DJ Hero is a rhythm video game and a spin-off of the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision worldwide in October 2009 for the PlayStation 2 and 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles. The game is based on turntablism, requiring the use of a special game controller that includes a turntable surface with three buttons, a crossfader bar, and an effects dial, in addition to other controller buttons used to manipulate in-game menus.^[1] In a manner similar to Guitar Hero, players use the turntable controller to mimic the actions of a disc jockey (DJ), such as scratching and crossfading between two different songs, as graphical representations of these actions scroll down on screen towards the player in time with the music.^[1] Unlike previous Guitar Hero games, there is no performance meter, and instead players are simply challenged to obtain the best score possible in order to earn stars (from zero to five for each mix) to unlock new songs, venues, and characters. The player can attempt these songs at one of four difficulties (Easy to Expert), with higher difficulties providing more actions for the player to perform within the song.^[1]

Watch One Bottle Down, Yaar Na Mile and other top chart busters remixed by DJ Chetas. Check out the latest. Which are the most popular songs played by DJs at weddings? To find out, Billboard went to the source: top wedding DJs from across the U.S. We asked DJs from New York to Los Angeles and Washington.

The game's on-disc soundtrack contains 94 mixes, most made from two songs; over 100 individual songs are incorporated into these mixes.^[1] Some mixes feature only a single song mixed with itself. Ten songs on disc include a guitar track that can be played using a Guitar Hero or other compatible controller alongside the DJ mixing player in the game's DJ vs Guitar mode. The game supports additional content through downloadable tracks from the game consoles' respective online stores.^[2] While most on-disc mixes were created by FreeStyleGames, several DJs have contributed mixes to the game, including Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, DJ AM, DJ Z-Trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the Scratch Perverts;^[3] other DJ artists provided future downloadable content.^[2]

On-disc soundtrack[edit]

The on-disc soundtrack contains 93 mixes, each featuring one or two songs. These are arranged across 24 setlists, ordered roughly by difficulty of the mix, with more difficult mixes appearing later in the game.^[1] To access later tiers, the player must earn a pre-set number of stars on previous mixes at any difficulty. All mixes are immediately available to play in the Quickplay and competitive modes. The table below lists the mixes in the game, including the two songs that contribute to their mix as well as their individual artists; the mix artist that created the mix; whether the song is playable in the game's DJ vs Guitar mode; and the career tier in which the song is located.^[4][5]

Reviewers found the on-disc soundtrack to be strong; Daemon Hatfield of IGN believed that 'the entire soundtrack is superb and could easily stand on its own outside the game'.^[1] Matt Helgeson of Game Informer considered it to be one of the 'most adventurous' soundtracks of any music game, and said though it often relied too much on pop hits, it remained true to the spirit of the DJ mix scene.^[6] Johnny Minkley thought the game to have 'vital, varied, surprising and vast musical content' and to be a fresh experience compared to previous music games.^[3] The game did not sell well in the first month after its release; Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica attributed the low sales of the game partially to its soundtrack. While Kuchera felt the soundtrack was good, he asserted that individual songs were unrecognizable because of modifications made to them for the mixes, and that they were more difficult to adjust to within the gameplay itself.^[7]

Downloadable content[edit]

New mixes were added regularly to DJ Hero through downloadable content that could be purchased on the console's respective online stores;^[2] content was made available on the day of the game's release.^[8] Unlike Guitar Hero games' downloadable content, which costs approximately US$2 per track, each mix costs approximately $3 to download because of the additional effort needed to create the mixes.^[2] Furthermore, mixes are provided only as bundles for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 users; the Wii's storefront prevents the selling of bundled packages; instead, each track is offered individually.^[2][9] Critics viewed the lack of individual song selection on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms as a way of limiting consumers' choice, as previous downloadable songs for games such as Guitar Hero allow players on these systems to select individual tracks to purchase from a bundle.^[9][10] The long time between the second downloadable pack (in November 2009) and the third pack (in March 2010) was also believed to be the result of a last-ditch effort by Activision to support the game, and that the few packs released did not meet expectations for the game.^[11] All of the DJ Hero DLC packs (along with the DLC of Guitar Hero, Band Hero) were taken offline on March 31, 2014, and are no longer available for download. However, they can be reinstalled if the player has downloaded any DLC pack before the removal.

