This episode of Gems with Shom features Waxvillain, a Seattle-based record collector, interviewer, content creator, and A&R for Fraternity Music Group Records.

Waxvillain and Shom get into his journey from hip-hop fan and beatmaker to one of the most passionate voices in the rare soul community. The conversation explores sampling, record digging, Wax Poetics, Amsterdam record culture, Brazilian music, indie soul, lost soul, and the records that shaped his life.

They also discuss how the pandemic changed his relationship with music, the rise of Waxvillain, building community through records, and why soul music continues to resonate with collectors and listeners around the world.

🎙 In this episode, we dive into:

• Growing up on hip-hop, discovering samples, and learning through records
• Dilla, MF DOOM, Madlib, beatmaking, and the path to record collecting
• Rare soul, indie soul, lost records, and the art of digging
• Wax Poetics, Fraternity Music Group, reissues, and music community

We also talk about Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, Tim Maia, The Sacred Souls, Penrose Records, Action Bronson, Alchemist, Amsterdam digging culture, and the emotional connection that great records can create.

For fans of rare soul, record collecting, beat digging, Dilla, MF DOOM, Madlib, soul music, vinyl culture, and deep music conversations, this is a real gem.

This episode of Gems with Shom features Mikey D, the Queens MC, battle rapper, and member of Main Source and LA Posse.

Mikey D and Shom get into his early years coming up in Laurelton, Queens, discovering rap, and building his reputation as one of Queens’ most respected battle MCs.

The conversation explores LA Posse, working with the legendary Paul C, joining Main Source, the New Music Seminar Battle for World Supremacy, and stories about LL Cool J, MC Shan, Kool G Rap, and Melle Mel.

🎙 In this episode, we dive into:

• Growing up in Laurelton, Queens
• Battle rap and the New Music Seminar
• LA Posse and Paul C
• Joining Main Source
• LL Cool J, MC Shan, Kool G Rap, and Queens legends
• Creativity, authenticity, and leading a life focused on music over the years

For fans of battle rap, Main Source, LA Posse, Paul C, Queens hip-hop, golden era rap, and deep hip-hop culture, this is a real gem.

This episode of Gems with Shom features DJ Flipout, a legendary DJ, producer, radio host, beat digger, and one of Canada’s most respected 45 collectors.

Flipout and Shom get into his incredible journey through music, from growing up around Portuguese records, AM radio, and early hip-hop videos to becoming a teenager on the radio, a rapper, dancer, producer, and eventually one of the defining DJs of Vancouver’s hip-hop scene.

The conversation explores his deep roots in Canadian radio, including The 5 O’Clock Traffic Jam, his early work on college and commercial radio, and how he built a decades-long career through curiosity, taste, and a lifelong commitment to DJing.

They also dive into record digging, sample culture, 45s, De La Soul, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Nardwuar, The Alchemist, Mad Child, and Vancouver hip-hop history.

🎙 In this episode, we dive into:

• Vancouver hip-hop, Canadian radio, and Flipout’s early DJ roots
• Record digging, 45s, samples, and musical memory
• Rapping, dancing, producing, and coming up through the local scene
• The 5 O’Clock Traffic Jam and a life built through radio
• Stories about De La Soul, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Nardwuar, The Alchemist, Mad Child, and more

This episode of Gems with Shom features Haas G, aka Fantom of the Beat, the legendary producer, MC, and one half of the hip-hop group UMC’s.

Haas G and Shom get into his early years coming up in Staten Island, forming UMC’s, beat digging, and creating classic records like “Blue Cheese” and “One to Grow On” from the Fruits of Nature album. Haas also breaks down his journey from rapper and producer to becoming a two-time Grammy-nominated, Billboard, RIAA Double Platinum and Gold-certified hitmaker.

The conversation explores Staten Island’s early hip-hop foundation, UMC’s and their place in hip-hop, the connection between UMC’s and the Wu-Tang era, producing Ghostface Killah and Raekwon’s “Apollo Kids,” creating Lil’ Kim and 50 Cent’s massive hit “Magic Stick,” and working with artists like Busta Rhymes, Inspectah Deck, Sadat X, and more.

For fans of sample-based production, beat digging, Wu-Tang history, UMC’s, Lil’ Kim, 50 Cent, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, and deep hip-hop culture, this is a real gem.

This episode of Gems with Shom features Nicolay, Grammy-nominated producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one half of The Foreign Exchange alongside Phonte.

From growing up in Utrecht and discovering Prince, to playing in funk bands, studying musicology, making beats after work, and connecting with Phonte on the Okayplayer message boards, Nicolay’s story is one of timing, originality, and deep musical curiosity.

But this conversation isn’t a typical interview.

Nicolay and Shom go deep on The Foreign Exchange, J Dilla, Prince, D’Angelo, Slum Village, keyboard beats, musical space, and the creative risks that helped shape albums like Connected and Leave It All Behind.

They also explore authenticity in the age of AI, the future of music technology, and why human feeling still matters most in soulful music.

