A fan of Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep and the Diplomats-affiliated Heatmakerz production crew, he used a “cheap little Yamaha sampler” to teach himself how to make beats.

1 Museum.ĭrummer Boy: Clams began playing drums in his native New Jersey when he was six years old, eventually “messing around with friends’ bands and stuff” before trying his hand at hip-hop production in high school. This summer, Clams – whose real name is Mike Volpe – will release the lovely Rainforest EP and play his first-ever live show, opening for the anarchic noise act Black Dice at New York’s P.S. In March, in the face of mounting requests for MC-free versions of his tracks, he released Instrumental Mixtape, where the richly textured, poignant sound stood entirely on its own. Who: Best known for the emotive, hypnotic, hard-hitting beats he’s whipped up for Soulja Boy (“All I Need”) and Berkeley oddball Lil B (“Motivation”), 24-year-old Clams Casino got his break when he contacted B on MySpace and sent him some instrumentals.

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