^a Song released for the Wii on March 25, 2010.^b Song was free for a limited time.

Unused Mixes[edit]

While the base game contained 93 mixes in total, there were 4 mixes that never made it into the game. These mixes either were at one point planned to be in the game or were confirmed to be part of the song list, but ended up being scrapped during development. These mixes included various songs from Nirvana, Ludacris, Red Hot Chili Peppers and so on.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefHatfield, Daemon (2009-10-26). 'DJ Hero: Renegade Edition Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
2. ^ ^abcdeHatfield, Daemon (2009-10-28). 'DJ Hero DLC Interview'. IGN. Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
3. ^ ^abMinkley, Johnny (2009-10-30). 'DJ Hero Review'. Eurogamer. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
4. ^CVG Staff (2009-07-02). 'Dizzee Rascal joins DJ Hero'. Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
5. ^Johnston, Stephan (2009-05-15). 'Tons Of 'DJ Hero' Details Revealed'. G4TV. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
6. ^Helgeson, Matt (2009-10-27). 'DJ Hero'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
7. ^Kuchera, Ben (2009-11-15). 'Innovating problems: why DJ Hero flopped'. Ars Technica. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
8. ^ ^abcdefFaylor, Chris (2009-10-30). 'November's Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero DLC Detailed'. Shacknews. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
9. ^ ^abKlepek, Patrick (2009-11-04). 'How DJ Hero's Downloadable Content Limits True Consumer Choice'. G4TV. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
10. ^Mastrapa, Gus (2009-10-29). 'Hands On: Queen vs. 50 Cent in DJ Hero DLC'. Wired. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
11. ^Mastrapa, Gus (2010-03-18). 'New DJ Hero Downloads, Four Months Later'. Wired. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
12. ^ ^abcBrudvig, Eric (2010-03-09). 'DJ Hero Adds Jay-Z Eminem Mixes'. IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
13. ^ ^abcMcElroy, Griffin (2010-04-24). 'DJ Hero getting challenging track pack next week'. Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2010-04-26. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
14. ^Bramwell, Tom (2010-06-08). 'DJ Hero 2 due out this autumn'. Eurogamer. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
15. ^'DJ Hero mixes Nirvana with Rick James'. MusicRadar. Retrieved 2018-11-25.

External links[edit]

Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966),^[1] known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ, and was half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr—alongside the emcee Guru—and forms half of the hip hop duo PRhyme, together with Royce da 5'9'.

Early life[edit]

Christopher Edward Martin was born in the Fifth Ward of Houston, Texas on March 21, 1966. He was then raised in Prairie View, Texas, before moving to Brooklyn, New York, during his teenage years.^[2] He attended Prairie View A&M University, where he honed his musical skills as the campus DJ, and he also occasionally performed with the Marching Storm band.^[3]

Musical career[edit]

Premier is known for producing all of Gang Starr's songs as well as many of those composed by the Gang Starr Foundation. Notable artists he has worked with include Anderson .Paak, AZ, Big Daddy Kane, Big L, Blaq Poet, Bun B, Canibus, Christina Aguilera, Common, D'Angelo, Dilated Peoples, D.I.T.C., Dr. Dre, Fat Joe, Game, Ill Bill, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Joey Bada$$, Kanye West, KRS-One, The Lady of Rage, Limp Bizkit, Lord Finesse, The LOX, Ludacris, Mac Miller, Mobb Deep, M.O.P., Mos Def, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., O.C., Papoose, Rakim, Royce da 5'9', Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and more.^[1]

Premier collaborated with MC Jeru the Damaja on the album The Sun Rises in the East, released in 1994, as well as the 1996 follow-up, Wrath of the Math. Premier produced and supervised Livin' Proof by Group Home, also from the Gang Starr Foundation; although overlooked at the time of its 1995 release, the album eventually received acclaim.^[1]

In 2006, pop/R&B singer Christina Aguilera recruited Premier to produce her album Back to Basics.^[4] Premier explained the reservations he heard from people regarding the collaboration:^[5]

Game psp android. The lifespan of the system lasted for more than a decade, with lots of other newer versions of it released between the year 2005 and 2011.

