Drumma Boy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Drumma Boy |
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Gholson at the 2011 BET Awards in Los Angeles
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christopher James Gholson |
| Also known as | D-Boy Fresh |
| Born | August 11, 1983 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Drum Squad Productions |
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Christopher James Gholson (born August 11, 1983), known as Drumma Boy, is an American record producer and rapper. He is famous for creating beats for many hip hop and R&B artists.
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Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Christopher Gholson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up in Cordova, Tennessee. Music was a big part of his life from a very young age. His mother, Billie Baker Gholson, was an accountant and a talented opera singer. She was the first African-American to graduate from the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis.
His father, G. James Gholson, was a retired clarinet player and music professor. He was the first African-American man to hold the main clarinet position in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Many other family members, including his grandmothers and aunts, were also musicians and music teachers.
Drumma Boy started playing the recorder at age three and the clarinet at age five. His father taught him about classical music. His mother introduced him to artists like Curtis Mayfield and 1970s rhythm and blues. He also began taking piano lessons at age six.
Christopher loved math in school. In 9th grade, he even wrote a song about the quadratic formula for extra credit and got the best grade in the class! He started making hip hop beats when he was 12. His first song played on local radio was for Memphis rapper Tela. By age 14, he had produced an entire album.
During high school, Christopher played basketball and was offered several sports scholarships. He also received offers to join the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra and music scholarships for college. Even as a high school student, he started charging for his beats, earning $200 per beat and later $500 per track by the time he graduated.
College and Career Start
In 2001, Gholson went to the University of Memphis to study Music Business. His parents wanted him to get a college degree. His father believed it would open more career doors, and his mother stressed the importance of being smart with money.
While in college, Drumma Boy spent most of his free time making hip hop beats. He would share his beats with local Memphis rappers like Gangsta Boo. He also traveled to Texas to work with artists like Scarface and Bun B.
By his junior year, Drumma Boy was becoming very popular in Tennessee. Even though he got good grades, he left college in 2004 because his music production business was doing so well. He was earning about $20,000 a month! His father challenged him to earn $100,000 in a year to prove he could be independent. Drumma Boy reached that goal in just ten months.
Even though he didn't finish college, Christopher and his father created the James and Christopher Gholson Scholarship Fund. This scholarship helps music students at the University of Memphis.
Within two years of leaving Memphis, Drumma Boy had made connections with many famous hip hop artists. These included Outkast, Trick Daddy, and Killer Mike. In 2013, he even performed a halftime show for his hometown NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Building a Music Empire
In 2004, Gholson moved to Atlanta to become a professional music producer and business owner. Using the business skills he learned from his accountant mother, he started Drum Squad. This is a big entertainment company that includes:
- Drum Squad Productions: A company that represents music producers and songwriters.
- Drum Squad Records: His own record label.
- Drum Squad Films: A company for making and distributing movies.
By 2008, Drumma Boy was one of the most in-demand hip hop producers. Vibe Magazine named him one of the Top 5 Producers making a lot of noise in the music industry. In 2009, The New York Times called him one of the four hottest producers in Atlanta. They described his sound as a mix of Memphis and Atlanta styles. He was also featured in Rolling Stone magazine for his work on Gucci Mane's #1 rap album, The State vs. Radric Davis.
Drumma Boy has also appeared on TV shows. He was on BET's Welcome to Dreamland and Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta. He also appeared on Monica's BET reality series Still Standing. In 2009, he released his music video "Dis Girl," which got millions of views online.
He also creates music for TV and movies. He worked on FOX's popular TV show Empire. He has also created music for independent films like Blood First, Chapters, and Holla 2.
Other Projects and Giving Back
In 2013, Drumma Boy launched his own brand of luxury wine called Moreno BHLV. He also opened "G Factory" in Memphis. This is a huge 20,000 square foot studio for film and TV production. It's a creative space for artists and painters to work on their talents.
Through his company, Drum Squad Films, he has released independent movies. One film, "Chapters," came out in 2012, and he helped with its music. Another film, "Know your History," was about the history of Memphis.
Drumma Boy is also part of Tracklib's Creators Advisory Board, which helps guide the company. He also supports charity. He was a guest at The Heart of God Foundation's "City of Atlanta Neighborhood Revitalization Ball," which raises money for people experiencing homelessness.
Every year, Drumma Boy and his father give a scholarship at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. This scholarship helps students who study clarinet or music business.
Music Style and Equipment
Drumma Boy uses different equipment to create his hip hop beats. He often uses an Akai MPC 4000, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and a Roland TR-808. He also uses electronic keyboards from Roland, Korg, and Yamaha.
He is known for extending sounds at the end of a song's verse. He also uses a "rise effect" before and after each verse and chorus. You might also hear his signature ad-lib, "Yeah Boy," and a young, echoing female voice saying "Drumma Boy" at the beginning of his songs.
Drumma Boy gets his musical ideas from many different artists. He looks up to hip hop and R&B musicians like Dr. Dre and Quincy Jones. He also finds inspiration in classical composers like Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis also influence him. He is known for mixing classical music sounds with urban hip hop beats. He is also a big part of the Atlanta trap music style.
Awards and Recognition
Drumma Boy has won "Best Indie Producer of the Year" three times in a row at the Southern Entertainment Awards (2009, 2010, and 2011). He was also nominated for "Producer of the Year" at the 2008 Ozone Awards and the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards.
His beats contributed to two nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards. This included his work on T.I.'s album Paper Trail (Best Rap Album) and "Put On" by Young Jeezy & Kanye West (Best Performance by a Rap Duo). He also produced "Stranger" for Usher's 2010 EP Versus (EP). This album won two Grammy Awards.
In 2011, Drumma Boy's hit song "No Hands" (with Waka Flocka, Roscoe Dash, and Wale) was nominated for "Best Collaboration" at the 2011 BET Awards. It also won "Best Club Banger" at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards.
Discography
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Albums
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Hosted Mixtapes
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