10 Records That Changed DJ Premier’s Life

It’s a fool’s errand to argue that hip-hop has a single, definitive sound but if one were forced into such an impossible choice, wouldn’t you expect to see “Works of Mart” as a production credit? Christopher Martin, a/k/a DJ Premier, first hit the hip-hop landscape in the late 1980s, as half of Gang Starr, and by the mid-1990s, when his services would lace dozens of releases, “Works of Mart” became an imprimatur for emcees to chase after, boast about, envy. It guaranteed a gut-punch, neck-snap of a beat, evocative of iron and concrete, the walk-on music for players in camo hoodies and black Tims.

Ask any rapper for their 10 favorite recordings and chances are, at least one of them was a work of Mart. For his own top 10, Preemo not only pays tribute to his hip-hop forebearers – Marley Marl, The Bomb Squad – but a slew of ‘80s recordings from across a diverse musical range. That a Prince song made the list may not be surprising but Devo? AC/DC? His list is a reminder that while great music-makers might produce a signature style, they get there by drawing from a broad spectrum of sounds.

Check out the list HERE.

Via egotripland.com