Double Peas joins Gems with Shom for a wide ranging conversation on vinyl collecting, deep soul culture, private press records, and what she calls “record energy.”Born in Santiago, Chile and raised in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, Double Peas traces her journey from a music-filled immigrant household to the underground LA scene of the early ’90s—where house music, acid jazz, hip-hop, jungle, and Detroit techno shaped her ear long before she stepped behind the turntables.Starting as a bedroom DJ, she evolved into a respected vinyl DJ and serious record collector. We explore her move to Las Vegas, building grassroots Funk & Soul parties, and becoming a working vinyl DJ on the Vegas Strip.A major theme of this episode is record energy—the vibe a vinyl record carries based on ownership, history, and lineage. From deep soul “daggers” and rare 45s to regional records and sampling culture, this conversation dives into preservation, community, and staying original in a digital era.In the Drop a Gem on ’Em segment, Double Peas shares personal classics—from jazz and modern soul to rare private press cuts—and reflects on why continuity matters more than clout.🎙 In This Episode:Vinyl collecting & beat digging cultureDeep soul, sweet soul & private press recordsFrom bedroom DJ to vinyl on the Vegas StripRecord trading as currency & communityPortable turntables & analog preservationIntroversion, confidence & growth through musicWhy people matter more than recordsIf you’re into vinyl records, DJ culture, crate digging, rare soul, sampling history, and deep listening, this episode is for you.👉 Subscribe for weekly conversations on beat digging, records, and other things.

Rich Medina joins Gems with Shom for a wide-ranging conversation on deep listening, longevity, and building a life rooted in sound, culture, and purpose.

From his early years in New Jersey to becoming one of the most respected DJs and cultural voices of his generation, Rich reflects on a career shaped by curiosity, discipline, and intention. The conversation spans legendary residencies, global travel, poetry, education, mentorship, and the mindset required to remain a lifelong student of music.

A central thread of the episode focuses on Dante’s HiFi, Miami’s Japanese-inspired listening room, where Rich serves as Music Director and partner. We explore listening-bar culture, album-focused listening, and why slowing down to truly hear music feels more necessary than ever.

In the Drop a Gem on ’Em segment, Rich shares insight on records, listening, and moving with purpose across decades.

🎙 Topics include DJing as storytelling, jazz kissa culture, longevity, creative survival, academia, and the power of deep listening.

This episode is for DJs, diggers, music lovers, and anyone seeking a more intentional relationship with sound.

In this episode of Gems with Shom, we sit down with DJ YNOT—DJ, lifelong beat digger, and owner of Lucky Records Miami—for a wide-ranging conversation that’s equal parts hilarious, introspective, and packed with deep beat-digging knowledge.

Tony walks through his journey from late-’90s DJing and underground hip-hop shows to club residencies, opening for legends, and ultimately stepping away from nightlife to build one of Miami’s most respected and popular record stores. Along the way, the stories are wild, honest, and genuinely funny—misadventures in DJ life, near-miss moments, and the kind of behind-the-scenes experiences you only get from someone who’s really lived it.

He breaks down what it actually takes to find records in 2026, why digging is harder (and more competitive) than ever, and how he’s not a customer—he’s a record dealer and store owner. From Miami soul history to legendary samples, from dollar-bin gems to grail-level records, this is knowledge you won’t find anywhere else.

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on beat digging, records, and other things.

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#DJYNOT

#LuckyRecordsMiami

#VinylCulture

#RecordDigging
#BeatDigging
#HipHopCulture
#DJLife
#RecordStoreLife
#MiamiMusic
#CrateDigging
#VinylCommunity
#MusicPodcast
#HipHopPodcast
#VinylPodcast

In this episode of Gems with Shom, Shomit sits down with Mr. Thing—legendary UK DJ and producer—for a conversation on digging culture, focus, and staying inspired.

Mr. Thing traces his journey from growing up outside London and discovering hip-hop, to winning DMC battles and building the legacy of Scratch Perverts. He shares the reality behind the wins—long practice days, creative sacrifice, and the importance of consistency when momentum disappears and later returns.

A major part of the conversation dives into UK library records—KPM, De Wolfe, Bruton, Conroy, and more—how he first discovered them, why they’re so sample-ready, and what separates surface-level digging from true replay-value records.

We also explore his work with BBE, including the pivotal Kings of Hip Hop release alongside DJ Premier, and how BBE helped shape a defining chapter of his career. Mr. Thing also discusses more recent projects, including the widely loved Surprise Chef mixtape.

