DJ Premier - The Originator

Since his 1986 debut with Gangtarr, DJ Premier's work has graced the most important albums in hip hop, including Nas' Illmatic, Biggie's Ready to Die, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt and Mos Def's Black on Both Sides. Alongside working on several milestone albums, Premier has received many accolades from Hip Hop enthusiast. The Source magazine named DJ Premier one of the 5 greatest producers in hip hop history.

Producer and DJ extraordinaire, DJ Premier has been a celebrated name in the hip hop genre. Recently he's found himself crossing borders into other genres by producing several tracks on Back to Basics, Christina Aguilera's most recent album. Before making hits for blonde pop tarts, DJ Premier made a name for himself in the early 90s working closely with Gangstarr. Exclusively producing most of Gangstarr's catalog, Premier's distinct gritty style was birthed. Those world famous scratches throughout the chorus of a song is a Premier classic and a guaranteed head-nod from the masses.

The most distinct aspect of Premier's style is the longevity of the sound. Whether it be Common's latest single or a Biggie throwback, the two will be incredibly relevant to in hip hop. Unlike most artists, DJ Premier can be both mainstream and underground simultaneously. His special technique of editing out obscenities and replacing them with sound effects allows the song to run smoothly without any voids in the music. In light of the controversies regarding hip hop and obscene lyrics, the fact that Premier has mastered the art of clean lyrics (way before the Don Imus fiasco) makes Premier a valuable player.

Catch some of Premier's latest work on Common's new album 'Finding Forever."