#Nicolay #TheForeignExchange #ForeignExchange #Phonte #JDilla #Prince #Okayplayer #Connected #LeaveItAllBehind #DAngelo #Voodoo #SlumVillage #Soulquarians #NeoSoul #HipHopHistory #SoulMusic #BeatMaking #MusicProduction #ProducerLife #GemsWithShom

This episode of Gems with Shom features Cherrystones, a musician, international DJ, soundtrack composer, compiler, private record dealer, and long-running NTS Radio host with one of the deepest ears in underground music.

Cherrystones and Shom get into UK digging culture, Jazzman Records, Camden Market, library music, Italian horror soundtracks, Goblin, Fantastic Planet, Japanese film music, Den Bosch record fair, and the emotional stories attached to rare records.

The conversation also explores his unconventional upbringing between London and Wales, discovering punk, hip-hop, jazz, psych, and rare groove, and how music became a grounding force throughout his life.

🎙 In this episode, we dive into:

• UK digging culture, Jazzman Records, and the world of private record dealing
• Library records, rare European finds, and the search for unusual samples
• Italian horror soundtracks, Goblin, film cues, and darker musical moods
• NTS Radio, record fairs, collecting originals, and music as a healing force

DJ Agile joins Gems with Shom for a conversation on BrassMunk, producing “Heaven” for Nas, film and television work, and how DJing opened up a whole new chapter in his career. They also get into sync, Dilla, Kardinal Offishall, nightlife, and Agile’s new single, “Between The Sheets” ft. Ray Robinson.

This episode of Gems with Shom features Pat Van Dyke, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and bandleader whose music bridges jazz, soul, and hip hop. Known for his live recreations of classic rap records and his deep understanding of musicianship, Pat joins Shom for a conversation about the records, rhythms, and ideas that shaped his sound.

Pat and Shom get into growing up in New Jersey, discovering records at a young age, studying jazz, making beats, and how Pat learned to merge live instrumentation with the DNA of sample-based hip hop. They also talk about his recent live replay videos, the producers and records that inspired him, and what he has learned from breaking down hip hop classics by ear.

🎙 In this episode, we dive into:

• Growing up with records, tapes, and early musical influences
• Studying jazz, making beats, and shaping his sound as a producer
• The gear, records, and producers that influenced his ear
• Recreating hip hop classics with live instruments
• What classic hip hop reveals about feel, phrasing, and musicianship

📌 About Pat Van Dyke

Pat Van Dyke is an artist, producer, composer, and session musician based in New Jersey. His work blends jazz harmony, vintage textures, live instrumentation, and hip hop rhythm into a sound that feels both modern and deeply rooted in classic music traditions. Through solo releases, collaborations, and his live replay series, Pat has built a unique lane that connects musicianship with beat culture.

This episode of Gems with Shom features 7L, one-third of Czarface. 7L is the DJ and producer behind Czarface, the cult-favorite hip-hop supergroup formed by 7L & Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck. Known for sample-based production, comic-book world-building, and a fiercely independent creative path, 7L has helped build one of the most original and enduring underground rap universes in hip-hop.

In this conversation, 7L and Shom go deep on records, radio, early DJing, obscure samples, underground touring, collaboration, and the long road from Massachusetts mixtapes to Red Rocks and beyond.

We discuss:
• Growing up in Massachusetts and discovering hip-hop through MTV, tapes, and roller rink DJs
• Learning to DJ, making mixtapes, and building an early production process from scratch
• The early 7L & Esoteric years, college radio, indie vinyl, and underground rap in the 90s
• Digging culture, rare records, trial and error, and the records that shaped his ear
• How Czarface came together with Inspectah Deck
• Building a cult following through music, comics, collectibles, and world-building
• Collaborating with MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Kool Keith, and more
• Why staying weird helped sustain a long career
• Why authenticity, curiosity, and consistency still matter in underground music

7L is a Massachusetts-raised DJ and producer whose career stretches from the independent underground rap scene of the 1990s to major collaborative projects in the modern era. Before Czarface, he built his name through 7L & Esoteric, DIY vinyl releases, college radio, and relentless digging and touring. As one-third of Czarface, he helped shape a group that became far more than a rap act. It became a full creative universe rooted in hip-hop, comics, artifacts, and cult loyalty. The group’s major collaborative releases include Czarface Meets Metal Face with MF DOOM in 2018, Czarface Meets Ghostface with Ghostface Killah in 2019, and Super What? with MF DOOM in 2021.

In this episode of Gems with Shom, I sit down with John Morrison — author, journalist, DJ, and sample-flipper from Philadelphia — for a conversation on hip-hop culture, record digging, and the evolution of music and ideas.

John’s journey starts in Philadelphia, coming up in a deeply competitive freestyle and battle rap scene. Those early experiences shaped his approach to music, performance, and creativity.

He later transitioned into writing, building a career as a journalist across platforms like NPR and beyond. We talk about how writing about music changed the way he listens, and how understanding samples, production, and context provides a deeper perspective on the culture.

A key theme in this conversation is the role of politics in art. John reflects on a time when hip-hop carried clear perspectives — when artists engaged with the world and pushed listeners to think. Today, that layer often feels less present. This isn’t about agreement or disagreement, but about the importance of having a point of view.

We also discuss Philly’s influence, beat making as a lifelong practice, the connection between hip-hop and jazz, and why digging and context still matter.

A conversation about music, culture, and really listening.