LA hip-hop Jedi training camp mentors the producers of tomorrow

On a recent Saturday in Inglewood, about a dozen acclaimed music producers including Dahi — who's worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Drake — and DJ Khalil — who has collaborated with artists like Dr. Dre, Kanye West and Eminem — gathered with 80 students to geek out on the art of beat making.

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The free three-day workshop, called the Audio Affect Series, was co-hosted by TEC Leimert, a South LA-based nonprofit that aims to bridge the gap between technology and entertainment, Serato (DJ and music production software company) and beloved street wear retailer Undefeated. The purpose of the event, which took place July 25-27, was to bring Black and brown producers of all skill levels together for hands-on instruction designed to help them level up their skills.

The idea for the workshop manifested a few years ago when TEC Leimert hosted a music production activation during its annual conference in the Leimert Park Plaza. Hours after the conference was over, attendees were still huddled in a small tent where a few producers were doing live beat making sessions and offering tips. “It was like 8 p.m. and they were still going,” recalls TEC Leimert Executive Director Paris McCoy. “It was just so clear that this was the type of space that artists wanted to be in, so I was just like, “We got to make it happen.” By the time her nonprofit reached out to the Serato team about collaborating on a beat making program, they were eager to get involved because they were already in talks about doing something similar, McCoy says.