Day 1 Radio

Well, this is a nice way to start 2021. We had a whole "Welcome to the New Year" episode recorded where we recapped 2020 and talked about what we were expecting this year. But then white privilege took over Washington D.C. So, this week we speak on the mob of #45 supporters who stormed the capitol building as the U.S. Senate confirmed Joe Biden's presidential election.

2:00 - Branden and Reese begin to try to unpack what just happened. Branden describes it as "racist with guns, storming the business place of racists with suits."

5:00 - Maurice speaks on how this event and the energy behind it has been brewing for at least 8 to 12 years. Branden doubles down Trump going down as one of, if not the worst president in U.S. history.

8:15 - Maurice wonders how much of this event was an "inside job" as the rioters seemed to be prepared to not only show up in protest, but break into the capitol building, confront law enforcement and rummage through office desks.

10:40 - Branden and Maurice speak on the power of words and how "coup" should not be thrown around so haphazardly. Maurice also challenges more white people to stop keeping secrets and callout the brazenly white people they know.

18:00 - Maurice and Branden question what these white "protestors" were actually protesting. They also wonder what happens after Trump officially leaves office and where him and his supporters will migrate to.

26:20 - Branden and Maurice talk about the passing of MF DOOM and share some of their favorite moments of his career.

Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

This week's guest is senior writer for The Undefeated and new author Jesse Washington. He is the co-author of the late great Coach John Thompson's book "I Came As A Shadow." Here we talk with Washington about how the book came together and some of the highlights of working closely with a sports and culture icon. We also get into his history as a Hip-Hop journalist and hooper as well.

2:45 - Jesse talks about how the opportunity to write Coach Thompson's book came to him. He shares what it was like meeting with him for the first interview and how his own hoop background got him on Coach's good side.

7:20 - Jesse shares some of his favorite Coach Thompson quotables. He also talks about Coach's eagerness to work on the book and how the book isn't about just basketball.

14:00 - Jesse speaks on finishing the book before Coach's passing away earlier this year. He says Coach told him "you did a good job boy." He also talks about approaching the book as an "act of service" to make sure his story was told from his perspective.

18:15 - Branden brings light to the fact that in the 1980's during "Hoyas Paranoia" many people thought that Georgetown's majority Black team was an HBCU (which it is not). Jesse speaks on his personal experience seeing it himself growing.

20:40 - Jesse explains the meaning behind the title of the book and how it was inspired by poetry from one of Thompson's uncles.

24:30 - Jesse was editor-in-chief at late 90s Hip Hop magazine BLAZE, that was an offshoot of VIBE. Here he talks about his time running magazine and some of the innovative ideas he was able to execute while there.

30:24 - Jesse is currently a writer at The Undefeated where sports and Black culture intersect. Here he talks about the joys of writing for such a unique space for this generation. He also talks about the time he was able to hoop against a Twitter troll who was critiquing his writing and basketball knowledge.

Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

At this point. Hip-Hop legend J. Prince is officially a friend of the show. In his third appearance on Day 1 Radio, J. Prince speaks on his newest business venture, Loyalty Wine Collection. He also talks about focusing on his boxing promotions company and the current status of Rap-A-Lot Records.

1:30 - J. Prince's name is synonymous with Respect and Loyalty. Here he breaks down his affinity for wine and what inspired him to get into the business side of it. He also talks about some of the things he's learned and how he's applied his music industry knowledge to this business.

6:30 - J. Prince has been very prolific in the media over the last couple of years. Here he talks about finally opening up on social media and adjusting to the new way of doing things. He also reveals what happened between him and NBA Youngboy on IG earlier this year.

9:40 - J. Prince, whose first love is boxing, speaks on the current status of Rap-A-Lot Records and he says that he's essentially done with that part of his life. He also speaks on the recent wave of artists selling their master recordings for profit.

13:15 - J. Prince opens up on signing his first Mexican boxer, Gabriel Flores Jr. –to his promotions company. He also talks about Shakur Stevenson and him being on the cusp of stardom. He also offers his thoughts on the Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. exhibition match.

17:45 - Two of J. Prince's former artists Scarface and Willie D. have both ran for political offices. He speaks on if he will ever do the same. He also briefly speaks on putting together a movie on his life and John David Washington's interest in playing him on the big screen.

22:00 - J. Prince speaks on Houston producing Hip Hop megastars like Megan Thee Stallion and Travis Scott.

Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

You may have first heard of Symba thru his LA Leakers freestyle, or maybe it was on LeBron or Shaq's IG pages. Well, be clear, the Bay Area artist isn't new to the game, he's been dropping music for at least a decade. On this week's episode, we talked with him on the day his project Don't Run From R.A.P. dropped.

From talking about his upbringing to developing as an artist, we get deep into Symba's history from the Bay to LA.

Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

It's been a few years since we had friend of the show Glasses Malone on. This time he's here to talk about his new podcast "No Ceilings," his thoughts on the upcoming Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones, Jr. fight and the new music that he has on the way.

1:15 - Glasses Malone is set to debut his own podcast via Charlamagne Tha God's podcast network with iHeartRadio. Known for his strong opinions, Glasses says listeners should expect for the show to be "therapeutic." Also, on the 27 anniversary of Snoop Dogg's "Doggstyle" album, Glasses doubles down on his stance of it being the greatest Hip Hop album of all time.

9:00 - Roy Jones, Jr. is Glasses' favorite boxer of all time and he gives his thoughts on his upcoming fight against Mike Tyson. Newsflash, he thinks Roy will win the fight. He also talks about why he feels Tyson Fury has the potential to be the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. 17:20 - Glasses offers his perspective on the recent Gucci Mane vs Jeezy Verzuz battle. He also gives a rundown of who else would make for great match-ups. 27:30 - In the mid-2000s Glasses was at the forefront of L.A.'s resurgence in the rap game. 15 years later he talks about how he's grown as an artist and some of the lessons he's learned along the way. He also speaks about his next project and his plans to create and release a lot of music in 2021. 33:20 - Glasses speaks on the 2020 election results and how he feels Black people allows the media to manipulate them into who they think their enemies are. Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

This week's guest is L.A. based recording artist Thurz. You may or may not recognize him from his days as a member of U.N.I. Or you may know him from his Party In My Living Room events. Or, you may know him from his recent "More Thurz on Thurzday" music series (check out the latest track "Dollaz" by Chewstick) . Either way, Thurz wears many hats. This week we caught up with the prolific artist to talk about how he's been navigating as a creative during the pandemic and his time working with Aftermath and Dr. Dre.

1:30 - Thurz talks about what the vibe has been like in L.A. this year with Kobe passing, the Lakers and Dodgers winning championships and being on lockdown the whole time.

2:30 - Thurz has been dropping new music and visuals every Thursday for his "Thurz on Thursdays" series. He says it started off with him just collecting music on his hard drive, but he decided to start sharing it at the behest of a friend. He also talks about how he's able to find inspiration from everywhere in order to be able to produce so much music. 11:50 - Thurz talks about his creative process and how he approaches every track differently. He specifically speaks on his track "November 3rd" where he shares his perspective on the 2020 election. 16:15 - Thurz talks about working with the Aftermath team and Dr. Dre. He talks about how surreal it was to see that Dre actually knew who he was and wanted to work with him. He also talks about the team of musicians he surrounds himself with and how that inspired him to bring his A-game. 22:30 - Thurz is also known for throwing dope parties/events and he talks about how much he's looking forward to cranking it back up after outside opens back up. He also talks about being active in the community and supporting local organizations. 26:30 - Thurz talks about wanting to build his own distribution channels for his music before he drops a new full-length project. He also talks about being an artist who came out during the "blog era" of the mid-to-late 2000s and applying lessons from then to the DSP era of now.

Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

If you have been a day one listener of Day 1 Radio then you already know that we cherish bringing you stories that you haven't heard before. We are continuing that tradition with our latest interview with L.A.'s own, artist/producer Blxst. While people on the West Coast are already hip, he's poised to breakthrough nationally any moment now. Get to know the next big thing out of the West!

