Y’all probably wondering who Top is, and why he get interviewed by me? Simple, he was the member of the group ICP (where also DJ Premier was a member of before Gang Starr started in NY). You will find out more in this short but interesting interview I took with him for DJ Premier Blog. He’s a very friendly man.

– Could you tell us something more about your background with DJ Premier?
Preem and I met in College…started DJing a lot of frat and Sorority parties together…we both DJ, but he couldn’t even cut when we met, he could only mix. I showed him a little something on the scratching… but just a little.. he took it upon himself to study other DJ’s scratching and got his shit tight. I was DJing but really focusing on being an MC… so during parties he’d mix and I’d keep the crowd hype… once the party was in full swing we’d go in on a few routines we had… I’d rock rhymes and he’d cut hooks and keep the beat knockin’…We were killing it all over the Texas college circuit and decided to take it to the next level.

– You told me some hooks and some lines on Gang Starr’s first album are from you and Premiers demo send to Wild Pitch, could you explain that?
The original Gang Starr was Guru, Smitty, Damo D, and DJ One Two Be Down… they had a fall out at the time we (Preem and I) got to Wild Pitch and the rest of the original members came back to Boston. The label had invested in the Gang Starr project and Guru stayed in New York and needed to get the album done… Since he didn’t have a DJ the label asked Preem to step in… since our demo was blaze and heads were on a time schedule cats went with what was available… Guru was fam and that album was completed in 2 weeks…

– Who of the members were on the demo tape?
Just me and Preem… I wrote every line and came up with every hook

– The beats that DJ Premier did on the demo, were they different than those on the No More Mr. Nice Guy album?
Yeah, we were broke… Preem was spinning breaks back and forth for 4 minutes on our 4 track… another track we’d use for the cuts and the last two for vocals and adds… 45 King did a lot of work on the No More Mr Nice Guy album.

– What was the reason you didn’t become a Gang Starr member?
No, Preem and I moved to NY together with other ICP members. I wasn’t in Gang Starr because my Crew was ICP (Inner Circle Posse) that’s what I was representing… that was MY shit… Gang Starr was Guru’s… I didn’t go to New York to sign a deal for someone else’s crew… I went there to sign MY crew.

– You said DJ Premier still has those demos, any chance it will ever see the daylight?
LOL… probably not… that shit is old… I will say our shit was HOT for the time period… Maybe one day when Preem is feeling nostalgic we’ll get together and drop a quick EP.

– In an old interview with vinyladdicts.net Premo told us that the crew ICP had other members like Sugar Pop and Styly-T, what happened to them?
Man, there were more than Just Suge and Stylee in ICP… There was Biggas Gord (who is the only member still working with Preem), El Cazel, Ray Rock, HL Rock the dancer from the early videos and our man Chase… Suge is in Dallas TX doing his thing, as well as, Stylee… but I don’t know what Stylee is up to really, he did some fed time for some bullshit but he’s out now, we kinda lost touch he and I but I talk to Suge all the time… Gord works for Preem’s label Year Round… HL Rock is still in NY in the fashion industry, we still holla on a reg. Ray Rock is working for the NY school department and we still holla here and there… El Cazel is a family man now and holding it down, while Chase is who knows where, last I heard he had mad kids and was doing the family thing as well…. We were all fam back then… I was the only real MC in the crew, not that Suge and Cazel didn’t grab the mic from time to time, but I was the main event on the mic… when we went to NY, Preem and I were trying to get the deal.

– Now more than 20 years later, what have you been up to? Are you still rhyming?
I can still eat a flow if need be but that’s not my real focus anymore… I’m more into production now and may get into some management at some point, so I can show some of these new heads how NOT to get fucked…. I also do a weekly internet underground hip hop mix show every week called SOUPKITCHEN EXCLUSIVES which you can hear at my blog page as well as on a couple of internet radio sites, SWURVRADIO.COM and FLAVOURRADIO.COM but if you want to download the show you have to go to the blog page… Getting a lot of action on the mix show, trying to get into the satellite radio thing… In all honesty, I thought Preem and I would hook back up at some point… I’m not bitter or anything like that I still love my dude, but I expected that after all the shit we had gone through he would open a door for me at some point, it’s just human nature to expect some gratitude from those you’ve elevated along the way, but that hasn’t happened… Heads are always too busy. But I’m a firm believer of remembering how you got there and who you came with… Don’t get me wrong, I did some things along the way that caused my music career to take some detours, but when I got back on my bullshit I expected a little boost from my dude… it’s all good, you live and learn… hopefully one day we’ll meet again at the TOP, no pun intended!

