DJ Premier Producing Nas’ Post-Def Jam Album

    DJ Premier says that he and Nas will be working on a long-discussed album together soon.

    “It’s coming,” DJ Premier says during an interview posted by Phenom Blak. “I just saw him last week. It’s coming. He has another project to drop on Def Jam, then he’s a free agent. Let him get that out. It’ll give me time to get my artists ripped and ready. Then we can all tour together or something.”

    DJ Premier and Nas have worked together throughout Nas’ career, including the rapper’s acclaimed debut album, 1994’s Illmatic. DJ Premier produced three of the collections 10 songs, “N.Y. State Of Mind, “ “Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)” and “Represent.”

    The only guest rapper on Illmatic was AZ, who appeared on “Life’s A Bitch.” DJ Premier said that he didn’t know whether or not AZ would appear on his forthcoming album with Nas.

    “Nas is in charge,” says DJ Premier, who has been discussing doing an album with Nas since at least 2006. “I’m just the producer.”

    In addition to his work as one-half of Gang Starr, DJ Premier has also produced for a number of other artists, including Nas, Jay Z and The Notorious B.I.G.. DJ Premier says that he tries to tailor his production to the artist with whom he is collaborating, especially if he’s worked with them before.

    “When I go in,” he says. “I’m totally thinking of that artist in every way in order for it to sound like I’m making the right thing for what will bring them out better than the last record we did.”

    DJ Premier uses samples as the foundation of his music, but he says that he’s evolved from his days of relying heavily on the material of James Brown and funk artists as source material. Now, DJ Premier says he gets samples from a variety of sources.

    “It could be a dog that just got ran over by a car and the way he squealed, I was like, ‘Yo. I’m making a beat out of that,’” he says. “But shit’s gonna be funky.”

    RELATED: DJ Premier Divulges Nas “Illmatic” & Comedic Big L Stories

    74 thoughts on “DJ Premier Producing Nas’ Post-Def Jam Album

    1. why would he go in with this washed up bum when he can get better beats from “amp” from the soul council for a fraction of the cost…shid “amp” does primo better than primo does primo

      1. I kinda agree with this….

        Amp’s sound is very similar to how Primo sounded back then. Preem’s recent production has been lackluster to be honest. Amp is dope

      2. yeah premier now a days is kinda dull but u act like “amp” is classic he dont even scratch or none of that he sample the voice and trigger it with his macbook usb drum machine llol

    2. YES!!!!!!!!!!

      YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      FUCK YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    3. I hope it never happens. Not hating or anything but Preme you beats sound outdated. You still cook em up the same way. I heard ur shit with Joey Badass, it was mediocre. C’mon son ain’t nobody wanna see Nas rapping over those beats. Step your game up.

    4. As much as I would love to see this album drop I have to agree with the first comment I’ll believe it when I see it. I love Primo but we’ve already been waiting madd years for the 2nd NYG’z album as well as the Premier vs. Pete Rock record, just too much shit that sounds like great ideas but will probably never see the light of day.

      1. Same with Return of the Boom Bip (DJ Premier vs. KRS-One). Premier’s my favorite producer, but he needs to slow down and release a project one at a time and follow up on it or else dudes will lose interest.

    5. Nas is probably just saying this so the dude will stop bugging him about it. We’ve heard this story before, and its always DJ Premier who is saying it, year after year. There will be no album. DJ Premier is washed up and Nas knows Premier needs this way more then he does. Why would Nas want to rap on some weak sample loops and tour with his unknown artists? He’s very delusional if he thinks this is ever going to happen. I’m not impressed.

    6. dj premier is washed up and full of shit. very few ppl care about a new dj premier track dropping. he consistently works with wack rappers and he’s always talking about albums that are never coming out. primo was the shit in the 90’s. step into the arena. daily operation. classics. he hasn’t done anything special in a long time. he thinks major artists are still dying to get a primo beat. they respect his legend but nobody gives a fuck what he got. he’s just an internet interview type dude now. where’s that pete rock vs album. never coming out. 2 washed up liars.