3:00 - Blxst talks about how he got introduced to Hip Hop music through his grandfather singing A Tribe Called Quest songs to him when he was little. From there he says his uncle (who rapped) encouraged him to step up his vocabulary by reading the dictionary. 5:45 - Blxst shares why and how he's been able to build such a dedicated fanbase so fast and early in his career. He also talks about how his latest project "No Love Lost" came together and his choice to have no features and handle the production. He also talks about directing his own videos and how he learned how to film videos from being a skater. 11:40 - Blxst talks about how the feedback from his string of singles is what encouraged him to put out a full body of work. He also explains the science behind the spelling of his name, label (Evgle pronounced "eagle") and the branding behind it. 17:00 - Blxst has a unique partnership with Red Bull Records that will be backing his music. Here he talks about the importance of working with a company that truly understand his vision as an artist. 19:00 - Blxst admits that he does feel a little bit of pressure from respected figures and music lovers already crowning him as the next Nate Dogg or Ty Dolla $ign. He also talks about he prefers to produce for himself even though he is becoming an in-demand producer. Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

25 years to the day of the release of their classic debut album Soul Food we sat down with Goodie Mob at the opening of the NuStalgia 2020 exhibit to get the goods on their new album Survival Kit!

On this episode we get into the making of Survival Kit, reuniting with Organized Noize for an entire project, who could face Dungeon Family in a verzuz battle, Atlanta's dominance in hip-hop and a whole lot more.

This is one of our classics for sure! Be sure to subscribe, rate and review.

Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

This week's guest is Bay Area radio vet and Sunday Service (Shade 45) host Big Von. Here he talks about his history in the radio game including the records he's broken and the contributions the Bay has made to urban radio culture, period.

1:45 - Big Von talks about the moment he fell in love with Hip-Hop, and like so many others, it started with Run DMC. He talks about how being born in New Jersey and being raised in the Bay and going back and forth played a role in him getting exposed to it so early. Branden and Von also go down memory lane listening to Sway and Tech's "Wake Up Show."

8:20 - Big Von reveals that he started off as an MC and then a DJ and goes through the list of ridiculous names him and his crew came up with. 11:20 - Big Von talks about the history he has with Bay Area icons Tha Jacka (RIP) and Mob Figaz. He also talks about KMEL being the first FM Hip-Hop station in the country and the originator of the "Summer Jam" concert idea. 15:30 - Von talks about how he got into radio as an intern and then worked his way up the ladder. He shares a story of how he got his first on-air gig seizing an opportunity that another person fumbled. 25:00 - Von talks about how his passion keeps him going in radio, especially at a time where urban stations' relevance is dwindling. He also talks about the long list of records he's broken ranging from Dorrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job" to Ella Mai's "Boo'd Up." 32:15 - Von talks about how he landed his Sunday Service show on Shade45 and the role 50 Cent played in setting it up. He also talks about why he's never bothered with trying to produce albums like the DJ Drama's and DJ Khaled's of the world. Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio

This week's guest is emcee and entrepreneur Willie the Kid. Long respected as one of Hip-Hop's most skilled lyricists, he is currently enjoying some widespread acclaim for his most recent effort Capital Gains. Here he talks about the process of creating the album during a pandemic while balancing it with his numerous business endeavors.

1:10 - We jump right into talking about his new album "Capital Gains." While it is dropping at a time where lyricism is making a comeback, he feels he's always been on that "island" for the better part of the last decade. We also talk about how it was writing and recording the album during the pandemic.

8:30 - "Capital Gains" has 10 tracks with nine producers. Willie talks about the decision to make a concise album and work with so many producers and have a number of features as well. He also talks about the overall aesthetic of the sound and look of the project including the cover art and videos. 13:30 - Willie has been quite busy outside of music. Here he gives a rundown of some of his business endeavors that include his spirits company Motu Viget, nightclub Ambiance, being a board member with Midwest Tech and being an investor in the app Radi8er. 22:45 - Willie is a co-executive producer on an upcoming Langston Hughes documentary. Here he talks about his role of bridging the gap between the Harlem Renaissance and Hip Hop and making sure it doesn't only come off as old Black history. 27:30 - Willie has been dropping new albums at least once a year for a while now. Here he talks about the pros and cons of being so prolific as an independent artist. He also lets it be known that he feels he is "a father" of the current trend of one producer/one MC rap albums.

Day 1 Radio podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, IHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, and CLNS Mobile Media app. Follow us on Twitter, FB, and IG at @day1radio