We Goin' IN » DJ Premier

Torae Interview

seven3zero — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:18 +0000

You finished 2011 with a bang, dropping your debut solo album For the Record. How’s 2012 treating you so far?

Oh, man, the year’s going great. We closed out the year with the release and we’re just kind of rolling that same momentum and energy into 2012. We have a lot of videos to shoot and songs to promote. I just came back from Europe. I’m going to get back on the road and really keep pushing. This is a special project to me and I know the shelf-life of a project these days isn’t that long but you can expect to hear stuff on this to midway through the year.

It seems as though a lot of work went into For the Record, so it makes sense to push it as far as you can. Do you feel a lot of music is disposable today and fans don’t enjoy projects as opposed to always looking for the next one?

Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. I think you hit it right on the head with the disposable part. Everybody has Pro Tools now and everybody has a Macbook and everybody has a mic. It’s so easy to create music and it also loses its value when you give it away freely. I don’t want to say I’m a throwback but I put a lot into my project and I want to get a lot out of it. When I put my mind into making an album I really want to push it to the limit. This is one of those projects I plan on working and I’m trying to get it to as many people as possible.

Do you think this is the hardest you’ve ever worked on an album?

I try to put a lot into each one of my releases. I guess it was easier with Double Barrel because I was working with just one producer, Marco Polo. On this one I had to travel to North Carolina to get up with 9^th [Wonder]. I had to get up with Pete and Preem and they have hectic schedules and get to VA to get with Nottz. I definitely put a lot of miles on the car but the creative process is the same. I try to work with like-minded people who are interested in working with me but the creative process is the same. Really, it was a lot of travel, which was different with this one because I didn’t want to shoot back and forth emails and sending files. I really wanted to get in there and play records for people and try to brainstorm and come up with the best possible music. That was really the big difference with this record. I didn’t work with just one producer so I had to run around a little bit more.

Looking at this as your solo debut album, how important was it to limit the guest appearances?

Limiting the guests was just a conscious decision I made. It’s my official debut and I wanted to show that I could put together an album on my own and that I could hold it down on my own and have people just focus on Torae the MC. By limiting the guest features, as far as MCs, I felt they could just focus on what I was bringing to the table instead of focusing on the features. On my first mixtape and Double Barrel, I worked with a lot of my favorites on that, as far as MCs. People heard me on there and I’ve been on projects with a lot of my favs. This time around, I just wanted to showcase what I do and I didn’t really want to share that Pete Rock beat with anybody or that DJ Premier beat with anybody. I wanted to get out there and do my own thing.

You’ve worked with DJ Premier a few times now. What’s it like getting a beat from Preem?

The process is pretty much the same with all three records. We went down to HeadQCourterz while the beat was playing and just caught a vibe and went where the beat was taking me. I didn’t do a lot of revision and rewriting. I like to go back and see what I can fix and lines that I can maybe say something different. Usually with Preem, with his process, he likes to do a lot of punch-in. If it’s one line he wants you to hit over, he’ll kind of direct you. He’s a producer in that aspect in that he produces the record and the vocals as well. But I think every song on that album I put the same amount of effort into as far as making sure the lyrics were right, the hook was right, the mix was right. “For the Record” was actually one of the easier ones. I went back on a couple of other ones but this one, I knew exactly what I wanted to say on the beat, Preem came with the cuts, and it was a go.

You’re shouting out Rony Seikley and Jeru Da Damaja, which was pretty cool.

Yeah, man. I definitely pull my lyrics just from life and life experiences. Whatever comes to mind, really. It’s definitely just me just going. I just go in and on that record, I didn’t want to be too preachy. I just wanted to spit. I was just spitting, just saying witty stuff and catchy lines that people would latch onto. That’s just where I went with it. Not too much thought process, just going in.

You must have been playing some old NBA Jam when you wrote that.

I’m just an NBA fan. Everybody who knows me knows I love basketball. And it’s no diss to Rony Seikley, but he just wasn’t Rony Seikley.

He did better in real life than in the NBA.

