DJ Premier has produced a lot of classic material over his career, and right at the top of the list is D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” from Voodoo.
Gang Starr and D’Angelo were labelmates, so Premo was already cool with him from the jump. The beat for “Devil’s Pie” actually came from a Canibus session that didn’t work out, but when D heard it, he wanted it instantly and cut the record the next day. In that session was Premo and D, as well as J Dilla and a young Alchemist, so there was no shortage of genius in the room that day. The song later earned Premo a Grammy, too.
Ah, to be a fly on the wall the day.
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