Producer Profile: DJ Premier (part 2, 1991-1993)

Following his work on the debut Gang Starr album and the Wild Pitch label, DJ Premier continued to produce some excellent beats through the early years of the 90s. This post will cover some of his highlights from 1991-1993.

Gang Starr will undoubtedly be covered in more detail in the future, but one of Primo's classic productions from 1991 cannot go unmentioned. 'Lovesick' from Gang Starr's album 'Step in the Arena' features fantastic use of the Delfonics' soul anthem 'Trying to Make a Fool of Me' in addition to the Young Holt Unlimited's 'Ain't There Something Money Cant Buy'. In 1992, Primo produced 'Here Comes the Heavster' from Heavy D and the Boyz' album 'Blue Funk'. The track digs deep in the jazz crates for Charles Mingus' 1956 cut 'A Foggy Day' from 'Pithecanthropus Erectus'. Premier produced 6 tracks from 1993's 'Return of the Boom Bap' by KRS-One. On 'Outta Here', Premier samples drums from James Brown's excellent 'Funky President (People It's Bad)'.

Be on the look out for part 3 of our look at DJ Premier, whose productions in 1994 include to of hip-hop's most widely revered albums: 'Illmatic' and 'Ready to Die'.

The Lowdown:
Gang Starr 'Lovesick'
from 'Step in the Arena' (1991) (MP3/CD)
The Delfonics 'Trying to Make a Fool of Me'
from 'The Delfonics' (1969) (MP3/CD)
Young Holt Unlimited 'Ain't There Something Money Cant Buy'
from 'Soulful Strut' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Heavy D and the Boyz 'Here Comes the Heavster'
from 'Blue Funk' (1992) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Charles Mingus 'A Foggy Day'
from 'Pithecanthropus Erectus' (1956) (MP3/CD)
KRS-One 'Outta Here'
from 'Return of the Boom Bap' (1993) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Funky President (People It's Bad)'
from 'Reality' (1975) (MP3 not available/CD not available)