– Here’s my last question, what are your top 3 producers in hip-hop?
As far as my top 3 producers in Hip Hop I love me number 1 of course… but to be honest there are way too many nice producers in the game…. I mean, I like Endemik, Jake One, True Master, Snowgoons, Blue Sky Black Death and a gang of other obscure cats out there grinding… I’ve got some young protégé’s Avi & Reez who are just sick with it… Really when you look at what’s out there commercially, many of the so called “big named” producers… man, many of them have hit their ceiling, meaning that most of their shit sounds the same… You hear one Timbaland beat, you’ve heard ‘em all yah mean… or you got all these new corn ball, skinny jean wearing, fruity loop producers… who can play 3 keys and get a deal… LMAO, the game is fucked nowadays… I’m still a huge Primo fan of course… my dude stays consistent… but I like me… My cousin Jaysaun of Special Teamz has a project out now with DJ Revolution called Game of Breath… I did a joint that Rev remixed called One, Two… But Jay’s using my original production of the song for the video, my shit is more street which really reflects the lyrics, so be on the look!

END

I would like to thank Top for his time and honest opinion. It was a great time talking to him. Peace to everybody. Maybe one day… one day, we will hear those demos!

Now, I did say earlier on that it was a pleasure to interview Preem… but in all honesty, it was one of the most daunting assignments I’ve ever had (next to an Outkast interview – but I’ll save that story for another time). It’s not that DJ Premier wasn’t approachable – quite the opposite, in fact. It’s just that he isn’t one to mince his words, and he certainly doesn’t suffer fools lightly.

Thankfully, I made it through unscathed, as Premier happily offered up very frank opinions on a range of subjects. But what really came across loud and clear was that Premier was as passionate about hip hop as his beats are banging. His energy was infectious, and he really came to life when recalling the musical influences that shaped him while growing up in Texas, the golden era of hip hop that he encountered on moving to New York in the mid-80s, and his work with the greats of the game (including some classic studio stories).

Of course, not everything from these two sessions made the final cut for my article. During one of the moments when the tape recorder wasn’t rolling, Preem delved into a subject that was clearly near and dear to his heart – porn. Hell, he’s such a fan that he even produced a track for porn actress Heather Hunter.

While being driven to his final interview, Premier decided to conduct a quick porn devotion poll amongst the other people rolling with us in the minivan (the vehicle of choice for all touring hip hop stars, don’t you know). He eventually turned his attentions to me, asking me in his trademark deep, gravelly voice: “What about you? You like porn?” Not really a topic I’d thought we’d be covering in the interview, to be honest.

As I fumbled for an answer, Premier obviously picked up on my ‘uneasiness’ (that’s a nice way of saying I’m really a prude). He quickly followed up with a statement that still rings in my ears to this day – “You ain’t a real man if you don’t like porn”.

That was pretty much the moment the interview ended. My memory is a little clouded, but I vaguely remember jumping out at the next set of traffic lights (while considering launching a feeble face-saving mission by saying I was heading to the nearest news agent to stock up on porn). Shameless… anyways, read on for more from the man himself.

You can read how Puffy didn’t liked “Kick In The Door” in the interview here.

Source: A Grumpy Old Man With A Beard

I got a chance to chop it up with DJ Premier briefly @ Fat Beats NY. We discussed the role of vinyl & local record shops like Fat Beats in the hip-hop culture, Blaq Poet’s new album, Eternia & MoSS’s new album, “At Last,” as well as Royce Da 5’9 & NYGz’s new albums. I also got a chance to discuss the situation between DJ Premier & 50 Cent over “Shut Your Bloodclot Mouth,” DJ Premier’s tattoo, his goals when he first entered the industry and his consistency over the years. Get some insight into the mind and times of the greatest producer in hip-hop!!!

