Gems Podcast with Shom

About Gems Podcast with Shom

Celebrating hidden gems and giving them their shine. Dive into lesser-known music, rare records, vinyl culture, and the worlds of jazz, funk, soul, rare grooves, and international heat.

Publisher

shomghosh

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Jun 2025

Latest episode

4 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

70 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Lord Jamar: Brand Nubian, Production, Acting & the Power of Self-Belief

   This episode of Gems with Shom features Lord Jamar: founding member of Brand Nubian, producer, DJ, actor, and lifelong artist.From DJing house parties in New Rochelle to producing In God We Trust, developing Dead Prez, working with the Boot Camp Clik, and transitioning to acting with fantastic performances on HBO's Oz, Lord Jamar has built an extraordinary career around records, loops, and an unshakable belief in himself.Lord Jamar and Shom get into the story behind that journey: growing up on his mother's 45s, collecting breakbeat tapes from the city, learning to hear loops from Grand Puba, forming Brand Nubian with Sadat X with no demo and no group name, and teaching himself to produce by reading the MPC manual.🎙 In this episode, we dive into:- His mother's 45s, breakbeat tapes, and the records that shaped his ear- Starting as a DJ at 12 and learning to cut by studying tapes and TV clips- How Grand Puba taught him to find the magic part of a record- Forming Brand Nubian and recording their first song at Jazzy Jay's studio- The making of One for All, a five-mic classic- Why a beat invoice led him to buy an MPC 60 and produce In God We Trust himself- Working with Diamond D on "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down"- The digging story behind "Wake Up (Reprise in the Sunshine)"- The original version of A Tribe Called Quest's "Show Business"- Producing for Heltah Skeltah, OGC, and Buckshot- Developing Dead Prez as artists- Landing a role on Oz as Supreme Allah- Picking records by their cover art and digging in the digital eraLord Jamar also shares incredible stories from a lifetime in hip-hop, from pushing his turntables down Main Street in a shopping cart to turning down a spot as an extra on Oz because he knew he'd be back with a real role.The conversation goes deep into how a DJ becomes a producer, why everybody hears loops differently, what it takes to stay creative across decades, and why you have to believe you've already won in order to win.From New Rochelle house parties and Sadat X's father's record collection to classic albums and prestige television, Lord Jamar's story is ultimately about what happens when self-belief meets a great ear for records.For fans of Lord Jamar, Brand Nubian, Sadat X, Grand Puba, Diamond D, A Tribe Called Quest, Dead Prez, Boot Camp Clik, golden era hip-hop, beat digging, sampling, hip-hop production, and deep music conversations, this is a real gem.Subscribe to Gems with Shom for weekly conversations with the DJs, producers, collectors, artists, and cultural figures behind the records.#LordJamar #GemsWithShom #BrandNubian #BeatDigging #HipHopProduction #RecordCollecting #SadatX #GrandPuba #DeadPrez #GoldenEraHipHop🎙️ A show about beat digging ... records, production & other things ✨ Celebrating the art of beat digging 🎶 Jazz | Soul | Hip Hop | Global Sounds ⬇️ Full episodes & clips weekly 👉 Subscribe & listen: linktr.ee/shomghosh#beatdigging #vinylcollecting #records #hiphop #jazz #soul #funk #raregroove #production#レコードディギング #レコードコレクター #ビートディギング #ヒップホップ #ジャズ #ソウル #ファンク #日本

2. 

   20 Sept 2026

   DJ Rhettmatic: Beat Junkies, Battling, and Production

   DJ Rhettmatic is a battle champion, producer, member of the Visionaries, and founding member of the legendary Beat Junkies. In this episode of Gems with Shom, Rhettmatic discusses his Filipino American roots, LA’s early hip-hop scene, DJ battles, production, and the rise of the Beat Junkies. He also shares stories about J Dilla’s final European tour and the creative connection between Dilla and Madlib. A deep conversation about DJing, beat digging, records, production, and a lifetime devoted to hip-hop. Subscribe to Gems with Shom for more conversations about beat digging, records, and music production. #DJRhettmatic #BeatJunkies #JDilla #Madlib #Turntablism #HipHop #BeatDigging #GemsWithShom

3. 

   13 Sept 2026

   DJ Serious: Record Digging, Hip-Hop, and the Underground

   This episode of Gems with Shom features DJ Serious — DJ, producer, record collector, creator of the acclaimed albums Dim Sum and Cold Tea, and one of the founding members behind CrateryCon. Ahead of CrateryCon 2026, DJ Serious and Shom get into a lifetime spent deep in records, hip-hop, DJ culture, production, and the underground. DJ Serious traces his journey from discovering hip-hop and skate culture to getting his first turntables, becoming a working DJ, producing records, hosting college radio, throwing underground parties, and eventually releasing Dim Sum and Cold Tea. The conversation also gets into the evolution of record digging and how DJ Serious eventually found his way back to collecting through Cratery — developing an even deeper appreciation for overlooked music, complete songs, and records that might otherwise disappear between the cracks. 🎙 In this episode, we dive into: • Record digging, DJ culture, production, and underground hip-hop • Dim Sum, Cold Tea, and DJ Serious’ evolution as a producer • Working with Masta Ace and touring Europe with A-Trak • College radio, underground parties, record stores, and creating your own platform • Cratery, deep record knowledge, and rediscovering the excitement of digging • CrateryCon and building a community around records, DJs, collectors, and music discovery • Why overlooked Canadian records have become one of DJ Serious’ latest digging obsessions DJ Serious also shares stories about working in record stores, opening his own shop Daily Operation, playing the Jazz Cafe, DJing for Lee “Scratch” Perry, stepping away from collecting, discovering photography, and eventually being pulled back into the record world. And, of course, we Drop a Gem on ’Em — getting into Gene McDaniels, Eddie Hazel, Mighty Ryeders, Masta Ace, Clear, Run-DMC, Pete Rock, Ultimate Breaks & Beats, and some serious record knowledge along the way. The episode also looks ahead to CrateryCon 2026, taking place September 24–27, where collectors, DJs, producers, and serious music heads come together for a weekend built around records and digging. Gems with Shom will also be there for its first live episode, featuring Gene Brown with an appearance from Jake One. For fans of record digging, hip-hop, DJ culture, rare records, production, Cratery, underground music, and deep music conversations — this is a real gem. Subscribe to Gems with Shom for weekly conversations with the DJs, producers, collectors, artists, and cultural figures behind the records. #GemsWithShom #DJSerious #RecordDigging #HipHop #CrateryCon #RecordCollecting #Cratery #Vinyl #DJCulture #UndergroundHipHop #MusicProduction

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

446

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.7 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

78

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

32

Contact Gems Podcast with Shom

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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