Word up. Yeah, Big Ron, Big Rony Seikley.

Are you happy with the response to For the Record so far?

Yeah. Anytime you get a chance to put a project out and have people appreciate it and have it get critical acclaim, I feel like that’s a success in itself. And definitely with the climate and with how the music is now, you don’t have to buy anything and people don’t have to spend money on a project if they don’t want to. Whether I sell one, or 1,000, or 100,000, it’s a success because anybody who bought into the project did it because they wanted to, not because they had to because it’s readily available on the internet. I appreciate every sale. And I put it out myself. There wasn’t a lot of red tape in between everything. I definitely get a lot of the proceeds coming back so it’ll be financially successful anyway because of the way I set my system up.

Do album sales bother you?

Well, it’s not a bother, per se. As an artist, I always feel like any project I put out could do better than it did,. But I’m also a realist and I’m aware of the climate in music and I’m aware that I don’t really have a super-big promotional push and I’m not on a label that’s going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to push a record the way I feel it has to be pushed. I haven’t really looked at the sales. I look at the Twitter and the Facebook and the impact the records are having on the people and that, in itself, is enough for me. It’s a different ballgame. I’m not playing with the same type of advantages that other artists have but I’m taking advantage of what I have and I feel I’m doing all right for myself.

What’s your plans for 2012?

Definitely just continuing to push the album. I’ll be shooting a couple of videos and I’m also going to do a couple of remixes with my favorite MCs, because I did the album without any features. We got the vinyl release coming in February. We’re definitely going to push it. I got out to Europe and I would definitely like to get out to Asia to rock and do a domestic run. Expect to hear a lot about For the Record in the next couple of months because it’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as where we are with it. I wanted to make sure I got it out and now it’s time to promote it and push it out to as many people as possible.

@itstorae

Torae on Facebook

For The Record Torae+Premier=Dopeness

JPizzle — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:42:31 +0000

Torae’s debut LP, “For The Record,” is now available, featuring production from DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, Khrysis, Marco Polo, !llmind, Pete Rock, Diamond D, Buckwild, Nottz, Large Professor, Fatin (and Torae as well). Support the real!

Torae “For The Record” (Produced by DJ Premier)

Reks Adds Extra Hour To The Day

JPizzle — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:30:10 +0000

This makes me excited for Reks’ third LP, R.E.K.S (Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme), which is scheduled to be released on March 8th, 2011 on Showoff/Brick Records.

Nick Javas Gets His Urkel On

JPizzle — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:40:12 +0000

This is an odd new video from Nick Javas. Primo on the boards so the song is of course heat and he reps Jersey so I gotta give it up for him (pause?)

No related posts.

Peace to the Gods and the Earths!

JPizzle — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:59:21 +0000

Just look at the line-up: Preemo, The Teacher and the Great Grand Puba. Nothing More needs to be stated. This is off of DJ Premier’s upcoming Year Round Records compilation.

DJ Premier f/KRS-One & Grand Puba- 5%

Homage To The Classics: Group Home- Supa Star

JPizzle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:07:36 +0000

Group Home’s first album is one of my favorite albums of all time. It proves without question the genius of DJ Premier. He laced two mediocre mcs (although I always thought Lil Dap was dope) with disgustingly ill beats and crafted a classic. Supa Star is just such an example. Also, remember when videos were grimy like this? I miss those days.

Punchline Actually Pays Tribute to Greats

seven3zero — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:01:05 +0000

Punchline, a very accomplished MC, is humble enough to pay tribute to another great, DJ Premier. Not only does Punch prove it’s okay to acknowledge others in the rap game for their accomplishments, he also proves he’s one of the top spitters in the game.

Punchline – Two For One (DJ Premier Tribute)

Homage To The Classics: D&D All Stars- 1,2 Pass It Remix

JPizzle — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:29:19 +0000

This was an epic posse cut coming from the once legendary D&D studios produced by Preemo. This is actually the remix which is less known than the original so I thought I would give that some shine. Krs-One, Mad Lion, Doug E Fresh, Fat Joe, Smif-N-Wessun & Jeru all rip it in their respective styles. Good stuff from all involved.

