Fire In Little Africa Podcast

The Vampire Youth is a rapper, singer and vampire from Tulsa.

Youth’s identification with this subculture began in his private life and is central to his musical identity. He channels his energy into dark, sultry hip-hop and R&B music on his standout debut My Deceased & I. Youth’s use of vampirism as a means of self-expression is clearly connecting with people, as his shows are consistently packed with fans rocking his merch and singing along to every word.

In this episode, recorded on May 29th, Youth shares his thoughts on the state of our nation just four days after the murder of George Floyd. They also go deep on his origin story, and how vampirism helped him restore his life force and express complicated, difficult emotions. And finally they discuss the #FireInLittleAfrica sessions and what Youth took away from that experience.

Songs featured on this episode: Elevator (1:09), Compulsion (7:48), Moves (24:53), K.I.P. Wavy (34:20) and Coffin Music (48:34).

Thanks to LoveMore Hookah for sponsoring this episode and allowing us space to record.

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Jabee is an Emmy award winning rapper, entrepreneur and activist from Oklahoma City. His new album ‘The World Is So Fragile And Cruel, I’m Glad I Got You’ features Wale, Lil B the Based God, Statik Selektah and more. The album was released June 26 and peaked at #3 on the iTunes hip-hop charts. Jabee is also a partner at Tower Theater in Oklahoma City, among other business endeavors and partnerships.

In this episode, Jabee sits down with Doc and Ali to talk about his hip-hop origins and how they led him to partnerships with the OKC Thunder and some of the biggest names in hip-hop. They discuss his activism and the fight for equity and justice both in his music and in the Oklahoma City community. And, they discuss his involvement with #FireInLittleAfrica and the importance of having the entire state come together on a project of this magnitude. Tap in on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to leave us a review on Apple podcasts.

Songs featured: Stephanie (2:53), No Allegiance (22:28), Monument (35:01), Clic (1:00:08) and Praying Hands (1:13:22).

Follow Jabee on Twitter here.

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Damion Shade is a multi-talented creative and social justice force in Tulsa. By day, Damion is a criminal justice policy analyst championing a wide array of progressive social causes and is a freelance journalist covering politics and culture. By night, he is one of the most talented musicians in Tulsa — rapping, singing and playing multiple instruments across a variety of bands and musical projects. Most recently he has been performing as Damion Shade & The Boom Bap Chorus, a ‘supergroup’ of some of the most talented instrumentalists in Tulsa and one of the most jaw-dropping live shows in town. Damion’s debut hip-hop album ‘Walt Whitman’ is expected to drop in July.

In this episode, Damion sits down with Doc and Ali to collectively process the events of the past couple of weeks in Tulsa. Damion co-hosted the Tulsa Juneteenth online ‘Block Party’ and shares stories from the celebration, including meeting and interviewing some of the celebrity guests on that program. Finally, Damion drops serious knowledge around criminal justice activism and important ballot initiatives that everyone should be aware of. We hope you enjoy this episode with one of Tulsa’s most brilliant minds.

Songs featured: Float (1:26), The End (15:25), When the Quiet Comes (40:16) and Motormouth (1:22:33). 

To learn more about Fire In Little Africa: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify

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Ayilla is a singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and as of March, 2020 - a mother. Ayilla began performing in Tulsa in 2018 and has developed a following for her moody neo-soul R&B. After her singles Ms. Mary and POV became town favorites, she released her debut EP Crazy As We Are in 2019. That project raised her profile and solidified her as one of the top artists in the city. In 2020, she opened her first business - LoveMore Hookah in the Kendall Whittier district, which was also the recording location for this episode.

In this episode Ayilla talks about #GeorgeFloyd and other current events and leaning on her spirituality in challenging times. She also discusses her experiences with the Fire in Little Africa recording sessions and how she gave birth to her first child just a week before the session and still participated fully and even performed that weekend. Finally, Ayilla discusses and previews a song from her highly anticipated new project, The Witch, expected to drop this summer.

Songs featured: Salient 369 (0:54), Lose Your Love (10:08), You Lie (27:20) and Ms. Mary feat. Lonely Bandz (55:49).

Follow Ayilla on social media: Instagram | Twitter

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Greg Robinson II is an activist and community leader from Tulsa who organized the ‘We Can’t Breathe’ protest in Brookside on May 30, 2020. Greg currently serves as Director of Family and Community Engagement for Met Cares Foundation. A graduate of Booker T. Washington high school, Greg previously worked on presidential campaigns for Barack Obama in 2012 and Hilary Clinton in 2016. He also worked on Kathy Taylor’s 2013 Tulsa mayoral campaign and North Carolina senator Kay Hagan’s 2014 campaign.

In this episode, Ali and Doc go deep with Greg on building a movement with activism and hip-hop. They discuss how he organized a protest with over 1,000 people in just a few days, and how that protest led to a meeting with Mayor Bynum and an end to Live PD, among other things. He talks about how Dr View’s (IN)Visible Man album has been his soundtrack since it dropped in May, and how #FireInLittleAfrica can be the soundtrack to the movement nationwide. Greg drops knowledge, wisdom and inspiration all throughout the episode, so get ready to get fired up. 

Songs featured from Dr. View’s (IN)Visible Man album: 93 Compton | 88 Rockets (1:03), Swish (6:18), Open Eyes (26:51), Cut Dead (44:25), Riverside (58:50) and Sam Fletcher (1:14:51).

To learn more about Fire In Little Africa: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify

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Chasing Ryan is a producer, singer and rapper from Tulsa and a member of the World 45 artist collective. Although only 22 years old, Chase has already produced tracks for the likes of St. Domonick, Parris Chariz, M.C. and Verse, and released an impressive solo album in 2019, ‘Mood.’ Last year he moved to Atlanta to pursue his dreams, and that journey was the subject of a recent DJ Booth profile. 