When Christina [Aguilera] had me work with her, people were like, 'Oh no. Please don’t.' Then when they heard 'Ain’t No Other Man,' 'Back In The Day,' and all the other records were still constructed like Premier tracks they were like, 'Yo, I really love this album. I was really impressed. I was worried, but you totally sound like what we love about you.' Until you hear it, don’t say a word. I never want to be just attached to hip hop. I want to be attached to music—country, rap, soul, jazz, blues, it doesn’t matter, gospel music—I come from all of that.

In 2008, Premier appeared in Grand Theft Auto IV as himself - the host for radio station The Classics 104.1.

Premier produced the majority of Blaq Poet's Tha Blaqprint, which was released in mid-2009.^[3] Premier contributed a song on Game's 2011 album, The R.E.D. Album.^[6] Also in 2011, Premier appeared on the song 'Gangster', on Bushido's album Jenseits von Gut und Böse.^[7]

Premier was one of the artists followed in the 2012 documentary, Re:GENERATION. The film followed his production of the song 'Regeneration,' for which he used a live performance of his work by the Berklee Symphony Orchestra.^[8]

In September 2012, Immortal Technique said that a song called 'Born in the Trap,' on his upcoming album, titled The Middle Passage, would feature production by Premier.^[9]

In early 2014, Premier revealed that he is working with Aguilera again in an interview with New Zealand's Rip It Up magazine.^[10] Premier produced Y'all Ready Know by Slaughterhouse, from the Shady Records album, Shady XV, and the music video was published in November 2014.^[11]

In mid-2014, Premier collaborated with Korean hip-hop group Dynamic Duo on two singles 'AEAO' and 'Animal', which were both warmly received.^[12]

A mid-January 2015 announcement from Premier stated that the producer's studio, D&D, also known as 'The HeadQcouterz,' will cease to be operational. As part of the announcement, Premier confirmed that he is working on the album, Last Session @320, after he relocates to a recording space in Astoria, New York City, U.S.^[13]

DJ Premier hosts a weekly two-hour show, Live From HeadQCourterz, on Sirius Satellite Radio's Hip-Hop Nation.^{[citation needed][when?]}

DJ Premier served as one of the three curators for the soundtrack to the video game NBA 2K16, alongside DJ Khaled and DJ Mustard.^[14]

Collaborations[edit]

The early line-up of the Gang Starr Foundation in the mid-1990s included Jeru the Damaja, Group Home, Big Shug, and Gang Starr. Premier was fully responsible for the production of Jeru the Damaja's first two albums, The Sun Rises in the East and Wrath of the Math. Jeru released three subsequent albums that did not include Premier's involvement.^[1] In terms of his Group Home collaboration, Premier commented in a 2003 interview: 'They [Group Home] don't respect what fed them.' He further explained that he only agreed to produce the track 'The Legacy' because of Guru's involvement.^[15]

Other artists closely tied to the Gang Starr Foundation who Premier collaborated with include: Afu Ra, Bahamadia,^[16]Krumbsnatcha,^[17] Big Shug,^[18] Smiley the Ghetto Child,^[19] and NYGz.^[20]

Afu Ra explained Premier's influence in a September 2014 interview with the 'Lyrically Fit' website:^[21]

Premier definitely coached me when I was in the booth. 'harder.stronger.more this.more that'—I was an untamed artist and rapping next to recording your vocals are different. He gave me this knowledge through the work we did.

