Contrary to popular belief, he did not found nor even co-found Gang Starr.
He was introduced to DJing while attending school at Prairie View A&M in Houston, Texas. DJ Premier's original stage name was Waxmaster C, the "C" taken from his first name, Chris, although he had already changed it to DJ Premier at the time he joined Gang Starr.
Considered by many fans to be one of the greatest hip hop producers, DJ Premier has produced countless tracks, for many groups and solo artists since the early 1990s. These include notable tracks for artists such as Jay-Z ("D'Evils", "So Ghetto"), Big L ("The Enemy"), The Notorious B.I.G. ("Unbelievable", "Kick In The Door", "Ten Crack Commandments"), Nas ("N.Y. State of Mind", "Nas Is Like"), Pitch Black ("It's All Real"), M.O.P. ("Downtown Swinga"), Jeru the Damaja ("Come Clean", "My Mind Spray"), KRS-One ("MC's Act Like They Don't Know"), Mos Def ("Mathematics"), Non Phixion ("Rockstars"), and Royce da 5'9" ("Boom").(Full list: djpremiertrackology.8kilo.com)
Collaborations
Outside of Gang Starr, some of Premier's most lauded work is his collaborations with Jeru the Damaja and Group Home. With the former, Premier crafted one of the East Coast's landmark albums in the form of The Sun Rises in the East, released in 1994. Their follow up to this, 1996's Wrath of the Math, was regarded as a solid effort but not on par with its predecessor, although it did contain Jeru's biggest hit to date, "Ya Playin' Yaself". Group Home's Livin' Proof (1995), although greatly overlooked at the time of its release, has eventually come to be critically acclaimed.
In 1994, DJ Premier collaborated extensively with jazz musician Branford Marsalis's experimental group, Buckshot Lefonque, for their debut album. During the making of music video director, Hype Williams' 1998 film, Belly, DJ Premier collaborated with neo soul leader D'Angelo for a song called "Devil's Pie", which was originally intended only for the film's accompanying soundtrack. However D'Angelo soon changed his mind and decided to include the song on his sophomore album Voodoo (2000) In 2006 he co-produced Christina Aguilera's Back To Basics album.
Samples
DJ Premier's style of production epitomises the New York sound from his earlier peers. He is known for sampling jazz, funk, and soul artists, as well as sampling an artist's past work, when he is creating a new track for that same artist. In addition, his photographic memory of rap lyrics allows him to distinctively "speak with his hands" by scratching in lyrics from several different songs to construct new phrases [1]. Premier's non-Gang Starr collaborations are well-known for his often-imitated signature of combining short vocal samples, often from multiple artists, to create a chorus. For example, for the chorus of Mos Def's "Mathematics", Premier cuts, in quick succession:
"The Mighty Mos Def..." (from Mos Def's "Body Rock"),
"It's simple mathematics" (from Fat Joe's "John Blaze"),
"I revolve around science..." (from Ghostface Killah's verse on Raekwon's "Criminology"),
"What are we talking about here..." (unknown origin),
"Do your math.." (from Erykah Badu's "On & On"), and
"One, two, three, four" (from James Brown's "Funky Drummer")
On certain artists' work the vocal samples will all be vocal samples of the artist from the artists' past work; "Nas Is Like" and "2nd Childhood" with Nas are two well-known examples of this.
On Jeru the Damaja's "Physical Stamina," however, Premier sampled and chopped up recordings of seminal electro-acoustic music from the 1960s.
Melodies
Premier usually creates a two-bar melody that repeats itself throughout the song. The aim of this is to showcase the MC's skills by bringing focus away from the beat, while creating the song's mood and a solid backdrop. Premier often changes speeds, filters and chops his breaks and adds scope to the melody with chimes and strings.
He has also shown innovation by playing rarely-used elements into a rap song (such as the xylophones on Biggie's "Kick in the Door" or the ambient nature sounds on Nas' "Nas is Like"), and his wide range of instruments (the piano loop on Jay-Z's "D'Evils" versus the strings on Rakim's "New York (Ya Out There?") and production techniques (he played the melody backwards during the second half of Jay-Z's "A Million and One Questions (Rhyme No More)").
Drums
Premier's drums have been known for complimenting his melodies. For example, during Nas' "NY State of Mind", two bars have a simple round of kicks and snares; in the following two, a complementing second set of drums plays out. This is repeated throughout.
Label ownership and future projects
DJ Premier currently owns two record labels. "Year Round Records" was founded in 2002 and has so far released several DJ Premier mixtapes as well as two 12" vinyl singles for NYG'z and Blaq Poet. "Works Of Mart", which is also the name of his publishing company, was founded in mid 2006 and released 12" vinyl singles for artists Tef (aka Teflon) and F.A.B.I.D. (H. Stax and Mike Rone).
Since 2001, DJ Premier mentioned several times the plan to release a solo album entitled "A Man Of Few Words", which has yet to be released. Other confirmed upcoming projects are a full-length colaboration with Nas, Blaq Poet's long delayed album "The Best That Never Did It", Tef's (aka Teflon) long announced album "Contraband" and last but not least protegΓ©s NYG'z long delayed debut album "Pros and Cons".
