DJ Premier

About DJ Premier

Active since 1987, the year he debuted behind Guru as one-half of Gang Starr, DJ Premier is among the most crucial figures in hip-hop, and one of the most important trackmasters of the '90s. Aggressive and raw, a Premier track is an instantly recognizable soundclash of battling loops and heavy scratching that evokes the sound of Brooklyn. Besides helming Gang Starr's seven albums, Premier has productions on many of the East Coast's other important records of the '90s, such as Nas' Illmatic, the Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die, and Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt. Premier attained his highest level of pop success in the following decades, scoring a Top Ten hit with Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man." In addition to working with veteran and up-and-coming rappers alike, Premier has been behind the duo PRhyme (with Royce da 5'9") while unloading occasional solo projects (2022's Hip Hop 50, Vol. 1).