Gems Podcast with Shom

This episode of Gems with Shom features Nicolay, Grammy-nominated producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one half of The Foreign Exchange alongside Phonte.
From growing up in Utrecht and discovering Prince, to playing in funk bands, studying musicology, making beats after work, and connecting with Phonte on the Okayplayer message boards, Nicolay’s story is one of timing, originality, and deep musical curiosity.
But this conversation isn’t a typical interview.
Nicolay and Shom go deep on The Foreign Exchange, J Dilla, Prince, D’Angelo, Slum Village, keyboard beats, musical space, and the creative risks that helped shape albums like Connected and Leave It All Behind.
They also explore authenticity in the age of AI, the future of music technology, and why human feeling still matters most in soulful music.
#Nicolay #TheForeignExchange #ForeignExchange #Phonte #JDilla #Prince #Okayplayer #Connected #LeaveItAllBehind #DAngelo #Voodoo #SlumVillage #Soulquarians #NeoSoul #HipHopHistory #SoulMusic #BeatMaking #MusicProduction #ProducerLife #GemsWithShom

This episode of Gems with Shom features Cherrystones, a musician, international DJ, soundtrack composer, compiler, private record dealer, and long-running NTS Radio host with one of the deepest ears in underground music.
Cherrystones and Shom get into UK digging culture, Jazzman Records, Camden Market, library music, Italian horror soundtracks, Goblin, Fantastic Planet, Japanese film music, Den Bosch record fair, and the emotional stories attached to rare records.
The conversation also explores his unconventional upbringing between London and Wales, discovering punk, hip-hop, jazz, psych, and rare groove, and how music became a grounding force throughout his life.
🎙 In this episode, we dive into:
• UK digging culture, Jazzman Records, and the world of private record dealing
• Library records, rare European finds, and the search for unusual samples
• Italian horror soundtracks, Goblin, film cues, and darker musical moods
• NTS Radio, record fairs, collecting originals, and music as a healing force

DJ Agile joins Gems with Shom for a conversation on BrassMunk, producing “Heaven” for Nas, film and television work, and how DJing opened up a whole new chapter in his career. They also get into sync, Dilla, Kardinal Offishall, nightlife, and Agile’s new single, “Between The Sheets” ft. Ray Robinson.

This episode of Gems with Shom features Pat Van Dyke, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and bandleader whose music bridges jazz, soul, and hip hop. Known for his live recreations of classic rap records and his deep understanding of musicianship, Pat joins Shom for a conversation about the records, rhythms, and ideas that shaped his sound.
Pat and Shom get into growing up in New Jersey, discovering records at a young age, studying jazz, making beats, and how Pat learned to merge live instrumentation with the DNA of sample-based hip hop. They also talk about his recent live replay videos, the producers and records that inspired him, and what he has learned from breaking down hip hop classics by ear.
🎙 In this episode, we dive into:
• Growing up with records, tapes, and early musical influences
• Studying jazz, making beats, and shaping his sound as a producer
• The gear, records, and producers that influenced his ear
• Recreating hip hop classics with live instruments
• What classic hip hop reveals about feel, phrasing, and musicianship
📌 About Pat Van Dyke
Pat Van Dyke is an artist, producer, composer, and session musician based in New Jersey. His work blends jazz harmony, vintage textures, live instrumentation, and hip hop rhythm into a sound that feels both modern and deeply rooted in classic music traditions. Through solo releases, collaborations, and his live replay series, Pat has built a unique lane that connects musicianship with beat culture.

This episode of Gems with Shom features 7L, one-third of Czarface. 7L is the DJ and producer behind Czarface, the cult-favorite hip-hop supergroup formed by 7L & Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck. Known for sample-based production, comic-book world-building, and a fiercely independent creative path, 7L has helped build one of the most original and enduring underground rap universes in hip-hop.
In this conversation, 7L and Shom go deep on records, radio, early DJing, obscure samples, underground touring, collaboration, and the long road from Massachusetts mixtapes to Red Rocks and beyond.
We discuss:
• Growing up in Massachusetts and discovering hip-hop through MTV, tapes, and roller rink DJs
• Learning to DJ, making mixtapes, and building an early production process from scratch
• The early 7L & Esoteric years, college radio, indie vinyl, and underground rap in the 90s
• Digging culture, rare records, trial and error, and the records that shaped his ear
• How Czarface came together with Inspectah Deck
• Building a cult following through music, comics, collectibles, and world-building
• Collaborating with MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Kool Keith, and more
• Why staying weird helped sustain a long career
• Why authenticity, curiosity, and consistency still matter in underground music
7L is a Massachusetts-raised DJ and producer whose career stretches from the independent underground rap scene of the 1990s to major collaborative projects in the modern era. Before Czarface, he built his name through 7L & Esoteric, DIY vinyl releases, college radio, and relentless digging and touring. As one-third of Czarface, he helped shape a group that became far more than a rap act. It became a full creative universe rooted in hip-hop, comics, artifacts, and cult loyalty. The group’s major collaborative releases include Czarface Meets Metal Face with MF DOOM in 2018, Czarface Meets Ghostface with Ghostface Killah in 2019, and Super What? with MF DOOM in 2021.