the group went on to take a four-year hiatus before putting out their final LP The Ownerz in 2003.
The post Today In Hip Hop History: Gangstarr Dropped ‘Full Clip: Decade Of Gangstarr’ 24 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.
The post Today In Hip Hop History: Gangstarr Dropped ‘Full Clip: Decade Of Gangstarr’ 24 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.
DJ Premier Announces New Gang Starr Music Release
What’s a Hip-Hop 50 celebration without new Gang Starr music? Hitting Instagram, DJ Premier announced fans would receive new music from the combination of himself and the late Guru.
The post DJ Premier Announces New Gang Starr Music Release appeared first on The Source.
DJ Premier Credits Travis Scott’s Father For Teaching Him Music
In a recent interview with Idea Generation, DJ Premier revealed that some of his earliest influences in music are in Travis Scott’s family. He says that the rapper’s father and his childhood friend, Jaques Webster Sr., played a key role in teaching him how to play drums. He also shared that Travis Scott’s uncle, also named Travis, taught him how to play bass. The producer also explained that the family encouraged him to take music seriously and pursue it. DJ Premier reveals that the two brothers are still major influence for him.
“We call him Jack,” DJ Premier begins, “Jack’s mom was my English teacher … he has a brother named Travis and he has a sister named Sonora — they’re literally across the street.” The producer continues, “As I got older, getting closer to almost junior high, we’d go over to the Websters’ house anyway because they had a VCR—they were the first ones I knew with a VCR—and they would tape Soul Train. And I’d be like, ‘Yo, I can watch Soul Train over and over and over.’”
Read More: Travis Scott And Stormi Celebrate Father’s Day In London
Travis Scott’s Father Inspired DJ Premier
“I’d go over there and Jack’s playing the drums, like killin’ it,” DJ Premier explains, “And Travis was playin’ the bass, which is two of my influences when I make beats to this day, is my drums and my bass.” The artist continued, “And I was like, ‘Can you show me how to do that?’ Taught me how to play [drumming gestures with his hands], started playing with them, jamming with them. Travis taught me how to play bass, started playing with them.” The lessons changed the trajectory of DJ Premier’s life, transforming him from a consumer of music to a musician himself.
“Next thing you know,” he wraps up the story, “I’m now taking that seriously. Once I got to that point of learning it and mastering it, that’s when I started to apply that to what I do when it comes to music production, so yeah, it goes that far back.”
Read More: Fans Speculate SZA And Travis Scott Could Be Dating
The post DJ Premier Credits Travis Scott’s Father For Teaching Him Music appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
Today in Hip-Hop History: GangStarr’s Third LP ‘Daily Operation’ Dropped 31 Years Ago
Nothing beats a classic rap record and a few MCs were dropping them on the regular quite like legendary ’90s rap duo Gang Starr. The group, consisting of Guru holding things down on the mic and DJ Premier handling the head-bumping production, dropped six albums in their career before calling it quits in 2003.
While a reunion album was reportedly planned, unfortunately, Guru passed away on April 19, 2010, before the project could be completed or properly executed overall. While the Hip-Hop community definitely took a blow due to the loss, the work they did create while recording together influenced the genre in ways that we’re still seeing today. One LP that specifically represents Gang Starr’s influential legacy is their third album Daily Operation, which celebrates its 29th anniversary today.
Comprised of jazz-tinged samples and lyrics that illustrated life in the streets of New York City during the early ’90s, Daily Operation saw Gang Starr striding smoothly towards the legendary status that we now place the group in today. The project is East Coast-inspired through and through, from recording the LP entirely at the dearly missed D&D Studios on West 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan all the way to lamenting about Brooklyn on the opening track “The Place We Dwell.” Other standout cuts include “I’m The Man,” featuring the solely credited cameos by Group Home member Lil Dap and Jeru the Damaja, “B.Y.S.” — cleverly abbreviated for “Bust Yo’ Shit” — and the lead single “Ex Girl to Next Girl” that gave us one of the most 90s-looking music videos ever created.
The key to Gang Starr is that, while none of their albums ever crossed Top 5 status on the Billboard 200 — their highest placement happened in 1998 when Moment of Truth hit #6 — sales were never the thing that represented their effect on the game; the music always came first and foremost. Daily Operation received all sorts of critical acclaim nonetheless, and we even included it on our “100 Best Rap Albums” list for The Source’s 100th issue (January 1998). So, while it only reached #65 on the Billboard 200 and faired slightly better on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #14, those numbers mean nothing when compared to the slick verses, smooth-yet-rugged instrumentals, and thought-provoking bars that still makes this album a certified classic almost three decades after its original release.
The post Today in Hip-Hop History: GangStarr’s Third LP ‘Daily Operation’ Dropped 31 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.
