Best Of: DJ Amir ... On Track to Infinity

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 aliveThrough 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