Gems Podcast with Shom

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.
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#GemsWithShom #DJSerious #RecordDigging #HipHop #CrateryCon #RecordCollecting #Cratery #Vinyl #DJCulture #UndergroundHipHop #MusicProduction

Jake One joins Gems with Shom for a deep conversation about beat digging, record collecting, sampling, and a legendary career producing for some of the biggest names in music.
From digging through dollar bins in Seattle to producing records for Jay-Z, Drake, J. Cole, Rick Ross, Dr. Dre, The Weeknd, De La Soul, MF DOOM, 50 Cent, Freeway and many more, Jake One has built an extraordinary career around records, samples, and an incredible ear.
Jake and Shom get into discovering samples in his parents’ record collection, learning the art of digging alongside Seattle legend Supreme La Rock, making the influential Conmen mixtapes, and traveling across North America hunting for records before becoming one of hip-hop’s most respected producers.
They also get into working with Dr. Dre, the story behind Rick Ross and Jay-Z’s “3 Kings,” making “Rock Co.Kane Flow” with De La Soul and MF DOOM, producing for Drake and J. Cole, and Jake’s evolution beyond hip-hop through Tuxedo.
Jake shares stories from a lifetime of digging and making beats — from traveling with almost no money in search of records to hearing Funkmaster Flex drop bombs on “3 Kings” in New York and realizing his career had reached another level.
The conversation goes deep into how digging develops your ear, what separates a great beat from a great record, the producers who influenced Jake, and why collecting records remains an essential part of his creative process decades into his career.
From Seattle record stores and underground mixtapes to some of the biggest records in hip-hop, this is the story of what can happen when an obsession with records becomes a lifetime of making them.
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#JakeOne #GemsWithShom #BeatDigging #HipHopProduction #RecordCollecting

Following the incredible response to our recent episode with KON, we’re going back into the Gems with Shom archives for one of our favorite conversations — with DJ Amir, the other half of the legendary KON & Amir.
Amir is a DJ, producer, record collector, cultural historian, and founder of 180 Proof Records. Alongside KON, he helped define an era of beat digging through the legendary On Track series, introducing a generation of listeners to obscure soul, funk, jazz, rare grooves, and the original records sampled by some of hip-hop’s greatest producers.
From growing up in Boston to working at Fat Beats and Wax Poetics, Amir’s journey runs through the heart of beat-digging and record-collecting culture.
🎙 In this episode, we dive into:
• KON & Amir, On Track, rare samples, and the art of beat digging
• Kings of Diggin’, DJ Muro, and the global culture of record collecting
• Working at Fat Beats and Wax Poetics
• Digging scenes from Japan to Berlin
• Stories from a lifetime around legendary collectors, DJs, and producers
• Amir’s reflections on J Dilla
• Reviving Detroit’s Strata Records through 180 Proof Records
• Jazz, reissues, preservation, and keeping overlooked music alive
Through 180 Proof Records, Amir has continued the same spirit of discovery that made On Track essential — digging into musical history, uncovering overlooked records, and bringing incredible music back into circulation.
From hip-hop samples and rare records to Detroit jazz and digging around the world, Amir’s story is ultimately about discovery, preservation, and a lifetime devoted to music.
If you discovered Gems with Shom through the KON episode, this is the other side of the story.
Subscribe to Gems with Shom for weekly conversations with the DJs, producers, collectors, artists, and cultural figures behind the records.
#GemsWithShom #DJAmir #KONAndAmir #OnTrack #BeatDigging #RecordCollecting #JDilla #RareGroove

This episode of Gems with Shom features KON - legendary DJ, record collector, producer, and one half of KON & Amir of the famed On Track series that are core to the world of beat digging.
From growing up in Boston and witnessing hip-hop culture take shape in New York to digging for rare records around the world, KON has built a life around music, discovery, and an extraordinary ear.
KON and Shom get into the story behind KON & Amir and the legendary On Track series, which introduced a generation of listeners to obscure soul, funk, jazz, disco, and the original records sampled by some of hip-hop’s greatest producers.
The conversation follows KON’s journey from hip-hop and beat digging into disco, re-edits, remixes, house music, and production — including The Vision with Ben Westbeech and “Heaven,” Saturday Love with Fiorious, and a career that has taken him from Boston to Brazil and beyond.
🎙 In this episode, we dive into:
• KON & Amir, On Track, rare samples, and the art of beat digging
• Growing up around Boston hip-hop and witnessing the culture develop in New York
• Producing, remixing, re-editing, and the transition from hip-hop into disco and house
• The Vision, “Heaven,” Saturday Love, and KON’s evolution from hip-hop into disco and house
• Record collecting, musicianship, production, and why making a great record is about more than making a great beat
KON also shares incredible stories from a lifetime in music — playing an early show with KMD and Gang Starr, his connection to Boston hip-hop, meeting musical heroes, digging around the world, and the experiences that shaped his ear.
The conversation also takes a deeply personal turn as KON reflects on facing cancer, undergoing a bone marrow transplant, and returning cancer-free with a renewed appreciation for music, creativity, and the relationships he has built along the way.
From rare sample sources to dance floors around the world, KON’s story is ultimately about where a lifetime of listening can take you.
For fans of KON & Amir, On Track, beat digging, rare records, hip-hop samples, disco, soul, funk, house music, record collecting, 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.
#GemsWithShom #KON #KONAndAmir #OnTrack #BeatDigging #RecordCollecting #HipHop #Disco #RareGroove #SoulMusic #Funk #HouseMusic #MusicProduction

Dante Ross joins GEMS with Shom.
A legendary A&R, producer, beat digger, author, and storyteller, Dante Ross helped shape some of the most important music of hip-hop’s golden era.
From De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Brand Nubian, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Busta Rhymes, MF DOOM, ODB, Everlast, Del the Funky Homosapien, Leaders of the New School, and many more, Dante’s ear, taste, and creative instincts have touched records and artists that continue to define the culture.
In this conversation, Dante discusses growing up on the Lower East Side, hearing salsa, funk, soul, disco, punk, new wave, and early hip-hop in New York, and understanding how the energy of downtown New York helped shape hip-hop history.
We talk about his early days in A&R, working with De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Brand Nubian, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Busta Rhymes, MF DOOM, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and the artists who changed rap music forever.
Dante also shares stories about beat digging, rare records, sample culture, producing, library records, digging in Europe and Japan, the lessons he learned from Grand Puba, Prince Paul, 45 King, Red Alert, and others, and why knowledge, taste, honesty, and being teachable still matter.
We also discuss his book Son of the City, his life as a writer, storytelling, reinvention, and what it means to keep contributing to culture across different chapters of life.
GEMS is a show about beat digging, records, production, and other things.
Subscribe for more conversations on music, creativity, records, culture, and the deeper stories behind the DJs, producers, artists, executives, collectors, and cultural figures who shape the sound.
Full episode available now.