DJ Premier: "He Didn't Just Sit There and Sulk"

"I used to see Arty perform -- he reminded me of Method Man because he would just yank his hat off and be all over the place and his hair would be some crazy hair do," Premo told SOHH. "He would act like he was having a tantrum on stage and he was just so animated, it went with his rhyme style. So I was always a fan of his."

After allowing Arty's rap associate Showbiz to rent out a room at his studio, the producer developed a close relationship with the crew and noticed Arty's health conditions gradually worsen.

"I saw him when he was sick, and you know, we didn't really get too deep into discussion, but I knew he wasn't doing well" Premo explained.

Premo recalls the last meeting with Arty, just before going to Europe for the "Rock The Bells" tour last October. "I knew he was doing worse, I saw him right before I left, gave him a hug and, you know, told him I loved him and just kept it moving," he added. "But I didn't know it was so severe that he was pretty much brain dead for the last four days before he passed on December 4."

Admitting the family felt the best decision was to pull the life support system, Premo revealed Arty's desire to continue his legacy via hip-hop.

"One thing I like about what Arty and what J Dilla did was they put themselves to work," he revealed. "They didn't just sit there and sulk and cry, they went in there and worked in the studio."

Helping carry on Arty's memory, Premier expects to release some of the late rapper's music in the future.

Source: SOHH