Dante Ross: The A&R Who Helped Shape Hip-Hop

Dante Ross joins GEMS with Shom.A legendary A&R, producer, beat digger, author, and storyteller, Dante Ross helped shape some of the most important music of hip-hop’s golden era.From De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Brand Nubian, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Busta Rhymes, MF DOOM, ODB, Everlast, Del the Funky Homosapien, Leaders of the New School, and many more, Dante’s ear, taste, and creative instincts have touched records and artists that continue to define the culture.In this conversation, Dante discusses growing up on the Lower East Side, hearing salsa, funk, soul, disco, punk, new wave, and early hip-hop in New York, and understanding how the energy of downtown New York helped shape hip-hop history.We talk about his early days in A&R, working with De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Brand Nubian, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Busta Rhymes, MF DOOM, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and the artists who changed rap music forever.Dante also shares stories about beat digging, rare records, sample culture, producing, library records, digging in Europe and Japan, the lessons he learned from Grand Puba, Prince Paul, 45 King, Red Alert, and others, and why knowledge, taste, honesty, and being teachable still matter.We also discuss his book Son of the City, his life as a writer, storytelling, reinvention, and what it means to keep contributing to culture across different chapters of life.GEMS is a show about beat digging, records, production, and other things.Subscribe for more conversations on music, creativity, records, culture, and the deeper stories behind the DJs, producers, artists, executives, collectors, and cultural figures who shape the sound.Full episode available now.