    7. premo is too fuckin lazy gettin fat and not living up too his promises wait in on people too pay him a shit load of money for one beat let alone a whole album. while we wait where is everything else too money hungry to drop anything outside of a major pay day which he doesnt see anymore so both of yall stop lying neither of you do what you say your gonna do so quit leading people on with this 50 yrs wait collab.

    8. If this was 1994 then maybe I’d be excited, but c’mon son, this 2013, I don’t wanna hear no washed up old ass soul sample on a track

      1. No Soul….that is the problem with rap music today. There is no soul. Its repetitive bitten beats with the same techno keys with someone yelling HEY… HEY… on every track.

        I am not sure how anyone could enjoy this music…let alone listen to the terrible lyrics. Oh I forgot…no one listens to the lyrics anymore. Those are lack soul or substance too.

    9. im seeing alot of hate towards Preemo man, hes still better than 90% of the producers in the game today. A real fuckin legend in the game.

    10. dude reinvent yourself. just blaze and them all other producers who sample records stepped it up. no one is saying u should make pop radio songs but u need to refine ur sound.

      1. the problem is he has stepped it up and it hasn’t gone in the right direction. the beats are lacking something serious. needs to bring it back straight to the essence.

    11. So a legendary producer says that he is working on an album with one of the best emcees to ever live, and all you guys can do is bitch about? No wonder Nas said hip hop is dead, fuckin fickle fans can’t just wait and see what a project offers.

      1. Ummm… You do realize Premo first announced this project in 2004? It’s pretty much his Detox… except they haven’t even started recording this album yet

      2. and that just means we can hope that this project actually drops, I was mostly addressing the fools who were shamelessly bashing him at the bottom, I mean, yea, this project is a pipe dream in all honesty, but its good to be hopeful

    12. website think they slick….this is old as crap….smh, who knows what Nas wants to do now, if this was a just saw him last week real time, then maybe id be like oh ok possible. But this whole interview was before LIG dropped and that was a minute ago

    13. Blah blah been talking about this shit for years, starting to feel like Detox, I’ll believe it when I see it

    14. Premier still using the same equipment, same samples and making the same shitty 90s beats, thinking he is the man — well no!

      Nothing worse than a old washed up has-been still talking like it was the 90s.

      I think Premier probably got brain damage or under the influence if he thinks that people are still interested in his lame 2 bar loops.

      Look up “washed up producer” in the dictionary, you get DJ Premier as no 1.

    15. I was locked up in 05\06 and read the scratch magazine about the album hopein it was comin out soon but never did we’ll see if it comes out or its another detox also long over do is nas and az Lp.

    16. This album should reflect 90s hip hop . Hip Hop has turned into a gimmick because of all the bubblegum shit “Hip Hop Fans” make famous . Then when two dope artist that helped get hip hop where its at gets together to do an album …everyone talks shit cuz they are from the 90s ? This album will be a classic ..mark my words ! If u cant appreciate NAS And DJ Premier YOUR NOT A REAL FAN OF HIP HOP .

    17. OMG then we will have an album by some niggas that are stuck in the 90’s but its 2013. No hate hate premo and nas made some great music but now……

    18. dope

      if any one can put an album together its premire

      its illmatic allover again

      nas said new york rappers going to bring it back

      black thought said it to

      1. And your point?

        Listen…many people like that Boom Bap and not that rolling snare and hand clap nonsense. Preem is a beast and thats why cats still run after him today!

        If you wanna get technical…the Beats on the radio today really go back to 1986 with synths over them.

        That’s for real….go listen.

    19. niggas actin like its a bad thing this shit might sound old school… SMH. go listen to ASAP Rocky and Drake

    20. Nas won’t make a typical 90’s album. It’s that simple. Dre was pretty washed up before Good Kid M.A.A.D. city but it didn’t sound like a 90s Dre album. Nas tends to overstep his boundaries, maybe it’s good to stay grounded.

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