Besides the Gang Starr Foundation, Premier is closely affiliated with M.O.P., which he names as one of his all-time favorite groups. The relationship started with the remix of “Rugged, Neva Smoove” in 1994, a single from the group's first album, which also included the exclusive B-side “Downtown Swinga.” From then, Premier produced about one-third of the songs on each subsequent album and overseeing and mixing the projects. On M.O.P.'s 2009 Foundation album, Premier provided only one track, which was called 'What I Wanna B.'

On May 16th, 2019, DJ Premier released a collaboration with Buffalo, New York rappers Conway The Machine, Westside Gunn, and Benny the Butcher, called 'Headlines.'

Style and influences[edit]

DJ Premier's style of production epitomizes the New York sound of his earlier peers. He is known for samplingjazz, funk, and soul artists, as well as sampling an artist's past work when creating a new track for that same artist. For example, on Jay-Z's 'So Ghetto', from the 1999 album Vol. 3.. Life and Times of S. Carter, Premier samples an older Jay-Z song, 1997's 'Who You Wit II'.^[22] In addition, his encyclopedic memory of hip-hop lyrics allows him to distinctively speak with his hands by scratching in lyrics from several different songs to construct new phrases.^[23] Premier's beats are known for his oft-imitated combinations of short vocal samples, often from multiple artists, to create a chorus. Premier has also experimented with atonal samples that are not confined to soul, jazz, and funk. For example, he sampled and chopped up seminal electro-acoustic music from the 1960s on the track “Physical Stamina” by Jeru the Damaja.

Bewafai video song. Singer Agam Kumar Nigam was till now known as Sonu Nigam's father, due to his son's widespread popularity. But after the release of his debut album Uski Yaadon Mein. Aug 19, 2013  Ishq Na Karna (Sad Songs Medley) - Full HD Video Song - Phir Bewafai. 5 years ago 281.6K views. Song: Ishq Na Karna Medley Album: Phir Bewafai Singer: Agam Kumar Nigam, Tulsi Kumar. Ishq Na Karna (Sad Songs Medley) - Full HD Video Song. Play next; Play now; Talib hussain dard punjabi songs,Sara jag bewafa koi kese da vi nhi - YouTube.FLV tahir abbas janj.

In an interview with XXL Magazine, DJ Premier was asked how his sound evolved, to which he replied, 'Marley Marl is my number-one inspiration. Jam Master Jay, Mix Master Ice, and UTFO. Grandmaster D, and Whodini. DJ Cheese, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa. Jazzy Jay—even Cut Creator. Seeing them do what they do. It’s black music, it’s black culture, it comes from the ghetto. How can you not relate to ghetto people when that’s the rawest form of blackness? Even though it’s not a good place in regards to the economy and how bad people have it in the neighborhood, the realism’s there, and that’s what we were born out of. So I very much pay respect by doing the same type of music in return.'^[24] DJ Premier attended Prairie View A&M University and may have been influenced by the musical atmosphere at the university while serving as the campus DJ and occasional performer with the world-famous Marching Storm band.^[3]

Business career[edit]

As a businessman, DJ Premier has his own record company named Year Round Records. Among its artists are New York group NYGz, New Jersey rapper Nick Javas, and Houston rapper Khaleel. Tha Blaqprint by Blaq Poet, which features 13 Premier productions, was released by Year Round Records through Fat Beats Records in June 2009.^[3]

Legacy[edit]

For its 20th-anniversary issue in 2008, The Source selected DJ Premier for its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's history.^[25] He also made the finals in Vibe magazine's 2010 search for the greatest hip hop producer of all time—he finished second after Dr. Dre received 62 percent of the votes.^[26]

Personal life[edit]

DJ Premier has lived in Brooklyn for much of his professional career.

