Drums for Alchemist

A little over a year ago, I got a text from Alchemist asking for drums. If you had told the 17-year-old version of me that this would be my life, I would have shit myself. Then again, The Drum Broker was always a manifestation of the progress I made studying the G.O.A.T.S. of hip-hop.

A few months later, we dropped Alc’s “Break Fluid,” which was his third official drum kit. But instead of one-shot samples from Alc’s classics (Tick Tock, Different Worlds, Mobb Niggaz, Air It Out, For The Record, etc), this was an official collection of breaks he curated.

These personal requests for drums, breaks, one-shots, and samples from my favorite producers—like Alchemist, Madlib, Beat Butcha, and so many more—are always a huge compliment. At the same time, they give me a tinge of anxiety. I don’t want to let my heroes down, and I want to make sure The Drum Broker’s stash is always tight and that we always come correct when responding to these requests.

Some of my favorite drums lately have been from Skyking, a producer collective out of Portland, Oregon. I’m always super happy to recommend these joints to anyone who asks because of their aesthetic, pockets, and the way they hit. It’s made me realize that as this industry expands and becomes ever more saturated, curation will be the defining factor that sets the next generation of G.O.A.T.S. apart

As always, personal relationships and access to the secret stash of sounds will continue to propel the industry forward, but it remains my personal mission to drop gems for the producer and beatmaker community at large.