Yesterday (January 7), DJ Premier announced that D&D Studios (formerly known as HeadQCourterz Studios) had closed its doors for good after well over a decade under the Brooklyn, New York producer’s ownership.
Located on 37th Street in New York City’s Garment District, D&D Studios reportedly closed down to make room for luxury apartments in the building it was housed in. AmbrosiaForHeads.com reports that DJ Premier will now work out of Queens’ Kaufman Astoria Studios.
Although DJ Premier purchased the studio in 2002 following the death of its former owner, HeadQCourterz, he has worked in the studio since the early ’90s.
Among the projects worked on at D&D Studios were ones from Jay Z, Big Pun, Snoop Dogg, Big L, Slaughterhouse and Dilated Peoples. In addition to those albums, DJ Premier also recorded a large majority of his Gang Starr songs at the recording studio.
Other notable albums recorded at D&D Studios included Nas’ Illmatic and The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die.
DJ Premier recently turned to Instagram to post a handful of pics from the studio as he prepared to close its doors.
In one post, Premier uploaded a picture of fellow artist Showbiz along with the caption: “Showbiz packin up. He’s the one that brought me to D & D to lay scratches for Lord Finesse on a REMIX called “Return Of The Funky Man”. Eddie Sancho did the mix and I never left from that day. CIRCA1992… #DaveAndDoug #premierwuzhere The Closing Of D & D Studios”
For additional DJ Premier coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
“announced that D&D Studios (formerly known as HeadQCourterz Studios)”… thought it the other way around? Didn’t it go from D&D to HeadQCourterz when primo took over?
yeah you right
Sad to see it go. A depressing yet sobering metaphor of the state of the world today.
Hip Hop dying by the second
Damm what a shame. Just think of all the History and greats of REAL HipHop that were inside the walls of that studio. R.I.P. HeadQCourterz
But why is it closing? I mean was he forced to move or what? Once again thanks to DX for doing a shitty job
Damn shame indeed, couldn’t this be saved with money?
If I was a rapper (with a lot of cash), I saved that spot for sure.
Legendary Hip Hop monument
you cant stop that big money developers
See what money will make you do? Instead of protecting the sacredness of this place to one day make as a hip hop place to visit for the money he buried what could’ve been preserved. Such a shame.
Think about how much $$$$ they gave this man to get that new development flowing.