Mixed and Mastered

Mixed and Mastered

By Jeffrey SledgeSociety & CultureMusicPersonal JournalsMusic Commentary
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Mixed and Mastered episodes

  • Mickey Factz on Lyricism, Longevity, and Building Hip Hop’s First School

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    This year-end episode of Mixed and Mastered is something special. Jeffrey Sledge sits down with Mickey Factz for a deep, unfiltered conversation that goes far beyond music. From growing up between Harlem and the Bronx to battling in schoolyards, interning at Def Jam and Loud, navigating the blog era, major-label deals, viral moments, and hard industry lessons—this is the full arc.

    Mickey breaks down the mindset of a true craftsman: lyricism, independence, evolution, and longevity. The conversation traces his journey from underground standout to cultural architect, including the creation of Pendulum Ink, hip hop’s first school dedicated to rap theory, business, and mental health—and his recent turn as a professor teaching hip hop at NYU.

    This isn’t just an artist interview. It’s a masterclass in survival, reinvention, and staying sharp when the culture keeps shifting.

    Mixed and Mastered with Mickey Factz.

    Support the show

    Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

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    1 hr 5 min
  • Rocky Bucano on Legacy, Longevity & Building Hip-Hop’s Home

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    From DJing the Stardust Ballroom at 15 to shaping Strong City Records, from Rowdy to Blackstreet, and ultimately to founding the world’s premier Hip-Hop Museum, Rocky Bucano’s journey is a masterclass in vision, grit, and cultural stewardship.

    In this episode, he sits down with us inside the soon-to-open, $100M+ museum rising on the Harlem River—where he breaks down his Bronx roots, the early record-pool grind, Teddy Riley’s first sessions, the MCA rollercoaster, his years shaping Gauchos basketball, and the 16-year odyssey to build Hip-Hop’s permanent home.
    It’s history, hustle, heartbreak, and triumph—told by the man who lived every chapter. This is Mixed and Mastered with Rocky Bucano.

    Support the show

    Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

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    38 min
  • Dyana Williams on Breaking Barriers, Building Institutions & Owning Our Narrative

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    In this powerhouse episode of Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey sits down with the incomparable Dyana Williams — radio icon, cultural architect, co-founder of Black Music Month, longtime Philly International insider, and the heartbeat behind some of the most important stories in Black American music.

    From her Harlem and Bronx roots to her early days as “Ebony Moonbeams,” Dyana walks us through a five-decade career that includes:

    • Breaking into radio at CCNY and WHUR
    • Learning under the legendary Frankie Crocker at WBLS
    • Working across TV at BET, VH1, and PM Magazine
    • A front-row seat to Philadelphia International Records during its golden era
    • Founding the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville
    • Her lifelong mission to preserve, protect, and elevate Black music and its creators
    • And of course… the origin story of Black Music Month, from the White House lawn with Jimmy Carter to official national recognition

      • Dyana’s stories reach from the Apollo to the Oval Office, from D’Angelo to Teddy Pendergrass, and from Harlem stoops to global stages. It’s a living masterclass in culture, community, and the power of music to move the world.

      This is history told by someone who made it. 

      Buckle up — This is Mixed and Mastered with Dyana Williams.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

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      1 hr 15 min
    • Rene McLean on Community, Creativity & the Art of the Pivot

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      Rene McLean’s journey reads like a blueprint for reinvention in the music industry. From growing up on the Lower East Side during the crack era—surrounded by jazz legends, culture-shifters, and downtown chaos—to interning his way into radio promo, becoming a 21-year-old regional rep, getting fired, re-entering the game through pure hustle, and eventually creating the Mixshow Power Summit… Rene’s story is a masterclass in evolution.

      Jeff and Rene dive into hip-hop’s club era, the rise of Hot 97, launching RPM, breaking LMFAO, navigating brand partnerships, and building Influence Media—the powerhouse behind major modern catalog deals.

      If you want to understand how the music business actually works—and how to survive every cycle—this episode is essential listening.

      Mixed and Mastered. With Rene McLean.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

      1 hr 15 min
    • Dr. Jason King on Music, Meaning & Movement

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      This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey sits down with Dr. Jason King — Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music, founding faculty at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, and one of the most forward-thinking voices in music education and criticism. From growing up Trini in Canada to shaping the next generation of music innovators, Jason takes us on a journey through hip-hop’s 90s New York heyday, global music-making in Abu Dhabi and Berlin, his deep dives into icons like Sylvester, D’Angelo, and Michael Jackson — and how he’s redefining what it means to study pop. This one’s equal parts intellect and soul.

      This is Mixed and Mastered… with Dr. Jason King.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

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      1 hr 13 min
    • DJ Enuff on Protecting the Legacy From Biggie to the Heavy Hitters

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      This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with a true New York legend — DJ Enuff, the man who helped bring hip-hop from the block to the world stage.