Homage To The Classics: Bahamadia- Three The Hard Way

JPizzle — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:08:37 +0000

Bahamadia was a beast on the mic! This was my personal favorite track from her debut album “Kollage.” Premier laced these ladies with an ill grimey beat. This is about as raw is it gets video wise too. Straight realness!

Some Thoughts on Blaq Poet’s The Blaqprint

seven3zero — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:46:00 +0000

This album has been a long time coming. With barely any new Screwball music over the past few years and more and more rappers incapable of getting the party started (not the kind with fancy bottles and tight shirts but the kind where M.O.P music is the status quo and getting hit in the face with a bottle is not only happenstance but expected). I guess you know what my bachelor party is gonna look like.

Anyway, The Blaqprint is Blaq Poet and Primo doing what they do best – hard rhymes over murky samples. It’s been a long time since Premier’s done an album with all the production (Gang Starr’s Ownerz being the last) and I didn’t realize how much I missed albums like that until I heard The Blaqprint sampler (and if you want to get technical, Easy Mo Bee and Gemcrates both produced one cut on this 15 track opus). Keep in mind, samplers are the best and worst thing a rapper/producer/label can send out. It’s great because it at least gives you an idea of where the project is going and what it’s about. What’s terrible about it is that if it’s a really dope sampler, you obviously want the whole platter, which you don’t really get without some groveling to the artist/producer/label, and even then it’s no guarantee.

Anyway, here are some early thoughts on Blaq Poet’s The Blaqprint, an album that should definitely, definitely, definitely be copped for all members of your family. Don’t front, you know moms will love it!

“I-Getitin” is not only the standout cut on the album but one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a while. Talk about quotables. Listen to this cut off it (sorry, it’s off his sampler so it’s not the full version):

Blaq Poet – I-Gititin

DJ Premier and Blaq Poet show the chemistry that made them indispensible together on Screwball classics like “F.A.Y.B.A.N.” and “Seen It All” on “Ain’t Nuttin Changed” (by the way, I wish every rapper would spell their tracks the way Poet does). Great video.

Poet drops an emotional cut with “Never Goodbye,” as he takes us through the three-way call with Primo and Marley as they broke the news that his Screwball partner and friend KL had passed away. It wouldn’t do KL or the song justice to play this off a sampler, even though I think it’s the full version, the audio quality isn’t there. Wait for the album to hear this one.

And just because KL passed away, it doesn’t mean his music’s not gonna live on. You’ll get to hear his patented raspy flow on “U Phucc’d Up,” which is the only cut that has a fellow Screwball member on it.

“Voices” has Poet channeling 2Pac with lines like, “Black Panther shit/Mixed with street poetry, I had to hit.” Again, it’s hard to say where he’s going with this, but if I had to go out on a limb I’m guessing the second verse would be to Biggie and the third verse to Pun or Big L. Poet hits us with another dope concept track with “Sichuwayshunz,” where he profiles the state of mind of “a thief, a mobster and a bum.” Here’s the thief’s perspective:

Blaq Poet – Sichuwayshunz

I’m also glad I’m not anywhere near NYC when this project drops because I really don’t know how many liquor stores are gonna get knocked when “Let the Guns Blow” drops. Only one verse here and it’s still better than most albums that drop.

The Blaqprint is a great album. How could it not be? You have 13 out of 15 tracks produced by DJ Premier, hopefully a few are equipped with the classic Primo rants blasting all of us for listening to wack music. Plus how could an album be wack that features KL, Lil’ Fame of M.O.P and the NYGz?

Bonus from the leak two weeks ago:

Blaq Poet feat. N.O.R.E. – Hate

Does N.O. really drink boxed wine?

Blaq Poet Changes Song About Nothing Changing

seven3zero — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:59:59 +0000

Thank you, Blaq Poet! We’re pretty pumped about this one.

Blaq Poet feat. MC Eiht and Malay – Ain’t Nuttin Changed (Remix) (Prod. by DJ Premier)