Rick Ross is not the only one dropping a dope mixtape on Christmas Eve. Check out the one Diggy Simmons just dropped hosted by the legendary DJ Premier

Wow.  This boy’s got TALENT.  Listen to the mixtape below and download it here.

Diggy Simmons jumps on yet another classic track from a Queensbridge great. This time it’s Nas again on the DJ Premier produced Nas is Like.

Fortunately Diggy keeps doing these songs justice.  If he can get some original material this tight he’s going to have a very bright future.

Click here to download.  If you missed it, here’s how Diggy fared covering Mobb Deep’s Shook Ones.

Old heads rejoice. KRS-One and Grand Puba on a DJ Premier track…and the sh*t is hot!!! The song is called 5%. Get some.

Click here to download.

Omar Akil brings a little international flavor in this week’s installment of PREEM-EAR. Premier lays a classic Primo track for a French cat name Soulkast. Check it out.

PREEM-EAR: SOULKAST “Première salve”

This dude SOULKAST goes in on this track.  Even though I don’t speak a lick of français (minus the two or three times I paid attention in 8th grade French class), you can hear the skill in this MC.  And by lacing him with his signature sound, Preemo gives us good reason to take French rap serious (again – arguably).
Delivery: think French-speaking TWISTA.  Plus, all of the name dropping that Soulkast does on this track is reminiscent of THE GAME  on his 1st album, “The Documentary.”

Enjoy this week’s PREEM-EAR: SOULKAST “Première salve”

Word on the street is Preem is producing the entire album (check the SOULKAST trailer below).

Follow ya boy: @omarakil3
“new rappers is cool but we still bump Biggie” ~ Ortiz, J

Ahh yeah. It’s time for another installment of Omar Akil’s PREEM-EAR where he breaks down a slept on DJ Premier track. This time, it’s Joell Ortiz’ Sing Like Bilal.

PREEM-EAR: JOELL ORTIZ  SING LIKE BILAL

December 7th is officially a target on the calendar.  Look…I’m not ashamed to say that I am a bit like “Stan” (think Eminem), when it comes to anything DJ Premier touches – OLD or NEW.  Great thing is that there is plenty of NEW to keep me from stalking Headquarterz waiting to hear that “real hip hop”.

Back to 12/7/2010 – that’s when Preem drops the compilation GET USED TO US off his Year Round Records label.   It should be some good listening, as the joint is slated to feature music from every member of the Year Round roster, as well as a few others names you might know – Royce Da 5’9, Freddie Foxx, Lady Of Rage, Styles P, Saigon, MC Eight, Grand Puba, and this week’s PREEM-EAR feature, JOELL ORTIZ.

I know, I know….I hit ya’ll with a Joell joint last week, but dammit, there’s another heater burning up the airawves, and the internet: SING LIKE BILAL.  NICE!!!!!  Oh yeah and there’s visuals to accompany your head bop.  The punch lines are bountiful and the title/sample hook is perfectly random.  As you listen, you’re guaranteed to rock the *mean face*.
Enjoy people!!!!

Joell Ortiz Sing Like Bilal

Omar Akil

@omarakil3
“new rappers is cool, but we still bump Biggie” ~ Ortiz, J

The latest installment of PREEM-EAR is here. This week Omar Akil drops a jewel with Joell Ortiz.

PREEM-EAR: Joell Ortiz “Project Boy”
Got another one!  Or should I say Joell got ONE!!!  I’m hoping that, at this point, there is no need to familiarize you all with the rhyme animal that is Joell Ortiz.  Forget repeat, Flex (Funkmaster) has had Joell’s HOT97 (NY) freestyle on continuous loop for a few weeks now.
This week’s PREEM-EAR is extra dope because it includes a visual component.  Joell had a video shot for this joint and its damn good.  The pix match the track exceptionally well, and were executed sans Joell or Preem who only make (well planned) cameos at the end of the vid.

