Grammy winning DJ and producer 9th Wonder tells the story behind Jay-Z‘s “Threat” and his subsequent ascent as a major producer ten years after the release of The Black Album. The track, which features a flip of R. Kelly‘s “A Woman’s Threat,” required 9th to condense the best elements of the crooner’s ballad into a melodic foil for his boom bap drums and their characteristic East Coast bounce, an absolute requirement of the Brooklyn MC–who by the way announced just today that he is signing his Roc Nation label to a global publishing administration deal with Warner/Chappell Music. The collaboration marked the beginning of 9th’s explosion above ground – having already amassed a cult following as the DJ and producer for N.C. super-group Little Brother. His work on The Black Album was only the tip of the iceberg for 9th, who has since gone on to add college professor at Duke and Harvard to his growing resumé. His appearance on The Black Album was of course followed by a remix of the project called Black is Back and the more recent Black American Gangster – a remix of Jay-Z’s highly acclaimed American Gangster – an album inspired by the 2007 film of the same name.

Shouts to L+T