NO HOLDS BARRED with chordandjocks
“The real will always prevail, and will always resonate with the right crowd. Whether you just started, or are seasoned, keep going yo! No age limit should stop you.”
ChordandJocks, a sample-based producer hailing from Arkansas, blends the sounds of soul, R&B and jazz with snappy drums to craft infectious, head-nodding beats. Known for his neck-snapping SP404 live sets and unique sense of swing, his music draws from the past and present to keep listeners on their toes.
Feeling the transformative power of music in high school when he played trumpet in concert band. It was the moment when all the instruments came together in harmony that left a lasting impression on him—a feeling of awe that planted the seed for his future in music production. This experience of collective sound became the foundation for his beat-making journey, inspiring the layered and cohesive approach he now brings to his instrumental hip-hop creations.
With close to 30 beat tapes released through bandcamp since 2019, ChordandJocks is a force to be reckoned with in the instrumental beat scene.
We’re pleased to bring you some insight into his world of creativity, and a drum sample pack to get your beats sizzling!
The instrumental beat scene is popping in various regions around the world, tell us about the current state in Arkansas? And what role does your music play in shaping it?
Man honestly, it’s pretty small here! Other genres like hardcore, bluegrass, and country really dominate this region. I have a small network of homies that flip samples as well, but there are many more DJs than producers. Arkansas isn’t really known for hip hop, but birthed some soul greats like Al Green. Recently I’ve tapped into an older crowd of hip hop folks that were on it in the 90s and 00s here, but most of the shows I play are mixed genre, alongside a jazz or rock group. There is a small hip hop scene here, but it’s mostly made up of trap-style hip hop artists and fans. The boom bap sound hasn’t fully resonated just yet, although I feel like I’ve found some success here. People dig it when they hear it. It’s something new and different.
Your live shows have a reputation for bringing a unique energy to the audience. What can fans expect when they come to see you perform live, and how do you make sure your performances stand out?
Bring a neck brace! My goal is really just to keep people engaged with the music. With me not rapping over the beats, I have to get creative with transitions and pull samples that sound familiar to the audience. If it’s a show with an older crowd, I’ll play beats with soul/rnb/jazz samples from the 70s-90s. If it’s a younger show, I might use some common video game themes. It’s basically a soundscape of things you’ve heard throughout your life, combining old school and new school, but still staying true to hip hop - specifically boom bap. It’s cool when people come up to you after the set, dapping you up because they hear “aquatic ambience” from Donkey Kong Country. That means you really resonated with them, it’s a connection that you shared and didn’t even know. I just try to be authentic.
Being an instrumental hip-hop producer, you’re not using words to convey a message, you have to let the beat do the talking. Tell us about the vulnerability that comes with putting yourself out there like that?
For sure, it definitely took some courage when I first started. These are beats made all by myself in my small studio. I’ve spent years practicing and honing in a sound, so from here it’s just being confident. I’ve moused my way through shows for sure, but when you aren’t engaged, the crowd won’t be either. Look, the beats hit too hard to stand still, at least for me. Now, I’m hoping to improve my Emceeing skills to advocate for myself.
Your beats have this natural swing and pocket that many hip-hop producers spend years trying to perfect. Is this something that’s always come naturally to you, or is it a skill you’ve developed over time?
It came pretty natural I think! I started out with the more slower lofi sound, and then found Dilla and everything that came from him and started really listening to my favorite producers like Dibia$e and Stlndrms. Becoming a huge fan of their work, I started to look into their methods for beat making and basically tried to mimic their tactics for getting a natural “swing”. After years of making beats, it started to come to me when finger drumming out a pattern. If you look through my discography, you can almost hear the swing developing with each tape.
“I mix as I go always, because it helps me shape the track. Dibia$e put me on gain staging and it’s made mixes sound so much cleaner. (esp. drums) I usually run my Serato Studio audio through the SP404 MK2, using the cassette sim (always) and maybe the 303 vinyl compressor.”
Can you take us through your production process, from initial inspiration to finalizing a track? What steps do you follow, samplers, DAWs etc.
