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Photo by Zach Wolfe.
About a year ago I was asked to do an article on a producer who was generating a huge buzz for Vapors Magazine. Well the magazine went on a short sabbatical for whatever reason, and there are a handful of articles that never got any read time so I am deciding to share them with you all. This particular one was on super producer Drumma Boy. I caught up with him almost a year ago when he stopped by the shop to chop it up with me and answer a few questions. He may have been on the come up at the time of the interview but due to his show on Peachtree TV and continually putting out classic records with major artist, he is bigger than life. Hit the image above to read more if you care too.

We know who you have worked with artist such as Jeezy, T.I., plus many more big names. Give me some people that may be a little more shocking that you have worked with.
You know recently I have been doing a lot of independent work with some new artist that are about to come out under my label Drum Squad. We are breaking into the R&B world a little bit working with Sean Garrett and Monica, and similar artist.

You come from a musical background tell me about that.
Man my dad was in the orchestra and still is in the orchestra, he also was a music professor at University of Memphis. My mom was an opera singer. So that is where my foundation was kinda laid, then my brother worked a lot with Jazzy pha. People need to know, these tracks have depth to them.

I read somewhere that you plaid clarinet in high school?
I still play, it’s just something I want to bring to the table later. In high-school I made the all west Tennessee band and was going to be in the youth symphony orchestra. But right now I’m working on building myself as a brand and building the Drum Squad as a brand.

You played ball in high school did that have any influence on your music today.
Oh yea, the way I looked at things on the court is the way I look at things on the music industry level as far as being competitive. It’s all about work ethic, in this game right here you gotta play hard.

Some people have said and feel like your tracks and productions are a help to what has kinda kept hip hop alive in the south. give me your thoughts on that.
I believe it. I say that, I’ve been saying that. It’s manifesting now. I grew up to Barry Gordon and Quincy Jones, those are my favorite producers. Much love to Dre and Timberland who also influenced me but those were the dudes who composed music and wrote music. That is what I’m trying to bring it back to, we have live bands going on some tracks. I’m not a beat maker and even the title producer is a little light on what I do. I do so much more and put a lot of work into these tracks.

Your all over the radio right now Put On, What up, Here I am, if you had one what is your favorite track right now?
My favorite track out right now has to be Rick Ross’ Here I Am. Just the work that I put into that track and the outcome that i wanted to see came out just how I wanted.

Of all time?
Well that is my favorite musical track but my favorite street record would be Put On. Just because I feel like I have been putting on for the last 11 years straight for the music industry. It’s a blessing to work with the T.I.’s the Jeezy’s and the Ludacris’s or whoever it is.

When in the studio, to start on a new track, what do you do first? When making a beat, do you think of a specific artist that you want to target?
I start on new tracks in different ways. Sometimes I start with a clap, sometimes I start with an acapella vocal. Sometimes I make a beat specifically for someone like I did for Jeezy with “Put On.” Sometimes I just paint music that I feel from a particular emotion at that time.

Jay Z just hopped on the Put On beat recently. I know you haven’t seriously worked with him yet, but what does that feel like to have him co-sign that track?
The first time I heard it I got goose bumps. Jay knows what he is doing, he’s a beast in the game. That is a cat that we grew up listening to album after album after album. So that was pretty big for me.

Out of all the projects that you have worked on which one meant the most?
I would have to say Rocko’s Self Made album. That was the first major project that I had an opportunity to produce the majority of the album. The feedback has been crazy and the fans continue to show their appreciation.

What beat do you WISH you produced? Why?
As producer, I appreciate music that other producers/composers deliver. Never wished I produced someone else’s work but one of my favorite beats was Warren G “Regulators.”

Anything you can leak to us about what your working on?
Im working on the New Gorilla Zoe single called “lost” featuring Lil Wayne. “What up” the T.I. track of course. Another single on Jeezy’s album called “Amazing” and the record is just that. We are on Monica’s reality show called “The Single” so make sure and look out for that. And I really just plan on staying busy.

Words: Dan Hall
Photo: Zach Wolfe