The Hall Pass: Model Behavior

Welcome back to The Hall Pass: Model Behavior - where we break down how culture, image, and music drive sound, and how sound drives culture, image, and music.

I'm your host Steven Hall - Hampton University Alum, Music Recording Technology & Voice - and every Wednesday we run through the 4 Pillars of Poise you need to earn your Hall Pass: The Odyssey, The Flava In Ya Ear, The Culture, and The Circle.

This week is all The Odyssey - our monthly check-in on the stuff they don't teach you in studio class:

1. HEALTH: What happens when you actually drink your water? I tracked it. From 1,950 steps on my slowest work day to 14,743 on the weekend, leaning into fruit, water, and moderation over restriction. My skin cleared, my sleep got deeper, and yes - for my 21+ listeners - my tolerance leveled out. Balance > burnout.

2. DISCIPLINE: No publicity is bad publicity if you know your numbers. I had a video hit 18K on IG with comments like "Their founders" and "go practice again." I didn't clap back. Why? 60K views across 4 platforms + 256 podcast streams in 30 days is a media kit. I show you how I flip comments into engagement, and engagement into potential opportunities through brand deals with small businesses.

3. MINDSET: "Rest if you must, but don't quit." We're breaking down the poem that got me through Hampton - line by line. How to set your mind so your mindset follows when the road is uphill, funds are low, and you're tempted to chase distractions.

4. MONEY MOVES, RELATIONSHIPS, CAREER PIVOTS & UNLEARNING: How I'm turning Fashion Week, casting calls, and regular vacations into network and marketing, why my circle feels like theatre kids in the best way, and why if it makes you too comfortable, you should be cautious.

Plus: My spiritual check-in from Corinthians, why I'm on Bible App for the second read through, and the question I want you to answer in the comments:

What does your physical, mental, and spiritual health actually look like right now? Would you drop everything - even a relationship - to get right so you don't get left?

Tap in, take notes, and drop a comment. I actually respond.

Next week: We get into The Flava In Ya Ear.

Want to be featured? Models, DJs, actors, entrepreneurs - if there's art in what you do, you deserve flowers. Email in the bio and let's chop it up.

No running in the halls - but you earned your pass this week.

#DMVartist #HamptonU #ModelBehavior #CreativeEntrepreneur #BrandDeals #MindsetMatters

Welcome back to The Hall Pass: Model Behavior — where culture, image, & music drive sound and sound drives culture, image & music.

This week we unlock Pillar 3 of the 4 Pillars of Poise: THE CULTURE.

It's Homecoming season, and your host Steven Hall [Hampton University '20, Music Recording Technology & Voice] is running a culture experiment in real time: Can you honor Hampton University Homecoming and model Season 9 of Fredericksburg Fashion Week International in the same weekend without dropping the ball?

In this story-driven breakdown:

The Odyssey: DC pickup, Hampton yard full for the first time since graduation, bar-hopping after $75 entry fees, and a 4am wake-up call to drive Hampton, VA to Fredericksburg, VA for a 7:30am model call.

The Runway: Modeling Virginia Credit Union Stadium — Left Field to Home Plate, 400ft there and back, live on the Jumbotron. Looks from Fedele Nero, SayLess Apparel LLC, Fredericksburg Nationals Merch, Goodwill Sustainable Fashion, Mark Esric, and Kavin Todd. Plus a pull-aside interview for a Cabo cruise campaign and a link with Goodwill's Senior Marketing Director.

The Sound: DJing the Spring '16 10-year Juice Off with line brother DJ Suave [Iota Phi Theta, credits connected to Pharrell & Timbaland] — 1-4pm Suave, 4-6pm Steven. Full set now on SoundCloud.

Then we flip it to the business side — the educational core.

What You'll Learn in This Culture Check:

1. Organization & Communication is Currency. When you're the talent AND the logistics, plus taking care of your Battle Buddy, if it's not communicated, it will fall through the cracks.

2. Access vs. Love. Why growth after Hampton means loving people from a distance and changing their access to you. Not everyone is meant to see the new version of you.

3. Preserve vs. Gatekeep. Textbook culture vs. internet culture vs. Pop / Zeitgeist. They look similar, but they're not the same. Plus why William Ernest Henley's Invictus is still the blueprint for staying true to your molding, not theirs.

If you're a Model, DJ, Actor, Entrepreneur, or DMV artist 18-34 who cares about style as substance — this one's for you.

Stick around after the story for a 10-min exclusive mock DJ battle — House meets Catwalk — then head to Patreon for the extended mix, show Q&A, and submission reviews.