Source: TheUnderGroundComeUp.com

Last week TROY Blog did an interview with Guru and Superproducer Solar, there is now a discussion again about Gang Starr on TROY Blog. As we know Guru in 2009 he always get mad when people ask him about Gang Starr and DJ Premier, or is it Superproducer Solar who gets mad? Premo always said he’s ready for a new Gang Starr album, but Guru isn’t obviously. Even Guru’s loyal fans are questioning him now with his recently made auto tune track, it seems like he is destroying his legacy. But I bet he won’t make a second one now Jay-Z made a hate track towards auto tune?

Now when TROY Blog asked him if there is a change he would work with DJ Premier again he answered mysteriously “We have a black president”. I still think Preem and Guru just need to call each other and talk everything out, life is sometimes that simple…

Here you can hear the full interview. Big shout to them, love their blog!!

As New York’s Blaq Poet readies for his Blaqprint release, HipHopDX catches up with the battle rapper from Queensbridge whose dark side and honest delivery drew support from none other than DJ Premier (who executive produced Blaqprint). A veteran of the culture and a warrior in The Bronx/Queens battle of the ’80s, it is no surprise that Blaq Poet regularly enlists none other than the veterans of rhyme (including Marley Marl, Freddie Foxxx, KRS-One) in his choice of collaborations, which is elaborate in his previous work. In the Blaqprint, Poet paints a picture of his story, which he asserts is a similar tale of many young men growing up in the projects. DX probes further with Blaq, as the veteran offers advice to the youngsters, explains his love for boom-bap, and vindicates why he calls them “bitch.”

HipHopDx: Blaqprint’s content illustrates hopelessness and negativity. Is that a fair description?
Blaq Poet: No. Blaqprint is…streets. Hip Hop with street reality. All mixed in. Everything is not “shoot-em-up, bang-bang, kill everybody.” It’s not all about the drugs. It’s all about hood tales. And bragging a lot on a lot of songs – all of that that’s part of Hip Hop; telling people I’m the best. But it’s mostly hood tales and things that go around in the hood, every hood around America. And if it sounds like I’m trying to be negative or trying to stay negative, if you’re a real dude and you from the streets, you gonna know what I’m talking about, you gonna appreciate it. If you’re not, you’re not gonna get it.

DX: You refer to women as bitches often enough in the album. Why is that?
Blaq Poet: I mean you got ladies and you got bitches. You got niggas and you got homeboys. It’s the same thing. [Laughs] If a girl acts like a bitch then she’s gonna be a bitch in my eyes. And I’m not being disrespectful, some girls want you to know, “Yeah, I’m a real bitch. Don’t fuck with me ‘cause I’m a real bitch.” [Laughs]. I’m talking to the bitches when I say “bitch.” And when I’m talking to the ladies, I let them know I’m talking to the ladies.

DX: In comparison, do you refer to the ladies as much as you refer to the bitches in your album?
Blaq Poet: Nah, ‘cause I haven’t gotten to that point yet. I’m still referring to what they show me they are. There’s still a lot of bitches in the world.

DX: I think you’re hanging around with the wrong crowd.
Blaq Poet: [Laughs].

DX: DJ Premier executive produced the album. Your involvement with him goes back to the Y2K album, with Screwball. What is it about Preem that makes you want to be a part of what he does?
Blaq Poet: He makes the beats that makes me want to rhyme. He has the funkiest beats I think in the game right now and he makes me want to rap. The beats that he makes, the hardcore beats, you never know what he’s gonna come up with but you believe it’s gonna be creative, it’s gonna be gritty.

DX: What do you think is about Blaq Poet that makes Preemo want to be a part of what he does?
Blaq Poet: Preemo got a dark side like anybody. I think I bring out his dark side. [Laughs] He likes the hardcore and he knows I come through with that hardcore, no doubt.

DX: What is it about boom-bap that makes you a continuous believer?
Blaq Poet: It’s the boom-bap, boom-boom-boom bap. [Singing] It’s the old school feel of the boom and the bap. You can even hear it in the beats that the new guys are making. They got the boom bap in their beats, every beat has the boom bap in itself. It’s all about the head nodding and the boom bap that makes you want to just start shaking your head and start coming up with lyrics and rhymes.