      From growing up between Harlem, the Lower East Side, and Brooklyn, Enuff breaks down how New York’s diverse sounds shaped his ear and his journey from neighborhood park jams to radio royalty at Hot 97. He shares early stories of club life in the Red Zone and the Tunnel, building the Heavy Hitters DJ crew, and his time as The Notorious B.I.G.’s tour DJ — including why he’s stayed solid in protecting Biggie’s legacy to this day.
      Plus, Enuff talks about breaking records before Shazam, discovering Kanye West knocking at his door, and what the next chapter of DJ culture looks like in the age of podcasts and social media.
      It’s history, hustle, and heart — straight from one of the architects of the sound.
      🎙️ This is Mixed and Mastered with DJ Enuff.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

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      1 hr
    • Paul Stewart on Delicious Vinyl, Warren G Saving Def Jam, and Music Supervising from Poetic Justice to Snowfall

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      On this week's Mixed and Mastered Jeff chops it up with Paul “DJ P” Stewart—Crenshaw-raised connector, A&R whisperer, and music-supervision ace. We hit his come-up at Delicious Vinyl (Tone Lōc, Young MC), managing The Pharcyde, and the day Coolio cut the bones of “Gangsta’s Paradise” in Paul’s living room. Then the Def Jam era: bringing in Warren G (triple-platinum lifeline), plus Domino and Montell Jordan (“This Is How We Do It”). Paul breaks down the Singleton years—Poetic Justice, Barbershop, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Hustle & Flow, Insecure, Snowfall—and the real differences between film and TV. We close on what’s next: his DR doc Heart of the City, a Dante Ross documentary, a major video-game project, and how he helps indie artists land their first syncs. Plug in for lineage, hustle, and receipts.

      This is Mixed and Mastered with Paul Stewart.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

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      1 hr 3 min
    • Yvette Love Dávila on Def Jam, Rick Ross, and Turning Grief into Purpose

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      Jeff chops it up with Yvette Love Dávila—yes, DÁ-vi-la, accent and all—about a life that runs from East New York block parties to the executive suites and back to the heart. We trace her come-up through Violator with Chris Lighty, road-managing Angie Martinez, a pit stop in politics with Sen. David Paterson (featuring the recurring villain/hero, Lenny the Barber), then into the Arista/Def Jam blast furnace under L.A. Reid. Yvette drops the inside story on rebuilding bridges for Nas at Hot 97—commercials suspended, Dom P flowing, history made—and why Rick Ross became “her artist.”

      Then the pivot: founding Eve of Wellness, becoming an esthetician and integrative health coach, and transforming unimaginable loss—the passing of her son, Dasan—into service. She breaks down grief as a universal language, how she moves energy in and beyond the treatment room, and why her new Merrick Studios show, Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue, lands right in time for the holidays when hearts are heaviest.
      Big Libra energy, zero fluff. Culture meets care, and the purpose is loud. Listen in and take notes.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      1 hr 9 min
    • Rob “Reef” Tewlow on The Source, Biggie, and Building Hip-Hop Media

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      From graffiti tags to global playlists, Rob “Reef” Tewlow has been at the center of hip-hop’s evolution for 30+ years—and this episode maps the whole arc. Reef walks us through NYC in the late ’70s/’80s, bounces from BU to NYU, and lands at The Source where he helps build the legendary mic-rating system and champions era-defining records. He then pivots to A&R at Atlantic/Big Beat (Artifacts, Lil’ Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A.), slides behind the boards (an early Eminem cut; 50 Cent’s “What Up Gangsta”), and shares fly-on-the-wall moments with Biggie, Puff, Primo, and more—right down to how greats learn to write hits.

      Reef also breaks down launching Eminem’s Shade 45 at SiriusXM, his leap to Apple Music (now leading hip-hop/R&B/reggae mixes), and why new tools like AI-powered stems are turbocharging real DJ creativity. It’s history, craft, and blueprint-level career wisdom—analog heart, digital hustle. 

      This is Mixed and Mastered with Datwon Thomas.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

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      1 hr 10 min
    • Datwon Thomas: Part 2

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      In Part 2 of our conversation with Datwon Thomas, we trace his path from creating King Magazine to producing some of the biggest shows on television. He shares how his vision for a lifestyle publication—once rejected—became a cultural force that gave us iconic covers with stars like Tyra Banks, expanded into Rides Magazine, and helped launch XXL’s legendary Freshman List.

      Datwon opens up about his leap from print to digital at Global Grind, to live television with Dick Clark Productions, where he produced the American Music Awards and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. He also reflects on surviving open-heart surgery in 2022, reminding us that no career milestone matters without your health. From Brooklyn’s hip-hop roots to Hollywood’s biggest stages, Datwon’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and cultural impact.

      Support the show

      Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and check out all our episodes at www.wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      1 hr 2 min

    About Mixed and Mastered

    From the publisher's feed

    Mixed and Mastered is where the music industry tells the stories you never hear.

    Hosted by Jeffrey Sledge, veteran music executive and former VP of A&R at Atlantic Records and Jive…