Author Archives: Hugo Pacheco

DJ Premier performs on NPR’s Tiny Desk series. (Photo source: NPR)

After close to 30 years in the game, the legendary DJ Premier is still going strong. This year alone, he started a new record label, dropped his Miguel-assisted single “2 Lovin U,” and completed a 16-city tour.

Despite his many projects, Premo recently took the time to perform on NPR and speak with Genius. Both his set and interview are available to watch below.

On Monday, the Houston-native became the first DJ ever to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk series. Accompanied by his touring band, The Badder Band, Premo delivered a nine-song medley of some of his classic productions. He and the five-piece ensemble gave the tracks new energy.

Premo also sat down with Genius for their conversation series, Genius Level. The insightful hour-long interview covered most of his illustrious career. The former Gang Starr member reflected on his early days with the group and working with Nas, JAY-Z, and The Notorious B.I.G. He also discussed his new label, TTT (To The Top), as well as his production process.

Watch his Tiny Desk performance:

Tracklist:

KRS-One — KRS-One Attacks
KRS-One – MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know
Das EFX — Real Hip-Hop
Nas — Nas Is Like
Jeru The Damaja — Da Bichez
Gang Starr — Step in the Arena
Gang Starr ft. M.O.P. — 1/2 & 1/2
Royce Da 5’9″ — Boom
Gang Starr — Moment of Truth

Watch his interview with Genius:

Topics covered:

– His favorite beat (1:20)
– Producing Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind” (2:30)
– His beginnings (5:30)
– How he started with Gang Starr (8:50)
– Working with Guru (15:30)
– Rumors of a posthumous Gang Starr album (18:50)
– What it’s like being an in-demand producer (21:00)
– Working with Biggie (22:40)
– Working with JAY-Z (26:45)
– Rumors of working with Kendrick Lamar (29:18)
– Working with D’Angelo (31:30)
– Working with Christina Aguilera (35:00)
– His current production process (37:20)
– His current projects and plans for the future (50:00)

Related: Watch DJ Premier and Miguel’s ‘2 Lovin U’ Video

Chris Brown shows off his dance moves in the colorful video for his latest single, “Questions.”

The dancehall-influenced song is currently No. 1 on the DJcity Hot Box.

“Questions,” which samples Kevin Lyttle‘s 2004 hit “Turn Me On,” is the third single off Brown’s forthcoming studio album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon. The project will be a 40-track double album and is set to drop on October 31, according to two of Brown’s social media posts.

Watch the video above and download “Questions” on DJcity.

Related: Watch Steve Aoki and Yellow Claw’s ‘Lit’ Video Feat. Gucci Mane & T-Pain

JAY-Z with Rap Radar hosts Brian Miller and Elliott Wilson. (Photo source: Rap Radar)

JAY-Z recently sat down for an extensive interview on the Rap Radar podcast, his first since he released his album 4:44 in June.

The 70-minute conversation, which is exclusive to TIDAL, covered a variety of topics. Among them were Hov’s inspiration for making 4:44, why he chose to only work with No I.D., his marketing strategy for rolling out the album, the reason he added footnotes, entrepreneurship and why he supports Lavar Ball, the meaning of “The Story Of O.J.,” the meaning of “Kill Jay Z,” and his feud with Kanye West.

The interview was conducted by hosts Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller and is labeled part one. It is unclear how many episodes are forthcoming.

Listen to it below (even if you’re not a TIDAL subscriber).

Here is a breakdown of some of the topics covered in order:

– Making 4:44 and his inspiration for it
– Working with No I.D.
– Why he chose to use one producer for the entire album
– His marketing strategy for rolling out the album
– The reason he added footnotes
– The importance of 4:44
– How he recorded the vocals
– Why some songs didn’t make the album
– Empowering black people
– Billboard chart issues and TIDAL criticisms
– Entrepreneurship and why he supports Lavar Ball
– The meaning of “The Story Of O.J.” and its controversies
– His talks with Apple
– Therapy and spirituality
– The Meaning of “Kill Jay Z” and the Kanye West feud
– The elevator incident with Solange.

Related: Watch JAY-Z’s Video for ‘Kill Jay Z’

Memphis producer Teddy Walton has explained how he made GoldLink’s single “Crew” on Genius’ latest episode of Deconstructed. The track features Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy.

“Crew” is the lead single off of GoldLink’s debut album, At What Cost, which was released in March. It peaked at No. 58 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and has been certified gold. In June, the Washington, D.C. native dropped a remix featuring Gucci Mane.

In the video, Walton discusses the elements of “Crew,” the samples he used, and his approach to bending the rules. The 25-year-old says he drew inspiration for the beat from Three 6 Mafia and Owl City’s 2009 track “Fireflies.” He reveals he hadn’t heard GoldLink before their collab and that he isn’t sure how the beat found its way to him.

Walton has also worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Bryson Tiller, and A$AP Ferg.

Watch Deconstructed above.

Related: Watch A-Trak Explain How He Produced ‘Believe’ Feat. Lil Yachty and Quavo

Ozuna

As part of their A Brief History Of series, Billboard spoke with some of the biggest names in Latin trap music to discuss the history of the genre.

In the video, artists Ozuna, Farruko, Bad Bunny, De La Ghetto, Messiah talk about how Latin trap began, how it has evolved, and where it is today.

The genre is gaining momentum thanks to a new generation of “trapperos” like Bad Bunny and Anuel AA.

Puerto Rican rapper De La Ghetto agrees, saying in the video that Bunny is “the most important trap artist right now.” Bunny was recently featured on the remix of Major Lazer‘s hit single “Know No Better.” On Friday, rising New York rapper Cardi B enlisted Messiah for a remix of her breakout hit “Bodak Yellow.”

