Christopher E. Martin (born March 21, 1966), better known as DJ Premier (or… Read Full Bio ↴Christopher E. Martin (born March 21, 1966), better known as DJ Premier (or Primo by his fans, fellow musicians, and critics), is a prominent American hip hop producer and DJ, and the instrumental half of the duos Gang Starr and PRhyme.
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 protegés NYG'z long delayed debut album "Pros and Cons".
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 protegés NYG'z long delayed debut album "Pros and Cons".
Runway
DJ Premier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
That ol' real shit, that ol' real shit, that ol' real shit
True story
Ayo
They used to slide food through the slot in my cell, now we eat in a mansion (Uh-huh)
Diamonds like Prince, now I see 'em in the ring dancin'
In Queens like Prince Hakeem with your queen, lampin'
I'm handsome, white girls love me like I'm part of Hanson
Mamis love me like I'm Bad Bunny (they do)
I've been that nigga out here havin' my way before I had money
Life a marathon, son, can't sprint on this long road
I was thinkin' like O-Dog instead of Sean Combs
Bad boy, I need a billion
Always knew that niggas could never hold me down, I'm too resilient
Zoom in the Beamer coupe, one button remove the ceilin'
This MC'll shoot like Shyne, standin' on business
Lot of niggas play the game, but a small fraction is winners
The others don't even know they losin', that shit ridiculous (haha)
Before music, I was tuned in with the sniffers
Grams for blue strips in my mittens, real shit
We could either destroy or we could build shit
Pay attention to your circle, know who you deal with
Gotta know the difference between fraud and trill shit
These niggas washed, dropped a lot of albums, I don't feel shit
Ayo, we used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
You talk about money, get it right, nigga (get that shit right, nigga)
We used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
Talk about money, get it right, nigga
Ayo, the outlandish, two-steppin', grams dancin'
I'm handsome, I'm Manson, bulletproof under the Vanson
I'm lampin', reclinin' in two-seaters, I'm prancin'
Graveyard shit, fiends was vampin' like Jimmy
Toast the semi H rolls is in me
Pose in a Bentley in Kingston, walkin' through Tivoli
Badmon, I felt like Ziggy
Zig Zag Zig Allah, zips on the ricky
I don't give a fuck who you are, I gets busy
Versace, Fendi
Rasclaat, I'll blow your brains out, you hear me? (Boom-boom-boom!)
Have you covered in red dots for pennies
Please forgive me, Lord, I go hard
Left 'em distraught from Goyard
Mozart, rose gold Chopard, I'm so hard
I don't even know y'all, I'm so raw
You nothin' at all, nigga, I'm havin' a ball, nigga
Ayo, we used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
You talk about money, get it right, nigga (get that shit right, nigga)
We used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
Talk about money, get it right, nigga
That ol' real shit, that ol' real shit, that ol' real shit, that ol' real shit
True story
Ayo
They used to slide food through the slot in my cell, now we eat in a mansion (Uh-huh)
Diamonds like Prince, now I see 'em in the ring dancin'
In Queens like Prince Hakeem with your queen, lampin'
I'm handsome, white girls love me like I'm part of Hanson
I've been that nigga out here havin' my way before I had money
Life a marathon, son, can't sprint on this long road
I was thinkin' like O-Dog instead of Sean Combs
Bad boy, I need a billion
Always knew that niggas could never hold me down, I'm too resilient
Zoom in the Beamer coupe, one button remove the ceilin'
This MC'll shoot like Shyne, standin' on business
Lot of niggas play the game, but a small fraction is winners
The others don't even know they losin', that shit ridiculous (haha)
Before music, I was tuned in with the sniffers
Grams for blue strips in my mittens, real shit
We could either destroy or we could build shit
Pay attention to your circle, know who you deal with
Gotta know the difference between fraud and trill shit
These niggas washed, dropped a lot of albums, I don't feel shit
Ayo, we used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
You talk about money, get it right, nigga (get that shit right, nigga)
We used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
Talk about money, get it right, nigga
Ayo, the outlandish, two-steppin', grams dancin'
I'm handsome, I'm Manson, bulletproof under the Vanson
I'm lampin', reclinin' in two-seaters, I'm prancin'
Graveyard shit, fiends was vampin' like Jimmy
Toast the semi H rolls is in me
Pose in a Bentley in Kingston, walkin' through Tivoli
Badmon, I felt like Ziggy
Zig Zag Zig Allah, zips on the ricky
I don't give a fuck who you are, I gets busy
Versace, Fendi
Rasclaat, I'll blow your brains out, you hear me? (Boom-boom-boom!)
Have you covered in red dots for pennies
Please forgive me, Lord, I go hard
Left 'em distraught from Goyard
Mozart, rose gold Chopard, I'm so hard
I don't even know y'all, I'm so raw
You nothin' at all, nigga, I'm havin' a ball, nigga
Ayo, we used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
You talk about money, get it right, nigga (get that shit right, nigga)
We used to wanna be like Mike (like Mike)
Now I got 50 in the mics (in the mics)
Still keep dope in the rice (in the rice)
Talk about money, get it right, nigga
That ol' real shit, that ol' real shit, that ol' real shit, that ol' real shit
In DJ Premier's song "Runway," the lyrics reflect a sense of triumph and success after overcoming hardships. The first verse talks about the transformation from humble beginnings to a life of luxury. The reference to sliding food through a prison cell slot indicates a past of hardship and confinement. However, now the singer is enjoying the finer things in life, comparing his diamonds to Prince and expressing the affection of white girls and "mamis" (an affectionate term for Latinas). The lyrics suggest a confidence and self-assuredness in his ability to navigate the music industry and maintain his resilience.
The second verse continues the theme of rising above obstacles and achieving success. The singer embraces his role as a "bad boy" and aspires to reach billionaire status. He reflects on the importance of staying true to oneself and paying attention to the people in your circle. The lyrics also touch on the difference between authenticity ("trill shit") and deception ("fraud") and subtly criticizes those who have lost their way in the music industry. Ultimately, the song conveys a sense of empowerment and success, celebrating the journey from adversity to triumph.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alvin Worthy, Chistopher E. Martin, Jerome Allen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@LarryClance
Fashion designer collab
Legend dj/producer
Fashion show influenced by hip hop
Clothes, to mans holding the vinyl crate
To the floor being inspired by a vinyl
Then walking around, instead of it, going around.
Picking two of the best rappers out of NY, I have on repeat.
To even amiri & all of them creating this moment for culture, to push the culture forward, in the matter of 3 minutes.
Is mind blowing.
@danteerskine7678
DJ Premier is the reason why I still listen to Hip Hop
@throwsomenuggzonit7613
Can’t forgot Uncle Al !
@hoodpimp1519
You only listen to Premier produced songs ?
@Donself1978
He’s the reason I still listen to hip hop but not the reason I listen to hip hop
@Platform28
No Im the reason why you still listen to hip hop, wanna know why? Click here, essentialhiphopalbums.blogspot.com
@jfc4798
You should expand your horizons your missing a lot of good music.
@Jawwaad1111
Rome is so underrated. His tracks with Muggs are fire.
@Jimmy1982Playlists
His tracks are fire, period! 😁
But I feel that - Death & The Magician one of the best albums in recent years. And he shines on the new Soul Assassins.
@jwood2477
Big facts
@FreddieFreeloaderxxx
Funny, Razor's Edge is my favourite - the opening track alone is special. Guess that difference of opinion is testament to a versatile artist.