Formats Unpacked: Rhythm Roulette by Mass Appeal

Hey,

Today we’re lucky enough to have Storythings’ own Chris Mitchell unpacking a format for us. Chris is a seasoned audio producer, musician, and as his LinkedIn profile says, ‘WAV file whisperer’, so it’s no surprise that his format is all about the magic of audio creativity.

When Chris works on our podcasts, I’m always amazed at how he can change the pace and texture of a podcast through smart audio fx and editing. It’s an incredible craft that a lot of people forget about when commissioning great podcasts - it’s not just about putting a mic in front of two people and hitting record.

We love going deep into the craft of great formats at Storythings. So if you’d like to talk to us about helping you make great formats, get in touch - we’d love to help!

Over to Chris…

What's it called? 

Rhythm Roulette - a spontaneously random burst of beat-making brilliance.

What's the format?

Rhythm Roulette is a digital video series produced by Mass Appeal that spotlights legendary and emerging Hip Hop producers as they undertake a unique sampling challenge. The series' format is both straightforward and compelling. In each episode, a producer is blindfolded and guided through the aisles of a record store to select three records at random. Once the records are selected, the producer returns to their studio to listen, sample, and ‘flip’ the sounds, constructing a cohesive beat from the eclectic mix. With over 100 episodes, Rhythm Roulette has featured a diverse array of producers, including Erick Sermon (Redman, Shaquille O’Neal), Hit-Boy (Drake, Nas) and Just Blaze (Rihanna, Beyonce), offering viewers an intimate glimpse into the storied art of beat-making and the spontaneity of musical creativity.

Rhythm Roulette debuted in 2013, with its first episode featuring producer Party Supplies. Over the years, the series has garnered significant attention (particularly online), with episodes featuring high-profile producers often becoming fan favourites. For instance, in his first appearance on the show, North Carolina’s 9th Wonder (Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child) picked three random records and made a beat from each. In just 11 minutes, 9th Wonder highlighted how much he had mastered the craft of sampling, which has been his bread and butter since he started making beats in the late 1990s. Other highlights include the live episode with Mannie Fresh (Lil’ Wayne, T.I.), recorded at The Sprite Corner in New York City. The man otherwise known as Elvis Freshly flexed his production chops and proved the rumours true when he incorporated live instrumentation at will. It was a snapshot of how he produced two decades worth of hits and classics for Cash Money Records. The episode with the late Mac Miller (Ab-Soul, The Internet) is also a watershed moment. Making a beat was only part of it, and Mac laid vocals down and created full-fledged songs.

Every episode of Rhythm Roulette feels like an event with fans waiting to see which one of their favourite producers answered the call. The feedback from the music community continues to be very positive, and fans have lauded the series for its “real in the feel” portrayal of different production processes and candid tidbits from the producers themselves. From the familiar to the unconventional, the unpredictable approach to the format has viewers eager to hear and see how the producers flip, chop and loop the samples.

What’s the magic that makes it special?

Rhythm Roulette’s allure is its clever mix of randomness and creativity. The element of chance through blindfolded record selection challenges producers to venture outside their usual sampling habits. This unpredictable energy shines a light on a producer’s versatility. Most importantly, the series does a great job of demystifying music production and making it more relatable, by showing the various workflows from a technical and creative standpoint.  

Favourite episode

My all-time favourite episode of Rhythm Roulette is the first of two appearances from 9th Wonder, as mentioned above. Aside from making three impressive tracks in one sitting, I particularly loved the child-like innocence he showed when scraping and shaping his sample sources. 9th lost himself in the art of audio alchemy, and there was a genuine excitement (with squeals and gasps) when he stumbled upon something he could extract sonic gold from. 9th’s geek-out facial expressions turned him into a meme on social media soon after, and in Hip Hop circles, the image below is now the ‘de-facto demeanour’ when you didn’t know what you were looking for, but you found it anyway. 

Most importantly, I love 9th Wonder’s episode of Rhythm Roulette because whilst some producers are ‘gear-heads’, 9th proved that it doesn't matter how many drum machines you have or what turntable you use. The most essential piece of equipment a producer has… is their ear. 9th Wonder’s ear is so sharp, I’m sure he can communicate with dolphins. 

Other great episodes that come to mind include Nottz (Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes), who appeared in a special J Dilla-themed Rhythm Roulette series. Nottz selected three random cuts with a twist - all the records are taken from Dilla’s old sample material. Like 9th Wonder, Nottz made multiple bangers on the spot whilst paying tribute to his friend, J Dilla, who tragically died in 2007.

Similar formats

The massive success of the Rhythm Roulette series has inspired other formats that examine producers’ creative processes in depth.

Against The Clock: Produced by FACT Magazine, this series challenges producers to cook up a beat from scratch in a 10-minute timeframe. 

Beat This: A fan-favourite feature on the Tim and Barry TV YouTube channel, this series invites producers to craft a beat, again, within a limited time. 

Rhythm Roulette and the examples above remind me of a weekly event in London called The Jump Off that started in 2003. There were Dancing and MC battles as part of the evening entertainment. Fun fact: Professor Green first made his name with a string of wins in the MC battles at The Jump Off before his mainstream success. There was also a producer challenge where three beat makers were given the same samples and sounds and had to make a beat on the spot in front of a live audience. Each producer would have to play their track, and the beat that got the loudest response (in the form of pull-ups and wheel-ups - whatever you call them) would be declared the winner. 

Maybe Rhythm Roulette was inspired by The Jump Off? Who knows? I know that aliens walk among us, most probably producers. 

Thanks Chris!

Make sure you follow Chris on LinkedIn, and if you’re a fan of hip hop, check out his fantastic personal podcast Breaking Atoms.

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Thanks for reading. See y’all next time,

Matt

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