DJ Premier has the uncanny knack of taking a sample, chopping it, and flipping it so that it seems both familiar and original. But, of course, with more and more recognition, he’s been forced to reconcile that clearing a sample isn’t always so easy. In fact, there was one that got away, and it still resonates with him today. READ MORE

In an era before social media, fans could only guess which Gang Starr stories were true and which ones were figments of Guru’s imagination. While many know the true stories behind “Just To Get a Rep” and “Moment of Truth,” involving tales of a carjacking gone bad and Guru’s legal troubles following a gun arrest, “Now You’re Mine” showcases how their in-fighting led to magic on wax. READ MORE

While a handful of Hip-Hop artists were already recording at D&D Studios, Premier’s experience inside David Lotwin and Doug Grama’s place would completely shift the trajectory of not only Gang Starr’s music but also of Hip-Hop as a whole. READ MORE

For DJ Premier, New York City was where he’d go from a Prairie View A&M house party DJ to the man whose sound is widely considered to BE New York City. READ MORE

Chris Martin, eventually known throughout the world as DJ Premier, grew up in a household filled with music. His mother was a painter, and the sounds of the Temptations, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Barry White, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Grover Washington, Booker T & the MGs, and the Bar-Kays filled the living room as she worked. It was ultimately his thirst for the latest and greatest on wax at Soundwaves Records which took him from Houston to Brooklyn and launched his legendary career.READ MORE