DJ Premier
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DJ Premier and Cherub are getting down and dirty with their new single and video “My Space Baby,” which is premiering exclusively with Billboard.
The new track lays Cherub’s soulful vocals over a smooth beat by Premier, while the video is set in a junkyard where some ladies eventually decide to wreck havoc on some television sets.
The seemingly unlikely team up between Premier and the electro-indie Nashville duo (Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber) came from an industry connection and some shared influences.
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“Jordan and I were introduced over the phone after my manager put me on to their music” Premier tells Billboard. “This was back in 2014 while I was on the PRhyme Tour during our stop in Houston. I saw their video for ‘Doses and Mimosas’ and immediately knew that, like me, they are crazy in the head; so I totally got it. They are self produced, so they do not use outside producers and I was impressed with how much Jordan knew about Gang Starr’s history and my career, so we linked up after my tour ended.”
Premier says his connection with Kelley and Huber came quickly and was sure to give Huber props for both his musician shipping because he “looks like a ’70s porn star” with his mustache and sideburns.
“We did a demo on the first day in the studio, but no lyrics came to mind,” says Premier. “On day two, I dug for samples and I found this incredible sample called ‘Dark Side Of Religion’ by Sensational Fix and it spoke to us immediately. (Don’t worry the sample is cleared!) I added my drums, bass, keys and scratches and we got another winner in the books. A perfect match!”
“We’ve grown up with records that DJ Premier has produced” Cherub adds. “When Preemo said he had an idea, disappeared into a back room for 15 minutes, then returned with one record to start sampling into his MPC… we knew it was on!”
“My Space Baby” is Premier’s latest collab released on his TTT label, following the Miguel-teamup “2 LOVIN U” earlier this year. Later this month, he will set out on a 16-city tour with his Badder Band starting May 31 at the Distrikt Nightclub in Victoria, British Columbia.
Watch DJ Premier and Cherub’s new “My Space Baby” video here: