Raised in Newark, N.J. Jamal “Beatnerd” Gainey has been creating music since the late 1980s. His love for music came from his parents who were advent record collectors. His mother was a local bartender and comedian and his father is a retired electrician and DJ. Beatnerd is known for his experiments with old school vibes layered with today’s sounds. He never shies away from the adventures of exploring other genres of music . His style and approach is that of a true beatsmith. His belief is simple: “I approach production the same way I approach spinning records as a DJ. If I can get that one person to make the Oooo face while listening to my music, then my mission for that period is complete.”