Got a Culture topic I should review next month? Email: [email protected]

New Hall Pass every Wednesday. No running in the halls.

Your wins should feel like wins. So why does it feel tense when you share them?

On this week's Hall Pass, host Steven Hall breaks down Pillar #3 of Poise: The Circle. We all know the cliché — "guilty by association" — but have you ever audited who is actually in your circle?

From Fredericksburg Fashion Week rehearsals, to a WPGC x Chuck Brown setup, to singing praise & worship at Mt. Ennon and booking his 2nd Barbizon modeling & acting competition in Atlanta — Steven has had a pile of wins this month. But who do you tell when the congratulations start to sound anticipated?

In this educational deep-dive for DMV creatives, models, DJs, actors, and entrepreneurs 18-34, we answer 3 questions every creative needs to ask:

1. Who do you celebrate your wins with vs. who CAN you celebrate with?
2. Is there such a thing as sharing too many achievements? (Spoiler: Yes. And he learned it trimming a 3-page Hampton resume down to 1 for Disney.)
3. Do you feel tense energy in the places you celebrate?

If you've ever felt like you have to filter your joy, shrink your resume, or explain yourself to yourself — this one is your permission slip to protect your peace, give God the glory, and build a circle that wants to see you succeed.

Plus: A 15-minute Shaggy Setlist DJ Battle tribute you won't get anywhere else.

Tap in every Wednesday. You earned your Hall Pass — no running in the halls.

Got a take on The Circle? Email [email protected] | Patreon for exclusive mixes

What does it take to go from Sprouts Farmers Market to Warner Records without losing your West Coast soul?

On this week's The Flava In Ya Ear — one of the 4 Pillars of Poise at The Hall Pass: Model Behavior — host Steven Hall breaks down AZ Chike's No Rest For The Wicked [Sept 18, 2026] track-by-track.

This isn't just an album review. It's a blueprint.

We trace Damaria Kayshawn Walker from South Central, saving up for his own rig in 2015, to "Burn Rubber Again" doing 25M on SoundCloud, to Rolling Loud, to Shoreline Mafia tours, to THAT verse on Kendrick's " Peekaboo." We unpack why Shazam compares him to 21 Savage, but fans coined a better term: BTA Rap / Belt-To-Ass Rap.

Inside the episode:

The History Lesson: Why we start with Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear" — Bad Boy's first Platinum hit, #9 Hot 100, and the 4th greatest hip-hop beat of all time per Rock The Bells. If you want a Hall Pass, be a student of the game.

The Movie Method: Steven watches albums like films. No Rest For The Wicked is a melting pot — part lyrical flex, part victory lap, part prayer. 14 scenes, 3 features [2x Tyler, The Creator + JMSN], one story: Grateful, grimy, and unforgivingly real.

Track-by-Track Gems You'll Hear:

• Mercy - A declaration before you leave the house over Psalm 91:7
• Lamb Truck Keys - Batman & Robin moves over Aniceto Molina's Cumbia Sampuesana
• Sky Rockets - Boom Bap drums, a 12-year-old with tattoos, and a mom who tackled her son while 8 months pregnant to save him from gunfire
• God's Favorite & Negative - The Keak Da Sneak flip and why "the phone work both ways"
• Need Your Love ft. JMSN & Look Like My Mama ft. Tyler - No hook, all Hip-Hop — the jovial flex of looking like your mama
• Packed Up [Steven's Fav] - "Niggas getting away with disrespect, calling it content"
• Uncomfortable Conversations & Rock Bottom - From giving mom 30K to hitting rock bottom watching Spy Kids with the lights off. Real come-up music.

Steven scores it an 8.5/10 for realism, lyricism, storytelling, and relatability — and connects it to his own come-up from odd jobs and restaurants to building his LLCs.

Whether you're a Model, DJ, Actor, or Entrepreneur — there's art to what you do. This episode gives you the language to talk about it.

Tap in & answer: What's your favorite track on No Rest For The Wicked? Did this project deliver how you expected? What can you learn from it?

New episodes every Wednesday.

Got an album you want reviewed next month? Want to share knowledge on The Hall Pass? Email: [email protected]

#TheHallPass #ModelBehavior #AZChike #NoRestForTheWicked #TylerTheCreator #WestCoastHipHop #DMV #HipHopPodcast #AlbumReview #BTARap #HamptonUniversity

This is your honest monthly check-in. Not motivation fluff — a real audit.

