Preme, (Instagram handle: @prem3__<\/span> <\/a>), is the party god who\u2019s sets are notorious for breathing energy into venues. Whether its his own show or he\u2019s opening for a well known musician, its inevitable that the crowd will rush to the dance floor once he mounts the podium. The musician just made 20 and has already opened for big name artist like Pierre Bourne and Lil Keed. You might also recognize him from DJing two consecutive Summer Smash Festival or the 2020 All Star Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n han : Where are you from ?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIm from Chicago, the south east-side area you know, kinda like 95th and Jeffrey going towards the hundreds. It\u2019s a lot of art and inspiration over east where Herb and all them grewup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n han : And why music ?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI’ve been a music head all my life. I was the rap kid that would look up lyrics and love to decipher albums for fun.\u201d he responded though a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIm 19, but I\u2019m really connected to the Kanye West Generation. I started DJing when I was 12 and fell in love with t-ing people up<\/em> and stuff like that, I love watching them dance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIve been a music head all my life. I was the rap kid that would look up lyrics and love to decipher albums for fun\u201d<\/p>\n -DJ Preme<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n han : What was the Lil Tecca show like?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell they\u2019d announced the show like two months before and I already knew it was a show I\u2019d really, really wanted. And I\u2019ve worked with Lyrical Lemonade and Speaker Box in the past for the Summer Smash Festival so I was already used to big crowds. I don\u2019t have a problem getting shows with bigger name artist who come to Chicago. But I wanted to make sure the Lil Tecca show was something that was just me, something that I\u2019d earned. I remember when I got the call and the guy on the phone says: \u201cYo Preme, you\u2019re doing Lil Tecca tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even when retelling the story Preme\u2019s eyes get wide like he was hearing the news again for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m like oh snap, oh my god, okay, cool. I\u2019d made a post on Twitter and on my IG and everything and it was just nuts. My Twitter and Instagram started going crazy. The show sold out the day of and when I pulled up at the show at 8:00PM the lines were wrapped for two blocks. There is just a crazy difference waiting for the crowd verses when the crowd is already there and they just fill up the place.\u201d He says making grand hand gestures. I love Preme\u2019s philosophy of thinking of DJing as a collaboration, not just a performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c I remember reintroducing myself and telling them \u201d if you give me energy I\u2019ll give ya\u2019ll energy. \u201d After the night was over I went back to my managers and we just looked at videos from me that night, and man. The performance was so different, like I think about that crowd a lot. I usually have crowds that just jump around, but when it came to singing lyrics they sounded like choir, like\u2026 yea. I really liked that aspect. I was up all night thinking about it like: \u201cYo, *laughs* lets run it back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you give me energy\u2013I\u2019ll give ya\u2019ll energy.\u201d<\/p>-DJ Preme<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n han : So, what's you're creative process when you're performing?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI usually introduce myself every set, and I always try to relate to the crowd and play off of feeling. Like at the Lil Tecca show they gave me an hour and thirty and after my initial mix, when I felt the crowd getting stale I did my go to song is Waka Flacka Hard in the Paint<\/em>. And after I get that out the way, *claps hands* \u2014 gone, it was just gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow it can be a random Saturday and I could be opening for my favorite artist.\u201d<\/p>-DJ Preme<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n han : Did you imagine yourself here when you were younger?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMmm.. yea. When I was younger I used to be in my room playing songs and act like I was on stage. Now that I\u2019m actually here and doing it it\u2019s kinda scary, like I used to do this all the time, now it can be a random Saturday and I could be opening for my favorite artist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n han : What do you have planned for 2020?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIm about to start doing my own shows and really just earn opportunity. That\u2019s all I\u2019ve been thinking about lately, earning. A lot of people think because of my associations that stuff gets handed to me, but this shit is not easy. It\u2019s about building your credibility. Like when I performed at Summer Smash they called me last minute because they know I can perform a raw ass show and they know I\u2019m going to be there on time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n han : What is The Preme Night Show? (PNS)<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust getting bring out special guest and doing night show events and making it like it used to be. I\u2019ve been talking to my homie Warhol <\/a>who is back in Chicago and the homie Supabwe <\/a>who I did a show for a couple weeks ago, and thats like my big brother. I also want to do work with Save Money<\/a><\/em> Vic Mensa\u2019s collective and maybe combine all those people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n han : Tell me more about what you mean by: \" Like how the city used to be.\"<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI mean earlier Chicago like 2012 \u2013 2016 when I was really outside. It was crazy because there would be parties and shows every weekend and you\u2019d get to meet people. I remember when Lyrical Lemonade did a Playboi Cardi show and early Lil Pump and early Smoke Purp were there. It was nice because you got a chance to meet these people before they were super rich. I kinda want to bring that back with The Preme Night Show, like the availbilty to link with people who you think are on. I miss that crazy feeling in the streets of Chicago like something was always happening. I want to start the next decade off just raw and organic. I want to bring that old feeling back cause thats when the city is most in its glow, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n han : What values do you hold highest as a musician?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it\u2019s really important to remember where you came from as an artist because a lot of people would not be who they are today without the city. I feel like that is something people forget about too. When I see my friend Cole Bennett<\/a> at an underground party I almost catch myself saying \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d but then I remember he\u2019s like a man of the people. People still trust him with the culture of deciding whats really hot and whats really not and I love that. Sometimes you have to really go back to that to see what people are listening to and wearing and stuff like that. Yea, people can forget that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n han : What is music Betterin?<\/kbd><\/p>\n\n\n\n I would say music is Betterin person.<\/strong> When you see a person live like when I saw Travis Scott or Lil Uzi it makes the music more meaningful you know? I love when people say mimicking voice<\/em> \u201cAwh this was the song that was playing when we first met.\u201d And it\u2019s especially true when you think about the acoustics and sounds, or just defining a year with all your friends, music is always better in Person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Listen to DJ Preme’s Hottest mixes now on SoundCloud:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/betterinprint.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/000486630028-scaled-e1624413651891-1024x565.jpg\")
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