Collection: Drum Kits

Montreal native Alpha Centori embodies the essence of pure boom bap. His influences are deeply rooted in the timeless New York underground hip-hop scene of the 1990s. At just 13 years old, his love for hip-hop led him to experiment with a Casio SK-8 sampler keyboard and pause-looping cassettes. Before long, experimenting wasn’t enough, and he co-founded the ALS group with some of his high school friends.

In 2001, he moved on from the group to attend the Trebas Institute, where he honed his natural talent and focused on becoming a recording and mixing engineer. After graduating, he worked for companies like Ubisoft and Musique Plus, but these roles failed to satisfy his creative drive. Recognizing the need to reconnect with his first love—making beats—he co-founded Drumlabz in 2007 with his then-partner DJ Icepak. Drumlabz was among the first companies to sell samples and drum kits on the internet, even receiving a review in Scratch Magazine. However, after just one year, the company ceased operations due to creative differences between Alpha and DJ Icepak.

Fueled by a combination of passion and relentless hard work, Alpha Centori founded Boom Bap Labs in 2016, a sound design company specializing in vinyl sample digging and boom bap hip-hop drum sound design. He successfully built a team of over twelve crate-digging experts, including Amen From Hellzwind, Solution Beatz, Gemologist, The Attic, Undisputed Crates, Strong Arm Productions, Dave Zeke, Fumes The Threat, Organic Beats, Danny Mann and many others.

Boom Bap Labs attracted legendary hip-hop figures like Madlib, Rakim, and Domingo, who became frequent and loyal clients. In 2019, Alpha secured his first major placement on Bandana, the critically acclaimed album by Madlib and Freddie Gibbs. This success led to a collaboration with Paranoize, which eventually introduced him to 2Faces of the legendary hip-hop group 83 in 2021. In 2024, Alpha fully produced 83's full-length album, Les Solos Sessions, which received widespread critical acclaim and praise from fans and press alike.

After seven successful years with Boom Bap Labs, Alpha Centori expanded his vision further in 2023 by launching Alpha Centori Audio Research Labs.

Through his relentless dedication and deep connection to the music that inspired him, Alpha Centori continues to push himself toward greater achievements within the very underground scene that shaped him.