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Live Review: DJ Premier w/ Flipout and J-Swing, Oct. 28th, Vancouver, B.C.

October 30th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Live, Shooting Gallery by Editor in Chief

Live Review – DJ Premier featuring Flipout and J-Swing
Thursday, Oct 28th, 2010
Bar None, Vancouver, BC

Given the still recent passing of the legendary Guru, and Premier’s comments in the latest issue of the Georgia Straight, expectations were definitely high as a capacity crowd filled Bar None early in the night. An overabundance of males (and Ed Hardy gear…) combined with Bar None’s somewhat inefficient use of space established a machismo heavy vibe early in the night – appropriate perhaps for the Boom Bap to come, but ironic in that this was a new generation of mostly white suburban twenty-somethings more accustomed to the neo-pop stylings of the Beat 94.5 than the Golden Era blueprints laid down by the one and only DJ Premier.

Perhaps this is just a mirror of the late 90′s reality, where Hardcore Hip Hop crossed over into the mainstream, thanks largely to just such a demographic, and while privileged kids may not identify with the origins of the music, they are just as dedicated to the experience of vicarious danger and to mimicking fashions already out of date in the ‘hood.

As the hosts of the evening, resident DJ’s Flipout and J-Swing dropped a reasonable assortment of current top 40 hits mixed with Golden Era beats, specializing in clever mashups to elicit that knowing wink, J-Swing’s skills in beat juggling and cross-fader scratching pushed the envelope and lifted the crowd to higher levels.

As for the man of the hour, Premo took residence at the ones and twos, the audience knew they were in the presence of a foundational keystone in the edifice of Hip Hop, for beyond his timeless work with Guru in Gangstarr, Premier has also provided soundscapes for popstars such as Christina Aguilera, and beats for everyone from Jay-Z to DMX in his career. As one of the foremost exponents of the art of sample-based music, Premier has literally paved the way for all other beatmakers to come – both those who have followed the cut-and-paste path of the sampler, and those who have moved beyond it due to the legal repurcussions that have followed in the wake of the 90′s.

Exhibiting skills worthy of the name, Premier dropped a selection of Gang Starr classics, as well as some tasty samples of his forthcoming Year Round Records project and the soon to be released “Get Used To Us” collection, featuring the finest MC’s from the New and Old School. DJ Premier is definitely a rarity in the post-millennial Hip Hop landscape – a tried and true proponent of Old School techniques who has managed to remain both current and cutting edge. The fact that such a young crowd not only respected, but literally paid reverence to the man and his legacy is testament to his guaranteed immortality in the canon of Hip Hop.

With the unseen presence of Guru dwelling omnipresent in the crowd as his recorded voice filled the room, a new generation gave tribute to one of the pillars of what is now a global culture.

myspace.com/djpremier

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

VIEW OUR SHOOTING GALLERY OF DJ PREMIER

All Photos By Jamie Sands | jsandsphotography.com

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ABORT MAGAZINE’s DJ Premier: Live In Vancouver! photoset

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