It all starts with finding a nice sample on whatever platform, vinyl, etc. From there, I'm either dragging it directly into my daw, or importing it into Koala to mess with the pitch. Then i’ll open up Serato Studio, and either start with the sample and chop it, or get a nice drum loop going. I mix as I go always, because it helps me shape the track. Dibia$e put me on gain staging and it’s made mixes sound so much cleaner. (esp. drums) I usually run my Serato Studio audio through the SP404 MK2, using the cassette sim (always) and maybe the 303 vinyl compressor. I have a few different compressors/limiters plugins that I like to combine depending on the track before the 404s, and that colors the sound quite a bit. Last on the chain is the OG 404, which I really like the Equalizer on it to give the beat a final polish. The lows and hi’s on it sound really good. After I’ve recorded the beat through the chain onto the 404 OG, I’ll then run THAT through the MK2 and apply effects/vocal one shots. Then that’s back into Serato Studio as an audio track. So, these tracks are essentially recorded live with effects. Other times i’ll just make a full beat in Koala or using the pattern sequencer in the MK2.
Your latest tape, ‘95, gives a big shoutout to your family. Can you tell us a little bit more about the release?
I think it’s rite of passage to have a beat tape with album artwork from your childhood right? As i’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how important family really is. I was birthed in the year 1995, which was great for the culture. The tape was made and sequenced using the same technique as above, which is why some beats cut right into the other. It’s meant for a full listen, with each beat pretty short. It was essentially a shout out to my family, with a dope cosign in the intro track.
Drum processing can really shape the character of a track. Your drums are known for being punchy and snappy. How do you approach processing your drums in your production?
It all starts with the sample choice! I like shorter and snappy snares that are hollow, and deep kicks. After experimenting with your drum bus with different samples, you learn that it’s all math. You give and take. Push and pull. Whether it’s sidechaining your hi hat to your kick, or just adding a limiter and setting the threshold very low to cut your hi hats out whenever your kick hits. It’s all just experimenting to get the result of that nice bounce. Staying as close to the natural signal is good, unless you’re looking for a dirty drum sound. A bit of tape sim on drums always gives them some life too.
We really appreciate your generosity in creating and sharing this sample pack with the beat-making community. What can you tell us about this drum pack? What was your vision behind it, and how did you go about creating and texturing these sounds?
Really just to give the community a sample of what I like for my drums to sound like. Drums have been so important in my production, and doing this was so fun. When you know what you want and what you’re aiming for, it’s easier to just use samplers and daws as tools to get there. It’s drums chopped from breaks/tracks that struck me quickly, but I wanted to put my spin on them. Obviously sampling into the 404, applying effects, and running them through a plugin or two is the sauce!
In today’s music landscape, social media plays such a huge role for artists. How have you managed to build a positive and healthy relationship with social media while using it to connect with your audience and promote your work?
…I haven’t. Haha. It’s so tough. Especially being in a place like Arkansas where things are necessarily “Popping”, I’ve had to rely on social media to get the word out. But with that comes everything that social media comes with, specifically the algorithm fighting against you if you aren’t using the latest trends with your content. How the hell is an instrumental hip hop artist suppose to stand out in this climate? Now we can’t just be behind the boards being good at our craft. You have to put a face to it and influence. I utilize instagram as a primary, where there is more content than just opinions.
I’ve got to ask about your feature on Dibi’s Flip Sessions for Serato Kitchen. Firstly, that’s super dope. What was that experience like for you?
Man I wish that I could do it again! It was crazy to get that opportunity alongside some other heavy hitters in the community. My wifi wasn’t great that day, so I was lowkey stressed about that the whole time haha. But it was cool getting to showcase my way of making beats in the platform! It’s crazy cause they work with all the producers I look up to like DJ Jazzy Jeff. That’s just wild. Serato is a cool company that really listens to their clients and adapt to change very well. I’d love to work for them someday in artist relations.
You’ve recently started promoting that you’re open to producing for emcees and selling beats. Can you elaborate on this new venture and what led you to take this step?
After being stubborn for years and wondering “Whats next?” I figured that finding artists that are at the same level as me and building with them would be a good idea. Theres a niché for beat tapes for sure, but there’s an even bigger audience for real hip hop. Why not venture that way as well? I’m in the process of setting up a beatstars account currently and will be posting about that soon.
Last words for the beat making community, what’s next for chordandjocks and where can folks go to learn more
Y’all lets keep it going. There’s a lot of talk from the older hip hop community that basically the genre is dead and such, just because they aren’t looking in the right places. Given the current climate, it’s bound to change. The real will always prevail, and will always resonate with the right crowd. Whether you just started, or are seasoned, keep going yo. No age limit should stop you. Also, SP CHOPS is one of the many platforms doing great things for this community. Go grab some drums!
