This episode of Gems with Shom features Lord Jamar: founding member of Brand Nubian, producer, DJ, actor, and lifelong artist.From DJing house parties in New Rochelle to producing In God We Trust, developing Dead Prez, working with the Boot Camp Clik, and transitioning to acting with fantastic performances on HBO's Oz, Lord Jamar has built an extraordinary career around records, loops, and an unshakable belief in himself.Lord Jamar and Shom get into the story behind that journey: growing up on his mother's 45s, collecting breakbeat tapes from the city, learning to hear loops from Grand Puba, forming Brand Nubian with Sadat X with no demo and no group name, and teaching himself to produce by reading the MPC manual.🎙 In this episode, we dive into:- His mother's 45s, breakbeat tapes, and the records that shaped his ear- Starting as a DJ at 12 and learning to cut by studying tapes and TV clips- How Grand Puba taught him to find the magic part of a record- Forming Brand Nubian and recording their first song at Jazzy Jay's studio- The making of One for All, a five-mic classic- Why a beat invoice led him to buy an MPC 60 and produce In God We Trust himself- Working with Diamond D on "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down"- The digging story behind "Wake Up (Reprise in the Sunshine)"- The original version of A Tribe Called Quest's "Show Business"- Producing for Heltah Skeltah, OGC, and Buckshot- Developing Dead Prez as artists- Landing a role on Oz as Supreme Allah- Picking records by their cover art and digging in the digital eraLord Jamar also shares incredible stories from a lifetime in hip-hop, from pushing his turntables down Main Street in a shopping cart to turning down a spot as an extra on Oz because he knew he'd be back with a real role.The conversation goes deep into how a DJ becomes a producer, why everybody hears loops differently, what it takes to stay creative across decades, and why you have to believe you've already won in order to win.From New Rochelle house parties and Sadat X's father's record collection to classic albums and prestige television, Lord Jamar's story is ultimately about what happens when self-belief meets a great ear for records.For fans of Lord Jamar, Brand Nubian, Sadat X, Grand Puba, Diamond D, A Tribe Called Quest, Dead Prez, Boot Camp Clik, golden era hip-hop, beat digging, sampling, hip-hop production, and deep music conversations, this is a real gem.Subscribe to Gems with Shom for weekly conversations with the DJs, producers, collectors, artists, and cultural figures behind the records.#LordJamar #GemsWithShom #BrandNubian #BeatDigging #HipHopProduction #RecordCollecting #SadatX #GrandPuba #DeadPrez #GoldenEraHipHop🎙️ A show about beat digging ... records, production & other things ✨ Celebrating the art of beat digging 🎶 Jazz | Soul | Hip Hop | Global Sounds ⬇️ Full episodes & clips weekly 👉 Subscribe & listen: linktr.ee/shomghosh#beatdigging #vinylcollecting #records #hiphop #jazz #soul #funk #raregroove #production#レコードディギング #レコードコレクター #ビートディギング #ヒップホップ #ジャズ #ソウル #ファンク #日本
