Christopher James Gholson, better known by his stage name Drumma Boy,
is a multi-platinum award winning record producer and rapper from
Memphis, Tennessee.
Born in Memphis, TN and bred in Cordova, Tennessee, Drumma Boy was
exposed to musicianship at a young age. His mother was a professional
opera singer and his father, a professional clarinetist and music
professor at the University of Memphis, was the first African-American
male to hold the 1st chair position in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra,
where he is still an active member.[2] The rest of his extended family
including grandmothers and aunts were also musicians and taught music
in the schools. Drumma Boy says he had a recorder in his hand at age
3 and a clarinet at age 5.[3] His father was instrumental in teaching
him about traditional music but it was his mother that introduced
him to Curtis Mayfield and 70’s oldies. Gholson is the younger
brother of producer Ensayne Wayne.
Drumma Boy attended the University of Memphis as a Music Business
Major. In between attending classes, he would shop his homemade beats
to Memphis rappers such as Gangsta Boo and Tela, as well as travel
to Texas to work on projects for Scarface and Bun B of UGK.[4]
[edit] Career
Drumma Boy relocated to Atlanta in 2004 and founded Drum Squad, an
umbrella company that encompasses Drum Squad Productions which represents
producers and songwriters, as well as Drum Squad Records.[5] Citing
Quincy Jones, Raphael Saadiq and The Funk Brothers as production inspirations
his musical influences range 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.[6]
He is known to combine classical chords with urban street sounds.
He has worked with a host of hip hop acts that include Young Buck,
Young Jeezy, T.I., Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nelly, T-Pain, Usher, Ciara,
Wiz Khalifa, Wale, Waka Flocka Flame, Gorilla Zoe, Tinie Tempah, Drake,
Gucci Mane, Ludacris, Plies, Young Joc, Fabolous, Roscoe Dash, Rick
Ross, E-40, Monica, Goapele, Stephen & Damien Marley, Rocko, Paul
Wall, Lil Jon & Travis Porter.[7]
In January 2009 he starred alongside Jazze Pha and Def Jam Recording
Artist Vawn in BET's reality series "Welcome to Dreamland".[8]
He appeared on a segment of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta"
while making beats for cast member Kandi Burruss as well as appearing
in the studio during an episode of Monica’s BET reality series
“Still Standing.” [9] In November 2009 Drumma Boy released
his music video “Dis Girl” shot by Mr. Boomtown, the first
single off his mixtape Welcome II My City, which went on to receive
millions of hits on Worldstarhiphop.[10] He has appeared on FOX Good
Day Atlanta, Good Morning Memphis, CBS News Channel 9, BET and MTV.[11][12][13]
In 2008 Vibe Magazine named him one of the Top 5 Producers "making
noise" in the music industry and in December 2009 he was named
by The New York Times as one of the 4 hottest producers “driving
the city” in Atlanta, describing his sound as “a busy
bee swarm of synths overlaid with brash bass injections that’s
equal parts Memphis and Atlanta."[14] He was quoted in the January
2010 issue of Rolling Stone surrounding his production work for controversial
recording artist Gucci Mane’s #1 Rap Album The State vs. Radric
Davis.
Drumma Boy's signature drop on his beats is a voice saying "listen
to the track, bitch". He is also known for the origination of
extending sounds at the end of a verse."Yea Girl" or "Yea
Boy" is another signature.
[edit] Awards
Drumma Boy won “Best Indie Producer of the Year” consecutively
at the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Southern Entertainment Awards.[15][16]
He received a nomination for “Producer of the Year” at
the 2008 Ozone Awards [17] and at the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards. His
beats assisted with two nominations during the 2009 Grammy Awards
including his work on T.I’s Paper trail (Best Rap Album) and
“Put On” by Young Jeezy & Kanye West (Best Performance
by a Rap Duo.).[18] In 2011 his hit single “No Hands”
wrote by welch for Waka Flocka, Roscoe Dash and Wale received a nomination
for “Best Collaboration” at the 2011 BET Awards and picked
up the accolade for “Best Club Banger” at the 2011 BET
Hip Hop Awards.[19]
[edit] Discography
Welcome II My City - Mixtape (Drum Squad Records 2009)
The Birth Of D-Boy Fresh - Mixtape (Drum Squad Records 2011)