Contributor

Drumma Boy

Music Producer

Talent can be defined in a myriad of ways. It can be an innate gift or a learned proficiency but occasionally, it’s a potent mixture of both, which happens to be the case with Christopher Gholson, the visionary southern-reared producer who goes by the pseudonym Drumma Boy. In his late 20's the multi-platinum musical prodigy who cites producers Quincy Jones, Raphael Saadiq & The Funk Brothers as his inspirations, skillfully adds crispy, hard-hitting 808 bass lines with gentle touches of rhythmic change and chord progression to each crafted beat. He composes thick and textured sounds that take some producers years to perfect - which explains his impressive roster of hip hop acts that include Young Jeezy, T.I., Kanye West, Nelly, Waka Flocka, Wiz Khalifa, Drake, Gucci Mane, Rick Ross and Wale.

Drumma Boy merges his unique musical influences ranging from German composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach to Jazz icons Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis all the way to Academy Award winning Three 6 Mafia and Scarface, combining classical chords with urban street sounds to create an ingenuity worthy enough of winning “Producer of the Year” consecutively at the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Southern Entertainment Awards and receiving a nomination for “Producer of the Year” at the 2008 Ozone Awards and 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards. His beats assisted with two nominations during the 2009 Grammy Awards including his work on T.I’s Papertrail and the Young Jeezy and Kanye West single “Put On.” In 2010 Drumma Boy was hailed #2 Producer of the Year in Billboard Magazine while the New York Times named him one of the four hottest producers “driving the city” in Atlanta. In 2011 his hit single “No Hands” for Waka Flocka, Roscoe Dash and Wale received a nod for “Best Collaboration” at the 2011 BET Awards and picked up the accolade for “Best Club Banger” at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards, reaching #1 on the Billboard Rap Songs Chart. Drumma Boy's musicianship is incredible, having the ability to pour passion and conviction into whatever he does. His soul is soaked in the eccentricity of vintage Rhythm & Blues, P-Funk, Hardcore Street and Crunk. He plays with this dichotomy of yesteryear classics and current trends to concoct sophisticated arrangements that fuse the arrogance of hip-hop with the slickness of R&B.

With a gift to manufacture inimitable sounds it’s no surprise the young virtuoso is currently in high demand. The South Memphis native is as authentic as a creative artist can be, reading music with an educated ear while possessing the ability to instantly recognize the correct key. In addition to that learned knowledge, there is that burning desire he inherently possesses to win and maintain respect.

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