DJ Premier on Producing Can I Kick It? Cover With Samara Cyn for MLS Campaign: Im Not Trying to Outdo Tribes, But I Dont Want Mine to Sound Wack

A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” remains one of hip-hop’s signature call-and-response anthems, with a refrain that’s long been embedded in the DNA of music culture.

Despite never entering the Billboard Hot 100, “Can I Kick It?” boasts an enduring legacy. Three decades after its 1990 release, DJ Premier was tasked with producing a remix covering the Tribe classic for Major League Soccer’s Thanks World, We’ll Take It From Here campaign, which launched on Monday (July 13).

Premier opened up for Tribe back in 1989 at the New Music Seminar and remains close with members of the crew to this day. He was initially apprehensive about touching up “Can I Kick It?” — which samples Lou Reed’s ’70s classic rock staple “Walk on the Wild Side” — but added his thumping drums, trademark scratches and ad-libs to the remix, which finds him teaming up with upstart rapper Samara Cyn.

“They said they wanted to put a rapper on it. I said, ‘Wait a minute?’ I’m very particular about MCs,” Preemo tells Billboard. “They said, ‘It’s going to be Samara Cyn and I’m sure she could pull it off.’” Premier highlighted Cyn’s delivery and confidence as a rapper, while she mimicked the laid-back flows of Q-Tip and the late Phife Dawg on the remix.

With the MLS looking to capitalize on the momentum and buzz surrounding soccer in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the league released a star-studded ad spot soundtracked by the “Can I Kick It?” rework for the campaign, which features soccer royalty with Lionel Messi and David Beckham, as well as MLS team owners like NBA star Kevin Durant, Lakers legend Magic Johnson and actor Matthew McConaughey.

“At a defining moment for soccer in North America, MLS is turning global excitement into lasting engagement and connection,” said Camilo Durana, who serves as the executive vice president & chief business officer for the MLS. “As the World Cup inspires new fans, our clubs and communities are ready to welcome them as the season resumes and the next chapter of their soccer journey begins with MLS.”

The MLS returns to the pitch on July 16 and 17. Check out the rest of our interview with DJ Premier and watch the clip below.

How did this opportunity with MLS to remake “Can I Kick It?” come your way?

I was on tour in December of 2025 and “Can I Kick It?” got across my lap, but we were on the road. The first thing I thought was, “A Tribe Called Quest, I ain’t touching that.” We’re very close. Rest in peace to Phife [Dawg]. I’m like, “Why don’t they license the original?” But they wanted to do an updated version, paying homage to Lou Reed and Tribe, and everybody cleared it. I was honored to be asked to do it, but being that I didn’t have the equipment on the road, all I had was Pro Tools.

The original template didn’t have any drums and I’m a drum guy. Making beats, I usually start with drums. They sent me the stems, so when we had a five-hour drive in the van, I started tapping the drum machine and I know the bounce from the original Tribe version. I said, “I’ll copy it, but use a Premier-style snare and kick and 808.” I played undertone notes to body it out and have the Premier bounce, but still include Brady [Wyatt] and Carlos [Homs]. Sent it back and they said, “Can you make it faster?”

Faster? So they went back and made it faster and sent it back to me, and I re-tapped the drums to that version and they locked it, so they sent it to Samara Cyn. She sent her vocals — I thought she was gonna write her own rhymes. I didn’t know she was gonna do Q-Tip and Phife’s lines.

Instead of, “Mr. Dinkins, will you please be my mayor?” She said, “Mr. Premier, could you please be my mayor?” And little changes like that. But I didn’t know she was just gonna verbatim do the same rhyme. I thought she was gonna write a different rhyme. They asked if I could do Premier things I do on it. I went in the booth doing some ad-libs and scratched that. I dumped that into Serato and scratched my voice. I don’t like my voice in hip-hop, but they did. They loved it and ran the master.

What makes Samara Cyn stand out as a new-generation MC?

Her confidence and her delivery. When it comes to people that rap, you got to sound confident. If you don’t, I’ll stop you in the recording and say, “Can you fix that line?” or “Can you say it a little more this way, because you don’t sound believable?” I was with it the first time she sent it. I wasn’t with her, so I was depending on everyone to deliver. If it was to the degree I needed to get her to tighten up or cut it with me, I definitely would’ve done it — but they were urgent. I think the thing that made it easier is “Can I Kick It?” is such a classic, iconic record; you already have a lot of it done for you.

