“Friendly competition” will be the buzz phrase for DJ Premier and Pete Rock, now that two legends have begun work on their collaboration album.
The 12 song album will be split evenly. Each producer plans to keep their list of emcees secret. Premier would have started sooner, but had to make final adjustments for the December release of his Year Round Records compilation Get Used To Us.
“The Pete Rock project, we just started that last week. To finish the compilation album I had to put that on the back burner,” Premier told Beats, Boxing & Mayhem. “I addressed that with the artists I got on there. Pete’s not supposed to tell me who he got, and I’m not supposed to say who I got. I got four already, I just need to get two more. We’re doing six songs each and then we’re ready to go.”
Recently, Premier allowed Pete Rock full access to his studio to work on the album. The intent was not completely due to good will; Premier admits he used the opportunity to eavesdrop on his friend’s work.
“Pete came to my studio and laid one of them with one of the artistes. I took sneak listen and the shit sounds hot. He doesn’t even know I heard it, but that’s what he gets for doing a session in my studio,” Premier said jokingly.
The competition may be tongue in cheek, but DJ Premier also realizes their album will break new ground. Never before have two consensus all-time great Hip-Hop producers collaborated on a full LP in this format. Although he knows their names will ensure fan and media attention, Premier is adamant that this won’t be a project where they coast on past laurels.
“It is a competition, but a fun one of course. The lineup I got is Illmatic! People are going to go crazy on this shit,” he explained. “I’m going to be done with that hopefully by the end of December. We feel that people are going to buy it just on the strength. So when you hear the artists that we got for the battle, it’s going to be so much fun. It’s rare artists in the industry where everyone is going to be like ‘oh shit, how’d you get with him?’ I have to come up with two more.”
Premier is understandably secretive on letting too much information out this early. But when pressed, the surviving Gang Starr member was willing to verify one of his recruited emcees.
“I’ll tell you one that I got…The GZA,” Premier confirmed. “Me and GZA? Oh my God. That’s the only one I’ll tell you.”
DJ Premier’s Year Round Records will drop the compilation Get Used To Us on December 7. At press time, Pete Rock and DJ Premier’s album title and release date are still pending.
On a side note, get ready to hear 3 new Premo beats this weekend here… Yes, three.
shiiiiiiiiiiit, the GZA and Preem???? this is one of the greatest collabos of all time, I can’t wait to hear the album, damn I’m just so excited like a lil’ kid, finally we gonna hear GZA on his very own premier beat, thank God this gonna happen, can’t wait for the 3 new preem joints neither
Wow, this caught me off guard. Where’s that Eiht joint though?
im waiting, its already a weekend
“Never before have two consensus all-time great Hip-Hop producers collaborated on a full LP in this format.”
only point i’d argue is that Jaylib deserve to be credited as having done something pretty similar to this.
either way i’m super duper excited about this 1
my bad i just thought about it and of course jaylib weren’t going head to head so this is a very big moment….. ah man i hate knowing about these things so long before we get to hear them!!! hurry up!!!!!!
Can’t wait for this album and of course for NYG’Z lp!!
pete rock is going to get beat down badly , his beats have been average for over 10 years
The GZA? Wow thats a good start. No knock on these guys own artists but none of them on this album please. Lets get heavy hitters only
Christmas is coming!!!! YES!!!
OK, strictly speculation, but just looking at the artists who each producer has worked with over the years, I’m gonna give it my best guess.
Preem:
NaS
Jay
Royce
MOP
Foxxx
KRS
(who I really hope is on it – Guru unreleased verses)
Pete:
Jada
Roc Marc
CL Smooth
EdOG
Ghost
Obviously with that lineup the edge goes to Premo but there is always the chance Preem will come with beats we’ve already heard so Pete definitely has a good chance of winning.
Great concept for an album. All that talk of Dre being the GOAT producer really needs to quiet down. RZA is making a resurgence and I can never forget pioneers like Marley but easily its Pete and Preem as hiphop’s greatest producers of all time. By a landslide.
I think I just came after reading this! This album has the potential to be the best album of the past decade, as long as the emcees hold up their end. You know the beats will be of the highest quality! I 100% agree that Dre is overrated as fuck and not even close to the two GOATs of the boards: Preme and Pete Rock…Dilla and RZA come a distant third and fourth in my book.
I was hoping for a GZA Premier collab. I hope the tracks alternate for a Premier beat to a Pete than another Premier joint and so on. DJ Premier needs another joint with Nas, Rakim, and Jay-Z. I was skeptical over whether this album actually happen. Hopefully if all goes as planned it’ll be released in December or January. Great news. What if Pete and Premier the same artist for a track on this album?