Holdin' Down The Culture
Ever since DJ D-Nice set of the Live scene since the start of the Coronavirus-era we then began to witness other DJs spinning good raps. There were questions as to whether or not IG would allow the DJs to spin, what is technically speaking, copyright protected material but IG CEO Adam Mosseri seems to have found a way to bob-and-weave the matter for now. Producers then started battling one another on Live (including Scott Storch vs. Mannie Fresh).
Tonight’s battle is not your typical battle. For all the setbacks of the Corona-era, tonight’s battle of The RZA vs. DJ Premier is one for the ages. Two icons competing against one another. RZA explained to Complex by phone,
“This is kind of like a sporting event…You’ve seen the flyer. You got Godzilla and King Kong, yo. Goliaths, man. This is mammoth.”
The RZA further explains that Swizz Beats reached out to him about the matter and this is something he and Preemo are doing for The Culture.
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RZA explains, “[DJ] Premier was already famous for what he was doing before I was able to break into the industry. I was an unknown producer trying to get my feet on the ground, and I was hanging out with him in East New York [Brooklyn], with Masta Killa and GZA, all from the same hood and sh*t. Or hanging out at [Jazz legend] Branford Marsalis’ house.”
RZA continues, “Let me just say something about me: I’ve been kind of out of the culture, musically, in a sense. You don’t hear a lot of production from me, a lot of songs. You see me making movies, making TV series. I’ve taken my energy, and I sought to expand hip-hop culture through film and TV. That seems to be my trajectory, and that’s what I’m doing.”
“I’m not in the game every day. I can’t go up and tell you the top 10 songs right now, because my days are spent studying film. I got a whole writer’s room of eight people and I’m the show runner. So my days are spent in a totally different world.”
“But hip-hop culture is the foundation that got me to this level in my life. So when Swizz says, ‘This is for the culture,’ I was like, ‘All right. No problem, dog.’ I’m doing it for the culture of hip-hop, and whatever happens, happens. “
“The culture is the foundation for so many of our lives, and so much of our business. When you start looking at some of our top comedians, some of our top actors, some of our top films, hip-hop is the foundation to it. So I’m giving back to the culture.”
When RZA is asked his favorite Preemo track he responds with Nas’ debut album track ‘NY State Of Mind.’
When asked if he’ll play any unreleased tracks The Abbott of The Wu-Tang Clan responds by stating,
“I got to talk to Swizz to get all the rules and regulations of this sh*t, yo. But I actually got some ODB stuff that nobody has. I wonder if I could play that sh*t. I guess there’s probably some legalities to this sh*t. A lot of things that I got to be conscious of. We got a call tomorrow [Friday]. In a boxing fight, they tell you the rules in the dressing room. So I guess they’ll get me in a dressing room, and they’ll tell me all the rules. No kicking in the nuts, protect yourself at all times, you know what I mean?”
Tonight’s RZA/ DJ Premier battle will take place at 9pm NY Time/6pm LA Time/ 2am London Time on DJ Premier and RZA’s Ig pages