Today In Hip Hop History: GangStarr Dropped Their Debut LP ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ 34 Years Ago
On this date in 1989, Boston native Keith Elam and Houston native Christopher Martin, better known as Guru and DJ Premier, came together to continue the legacy of Gangstarr and released the group’s first full studio album entitled No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Released by overseas label Chrysalis Records, Gangstarr, and their debut release ironically heavily influenced the NYC Hip Hop sound, even though neither artists were native New Yorkers. Tracks such as “Positivity,” “Conscious Be Free,” and the album’s lead single, “Manifest,” exposed Guru’s unparalleled slow flow, while instrumentals like “DJ Premier In Deep Concentration” just set the pace for who Hip Hop would later recognize as one of the greatest producers in the game.
A supreme salute goes out to DJ Premier, Guru(RIP), the Elam family, the Gangstarr Foundation, and the entire East New York for creating a pivotal moment in Hip Hop history.
The post Today In Hip Hop History: GangStarr Dropped Their Debut LP ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ 34 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.
What Happened To Gang Starr?
Gang Starr, consisting of members Guru and DJ Premier, was one of the most legendary hip hop duos of the ’90s. Initially, as a part of a larger group at Morehouse College, Guru and DJ Premier officially formed Gang Starr as a duo in 1989. They released their debut album No More Mr. Nice Guy that same year. After relocating to New York, Gang Starr released albums throughout the ’90s. This included 1991’s Step in the Arena, 1992’s Daily Operation, 1994’s Hard to Earn, and 1998’s Moment of Truth, which are widely regarded as some of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Gang Starr is among the best rap duos ever and the most influential in the sub-genres of jazz-rap and boom-bap. They helped establish the “east coast” sound, considered one of the most authentic styles of hip hop.
Solo Endeavors
Over their 21-year-long run as Gang Starr, Guru and DJ Premier released classic songs like “Mass Appeal,” “DWYCK,” “You Know My Steez,” and “Full Clip,” but also released prolific solo work. During his lifetime, Guru delivered seven studio albums. This also includes four installments of his Jazzmatazz series, where he would collaborate with an array of musicians who provided instrumentation. His debut solo album, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 (1993), is considered his most iconic solo effort. Guru’s final solo album, Guru 8.0: Lost and Found, was released in 2009.
DJ Premier, on the other hand, continued to produce on some of hip hop’s most monumental albums. Notable works include also KRS-One’s Return of the Boom Bap (1993), Nas’s Illmatic (1994), The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die (1994), Group Home’s Livin’ Proof (1995), JAY-Z’s Reasonable Doubt (1996), Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides (1999), D’Angelo’s Voodoo (2000), among numerous other classics.
DJ Premier’s consistent output helped establish him as one of the greatest producers. He has also worked outside of hip hop, collaborating with Christina Aguilera, Disclosure, Craig David, and more.
Post-Guru
Before Guru sadly passed away from myeloma on April 19, 2010, The Ownerz was released in 2003. It was the final Gang Starr album to be released during his lifetime. He is widely regarded as one of hip hop’s best lyricists and was survived by his family. Although Guru’s death ultimately led to the dissolution of Gang Starr, the group’s legacy has been highly celebrated. Premier and the Gang Starr Foundation, consisting of original Gang Starr members Big Shug, Afu-Ra, Jeru the Damaja, Krumbsnatcha, Bumpy Knuckles, and Group Home also continue to champion Guru’s legacy.
Following Guru’s death, DJ Premier continued to pay tribute to his late friend. Much of this is on almost every project he has been involved with since. This includes his PRhyme collaboration with Royce Da 5’9”, the only group that DJ Premier has been a part of since working with Guru. On 2014’s “U Looz,” Royce also raps that the song is dedicated to the “real hip-hop n****s who never ever ask me, am I here to replace Guru?”
The Final Album
In 2016, DJ Premier acquired ownership of Guru’s unreleased music. This led to the making of the final Gang Starr album, One of the Best Yet. It was released in 2019 and was spearheaded by Premier’s artistic vision as he produced the entire album and compiled the verses to make cohesive songs. One of the Best Yet contained unreleased verses from Guru throughout the years. Production for the songs was created around the acapella vocals that Guru recorded during his lifetime. Features on the album included M.O.P., Q-Tip, Group Home, Royce Da 5’9”, Jeru the Damaja, J. Cole, Talib Kweli, Ne-Yo, Nitty Scott, Big Shug, and Freddie Foxxx.
Gang Starr Today
Overall, what ultimately happened to Gang Starr is that their run was cut short by Guru’s untimely passing. For more information about the prolific history of Gang Starr, fans can watch DJ Premier’s web series So Wassup? on YouTube. He discusses the making of some of his biggest hits. This includes reflecting on the era of the floppy disc and analog recording. He also recently released his Hip Hop 50, Vol. 1 EP, which celebrates this year being the 50th anniversary of hip hop. The EP features Joey Bada$$, Remy Ma, Rapsody, Nas, Run The Jewels, Lil Wayne, and Slick Rick.