Behind most songs today, there is not usually one artist or composer. In fact, it usually takes multiple artists and groups, sometimes a continent away, to make a single piece. With this, one of the most important people in the process of making a song is the producer. It is the producer, in hip-hop, that designs a beat to a set of lyrics or a beat to give other artists inspiration. This week’s music review will focus on two of hip-hops most famous composer, Dr. Dre and DJ Premier.
Dr. Dre – Dr. Dre or Andre Romelle Young was born on February 18, 1965. To many, Dr. Dre is considered one of the godfathers of west coast hip-hop. As a student in high school, Andre was frequented with disappointments with grades. Because of his frustration, young Andre turned too the popular club hip-hop sound coming out of California. Under his original DJ name, DR J., Andre soon became a club DJ. Dr. Dre was always known as a DJ that was “a cut above.” His fresh and different remixes and beats were simply better than any other thing being produced in the area. On top of this, Dr. Dre himself could even rap. It is his ability to both produce amazing beats and fluent raps that set Dr. Dre for a fruitful career in Hip-Hop and Rap.
Dr. Dre has produced beats for many influential artists in the industry. Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, and Eminem are just a few of these artists. He has won 6 Grammy awards, ranging from best producer to best rap solo artist. No matter what one’s opinion on Rap and Hip-Hop is, it is plain to see that Dr. Dre’s career has been full of success and is still a fruitful one.
DJ. Premier – DJ Premier “Premier,” or Christopher Edward Martin, was born on March 21, 1966, in Houston, Texas. Premier’s first introduction to music and beat production was in a Texas club. The then young Christopher was simply enthralled by the industry. Most of Premier’s music career has been in Brooklyn, New York. Because of this, he is known as one of the godfathers of East Coast Hip-Hop. He has been named as one of the top 5 Rap producers by The Source magazine and was named the best rap producer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
Unlike his west coast counterpart, DJ Premier has mostly stayed as a music producer, working with artists like Gang Starr, NAS, Kanye West, and even Christina Aguilera. The beats that Premier makes are what many consider to be the “Old Skool” sound. This sound involves mixing up to 30-40 different songs to make one single new beat and sound. Currently, DJ Premier owns his own record label, Year Round Records, and hosts a weekly radio show on SIRIUS satellite radio.
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