Check This: “Nas Is Like;” Nas and DJ Premier

By Amir Said On Jan 30, 2010

Chopping and Drumwork Again Sets DJ Premier Apart

By Amir Said (Sa’id)

The genius of the “Nas Is Like” beat comes down to how DJ Premier chopped up an otherwise light and soft harp-violin sample, and juxtaposed it with a hard 3-note bass line and a hungry drum framework.

Nas – “Nas Is Like;” produced by DJ Premier
(Easily one of my top seven favorite hip hop/rap songs of all time.)

Amir Said

Amir Said (Said) is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of BeatTips. A writer, publisher, and beatmaker/rapper from New York now living in Paris. Said is a co-founder of the publishing company Superchamp Books and the author of a number of books, including: ‘The BeatTips Manual,’ ‘The Art of Sampling,’ and ‘The Truth About New York.’ He is also a recording artist whose made a number of music projects, including his latest album 'The Best of Times.' Follow him on Twitter at: @amirsaid and @BeatTipsManual

Big Influence: Teddy Pendergrass

Liner Notes: “Loves Gonna Get’cha (Material Love),” BDP

1 Comment

TheFawlty says 15 years ago

I love to sample strings- quartets are my favorite. Lots of happy accidents, built-in bass suggestions, etc. String chops are great for a beginner like me because there are few rhythm or filtering challenges. And as Premier demonstrates they can also work magic for an experienced master.

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