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

Health: I didn't touch the gym this month and I'm telling you straight up. I stayed on a light diet / intermittent fasting — fruit for breakfast, Drizzilicious or whatever the office had for lunch, and literal whatever for dinner. But work WAS the workout: 1,841 to 14,197 steps on weekdays, 2,858 to 14,426 on weekends. I'm breaking down how I'm moving from $129/mo F45 to $99/mo ClassPass for HIIT, Pilates, Yoga, and recovery, plus the 2 water habits my dentist actually shamed me into starting.

Discipline & Mindset: Discipline isn't punishment — it's games you design to win. I give you 2 of my water challenges: the Gallon Canteen boss battle vs. the 2-bottles-per-meal system. And I get real about mindset — talking with my best friend Susie about feeling like I do "the most" vs. not doing enough, why you HAVE to be delusional about your dream, and why you can't dialogue with everybody.

Money Moves: Quick visual check — I'm dropping an illustration for Prime Day, Black Friday, and Christmas gift prep. Q4 is already here. Are you shopping or are you planning?

[10-MINUTE DJ BREAK] — Mid-episode, I battle myself. A mock DJ Battle rendition you can only get here. If you want the full mixes, tap my Mixcloud for exclusives.

Relationships: What makes a real friendship? If you do something and it doesn't make your parents' face twist from cringe, are y'all really friends? Let's talk about Susie and the circle you keep.

Career Pivots & Unlearning: How do you pivot without starting over? This month alone: a wedding, Fashion Week rehearsal, Hampton Homecoming with a DJ opportunity, performing at Fredericksburg Fashion Week in a baseball stadium, a Halloween trip to see Susie, and my first festival/rave in Orlando with friends. Plus, unlearning — letting go of the trip-prep, insurance, and decision-making rules our parents instilled in us.

Spiritual Check: I'm on Day 119 of 180 of reading the Whole Bible in 6 Months on the Bible app — currently in Esther, Psalms, and Romans. Second time reading it cover to cover. Link in the bio/description if you want to join The Odyssey and add me as a friend.

Question for you: How are you auditing your physical, mental, and spiritual health — and are you auditing the health of the people around you?

Drop a comment, I will chop it up with you. Got a story, tip, or trick? If you're a model, DJ, actor, or entrepreneur with game to share, email me: [email protected]

Join me on the Bible App - https://www.bible.com/users/stevenmhall904

Patreon for Q&A and community, Mixcloud for exclusive mixes. New episodes every Wednesday.

You earned your Hall Pass for this week. Be on your way — but no running in the Halls.

This week on The Hall Pass: Model Behavior - it's a VIBE CHECK.

It's the 5th week of the month, so we're breaking the syllabus. No interview. No panel. Just pure sound, image, and culture — live.

Your host Steven Hall — Hampton University '20, B.S. Music Recording Technology & Voice, Chesapeake Beach x Jacksonville — is putting the 4 Pillars of Poise to the test: The Odyssey, The Flava In Ya Ear, The Culture, and The Circle.

If you understand those four, you get your Hall Pass for the industry. If you don't, this episode will put you on game.

IN THIS WEDNESDAY DROP:

I'm performing 6 original cuts back-to-back from my artist catalog scUba — the same records you can spin right now on Apple Music, Spotify, and all platforms:

Gideon / No Games / Pretty Little Savage / Write U A Song / B.A.M. / Ratchet Thomas

Then we keep it moving with a 10-minute DJ Break to let you sit in the sound, study the texture, and decide — what kind of vibe are YOU rocking with today?

This is for the DMV. For the 18-34 creatives who know that being a Model, DJ, Actor, or Entrepreneur IS artistry. We talk about how culture and image drive sound, and how sound drives culture and image right back. Educational, not gatekeep-y.

You'll learn:

• How to use The 4 Pillars of Poise to move from talented to booked
• How live performance is styling — from vocal tone to fit to presence
• Why your sound needs an image and your image needs a sound to survive in Hip-Hop/R&B right now

If this is your first time running the halls — welcome. We drop every Wednesday. If you want to be spotlighted, share knowledge, tips, and tricks for the next generation of style-driven artists, send flowers while you can: [email protected]

Tap in, take notes, and let's get lit. Class is in session.

Guilty by association is still real.

Welcome back to The Hall Pass: Model Behavior - where culture, image & music drives sound, and sound drives culture, image & music.

Host Steven Hall is back with pillar #4: THE CIRCLE. And today's lesson is Fun with Funds & Friends.

We start simple: What IS your circle? It's who you regularly interact with, trust, and identify with. But in 2026, your circle is also your credit score, your mindset, and your future.

