Hip-hop Greats Dig the Standards

9th Wonder, Pete Rock, and DJ Premier are three of the biggest names in hip-hop, and have worked with some truly impressive acts. 9th Wonder, Hiphop archive fellow at Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois institute for African and African-American Research, has worked with heavy hitters like Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, and Drake; the world-renowned Pete Rock has worked with some of the biggest names in classic hip-hop like Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., and Public Enemy; and DJ Premier, who has been featured in countless greatest hip-hop producers lists, has worked with a wide range of artists, from Kanye West to Snoop Dogg to Christina Aguilera. These three hip-hop giants were the centerpiece of the event “Digging the Music of Hiphop: These are the standards” last Wednesday, which was sponsored by the Hiphop Archive at Harvard. The discussion was held in Memorial Church encompassed a variety of topics in hip-hop, including its evolution, its cultural significance, and the artistic inspirations of the revered panelists.

To open the panel discussion, Marcyliena Morgan, professor of African and African American studies and executive director of the Hiphop Archive, explained why hip-hop and its DJs carry the weight that they do in the African American community. “When we think about mixing, when we think about the idea of freestyle, when we think about producers and DJs, we’re thinking about people who are reimagining, recreating, reformulating, and also helping us to remember, to make sure we have a way of reaching back.” Though Morgan framed the event as a grandiose examination of hip-hop, 9th Wonder, who served as both the host and a panelist, then guided the conversation in a more personal direction. This catalyzed the producers recounting interesting stories, including how they got their hip-hop starts and their most memorable moments once in the hip-hop industry.

Perhaps one of the most notable of these stories was that of Pete Rock, who met James Brown at the age of seven. “When he shook my hand, he told me, ‘God bless you,’ and he passed on the funk to me. I wasn’t the same after that,” Rock said. Rock also described his experience with Jay-Z and the interaction between the star rapper’s perfectionism and imperiousness. Early on in Jay-Z’s career, Rock, who was at a recording, questioned the delivery of one of the verses. Though Jay-Z was quite adamant that his rapping was flawless, he eventually caved, abandoning his pride in favor of a better track.

Though hearing about colossi of musicians like Jay-Z and James Brown was engaging, the parts of the event that received the most reactions from the audience were the musical insertions. As songs were brought up in the conversation, 9th Wonder would cue them up on his computer, and the audience was unmistakably responsive. Only a few were able to resist the ubiquity of the head bob as some of the best beats that Hiphop has ever heard reverberated in Memorial Church.

After a series of audience questions, the event concluded with each of the panelists explaining the new projects that he was working on as well as possible new career paths. Pete Rock revealed that he is working on an album with Roy Ayers, as well as other collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and others. DJ Premier’s biggest name drop was LL Cool J. Rock then added on a few more: “I’ve got Joey Badass that I’m working with, as well; Robert Glasper, he’s a jazz pianist; and Mos Def.”

9th Wonder said his current interest lies in the Jamla Records imprint of his music group and that he was particularly excited about working with Rapsody, a highly acclaimed female rapper. He also would like to make further pursuits as a Harvard fellow. “I want to be tied to this university as far as making a way to start an institution for hip-hop.”