Sha Money XL Drum Kit Review
Hey there fellow beat-smiths! It’s D-nast here, bringing you my review of the Sha Money XL Get Drums Or Die Trying drum kit, brought to you from the epic team at The Drum Broker. As executive vice president of Urban A&R for Epic Records, Sha Money XL has an ASCAP award and a Grammy nomination, so it goes without saying that he knows what it takes to make a big hit! Growing up as a Haitian-American in rough streets of Queens, NY, Sha Money XL is known as one of the hardest working personalities in the music business, and it clearly shows in this drum kit. Consisting of 126 sounds, this kit is made entirely from Sha Money XL’s personal collection, and is mixed with extra bottom end to give every sound an extra boost when added to your production.
When 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Trying first dropped, I remember throwing the CD into my boombox and feeling a new, raw energy that was never really felt before. Each track on the album had a way of making you feel 50’s struggle, pain and success; this kit gives you the ability to make those same powerful arrangements. Each one of the kicks in this kit have a unique sound and all hit very hard! Whether layered with existing drums, or used from scratch as a stand alone, these kicks will certainly be a go-to in your arsenal. Get Drums Or Die Trying also comes with 54 snares/claps and snaps; in my opinion, this makes the kit an obvious must-buy! Each snare/clap and snap have individual characteristics that bring an immense diversity to this kit; some seem to be chopped from a break beat, while others seem to be layered one shots, yet all are mixed with Sha Money XL’s years of experience (guaranteeing to offer a fit for any mix). When I incorporated some of the kit’s kicks and snares into my existing projects I was really excited to see how it made my tracks pop. With the large variety of snares included, I could finally find the perfect choice for a song, without surfing through 100’s of kits.
Moving on from the kick’ and snares, I decided to try out the high hats. A majority of the high hats in this kit are actually short acoustic loops that seem to be chopped from live break beats. With the exception of a trap-oriented loop, the hats in this kit all have a genuine, vintage warmth and crackle, making them a lot of fun to play with. From the hats, I moved along to the percussion and scratch sounds. This part of the kit was very enjoyable for me, because it gave me the ability to add great sounding scratches to my tracks without the use of a turntable.
As a whole, Get Drums Or Die Trying is a dope kit. My personal favorite feature of the kit is the wide range of snares; they are lightly mixed, so not a lot of effort is required to find and perfect the sound that you are looking for. If I could add anything to this kit, I would ask for a few more kicks to compliment the large variety of snares, however, the kicks that are included are not to be overlooked, and can be incorporated in a variety of different hip-hop styles. For the price of only $24.99, Sha Money XL and The Drum Broker bring you a great drum kit. Take advantage. Go out there, dive in, and get crazy!
Dnast