Aug 21, 2017 | Abby O'Neill | Threetime Grammy winner DJ Premier, one of the definitive architects of New York hiphop, brought a new type of life to NPR's Tiny Desk: our first concert helmed by a DJ.

A packed house of headnodding journalists grooved through their lunch hour to a ninesong medley of iconic Premier productions while decompressing from the unrelenting grind of the news cycle. The set list rested on the undeniable footprint of Preemo's classics, but this was more than just another DJ mix. His touring outfit, The Badder Band, overlaid Premier's blends with an undulating electric bass courtesy of Brady Watt, a steady accent on the one from drummer Lenny "The Ox" Reece and boisterous horns from Mark Williams and Jonathan Powell.

But it was Premier who remained frontandcenter, commanding the crowd like a true party rocker. With throwbacks ranging from Gangstarr's "Step into the Arena" to an amped rendition of Jeru The Damaja's "Da Bitches," embellished by The Badder's jazzy horns, Preemo concluded the set with a "Moment of Truth," featuring the exalted rhymes of his posthumous Gangstarr partner, Guru.

Tiny Desk concerts are short by design, so naturally the format could barely scratch the surface of Premier's vault of street anthems, done for the likes of the Notorious B.I.G., JAYZ, Nas, Kanye West, Big L, M.O.P., Mos Def, Group Home, Jeru the Damaja, AZ, Snoop Dogg, and many more. Even after a career spanning almost three decades, the man born Christopher Martin has managed to stay authentic to his analog grit and samplechopping integrity, as if he were still an underdog.

SET LIST

"Premier Production Medley"

KRSOne "KRSOne Attacks"
KRSOne "MC's Act Like They Don't Know"
Das Efx "Real HipHop"
Nas "Nas Is Like"
Jeru The Damaja "Da Bichez"
Gang Starr "Step In The Arena"
Gang Starr feat. M.O.P. "1/2 & 1/2"
Royce Da 5'9 "Boom"
Gang Starr "Moment Of Truth"

Musicians
DJ Premier (producer); Brady Watt (bass); Mark Williams (trombone); Lenny "The Ox" Reece (drums); Jonathan Powell (trumpet).

Credits
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Bob Boilen, Niki Walker, Morgan Noelle Smith; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Kara Frame, Colin Marshall; Photo: Liam James Doyle/NPR.

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