2 LOVIN U
DJ Premier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just place your sweet shackles on my mind
I'm bound to an ocean of weightless love
No mercy, no pardon for stolen time, no
When the gavel hit the stand
I'm damned to loving you
Two palm trees in the sand
We set fire to these skies for our love
And I'd do it all again
I'm damned to lovin' you
(Damn!) Alright
(Damn!) Yeah woman
(Damn!) Lovin' you
(Damn!) Yeah, now
Curse the stars now, there's no escape
'Cause your walls are my favourite vice
Two hearts committed to hopeless fate
I'd serve my life sentence a thousand times, woman
Then the gavel hit the stand
I'm damned to loving you
Two palm trees in the sand
I'm damned to loving you now
We set fire to these skies for our love
And I'd do it all again
I'm damned to lovin' you
(Damn!) Alright
(Damn!) Yeah, woman
(Damn!) Lovin' you
(Damn!) Alright
Then the gavel hit the stand
I'm damned to loving you
Two palm trees in the sand
I'm damned to loving you now
We set fire to these skies for our love
And I'd do it all again
I'm damned to lovin' you
It's like you've owned my love
And every life before (every life baby)
And every life I've lived (every time I)
You're all I'm searching for (looking for you now)
It's like you've owned my love (looking for you baby)
And every life before (longing for you darling)
And every life I've lived (in every life now)
You're all I'm searching for
Then the gavel hit the stand
I'm damned to loving you
Two palm trees in the sand
I'm damned to loving you now
We set fire to these skies for our love
And I'd do it all again
I'm damned to lovin' you
(Just like it's always been) then the gavel hit the stand
I'm damned to loving you
Two palm trees in the sand (I can't get away from it)
I'm damned to loving you, now
We set fire to these skies for our love
And I'd do it all again
I'm damned to lovin' you now
Lovin' you, baby
Yeah!
You know I'd do it all again for you
Hold my hand, woman
Alright
I'm damned to lovin' you now
In DJ Premier's "2 LOVIN U," the lyrics reflect on the singer's feelings of being trapped and owned by love, but unable to escape from it. He pleads his case with the "Gods," unable to resist or deny the power of this love. The lyrics describe love as a weightless ocean, that he is bound to with no mercy or pardon for stolen time, acknowledging the consequences of being in love. The singer recognises the inevitability of his love for the woman he is devoted to, despite feeling cursed and damned, referencing the gavel hitting the stand, implying that he has somehow been sentenced to be with her.
The song transitions into a chorus that repeats the phrase, "I'm damned to lovin' you", emphasising the hopeless fate of the singer's love. The chorus also mentions setting fire to the skies, illustrating how passionate and intense the love between the two is. The lyrics then suggest that the singer has searched for this kind of love throughout all his previous lives and feels like he has been owned by this love, as he cannot escape from it. He ends the song by repeating, "I'd do it all again," implying that despite the difficulties and consequences, he would still choose to live in this love.
Overall, the lyrics of "2 LOVIN U" reflect on the intense and all-consuming nature of love and how it can take hold of one's life, trap them, and cause them to be devoted to another person, despite the consequences they face.
Line by Line Meaning
I pled my case with the Gods, woman
I made my plea to the divine power about my love for you, my lady
Just place your sweet shackles on my mind
Please possess and control my thoughts and emotions, my dear
I'm bound to an ocean of weightless love
I'm deeply immersed in a feeling of love without any physical weight, my sweetheart
No mercy, no pardon for stolen time, no
There can be no forgiveness or mercy for the time that we were apart, my love
When the gavel hit the stand
The verdict was made and I couldn't resist my love for you anymore
I'm damned to loving you
I'm helpless and doomed to keep loving you forever
Two palm trees in the sand
Our love is like two palm trees growing together in the sand, unbreakable
We set fire to these skies for our love
We've gone to extraordinary lengths to make our love known to the world
And I'd do it all again
I'd go through everything once more just to be with you again, my baby
Curse the stars now, there's no escape
I'm so deeply in love with you that not even the stars can offer me refuge, my dear
'Cause your walls are my favourite vice
I'm addicted to breaking down your barriers and getting closer to you, my love
Two hearts committed to hopeless fate
Our love is fated to be together, no matter how hopeless it may seem
I'd serve my life sentence a thousand times, woman
I'd be willing to spend my whole life in love with you, my lady
It's like you've owned my love
You've possessed my love in a way that I can't find any other love, my darling
And every life before
In all my previous lives, I have never felt the way I feel for you now, my sweetheart
And every life I've lived
I've searched for this love in every lifetime and finally found it in you, my love
You're all I'm searching for
My search is over and I've finally found my true love in you, my dear
You know I'd do it all again for you
I'll do anything and everything all over again just to keep your love, my baby
Hold my hand, woman
Stay with me and hold my hand, my lady
I'm damned to lovin' you now
I'm destined and doomed to keep loving you forever, my love
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MIGUEL JONTEL PIMENTEL, CHRISTOPHER MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beatsnextdoor
Only Premier can scratch "damnnnn" from Friday and make it sound dope af.
@darkodasefx
5 years later, still vibing on this song. What a vocal by Miguel and beat by Preeeeemo!!!!!
@danteetora
Miguel is a very talented artist. I wish we heard more from him.
@ameliad6807
love everything this song, smokey and craig?! LEGIT
@TheDemigodZilla666
Never listened to Miguel before but I saw preemo so I thought why not, this is solid though
@cyclone927
Check his discog, hes goooooood!
@joezic
whos preemo
@kevinb1125
+Bishop Feathers from gang starr
@j.lethal5174
Bishop Feathers damn you millennials I swear to god....Preemo is DJ premier....kickin that real hip hop beat not these stupid ass trap autotune beats that you kids be accustomed to...learn ya history, child.
@NZENZN
You dumb as fuck