In this educational deep-dive, we break down:

1. Fiend vs. Feen - The Wordplay That Exposes Your Circle
F-I-E-N-D-I-N-G vs F-E-E-N-I-N-G. One letter, two totally different demons. One is compulsion for food, attention, and experiences. The other is withdrawal-driven addiction. Both live in your group chat. We unpack how gossip, subtle jealousy, and "talk behind your back" energy is modern-day witchcraft - and why communication is the only way to kill it.

2. The Devil Is In The Details
We flip the old saying "God is in the details" and show why ignoring the small print in friendships, splits, dinners, trips, and club nights will have your lip poked out broke on a cruise. From Flaubert to Mies van der Rohe to the studio, we connect the dots.

3. The Billionaire Money Rule You Need to Hear
Inspired by T-Pain: "When people you know ask you for money, you give them two choices. You can come work for it or I’ll give you the money on the one condition that you promise me right now you’ll never ask me for money again."
You are NOT a 24/7, bottomless, interest-free credit card - not even for family. Learn how to say no without losing the love.

4. Where There Is No Vision, The Funds Perish
Proverbs 29:18 hits different when you replace "vision" with "plan." No plan for school, work, travel, or dinner = panic spending. We tie it back to last week's 12Ps and the law of "Iron sharpens iron." How to have fun in moderation without getting lost in the sauce.

Plus: A 15-minute Shaggy Setlist DJ Battle - a tribute mix from the turntables and Darth Vader USB that started it all. Exclusive mixes on Patreon.

This episode is for the DMV models, DJs, actors, entrepreneurs, and Hip-Hop/R&B heads who want to look good, sound good, AND keep a bag.

TAP IN:
Got a story about funds and friends? Want to be spotlighted? Email: [email protected]

Next week: We return to The Odyssey. You earned your Hall Pass for this week - now be on your way. No running in the halls.

#TheHallPass #ModelBehavior #DMVPodcast #HipHopPodcast #FinancialLiteracy #SocialCircle #HamptonUniversity #TheCircle

Welcome back to The Hall Pass: Model Behavior - where we break down how culture, image, & music drive sound and how sound drives culture, image & music.

This week we're unlocking Pillar #3: The Culture. And no, we're not talking textbook culture or TikTok's version of culture.

I'm taking you inside my first-ever solo adult trip to New York City to model during New York Fashion Week.

We’re talking the REAL indie model run:

• The night-before choir rehearsal that had me packing at midnight for a 3AM Amtrak bus
• The Lime bike to Union Station, the bus that almost made me miss my train, and how I finessed a refund and still made it to Moynihan Train Hall by 7:26AM
• Walking into Manhattan hearing Empire State of Mind, being 2.5 hours early to my call time, and why that matters more than your walk
• Inside Mr. Drew's studio: How having my comp card + 4 pro pics on me at all times turned 1 guaranteed look for Amiya Faith into 3 walks and 5 total looks
• From Baltimore Fashion Week to a Senegalese designer to a hat designer featured in Netflix & Vogue - how NY moves FAST and why organization is the only way you survive the tornado

Then we flip it for the second half - Cultural Wisdom / For The Culture or NOT For The Culture:

1. Rest is For The Culture. Fatigue is NOT. Why pulling an all-nighter before a booking is self-sabotage.
2. The 12 Ps: Piss Poor Preparation Promotes Piss Poor Performance. How my NJROTC and Hampton University training saved me $ - I did the whole day for ∼$115 total ($78 bus/train, $15 Birds, $21 NY pizza).
3. Time & Money Management is ALWAYS For The Culture. Winging it is not. The industry runs on the booking agent's time, not yours.
4. Initiative & Integrity > Talent. Why showing up at 8:39AM for an 11AM call time is the cheat code. As Hampton taught us: To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late.

If you're a Model, DJ, Actor, Entrepreneur, or Hip-Hop/R&B creative in the DMV who cares about style as substance, this is your Hall Pass.

Learn the difference between Culture and Pop Culture/Zeitgeist, why we gatekeep it, and how accountability makes you more bookable.

Tap in for the exclusive 10-min House / Catwalk DJ Battle Mix in the middle of the episode - full mixes and behind-the-scenes are on Patreon.

Next Week: We break down Pillar #4: The Circle.

Got a topic you want me to review for The Culture segment? Or are you an artist who wants to share game? Email me: [email protected]

Hosted by Steven Hall - Hampton University '20, B.S. Music Recording Technology & Voice, Chesapeake Beach, MD by way of Jacksonville, FL.

New episodes every Wednesday. No running in the halls.