Discography[edit]

• DJ Premier Presents Get Used To Us (2010)
• Kolexxxion(with Bumpy Knuckles) (2012)
• PRhyme(with Royce da 5'9') (2014)
• PRhyme 2(with Royce da 5'9') (2018)
• Headlines(With Conway The Machine, Westside Gunn, and Benny the Butcher) (2019)

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdJohn Bush. 'DJ Premier Biography'. Allmusic.com. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
2. ^'DJ Premier'. redbullmusicacademy.com. Red Bull Music Academy Daily. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
3. ^ ^abcdAmbrose, Patrick (September 2009). 'DJ Premier: Hope to the Underground'. The Morning News. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
4. ^'DJ Premier Reuniting With Christina Aguilera On Her New Album'. The Urban Daily. Interactive One. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
5. ^Gabrielle Nicole Pharms (12 May 2014). 'DJ Premier Talks Legacy, Production, and Nas Collabo Album'. Life + Times. Life + Times. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
6. ^'Game* – The R.E.D. Album'. Game on Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
7. ^'Bushido (2) – Jenseits Von Gut Und Böse'. Bushido (2) on Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
8. ^Hunter Daniels (2011). 'DJ Premier Talks RE:GENERATION MUSIC PROJECT'. Collider. Complex Media. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
9. ^'Immortal Technique Gives Middle Passage Update — Paid Dues 2013'(Video upload). Fuse on YouTube. Google Inc. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
10. ^gimantalon (8 May 2014). 'DJ PREMIER WORKING WITH CHRISTINA AGUILERA AGAIN'. DJ Premier Blog. DJ Premier Blog. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
11. ^'Slaughterhouse — Y'all Ready Know'(Video upload). slaughterhouseVEVO on YouTube. Google Inc. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
12. ^Oak, Jessica. 'Dynamic Duo Team With DJ Premier for 'A Giant Step' Album, Korean Showcase'. Billboard.
13. ^Patrick Lyons (13 January 2015). 'DJ Premier Shutters Studio, Announces New Album 'Last Session @320''. Hot New Hip Hop. Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
14. ^Makuch, Eddie (July 9, 2015). 'NBA 2K16 Has 50+ Song Soundtrack Curated By DJ Khaled, DJ Premier, DJ Mustard'. GameSpot. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
15. ^TheFormula.com (posted by organik) (6 April 2003). 'DJ Premier Interview'(Message board). Tribe. Tribe Communications, Inc. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
16. ^Steven J. Horowitz (2 June 2011). 'Bahamadia Announces Fourth Album 'HERE,' Features Foreign Exchange'. Hip Hop DX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
17. ^'Hip-Hop, Rap Interviews : Krumbsnatcha'. Riotsound.com. Riotsound. 2002–2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
18. ^Slava Kuperstein (26 April 2010). 'DJ Premier, Big Shug Speak On Guru'. Hip Hop DX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
19. ^Justin Ivey (24 February 2010). 'Smiley The Ghetto Child: I'm Legend [prod by DJ Premier]'. Kevin Nottingham. kevinnottingham.com. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
20. ^'Hip-Hop, Rap Interviews : NYG'z'. Riotsound.com. Riotsound. 2002–2009. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
21. ^Dread Solo (29 September 2014). 'Afu-Ra Recalls Early Days w/ Dj Premier, Martial Arts & His Classic 'Body of The Life Force' Album'. Lyrically Fit. Lyrically Fit. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
22. ^Jay Z's So Ghetto sample of Jay-Z's Who You Wit II
23. ^Exclaim! Canada's Music AuthorityArchived 2006-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
24. ^'FEATURES. DJ Premier: Remedy'. XXL. 21 November 2006.
25. ^JLBarrow (19 August 2008). 'Source Mag Picks Twenty Greatest Producers'. NodFactor.com. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
26. ^'Dr. Dre Is VIBE's Greatest Producer Of All Time, Speaks On Win'. Vibe. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2014.

External links[edit]

• DJ Premier at AllMusic
• DJ Premier discography at Discogs