This podcast was recorded on May 15, before the murder of #GeorgeFloyd shook our nation. If you know Chase, you know that his joy and positive energy lights up any room he enters, and this podcast session was no exception. In the episode, he discusses his adventures in Atlanta and details his “Risk & Faith” life philosophy.

We will continue to process what is unfolding in our world and discuss the role of #FireInLittleAfrica in activism in future episodes and other content on this platform. For now, take a mental break and get to know one of the brightest young talents in the Town, ChasingRyan.

Songs featured on this episode: God’s Hands (0:42), Aaliyah (22:50), Wrongs vs Truth (41:20) and Town (57:04).

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Playya 1000 and Deeksta are a legendary MC-producer duo born and raised in the heart of North Tulsa. They found international success in the early 1990’s with their hit song ‘Sunday Afternoon’ and are known as Tulsa’s first hip-hop artists. The duo achieved extreme popularity overseas and even performed sold out shows in Japan. Playya and Deek are still active in hip-hop and have recently started releasing new music every Sunday with their series ‘G-Funk Sundays’. Playya 1000 is also known as Freddy Fri the hip-hop motivator and his YouTube content has racked up millions of view. He released his first book ‘Make Everyday a WINSday’ in 2020.

In this episode, Playya 1000 and The Deeksta talk about how they started making music, how ‘Sunday Afternoon’ blew up and how they have managed to stay relevant after so many years. At one point an anecdote about dealing with racism early in their careers evolved into a longer conversation about #AhmadArbery and race in America today. Make sure you follow us on @Spotify and support us by leaving a review on @apple podcasts.

Songs featured: Sunday Afternoon (0:53), Go Play feat. Tony Mason (30:03), Bout That Life feat. Leah Joelle (38:26), All Love feat. Steph Simon (58:00), Switch (1:12:23) and Sunday Afternoon (1:22:51).

Follow Playya 1000 and The Deeksta on social media: Instagram | YouTube

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Keeng Cut is the ‘Flavor King’ of Tulsa, founder of the @worldculturemusic, creator of @Favorednflavored and co-owner of TNT Wangz. Keno is in a lane all his own as a rapper and his R&B jams are unique, funky, soulful productions. His album Flavio Cutatore featured his hit ‘Cuttin’ Up’ which racked up streams all over the world. No matter what genre he is dabbling in, Keeng Cut’s music inspires the listener to practice self-care and be the best version of themselves. Flavor is injected into everything Keeng Cut touches, from his food truck, to his music, to his clothing line. Already in 2020 Keno has released ‘Snackin’ with Flavor’ to rave reviews and his next full-length Flavors Only is scheduled for the fall of 2020.

In this episode, Keno sits down with Ali and Doc to talk about his musical evolution, his many businesses and brands, and his personal philosophy. They also go in depth on his ‘Flavor Lingo’ and discuss the origins of phrases like ‘Oops 3X’, ‘World Culture Music’, and ‘Jims’. He discusses his formative years developing as an artist, all the way up to his newest project Snackin’ With Flavor featuring production by DJ Noname.

Songs featured: Stainless (0:35), Better Every Day (16:57), Cuttin Up (28:53), Fried Salmon (36:35), Fiesta on Jense (40:53) and Tulsa Food Trucks (1:09:44).

Follow Keeng Cut on social media: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

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1st Verse is one of the true OG’s of the Tulsa hip-hop scene. He helped build the foundations of the scene that thrives today first as a solo artist, then with the influential Oilhouse collective and finally with World Culture Music. His 2013 album ‘The City That Always Sleeps’ is a Town classic featuring many #FireInLittleAfrica artists, and his 2019 album VSXO is already developing a lore of its own. As of May 2020, Verse has sold over 350 copies of that project at $30 each, which speaks to both Verse’s stature as an artist and the support of the community in Tulsa.

In this episode, Verse sits down with Ali and Doc to discuss the early days of Tulsa hip-hop, VSXO and the $30 copy, and the importance of self-love in getting through challenging times. They dive deep into the meaning behind some of his most notable tracks, and explore the connection between hip-hop artists like Verse and folk icons like Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. They finish the conversation with a discussion about #FireInLIttleAfrica and an emotional performance he gave during FILA recording weekend.

Songs featured: Sooner State (1:27), Pizza and Cookies (16:56), Dawari (39:01), Backseat Driving (51:36), Put on the Damn Cape (57:46), Find Yo Self (1:04:48), ATP (1:10:40) and VSXOASIS (1:26:14).

Follow Verse on social media: Instagram | Twitter

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Hakeem Eli’Juwon is one of the most respected artists in Oklahoma. Not only does his voice immediately cut through the noise on any song he shows up on, his songs range from street anthems to love songs to motivational rocket fuel. His Native American ancestry gives him a uniquely Oklahoman perspective and he is an expert on the tribal history of the state. In 2020, Keem has been focused on business, releasing two full-length projects on streaming services, Captain and YNGLYF Creative Group.

In this episode, Hakeem sits down with Ali and Doc to talk about his path of overcoming life’s challenges to become one of the best rappers in Oklahoma. They also go deep on how his Native American heritage inspires him as an artist, working with artists from Oklahoma City, and the importance of Fire in Little Africa as a whole.

Songs featured: Smaller than a Dot (1:00), Seminole (9:17), On My Own (18:29), Manifest (33:13) and What a Time (38:49).

Follow Hakeem Eli’Juwon on social media: Instagram | Twitter

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