The Story

 

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 MusiquePlus, 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 online, earning a review in Scratch Magazine. However, after just one year, the company ceased operations due to creative differences.

Fueled by 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 specialists, including Amen From Hellzwind, Solution Beatz, Gemologist, The Attic, Johnny Slash, 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 Freddie Gibbs and Madlib.

This momentum led to multiple collaborations with King Author from Boston, Massachusetts, on several projects, including the songs The Symbol and Fine and Safe.

In 2025, Alpha connected with California emcee D-Strong, sending him a collection of beats that sparked a creative connection. Through D-Strong, Alpha was introduced to Shyste Chronkyte, laying the foundation for a new cross-border collaboration.

That connection led to the release of the 3-track EP Concrete Scriptures in 2026, highlighted by the single Sunny Daze, a collaboration between Alpha Centori and Shyste Chronkyte bridging Montreal and Upstate New York.

Alpha’s expanding network also opened the door to a long-running 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 from both fans and independent press.

After seven successful years with Boom Bap Labs, Alpha Centori expanded his vision further in 2023 by launching Alpha Centori Audio Research Labs, a deeper extension of his passion for rare sound exploration, sample research, and experimental boom bap composition.

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