“[Trap is] the closest expression to the streets and to the way the new generation is living,” Farruko says in the clip.

“What people were doing was a small imitation of what American artists were doing,” Bad Bunny says. “They took American hits and turned them into their songs.”

Watch A Brief History Of below.

Related: IAmChino Talks Blending EDM and Latin Music

DJ Jordan, a DJ/producer from Los Angeles, has served up 35 minutes of reggaeton and Latin-influenced dance music for the DJcity Podcast. His set features some creative wordplay as well as a few throwbacks.

Tracklist:

1. Bingo Players – Rattle – DJ Jordan Don’t Stop The Fiesta Mash Up
2. Deorro ft. Elvis Crespo & Pitbull – Bailar Remix – DJ Santarosa Hype Intro
3. Pitbull ft. TJR – Don’t Stop The Party – Acapella
4. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito Remix
5. Enrique Iglesias ft. Descemer Bueno, Zion & Lennox – Subeme La Radio – DJ Santarosa Epic Dembow Bootleg
6. J Balvin & Willy William – Mi Gente
7. Daddy Yankee – Rompe
8. Maluma – Felices Los 4 – DJ Elements Hype Edit
9. R.K.M, Ken-Y – Down – DJ Jordan Word Play Acapella Intro
10. Ozuna – Tu Foto
11. Major Lazer ft. J Balvin & Sean Paul – Buscando Huellas
12. Shakira – Me Enamore
13. Pitbull & J Balvin ft. Camilla Cabello – Hey Ma – Spanish Version – KidCutUp Acap Intro
14. Pitbull ft. Farruko – Hoy Se Bebe – DJ Santarosa 100-128 Transition
15. Pitbull ft. Afrojack – Maldito Alcohol – DJ Jordan The Way You Move Edit
16. Sak Noel, Salvi & Garvanin – Prendelo
17. Pitbull ft. Ty Dolla $ign – Better On Me – Clapapella Intro
18. Ricky Martin ft. Maluma – Ven Pa Ca – DJ Mateo Martinez Remix
19. Federco Scavo – A Mover La Colita – Danny West Colegiala Bootleg
20. J Balvin – Sigo Extranandote – DJ Santarosa 125-93 Transition
21. Daddy Yankee ft. Ozuna – La Rompe Corazones
22. Yandel – Mi Religion – DJ Chango Hype Intro
23. Wisin & Yandel – Ahora Es – Acapella
24. Wisin ft. Ozuna – Escapate Conmigo
25. Alex Rosales – Young & Restless
26. Jenn Morel – Ponteme – Acap Out Edit
27. Los Del Rio – Macarena – Billy The Kit Remix

Follow DJ Jordan on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitter

Related: Listen to Big Once’s DJcity Podcast Mix

Italian DJ/producer John Type has demonstrated Ableton Link in a creative video.

Released nearly two years ago, Link is a wireless technology that keeps music devices in time over a local network. It enables DJs, producers, and musicians to sync together via Link-enabled DVS software such as Serato DJ and Ableton Live and DAWs like Ableton Live, Maschine, and Reason.

John mixes four tracks in the video, going back and forth from Serato DJ and Ableton Live. He drastically changes the tempos to show how Link keeps everything synced.

According to his website, he used cue point mapping and “miditablism” techniques in the demonstration. Miditablism is a style that combines classic turntablism with modern DJ tools.

The files he used in the demo are available for free on his website. He has also included a detailed breakdown of how he did it.

Watch the two-minute video above.

Related: Watch DJ Manwell, Stro Elliot and 14KT Perform With Serato DJ and Ableton Link

Nearly nine months after the song was released, Bruno Mars has shared the video for his slow jam single “Versace On The Floor.”

Directed by Bruno and Cameron Duddy, the neon-lit visual shows him serenading singer and actress Zendaya from a room next door. Fittingly, both are wearing Versace, with Zendaya’s dress eventually hitting the floor.

“Versace On The Floor” is the third single off Bruno’s double platinum-selling studio album, 24K Magic. The song peaked at No. 46 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was DJcity’s 18th most downloaded track of November 2016. In June, David Guetta dropped a remix of the song.

Watch the video above and download “Versace on the Floor” on DJcity.

Related: Watch Fat Joe’s ‘So Excited’ Video Feat. Dre

Fat Joe recreates The Notorious B.I.G.’s iconic “Hypnotize” video in the visual for his new Dre-assisted single, “So Excited.” The action-packed clip shows Joe and his crew speeding around Miami in a yacht and luxury cars.

The song, which is currently No. 1 on the DJcity Hot Box, is expected to appear on Joe’s forthcoming eleventh studio album, The Book of Joe.

Not to be confused with Dr. Dre, the Dre featured on “So Excited” is one-half of the production team of Cool & Dre. The duo’s productions include DJ Khaled and Drake’s “To the Max” and Fat Joe and Remy Ma’s comeback hit “All the Way Up” featuring French Montana.

Watch the video above and download “So Excited” on DJcity.

Related: Watch A$AP Ferg’s ‘East Coast Remix’ Video

DJ Chell and DJ Wide, members of the Scratchburg DJ crew, have put down a trap-influenced routine for DJcityTV. In the two-minute video, the Russian turntablists flip the Foreign Beggars and Alix Perez’s single “Modus,” and Drake’s smash hit “Started From the Bottom.” Chell and Wide were previously featured on DJcityTV’s Cutting Room series.

Watch their routine above.

Follow DJ Chell on Facebook, Instagram, VK
Follow DJ Wide on Facebook, Instagram, VK

Related: Ural, Russia Represents in DJcityTV’s ‘Cutting Room’