I know it's been a while since I put something up. I do apologise for being so quiet. Things have really been crazy over the past couple of months. I have atleast managed to take some time out and really focus on some of the things I neglected. The people that really know me will know about the passion that I have for hip hop. I've been listening to this genre ever since I was a little kid. When I started dj'ing, I used to play a lot of hip hop even. The one thing I've loved most about this genre is the creativity behind it. I particularly admire the fact that it started out as something that was seen as a passing phase for many, but for the young kids from the boroughs of New York, it was not just a passing phase. It was the start of a culture, a form of escapism from the harsh realities of life and poverty. The culture has since grown to become a multi-million dollar culture that has taken many off the life of crime, and made them millionaires.
About a month or so ago, I listened to a podcast that was done by one of my favourite hip hop dj's; DJ Scratch. The man was basically paying tribute to one of the best lyricists of our time; Nasir Jone, a.k.a. Nas. Before he could even play his music, he explained the reason why he had decided to pay tribute to this MC. What I took from his words was the fact that so very often, we tend to pay tribute to people that have passed on already. We never pay tribute to the people that are still alive. He then went on to challenge us to start paying tribute to the people that mean something to us. As a lover of hip hop, I then decided to take up this challenge. I decided to pay tribute to a dj/producer that I've come to not only admire, but respect as well. Christopher Edward Martin was born 46 years ago in Texas and later moved to Brooklyn New York where his dj'ing career began. He became a part of the rap duo, Gangstarr later on and this is where the fame...and fortune began. He has since been producing hits for the likes of Nas, Biggie Smalls, Common, Jeru The Damaja and of course Gangstarr. Guys, please listen to this mix and learn a thing or two about this gifted man who has contributed so much to the world of hip hop.
With this, I challenge the rest of you guys to continue with this concept of really paying tribute to artists while they are still alive. I'm doing my part. Of course there are thousands of other tracks I could've included in this mix however, there is so much that one can squeeze into one mix. Let me know what you think of it. You can find me on Twitter: @BrianBlaq
http://soundcloud.com/brian-blaq/tribute-to-dj-premier