DX: Why do you want to preserve that?
Blaq Poet: That’s the era I come from. That’s the best years in Hip Hop. I really want the young good dudes to hear and see how we was doing it so they can improve on it, make it better, make it iller. We want them to build off it…

DX: You’ve done collaborations with a lot of OG’s like KRS-One, Marley Marl, Freddie Foxxx. Judging from that, is it fair to say that you’re attempting to conserve an art form prevalent in the ’90s?
Blaq Poet: If I’m doing it, I’m doing it not knowing I’m doing it. I’m doing it just because I love it, that’s what I love. And I want people to continue to go on with that. but I also want people to get creative too. Don’t just stop at the boom bap, expand on the boom bap.

DX: What do you mean by “expand?”
Blaq Poet: Like Kanye [West], he has boom bap in his beats and all that but he also gets creative. He might sample something a little different – just different forms of sampling and different ways of making beats. It’s all boom bap, but I just want people to make the new boom bap, call it the “new bap.” [Laughs] I don’t want people to get stuck in one era; I want that era that get spread and expanded and people just take it to where it’s never been before.

DX: What would the “new bap” be composed of?
Blaq Poet: The youngsters. The youngsters doing what we did and doing what we did and building off of it. I can’t even explain it; it just has to be done. It would be the hardcore, the hard base; then live instruments mixed with sampling. Keep me interested, I’m a fan of this too. I love listening to new stuff and checking out the new dudes and all that. I just want them to keep me interested.

DX: Any new dudes you’re checking for?
Blaq Poet: I like Cory Gunz. That’s my youngsta from New York. Cory Gunz is gonna have them wylin’. Ain’t too many, man. [Laughs]

DX: You stated that availability of Internet and technology increased people’s desires to pursue Rap. Why is Hip Hop and Rap so appealing?
Blaq Poet: It’s an outlet to just let loose. Everybody got things on their mind, stresses. Even if you want to have a party, a good time, then you can just let loose, Hip Hop is the best way to let your hair down. [Laughs]

DX: Why is it appealing for a career choice?
Blaq Poet: It’s like the NBA these days and professional sports – it’s a multimillion dollar game.

DX: How is it affected by the recession?
Blaq Poet: People are always gonna want to hear good music and always wanna hear their best artist and eat good food. So I don’t think the recession really bothers music or food. [Laughs] People are always wanna eat good and people are always gonna wanna hear good music.

DX: What is the essence of Hip Hop?
Blaq Poet: Graffiti, turntables, deejaying. Beating on the wall. [Laughs] You might have your homie beat on the wall while you spit some rhymes. You feel it in your bones. It’s not a money thing, it’s not a being cool thing, it’s something you feel.

DX: The changes we see today reflected in mainstream Hip Hop – can we call it “evolution?”
Blaq Poet: No doubt.

DX: Why?
Blaq Poet: Everything evolves. Hip Hop is no different than anything else. It’s gonna evolve and come back to the same way it was before and evolve from there. So it’s gonna stay evolving and getting different and staying current at the same time. Hip Hop is crazy.

DX: What keeps you rhyming?
Blaq Poet: I keep going ‘c
ause I grew up with music. When I hear a beat that makes me want to rap, I’m gonna always want to rap to it. It just gets me open. it’s something in my blood; when I hear it, I want to rhyme, I want to rap, I want to say what’s on my mind and express what’s on my mind.

DX: Anything you’d like to add?
Blaq Poet: I’ve been doing this for years, years and years. And I’m gonna keep doing it until the wheels fall off of it. And for the O.G.s out there, if ya’ll are gonna make the joints, then make the songs that youngsters want to hear or you’re gonna die off in the “Jurassic Rap Park.” Or you’re gonna stay current and pop off like I plan to do. And to the youngsters, pay attention to O.G.s ‘cause the O.G.s are gonna break it down for you the right way to follow. If your Hip Hop starts at Lil Wayne, you gotta do some history and find out what’s going on. I talk to a lot of good dudes in Europe and a lot of dudes in America and the average European 17 year-old knows more about Hip Hop than the 20 year-old American kid. [Laughs] What’s going on here? There’s a problem.

