DJ Premier’s Hip Hop 50: Volume 1 EP is the first of 10 to kick off Mass Appeal’s celebration of the genre’s 50th year anniversary which is August 11, 2023. There is a different producer at the helm of each EP DJ Premier is the first one. Subsequent EPs will be released over the year”Remy Rap” featuring Remy Ma and Rapsody is Premier in his boom bap element. Both wordsmiths pulverize the eternal criticism leveled at women rappers with mighty bars that seem to never end. Maya Table is the director and sticks to the rap video blueprint with all three of them filmed against the backdrop of the city. The song and video have the rhythmic impact of a bomb and it all happens in less than three minutes. The EP is nice but “Remy Rap” suggests that Premier may need to work with Remy and Rapsody together again because the appeal begs for more from them. 

[youtube id=”LHdd2f-9dEc”] The album officially comes out Friday (June 15th). Mass Appeal also just inked a distribution deal with Universal so hip-hop fans can expect expansion from the brand starting with Nasir. 

[youtube id=”6jmfsfk00Vo”] Rapture will air March 30th on Netflix. 

[youtube id=”/FJFtl3ftCtg”] DJ Premier recants the story of how his beat ended-up on D’Angelo’s “Devils Pie.” The recording session was a moment of history with J.Dilla, D’Angelo, Questlove and The Alchemist in the studio. The song from D’Angelo’s Voodoo album will forever be associated with Hype Williams’ Belly.