DJ Premier Remixes and Features with Jim Search

·1 hr 44 min·5 clips

Alaska argues that DJ Premier's beats are like a 750cc dirt bike—only the strongest MCs can handle them without being overpowered.

This episode of Call Out Culture focuses on DJ Premier's career as a feature producer and remixer, particularly during the 1990s. Hosts Alaska, Zilla Rocca, and Curly Castro are joined by guest Jim Search, a comedian and hip-hop trivia enthusiast. The conversation begins with each panelist describing what a DJ Premier beat signified when they heard it on a new record. They discuss how Premier's production became a mark of quality and credibility, with artists like Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G. seeking his beats. The hosts debate whether some rappers were overpowered by Premier's strong production, citing examples like O.C. and Shaheem. Curly Castro argues that Premier's brand became overused over time, comparing it to how Jordan Peele's name is now used for marketing movies. The episode includes a segment where each host shares a favorite non-canonical Premier beat, such as Sauce Money's 'Against the Grain' and CeeLo Green's 'Evening News.' Later, the hosts play a game where they randomly select Premier songs from the 2010s, leading to reactions to remixes for Paolo Nutini and Miley Cyrus. The main event is a tournament bracket to determine the best DJ Premier remix or feature beat from 1990 to 1999. They conduct play-in rounds for artists with multiple entries, like Notorious B.I.G., Nas, and Jay-Z, before advancing to a seeded tournament. Key matchups include Biggie's 'Ten Crack Commandments' vs. 'Unbelievable' and Nas's 'Memory Lane' vs. 'Represent.' The hosts vote on each matchup, offering insights into Premier's sampling, scratch techniques, and impact on East Coast hip-hop.

As heard by us

A loose hip-hop craft conversation hits hardest when it locks onto the snare in "So Ghetto."

This Call Out Culture episode is strongest when it stays close to hip-hop craft: the small choices that make a beat land, a voice sit right, or a record suddenly feel alive.

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Why you'd press play

You want production talk that drifts through a dark lyric passage, then suddenly locks onto the snare in "So Ghetto."

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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