DJ Lock Smith Takes the Crown in the Igazi Sample Pack Showdown

Soundtrap just concluded another Sample Pack Challenge hosted on the Soundtrap Discord Server.

This week, the pack to work with was Igazi, a smooth afro-house/amapiano sample pack that had the Discord channel on fire right after its release.

Ending up in 1st place was DJ Lock Smith, a seasoned Soundtrap user from Arizona who put his twist on the Igazi samples.

We caught up with Lock Smith right after the win to chat.

Congratulations on the big win! Please tell us who you are in one sentence.

I'm a self-taught, southern AZ grown, music artist/producer with an ear for sound.

Where are you from and how old are you?

I am 40 years old and am from Tucson Arizona.

How long have you been making music and what got you started?

I have been writing lyrics for around 3 years but I have been producing music for about 10 months.

What was your initial reaction when you heard the sample pack? Did any particular loop or sound jump out at you?

My initial reaction to listening to the Igazi sound pack was that it had a different vibe to it and I enjoyed the Igazi-Asoka (Melody Whistle)

Did you have a specific vibe or theme in mind for your track, or did it evolve naturally?

My music is always an evolutionary process within the boundaries of what I believe the current situation requires for what I am producing

What's your inspiration?

My inspiration is the few talented music artists that I grew up listening to who are still making music and my motivation is the few who made it in after... that actually have talent.

If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

If I could collaborate with anyone... I would have to say I would look to the top and say Eminem because I grew up listening to Dr. Dre making all that great music for the West Coast and after all this time Eminem is still on top.

What do you think makes a track stand out in a challenge like this? What advice would you give future participants?

To make a track stand out in a challenge like this you have to understand changes keep your listeners interested and transitions are what blend your changes. Changes stand out on their own but when you can make transitions stand out you get better ear appeal for listeners."

Now that you’ve won the challenge, what’s next? Are there any projects you're excited about

What's next for DJ Lock Smith is to delve into the artist side of my music with the EP/album I'm working on called... Still-Born.

What does this win mean to you, and how has it impacted your confidence as a producer?

This win is a great verification of the point I push on my children consistently... When you work hard at anything you do... you can succeed!

Where can people listen to your music and find you online?

Find more of my music on https://buybeats.com/DJLockSmith or on Youtube with Hookedbeats by DJ Lock Smith

You can listen to DJ Lock Smith's winning submission below.

Make sure to join the Soundtrap Discord Server for the next biweekly Sample Pack Challenge.