“You don’t want to force it; you just want to be on the ride. Sometimes things that are repeated over and over again gain momentum.” Omar Hakim is talking about the track “Remember to Remember,” from his new solo album, We Are One, which you can read all about in the July 2014 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. “It’s like a meditation,” he says. “The mantra gains power and energy as you keep repeating it.”

The MD offices happen to be a hop, skip, and jump from Hakim’s northern New Jersey home studio, so one afternoon we took full advantage and stopped by, with cameras and questions in tow. In this exclusive clip (one of several we’ve got for you—watch this space), Omar, whose drumming with Weather Report, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Chic, and dozens of others has made his name and grooving synonymous, elaborates on the topic.

Of course, in addition to his beautiful feel, Omar’s got a truckload of dynamite chops at his disposal, which he happily indulges us with throughout We Are One. And we couldn’t bear the idea of not sharing a wee bit of that famous fire with you in this clip. But there will be plenty more of that in future videos; here we focus our cameras on Hakim getting down to the business of getting down. Enjoy, and stay tuned. Advertisement