Topics include:
• UK library records
• Turntablism, DMCs & Scratch Perverts
• Rare groove, digging philosophy & replay value
• Inspiration, discipline & longevity in music

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on beat digging, records, and other things.

#MrThing
#UKLibraryRecords
#CrateDigging
#BeatDigging
#Turntablism
#ScratchPerverts
#RareGroove
#LibraryMusic
#DJCulture
#HipHopHistory
#VinylDigging
#BBERecords
#DMCBattles
#GemsWithShom

In this episode of Gems with Shom, I’m joined by Supreme La Rock — DJ, producer, label founder, and one of the originators of beat digging culture.From early hip-hop’s formative years to shaping how generations understand break beats, records, and listening itself, Supreme’s story is tied to the DNA of digging. Long before the term “beat digging” existed, he was building his collection through instinct, risk, and an unmatched ear — pulling grails from obscurity and turning overlooked records into foundational beat digging classics.We dive deep into his Seattle roots, early encounters with hip-hop culture, and the philosophy that guided decades of digging: curiosity over trends, feeling over formulas, and trust in the ear. We unpack Conception Records, its role in creating a sound that would later become globally revered, and Supreme’s behind-the-scenes influence on artists and producers — including early connections with J Dilla, before the world fully understood what it was witnessing.This conversation moves through mixtapes, break culture, global travel, vinyl DJing, technology, and the realities of longevity — how staying true to taste, rather than chasing trends, creates work that lasts. Supreme reflects on discovering records that later became grails by listening deeply when others weren’t.This is a masterclass in taste, patience, and the growth of beat digging culture — from someone who helped build the foundation🎙 In this episode, we get into:Growing up with records before “beat digging” had a nameEarly hip-hop, break culture, and learning through movementBuilding Conception Records and documenting an underground soundFinding grails through instinct, not trendsEarly perspectives on J Dilla and recognizing generational talentMixtapes, break science, and educating without gatekeepingVinyl DJing, technology, and adapting without losing identityLongevity, humility, and staying a student of the musicThis episode is for diggers, DJs, producers, and anyone who understands that culture is built quietly, over time, by people who listen harder than everyone else.

#GemsWithShom #SupremeLaRock #BeatDigging #CrateDigging #ConceptionRecords

This episode of Gems with Shom features Eddie Mac — DJ, founder of The MAC Agency, and the vinyl curator behind DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak).Eddie’s story is a rare one. It starts with growing up in New Jersey surrounded by Motown, soul, and disco records… and leads to decades of DJing, digging, nightlife, and eventually turning a lifelong obsession with vinyl into a global business.We break down how Eddie went from college parties and New York club residencies to curating vinyl sets for Anderson .Paak, helping bring all-vinyl DJ culture to the world’s biggest stages.Eddie Mac's life is about longevity, reinvention, mental health, and building infrastructure around what you love.🎙 In this episode, we dive into:• Early DJ years — New Jersey roots, college parties & learning to read a room• Discovering vinyl — crate digging, record pools & the physical relationship with music• NYC nightlife in the late ’90s — residencies, record stores & legendary mentors• Moving to Las Vegas — DJ burnout, anxiety & the moment everything had to change• Founding The MAC Agency — turning relationships into a real business• The MAC Vinyl Collective — building a roster around vinyl culture• Becoming Anderson .Paak’s vinyl curator (DJ Pee .Wee) — how it actually happened• Touring the world — vinyl DJing at the highest level• Passion vs survival — knowing when to pivot without leaving the culture• Why vinyl still matters — ritual, taste, and the thrill of the digThis episode is for DJs, diggers, music lovers, and anyone trying to turn passion into something sustainable — without losing themselves along the way.📸 Follow:instagram.com/gems.podcast🎧 Watch / Listen:YouTube → @GemsPodcastSpotify • Apple Podcasts • everywhere🔖 Hashtags#GemsWithShom #EddieMac #AndersonPaak #DJPeeWee #CrateDigging #BeatDigging #DJLife #MusicBusiness #RecordCollectors #MACAgency #VinylOnly #HipHopCulture #SoulMusic #DJCulture #PassionToBusiness

DJ Rashida joins Gems with Shom for an unforgettable conversation about music, magnetization, and staying true to your taste.

From growing up in deeply musical households to being shaped by Atlanta’s 90s underground scene, Rashida shares how DJing became the vehicle that led her to becoming Prince’s longtime DJ — and to a life beyond anything she could’ve planned.

We talk Mama’s Crates, record digging, anti-gatekeeping, vinyl vs digital, and why authenticity is the real cheat code in music and life.

