DJ Premier Pays Tribute To Larry Smith On “The Halftime Show”

Earlier this month on Dec. 19, legendary producer Larry Smith passed away. Smith, a co-writer on Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks," was instrumental—often literally—in hip-hop's formative years, playing on and producing songs for many Golden Age pioneers. Often cited as the first musician to bring the electric guitar to rap, Smith had previously suffered a stroke in 2007.

To honor Smith, DJ Eclipse's WNYU-hosted "The Halftime Show" held a special episode, playing two-and-a-half hours of the producer's greatest hits. The show began with Whodini's "One Love" and Run-DMC's "You're Blind," and went on to cover the legendary producer's career, with tributes coming from Spyder-D and Smith's son, Larry Jr. The former recounted the studio session that spawned Run-DMC's "Rock Box," the latter detailed his father's declining health.

DJ Premier even called into the show; during his interview, Preemo spoke on Smith's refusal to sample and his influence in the genre. Additionally, Premier suggested the possibility of holding a fundraiser to aid Smith's family.

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