Jurt the Gurt Channels the Darkness of ’90s Hip-Hop on “Hateful Jazz”

Jurt the Gurt’s “Hateful Jazz” is the kind of instrumental that immediately feels like it belongs to another era. Built around a shadowy jazz sample, dusty drums, and a grim boom bap atmosphere, the track pulls heavily from the raw production style of 1990s hip-hop while still reflecting the producer’s own approach to sampling. Rather than relying on vocals to establish the mood, Jurt lets the instrumental do the storytelling, creating something that feels tense, cinematic, and deliberately uneasy.

That darkness is central to the song’s identity. The title “Hateful Jazz” comes from the mood Jurt heard within the production itself, connecting the track’s sinister atmosphere to the darker themes often found throughout classic gangster rap. At the same time, the record highlights his interest in taking older sounds and reshaping them into something new. With influences ranging from DJ Premier and J Dilla to Cookin Soul and The Avalanches, “Hateful Jazz” becomes both a tribute to sample-driven hip-hop and another step in Jurt the Gurt’s ongoing experimentation with different genres and production techniques.

What was the original idea behind “Hateful Jazz,” and where did the name come from?

Jurt the Gurt: I was listening to some jazz and heard that part and immediately thought to sample it. I was thinking that part would go hard with a beat behind it.

The name came from the dark sound of the beat and the moody vibe. I always try to name my instrumental tracks after what I think they sound like. It sounds like something out of 90s hip hop, which is closely linked to gangster rap. Often gangster rap explores macabre and dark themes, which draws into the feeling of hate. In our current times with what's occurring in the world at the moment, hate is widely felt, and I wanted to emulate that into a sound.

You described it as boom bap. What producers or eras influenced the sound of this track?

Jurt the Gurt: The boom bap sound influenced me from artists such as KRS-One with DJ Premier on the decks. Other artists I felt influenced by were J Dilla and Cookin Soul, mainly from their use of jazz samples and drum breaks. The main influence here would be from 90s hip hop.

Another influence I would say would be The Avalanches due to their heavy sample usage in their tracks. I like the thought of taking something that already exists and putting your own spin on it, which is basically how all new music is created by using old ideas.

What did you start with first when making it, the drums, sample, melody, or something else?

Jurt the Gurt: I started with the sample melody that you hear at the beginning, then I chopped it up to make the song and added drums and other parts. Prior to this, I had this sample for about two years trying to think how I could use it.

Do you make these instrumentals with rappers in mind, or are you mainly treating them as standalone songs?

Jurt the Gurt: Personally I like to listen to instrumentals and rap songs. I like to make the beat, but if someone wants to rap over it, that's cool.

Is “Hateful Jazz” part of a bigger project or sound you’re currently working on?

Jurt the Gurt: At the moment I'm experimenting with different genres and trying different mixing and mastering techniques. It would be nice to create another boom bap or hip hop song, but mainly I like to use influences from all genres to make music in all styles.

“Hateful Jazz” shows exactly why instrumental hip-hop can still carry just as much personality as a vocal record. Jurt the Gurt takes a jazz sample he held onto for years and finally finds the right environment for it, transforming it into a dark, head-nodding boom bap track rooted in classic hip-hop production. With his willingness to move between genres rather than lock himself into one specific sound, “Hateful Jazz” feels less like a one-off experiment and more like a glimpse into the range Jurt could continue exploring as his production develops.