DJ Premier, or “Premo” to his hyped fans, has entered the building. But he’s making us wait for it. The decks are heated by local DJs Tappa and Murder He Wrote, following which main support Statik Selektah takes over. Surprisingly for someone Premier’s taken on an international tour, there’s not much original or interesting about Statik Selektah’s set: it’s a bit Greatest Hip Hop Hits Ever 2. Whilst this is well-received for a while, he plays for over 80 minutes, meaning Premier doesn’t start his set until much later than anticipated. For a mid-week over-14s show this isn’t ideal but adds to the growing rowdiness and anticipation.

Premier’s production discography is startlingly vast: from Christina Aquilera to The Notorious B.I.G., if an artist has released anything as much as breathed on by hip hop in the past thirty years it’s likely to be linked back to him somehow. As the instrumental half of Gang Starr he was highly influential, and this was ably evidenced in his set which included numerous Gang Starr classics including ‘Mass Appeal’. Interspersing these with modern new jams, Premier weaves a set that’s exciting, laden with recognisable samples and beats, and utterly relevant.

For many esteemed musicians with a lengthy service at the top of their game, dedicated and long-in-the-tooth fans come as part of the success package. Young, enthusiastic teenagers tend not to. This isn’t the case for DJ Premier, whose audience includes people who can’t have been born when he started his musical career. This ability to cross decades and remain fresh is something that’s defined Premier’s career, and he’s not slowing down yet.

Concorde2, Thursday 7th March 2013
Words by Jessica Marshall McHattie
Photo by Dan Memory Lane