Drumma Boy

Early life

Gholson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Cordova. His mother, Billie Baker Gholson, worked as an accountant and performed part-time as an opera singer; she was the first African-American to graduate from Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis. His father, G. James Gholson, a retired clarinetist and music professor at the same school, was the first African-American male to hold first chair in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

His paternal grandfather was a high school principal with a school named after him in Washington, D.C. Gholson had a recorder at age 3 and a clarinet at age 5; he began piano lessons at six. Mathematics was his favorite subject; in 9th grade he made a song about the quadratic formula for extra credit and received the top grade. He started making hip hop beats at 12, scored his first local radio placement with Memphis rapper Tela's "Double Dose," and produced an entire album at 14.

During high school he played basketball, was offered athletic scholarships, and also received offers from the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra and college music scholarships. By graduation he charged $500 per beat.

Career

Gholson relocated to Atlanta in 2004 to become a professional music producer and entrepreneur. He founded Drum Squad, an umbrella entertainment company including Drum Squad Productions, Drum Squad Records, and Drum Squad Films. By 2008 he was one of the most sought-after hip hop producers; Vibe Magazine named him one of the Top 5 Producers "making noise." In December 2009 The New York Times named him one of the four hottest producers "driving the city" in Atlanta, describing his sound as "a busy bee swarm of synths overlaid with brash bass injections."

He was quoted in Rolling Stone in January 2010 regarding his work on Gucci Mane's album The State vs. Radric Davis. In January 2009 he starred on BET's Welcome to Dreamland and appeared on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta and BET's Still Standing. He released the music video "Dis Girl" in November 2009. He has scored for television and film, including FOX's Empire and the independent films Blood First, Chapters, and Holla 2.

Other ventures

In 2013, Gholson introduced his own luxury wine label, Moreno BHLV. He also established G Factory, a 20,000-square-foot creative studio in Memphis for film and TV production, with future plans for a wood shop and car detail crew.

Through his Drum Squad Films division, he released the independent movies "Chapters" (2012) and "Know Your History," the latter documenting Memphis history. Gholson sits on Tracklib's Creators Advisory Board and attended the Heart of God Foundation's City of Atlanta Neighborhood Revitalization Ball, which supports homeless services. Each year, he and his father fund a scholarship at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music for clarinet or music business students.

Production equipment and style

Gholson builds his hip hop beats with an Akai MPC 4000, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, a Roland TR-808, and keyboards from Roland, Korg, and Yamaha. A voice saying "listen to this track, bitch" is his signature drop. He also stretches out sounds at the end of a verse and adds a rise effect before and after each verse and hook.

His ad-lib "Yeah Boy" and a young, reverbed female voice saying "Drumma Boy" often open his songs. He names Dr. Dre, Quincy Jones, Raphael Saadiq, and The Funk Brothers as key inspirations, alongside classical composers like Beethoven and Mozart, jazz figures like Miles Davis, and hip hop acts like Three 6 Mafia. His style blends classical chords with urban street sounds and stays rooted in Atlanta trap music.

Did You Know?

• His father challenged him to earn $100,000 in 12 months to prove his independence; Drumma Boy did it in 10 months.
• In October 2013, he conducted a halftime show for the Memphis Grizzlies' season opener.