DX: Good advice.
Blaq Poet: Thanks a lot. And I will try to clean it up…

Source: HipHopDX

In an exclusive interview with Audible Treats, Blaq Poet and DJ Premier opened up about the “Hate” track and the current state of hip-hop and the music industry.

AT: Tell me in your own words what this song is about.

Blaq Poet: “The song is about hate, about how people always be hating on people, especially when they start doing good.”
Premo: “The song is about the state of mind that black people face in the wake of their success when you come from the projects. They support you until you have officially made it, then here comes the HATE from those same people that smile in your face.”

AT: How did you link up with N.O.R.E. on this track?

Blaq Poet: “Me and N.O.R.E. been tight since way before he popped off, you know, so it was only a matter of time before we got together for a track like this.”
Premo: “N.O.R.E. Has been a longtime friend in the industry, and the talk of doing a song one day finally came to light with a quick phone call. Plus he is from the Lefrak Projects and both from Queens… AUTOMATIC YES !!!!”

AT: What is your take on leaking songs?

Blaq Poet: Nowadays, leaking your track is a form of promotion. If your track leaks, it’s all good, you have to get it out there. What it comes down to is if your track don’t leak, it’s not hot!”
Premo: “I think that leaking songs depends on who understands the knowledge of WHEN a leak should go out, and to what DJ’s they are leaking out to. The majority of the DJ’s on my personal list started at 36 and has now increased to 200 DJ’s. I communicate with the ones that are not handcuffed to play what they think is a HOT record, not a playlist from the Program Director; that kills the progress of a good record’s set up for more anticipation from the supporters to want to spend money on an album that they can trust will be worth their investment.”

AT: Do you think leaking tracks helps or hurts your career?

Blaq Poet: “Before it blew up it used to be seen as hurting. Once it started getting big though, and the labels started seeing it happening it became a tool, they saw they could use it to promote your music. You want your tracks to get leaked.”
Premo: “Hip-hop has ALWAYS based on leaking new shit early. It was all originated from what real DJ’s call MIXSHOW (cutting, scratching, mixing) and being the tastemaker of breaking new records. If the hip-hop culture had a union of some sort, there would not be so many problems within its structure. My timing of leaking records is great because I have an outlet such as my weekly radio show that is dedicated to sticking to that script.”

AT: What do you think about the current status of the music industry?

Blaq Poet: It’s poppin! Hip-hop and RnB are still thriving and mixing, you’ve seen what people like Rick Ross and 50 (Cent) have been doing using the RnB influence in their music. Everything is healthy, hip-hop is good, and the recession didn’t even effect the industry; people are always going to want to eat and listen to their music.”
Premo: “The current status of the music industry is very bad for major labels (they stopped caring about the quality of the product and the A&R’s at hip hop labels have lost their minds on picking the next good artist to sign). Independent labels have a lot more to offer since hip-hop started from here. Majors were so late signing rap labels to joint ventures after they saw dollar signs. It was good for a while until majors started to kill our culture off by telling us that we are too old to do this after the age of 30. I saw it coming and went right back to independence. We truly care about our customers and we can make what we want, when we want; any indie label that puts out quality product will totally survive.Year Round=QUALITY !”

AT: Where do you think the music industry and hip-hop are heading? What’s next for the industry?

Blaq Poet: “With hip-hop, the sky is the limit, you can’t say which way its gonna go. Who knows, maybe country hip-hop is going to be the next big thing, I have no idea, I’m waiting to see, too.”
Premo: “With the Internet, we are working on a website that will deliver all of the interesting things that I feel that my audience would love to see and buy, from T-shirts, to mix CD’s, to rare footage that NO ONE HAS, DVD’s,etc. I have been a music junkie since my birth, and I am following in the footsteps of the ones that came before me by making valuable availability of all sorts to the masses and thinking like they think. Just because I am of celebrity status, does not mean that I can’t come down from my throne and be amongst the little people, they make the world go round. I never take that “I am above you” approach and stay humble throughout. Only when I’m on stage live is when I flip out, and rightfully so. The supporters spent their money to come out and see a great show. After the last song is played, I’m right back to humble, I win regardless.”

and gimantalon says “that’s the goddamn truth”.

Audible Treats is the company who helps the promote “Tha Blaqprint“. It’s coming babyyy!!