Enjoy this week’s PREEM-EAR selection……

For my OT’ers who don’t have radio access to Funkmaster Flex’s radio show in NY………

Omar Akil (@omarakil3)
“Slightly better than a DJ with a broken fader and no doubles”

Omar Akil drops the latest installment of PREEM-EAR where he breaksdown the most slept on tracks produced by DJ Premier. This week it’s Can’t Tell Me by Khaleel.

PREEM-EAR: Khaleel “Cant’ Tell Me”
The Primo “Stan” strikes again!  Today I dug up a new layer of DJ Premier-laced DIRTy south.  If you pay attention to Preem like I do, then you may already know that his post-Gang Starr offering to hip-hop comes in the form of his own label, called Year Round Records.  The roster is straight underground (NYG’z, BLAQ POET, NICK JAVAS) – at least until one of these acts pops.

One of the newer signees is a brother named Khaleel.  He currently has a few joints floating around the internet.  The track that seems to have been around the longest (late 09), and that I’m feeling the most, is this joint called “Can’t Tell Me.”

Premier has a ridiculous knack for picking rap voices (to work with) that have amazing amounts of character and texture (GURU, JERU, LIL DAP), and he definitely kept the streak alive when decided to sign Khaleel.  Dude’s voice works like a great chaser to some potent ish (insert favorite libation here).

In terms of Khaleel’s flow, think Kurupt.  Plus there are hints of E-40 in his vocal tone and delivery.  His word play/vocab are also pretty fly, and he’s pretty good at riding the beat with his rhymes and hooks.  Khaleel is a great find for Premier, and is a testament to his music perception skills.  I look forward to a full length from this artist.  Check the joints below for now.

Can’t Tell Me (Prod by Preem)

If you’re feelin’ that track, then give yourself a bonus this week.  Hip-Hop statesman, Showbiz does the duty on this one..
Rappin’ Excercise feat. Panchi

Omar Akil (@omarakil3)
“Slightly better than a DJ with a broken fader and no doubles”

DJ Premier is one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time. Ambrosia for Heads contributor Omar Akil is a Primo scholar and fan. Check out the first installment in his weekly column dedicated to Premier.

PREEM-EAR

A DJ Premier track = Rare chopped up sample + ill drum loop + vocal sample as hook (manipulated by turntables).
While Preem has never deviated from this formula (in almost 22 years as a producer), his tracks always, always, always sound different and familiar at the same time.  He has the unique ability to cater his production to whomever he is lacing at the moment.  Take these classic examples: “Ten Crack Commandments” & “Nas Is Like“–same ingredients, but completely different dishes.

With that said, and since I, admittedly, have STAN-like tendencies when it come to Premier, I have chosen to salute the big brother by spotting/spotlighting NEW PREMIER productions.  Partly because, Preem is what I like to call, “Powdered Street Cred (just add water),” when it comes to rounding out a dope hip hop album.  And partly because I appreciate the fact that he is still working and relevant in today’s “follow ‘em” then “forget ‘em” hip hop game.

Understand, DJ Premier needs no accolades from yours truly, but if you check here weekly, I will put you up on what Preem is working on.  Yes he’s working that much. Whether you know about it or not.

This week, check out what he did for Fat Joe’s new album, “THE DARKSIDE VOL 1.”  Track is called “I’m Gone.”  It’s being touted as a Guru tribute track. Salute!

–Omar Akil (@omarakil3)

“Slightly better than a DJ with a broken fader and no doubles”

Hip-hop may not be dead but vinyl officially is. The legendary Fat Beats record store closed on 9/4/10. Check out DJ Premier’s tribute.

The art of DJ’ing lives on through Serato, but for purists who prefer vinyl things just got a little tougher.  Fat Beats record store was a staple of hip-hop in NYC (as well as in LA and Amsterdam) and it closed its doors forever (or at least in that location…) on Saturday, 9/4.  In honor of what the store represented, several well-known DJs turned up to celebrate its legacy on its last day.  Below is DJ Premier’s tribute:

DJ Premier Guru Tribute Mix

Here’s the Guru tribute from the legendary DJ Premier (one of the greats–producer, DJ and person).