What’s your relationship with Tribe and “Can I Kick It?” What do you remember about hearing it for the first time in 1990?

Our first Gang Starr album, we opened up for A Tribe Called Quest at the New Music Seminar in 1989. It was Gang Starr, Tribe, Queen Latifah — her first time bringing Monie Love on stage to do “Ladies First” — and Ice-T was the headliner. We all got to meet Ice-T; it was a big deal to us. We didn’t have cameras back then; it was like, “Can I shake your hand and ask for some advice?” We were all releasing our debut albums and “Can I Kick It?” was worldwide. Everybody was playing it because it was already a hit. And Mixshow made records hit before regular daytime radio that played hip-hop did. DJs broke these records. For one, Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” is a classic that we grew up with as kids, because our parents played it. So when they put it in a hip-hop form, it was an instant slam.

What did you want to convey when you got the chance to rework “Can I Kick It?” all these years later?

Just do it the same justice that Q-Tip and Tribe did to it. I’m not trying to outdo theirs, but at the same time, I don’t want mine to sound wack. Just because you do it for a different occasion doesn’t mean it’s good to the person that made the original.

Have you played it for Q-Tip yet?

I got to Q-Tip about some Gang Starr royalties. My accountant said we can’t find him to give him some money. At least this will be a call to give him some money. We check in with each other all the time, so I’ll call him and say, “We got some money for you. And by the way, did you hear it?” I figured since they had to clear the original version, somebody gave them a heads-up. I just got that email from my accountant this morning saying, “We can’t find Kamaal Fareed.” I’ll call him today and look at how that coincides — money for Q-Tip and make sure we did justice to the remake for the MLS.

Sports and music have long been synonymous; do you see any connective tissue with soccer and hip-hop, specifically?

I’ve been touring in Europe for so long, and nothing’s on TV in English, and soccer’s on non-stop. So I got used to seeing it and it made me like it even more. Now you got the USA team and the Red Bull Academy, and Julian Hall who’s an 18-year-old dynamo. It’s just starting to become a warm thing now, to embrace it as a regular sport. Same like the WNBA; they’ve been around a long time and starting to become an interesting thing to watch.

I love sports beyond the average watcher. Soccer’s starting to become a thing. With the FIFA World Cup being in the U.S., I think people are watching a lot more and starting to absorb it. I’ve been coming home like, “Who’s playing? Oh, Egypt, let me check that out.” The crowds are turning up and filling stadiums. It’s becoming closer to a regular thing that’s become the norm in the U.S.

I saw you and Nas sent a bouquet of flowers to Queen Latifah, which she posted on social media. That was dope.

Yeah, Sexyy Red posted ours. She’s from a different generation, and I love the way the chat was like, “Yeah, Nas and Premier gave me my bouquet.” It’s beautiful. I remember when we were making [“Bouquet (To the Ladies)”], Nas was like, “I want to do one dedicated to all the female rappers.” Nobody’s really done that. We went in like six times.

We forgot Shawnna and Da Brat. I actually called Ludacris to get me in touch with Shawnna. I’m a big fan of her dad, Buddy Guy, one of my favorite guitar players. We re-cut the record and make sure they were in there. First, when she was overlooked, she was like, “D–n, you overlooked me?” But she cried when she heard the updated version. Da Brat’s the only one I haven’t talked to. Jermaine Dupri got me in touch with her. I wanted to make sure she’s good. I’d like to work with Da Brat.

What are you and The Alchemist cooking? You dropped a single and had a show out here in NYC.

I always wanted to do a record with Alc, and it was his suggestion. One’s called “For the Gig,” which we shot from our tour footage. That was the A-side. Alc was like, “How about I produce one and you produce the other, but we don’t tell nobody?” We said, “Here’s the B-side, which is ‘Evidence,’ produced by me.” He wanted me to rap on it. I can’t rap. I wrote a hook and I’m doing the chants, but I’m not writing no verse. I don’t want anybody writing for me either.