How Drumma Boy and musician father James Gholson are helping U of M music students

Earlier this summer, University of Memphis music student Onyinye Igboanugo was announced as the recipient of the James and Christopher Gholson Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship — which has been handed out annually since 2012 — is given to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Commercial Music or Woodwinds. For the Gholsons it's part of a commitment to Memphis music that bridges the worlds of music education and commercial success, of classical music and hip-hop.

Christopher Gholson, better known as hitmaking hip-hop producer Drumma Boy, and his father James Gholson, a veteran professor at the University of Memphis music school and Memphis Symphony Orchestra member, started the scholarship as a way of helping music students, particularly those of color, further their studies.

The idea was hatched a decade ago as the elder Gholson retired from U of M’s music department.

“My father was seeing the difficulties that a lot of students of color were having in covering tuition or getting into student debt to cover tuition,” says Christopher, who is also an alumnus of the U of M music program.

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“It just so happened that around that time Chris was also starting to hit his stride in his [production] career,” James adds. “I told him that I’d like to start a scholarship that would encourage kids. So we got it set up.”

Over the last 15 years, under his Drumma Boy moniker, Christopher has built an impressive list of credits. He's sired hits and standout tracks for Young Jeezy, Yung Joc, Rick Ross, Nelly, T.I., Ludacris, Chamillionaire, Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, August Alsina and Migos, among many others.

Christopher's background is different than most of his hip-hop peers. In addition to his father — who spent nearly 40 years teaching clarinet at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music and the same amount of time playing for Memphis Symphony Orchestra — his mother, Billie, was an opera singer and occasional backing vocalist on local soul sessions.

Christopher grew up surrounded by classical music and classic soul, but a heavy hip-hop influence came from his late brother, rapper Ensayne Wayne. “I come from Beethoven, Mozart, I didn’t understand or recognize hip hop until age 10,” Christopher says. “My older brother Ensayne Wayne, he was my intro to hip hop. That was my connection.”

James notes that his son’s success in the hip-hop world was not surprising, even with the differences in terms of approach between rap and classical music. “Well, you know chords are chords, scales are scales," James says. "Creating music isn’t just about genres, it’s from a deeper place.”

Over the years, Christopher has had a huge hand in helping define and commercialize the subgenre of trap music, working with everyone from T.I. to Memphis kingpin Yo Gotti.

“I took that theory and knowledge I had and put that towards creating a new genre,” Christopher says. “The word trap wasn’t a sound at first, it was a location. 'Where you at? We at the trap.' We turned that idea into a genre, into a sound, which is one of the most listened to music of today.

“Trap is the sound of the struggle. It’s kind of like struggle music. For me it became an outlet to creating," he adds. "And look at where it is now, look at Yo Gotti’s success, it’s massive. My thing has always been about helping artists tell their stories, that’s what I do best.”

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Although Christopher is based in Atlanta, he returns to Memphis a week every month. Recently he’s been working with some hot Bluff City talents including Gloss Up, who recently signed to Atlanta label Quality Control. He’s also done tracks for GloRilla, who inked a deal with Yo Gotti’s CMG label, and fast-rising artist Bighomie Kdogg.

“Memphis is on fire,” says Christopher of the city’s rap renaissance. “I’ve never seen this many deals happen so quickly among Memphis artists. I think Memphis is the hottest sound in the world right now.”

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Drumma Boy, father James Gholson team up on U of M music scholarship