🎙 This episode explores:
• Becoming Prince’s DJ
• Musical mentorship & magnetizing opportunity
• Crate digging, mixtapes & record-store education
• Mama’s Crates and building community through knowledge
• Taste, ritual, and why deep listening still matters
• Redefining success through purpose & motherhood

For anyone who believes music opens doors — and that the right records can change your life.

In this episode of Gems with Shom, I’m joined by Fleetgotheat — artist, producer, and one of the biggest voices breaking down classic drum breaks and production techniques on the internet right now.

Fleetgotheat built a massive following by sharing drum breaks and beat science without gatekeeping. From breaking down where iconic drums come from, to talking through chopping and sequencing, what started as research and curiosity turned into a global conversation — introducing new generations to the foundations of hip-hop, funk, soul, and beat digging.

We talk about growing up in Chicago, learning music through family record collections, discovering sampling through Nas, Kanye, and soul records, and why drum breaks — and understanding how to use them — still matter today, even in an era where “everything is searchable.”

This is a conversation about ear over equipment, curiosity over gatekeeping, and why sharing information doesn’t dilute culture — it amplifies it.

🎙 In this episode, we get into:
• The rise of Fleetgotheat’s classic drum break series• Chicago roots and early musical exposure• Poetry, writing, and the path into beat-making• Learning production through Ableton + early SoundCloud days• Anti-gatekeeping and knowledge sharing in hip-hop• Why information alone doesn’t replace taste• Drum breaks as history, education, and community

📸 Follow: instagram.com/gems.podcast
🎧 Watch / Listen: YouTube @GemsPodcast + Spotify / Apple / everywhere

#GemsWithShom #Fleetgotheat #DrumBreaks #BeatDigging #HipHopKnowledge #AntiGatekeeping #ProducerCulture #SampleCulture #DrumHistory #VinylCulture

This episode of Gems with Shom features J Scienide — Charlotte-raised, Washington, DC transplant, MC / producer, and a true student of music.

J Scienide takes us from his earliest days learning through pause tapes and digging through his father’s records… to pressing his first records… to becoming one of the most prolific independent artists in today’s underground.

It’s a story about music obsession and building a real career from passion — even when the path isn’t straight.

🎙 In this episode, we get into:

• Charlotte roots and early studio days

• First exposure to beat digging (drum breaks, grandma’s records, dad’s jazz/funk)

• Pause tapes, early beats, and the moment that made him start creating

• The first vinyl milestone - pooling money to press wax and getting an MF DOOM cosign

• The road to finding his lane

• Atlanta and DC chapters, rebuilding, and linking with Kev Brown + the Low Budget family

• The pandemic shift — setting up a home studio, locking in, and flooding the world with projects

• Major cosigns + momentum (Hot 97 / Flex, Rosenberg, global DJ support)

• Static King Records + Fat Beats distribution — turning the vision into infrastructure

• Flashes in the Dark — his latest project with UK producer Giallo Point

• Why the ear matters more than the equipment — and how limitations created his best work

This one’s for anyone who loves digging culture and the real story of how artists build something lasting from the ground up.

📸 Follow: https://www.instagram.com/gems.podcast/
🎧 Watch / Listen: YouTube @GemsPodcast + Spotify / Apple / everywhere

#GemsWithShom #JScienide #UndergroundHipHop #CrateDigging #PauseTapes #Beatdigging #FatBeats #StaticKingRecords #ProducerLife

This episode of Gems with Shom features Eilon Paz — photographer, world traveler, storyteller, and creator of Dust & Grooves, the iconic book that became a global celebration of record culture.

From a small desert town in Israel…
to hustling as a photographer in NYC during the 2008 recession…
to documenting over 300 of the world’s most passionate record collectors…

Eilon shares how a personal photo project transformed into a best-selling book and cultural time capsule. This is a conversation about creativity, community, risk-taking, and building something meaningful from scratch.

🎙 Episode Highlights:
• Origins of Dust & Grooves — how one idea sparked a global movement
• The 6-year journey — 300 collectors, 1,000+ pages, endless stories
• Travel adventures — Suriname, Guyana, Cameroon, Japan, France, Israel
• The turning point — Random House calls (after passing), Questlove reaches out
• Photographing private collections — trust, access & storytelling
• Survival mode → creativity — why risk shaped Eilon’s best work
• His next big project — a global deep dive with top collectors
• Passion, purpose & staying true to the craft

A must-listen for fans of vinyl culture, photography, creativity, and long-form storytelling.

📸 Follow the show: instagram.com/gems.podcast

#DustAndGrooves #GemsWithShom #EilonPaz #VinylCommunity #RecordCollectors #PhotographyLife