This week on the show, we sat down with The Dirty Sample, a local legend who has been contributing classics to the music scene for over two decades. In the past few years, he's dropped an impressive string of projects, each unique, and each showcasing his evolution and elevation of beatmaking. As a producer, his dedication to creating fresh yet vintage sounds continues to impress, proving that after all these years, he’s only now getting started. In his words, “the second I started making music for just myself is the moment I fell in love with it again”.
The main focus of our conversation was his recent work, including Cold Camp, a collaborative rap album he produced the beats for, which dropped in November 2024 on Mo Gravy (Sargent X Comrade, Bobby Henderson). Cold Camp stands out for its eerie, sinister production that complements the album's grimy & authentic, raw vocals. The album highlights The Dirty Sample's ability to blend chilling samples with bangin’ drums, creating a classic sound that’s both nostalgic and forward-thinking. Along with Cold Camp, we also dive into Beats to Murder Rappers 2, released in October 2024. This album continues his tradition of delivering crunchy, ominous, sample-driven beats, but on this project, laced with a menacing and mysterious twist.
Both of these albums have already received a lot of CJSW love, and there is another project already released (just Feb 25 2025) with Kaboom Atomic titled “2 Cents” - we dive into the lead single from that album, which is getting love from Radio on both sides of the ever important border.
As per usual, we also explore the beatmaking process, focusing on the (recent) use of an MPC Live. He shares how this chosen tool has reinvigorated his approach, helping him enter a Flow State at times where beats are created almost intuitively… sometimes with little to no recollection of the process after the fact! We talk about his Ol’ Gorilla Bones sampling techniques, especially his approach of pulling from obscure VHS horror tapes, and the unsettling, cinematic results that emerge from these unconventional sources.
The homie is really hitting his stride after already putting in a marathon of work. It’s amazing to witness LIVE the undying inspiration that continues to pour out of one of Calgary’s most talented and prolific producers in the underground hip hop community. Follow @thedirtysample on IG to stay on top of the inevitable future flow!
Playlist:
- Cold Camp - Freezin Out Here (Intro)
- Cold Camp - Live A Good Life
- Cold Camp - Blessed
- Cold Camp - On The Block
- Cold Camp - Excellence
- The Dirty Sample - Easy Prey
- The Dirty Sample - No One Is Left up Top to Get Us out of the Cave
- The Dirty Sample - Get Inside
- The Dirty Sample - Die in the Deep
- The Dirty Sample - Slow Drip Torture Method
- The Dirty Sample - The Darkness
- The Dirty Sample - Among Us
- Kaboom Atomic & The Dirty Sample - Are You High?