Is Tierra Whack Top 5 in Philly next to Meek & Beanie Sigel, or is she being too humble?

Welcome back to The Hall Pass: Model Behavior — where culture, image, & music drive sound and sound drives culture, image & music.

This week on The Flava In Ya Ear, we're clocking in for class. You know the pillar: I break down a single or album from a vet that shows you the process behind the success. Last time it was Masego's Fix Your Face. This time, it's Philly's own theatrical genius Tierra Whack and her brand new, no-feature project Whack's Museum [June 19th, 2026].

Born Tierra Whack on August 11, 1995, North Philly to the core - you might remember her as Dizzle Dizz freestyling at 16 back in 2011 before Mumbo Jumbo changed everything in 2017. Then came Whack World in 2018: 15 songs, 15 one-minute visuals. A full visual album. That's why we study her.

In this episode, I'm taking you room by room through the museum:

The Curriculum:

• The History Lesson: Why this segment is named after Craig Mack's first Bad Boy hit - the Platinum record that hit #9 on the Hot 100, #1 on Rap, ranked the 4th greatest hip-hop beat ever by Rock The Bells.
• The Production Deception: How Conductor Williams had me thinking Whack Job, Brazilian Wax, and Wiggidy Whack were samples - it's all original keys and chops. That BPM switch-up on Whack Job like MF DOOM's Tick Tick...? We break down the Episode key-change theory.
• The Bars as English Class: From "Sometimes I'm too generous / You know what I mean, Ellen DeGeneres" to "You whack without H, so that means you a knock off" - double entendres, alliteration, foreshadowing, and why her line "They'll steal your whole style and never mention ya name" is the realest creator economy lesson for Models, DJs, Actors & Entrepreneurs.
• The Pivot: From the Trap Irish-jig on Totem, to the Boom Bap hustle on Godda, to the Siren-inspired Jill Scott energy, to the Gospel flip on Queens Crown sampling "I Shall Wear A Crown," to the R&B vulnerability of Earwax. And why she closed it with Flowers - because you give people their flowers while they can still smell them.

I listened to this twice while cutting grass - cinematic listening, scene by scene. My take: It's a story about navigating life without her father in the picture, dealing with industry struggle, and sticking with what brought you to the dance.

If you're an aspiring artist in the DMV or a Hip-Hop/R&B head 18-34 who cares about style, image, and substance - you just earned your Hall Pass for the week.

Your homework: Listen to Whack's Museum front to back, then come tell me if Wiggidy Whack isn't Verse of the Year.

Got an album you want reviewed next month? Email me: [email protected]

Tap in on Patreon for Q&A and my exclusive Mixcloud DJ battle mix - this week it's a 10-min Hip-Hop rendition.

New episodes every Wednesday. No running in the halls.

What does it really take to get your Hall Pass for the industry?

This week we're putting meat on the bones with Pillar 1: The Odyssey.

Inspired by my own record "Dope Odyssey" from Tha Dope 2: Aftershock, The Odyssey is the journey of the self before the industry can ever respect you. We're breaking it down into 7 real checks:

HEALTH: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. From F45 workouts to 19K steps on my 30th birthday weekend, intermittent fasting with just grapes & water, and Day 84 of 180 reading the Bible straight through First Kings. How your water intake, sleep, and acne all connect.

DISCIPLINE: The most attractive trait in the game. The real story of why being late to a Zendaya movie date then ending up at Harris Teeter + Cheesecake Factory will cost you, and the Baltimore Fashion Week rule: No photos in the dressing room. Why Youngin' got blackballed for not being teachable.

MINDSET, MONEY MOVES, RELATIONSHIPS, CAREER PIVOTS & UNLEARNING: Why "Never let anyone keep you from doing what you want to do" became my superpower since Hampton in 2014, why you NEVER give product before payment - lessons from converting cassette tapes to mp3s - and why being the "Hugging Bandit" taught me that nice doesn't pay bills. Plus, how to perform with full energy when the crowd is the size of a classroom.

If you're a Model, DJ, Actor, Entrepreneur, or DMV creative who cares about style and substance - this is your blueprint.

Question for you: How are you tracking your physical, mental, and spiritual health right now? Drop a comment - I'll actually chop it up with you.

Tap in next week for Pillar 2: The Flava In Ya Ear.

Join me on the Bible App: https://www.bible.com/users/stevenmhall904

Got knowledge to share? Email: [email protected]

New episodes every Wednesday.

#DMV #BaltimoreFashionWeek #HamptonUniversity #ModelBehavior #MusicIndustry #CreativeEntrepreneur #Mindset #Discipline