Hip-hop’s go-to producer Pi’erre Bourne picks ten moments of pure musical perfection
The producer rapper on music that hits him where it heals.
Music
Words: Amy Francombe
Photography: Saffi Ullah
“Yo Pi’erre, you wanna come out?”
It’s a tag familiar to many of the biggest tracks of the last few years, from Playboi Carti’s breakout Magnolia to 6ix9ine’s chart climbing hit Gummo.
A stamp of approval that indicates the South Carolina-born producer’s handiwork, the adlib has become synonymous with his distinctive use of cackling hi-hats and fizzy, scintillating synths. It’s a trademark production style that has made the man born Jordan Timothy Jenks one of the most sought after hip-hop producers of the last three years.
Aside from production work, Bourne has dropped several feverishly received rap projects, including his mixtape series The Life of Pi’erre and album Sli’merre, which he worked on with his earliest collaborator Young Nudy.
As the CEO of his own imprint SossHouse, he regularly lends both his beats and bars to label signees Jelly, Sharc and Chavo – three up-and-coming rappers who share his knack for infectious trap-laced tunes.
“I know when something sounds good and when something sounds bad,” explains Pi’erre ahead of his sold-out Village Underground on 19th Feburary. “It’s about whether a song makes me gravitate towards it. It’s like a feeling inside – a personal connection.”
Common – The Light
When I was a kid this was the first song that made me fall in love with music. I didn’t understand the stuff he was saying because I was just a kid but as I kept listening to it I started understanding the things he was rapping about. Mainly, why the love of his life is so important.
Nas featuring Amy Winehouse – Cherry Wine
Nas used to be my favourite rapper. I’m kind of biased because my family is from Queens, and he’s from Queens. Nas put out an album when he got divorced and I was going through a lot at the time. It also came out when I was staying in Queens at the time and the whole neighbourhood started playing it – that was very special.
Erykah Badu – Didn’t Cha Know
It just feels good, I don’t know how to explain it. It makes me feel better if I’m down. It’s very therapeutic music.
Young Guns featuring Rell – No Better Love
It’s an old song. It’s a song I heard when I was a kid. That song makes me feel good, too.
Playboi Carti – Let It Go
The day he did this song was the first time I met Carti. When I met him I was kind of nervous about what beat to play. I had actually done a song on the beat to Let It Go, but I was willing to throw that away because I knew he would like the beat. He loved it and started rapping straight away. There’s actually a YouTube clip of him making it, and it’s us in the studio and you can really see the beginning of that song. It’s really special to me because it’s the beginning of it all. The first day really solidified us working more.
Future – Codeine Crazy
This song is incredible. I still haven’t worked with Future yet but hopefully one day. He just went crazy on this. He was just pouring out his feelings and his thoughts.
Jelly featuring Sharc & Chavo – Penthouse
The reason why I like this song so much is because I didn’t produce it. I had nothing to do with it and it’s really hard. That’s rare when it comes to me and my artists because I’m so hands on. I kind of feel bad that I didn’t make the beat, to be honest. I wish I had the session so I could be like, “Alright, that’s a whole gang moment.”
Young Nudy – Hell Shell
I didn’t think Young Nuddy was going to pick the Hell Shell beat because I kind of wanted to use it. When he picked it I was like, “Well, guess I won’t be rapping on that beat.” But when he made the song I was like, “Dude, this is hard.”
21 Savage & Metro Boomin’ –Ocean Drive
I’m a fan of Savage Mode and I’m not a fan of too many artist’s projects. I saw the process from the outside in when they were working in Atlanta as my studio is literally down the street from the studio they were working in.
G Unit –Smile
50 Cent’s grandma’s house is round the corner from my grandma’s house. So as a kid watching him blow up, I would just lie saying I know him in elementary school, but it ended up being true! It’s weird, I gravitated towards his music because it sounded good to me but at the same time he was where I was from. That inspired me to continue doing my music because I knew it was possible watching him do what I wanted to do.
