The Hip Hop Hustle Podcast

On today's show I caught up with No/Me. She has evolved from humble roots to become an artist with a an impressively powerful voice and one who has transcended more than one genre, most notably and recently house with her collaboration with friend of the show Bijou on "Push To Start". 🥰🥵

On today's show I caught up with Victor Robinson, known professionally as “Slicktor Victor”. He is an author, publisher, model, actor and music artist. Slicktor Victor first made a name for himself by appearing as a contestant on a series of reality television and game shows. Due to his passion to create and entertain, Slicktor Victor has expanded his artistic pursuits and has become a musical sensation overnight. The singer/songwriter released his first EP “Love Hate Lust, Sex, Abortion, and Drugs” on February 14, 2018. The EP was released on various platforms and continues to receive rave reviews.

He was born in Newark, New Jersey. He began performing in school talent shows at an early age and later discovered his passion for writing as a teenager. Slicktor Victor went on to continue his education at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island where he studied Sports/Entertainment and Event Management. After graduation, he decided to become an entrepreneur and started Slicktor Victor Entertainment, LLC in 2013. He then put out his first book, “The Best Four Year Vacation Ever!” and simultaneously began his own publishing company.

With such notable accomplishments under his belt, the multi-talented Newark native is more than ready to become a household name. For Slicktor Victor, this is only the beginning.

On today's show I caught up with Slimm Calhoun. Hailing from College Park, GA, he grew up listening to the ground breaking hip-hop sounds of Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, and Grandmaster Flash. In 1994 he hooked up with Outkast and the Dungeon Family crew, who took Calhoun under their wing. Calhoun signed to Outkast's own label, Aquemini (via Elektra), in the late '90s.

His Aquemini debut, The Skinny, was originally supposed to be issued in mid-2000, but its release date kept getting pushed back until April 2001. Despite the delay, Calhoun kept himself busy by guesting on Outkast's breakthrough album, Stankonia (the track "Gangsta Shit"), and toured with Outkast as part of the rapper's Stank Love tour, joining in on a medley of three songs from The Skinny each night.

On today's show I caught up with Metalecalec, a returning guest on the show. You can catch his 1st interview with me in episode 89. He has also just dropped his new album Speaks For Itself so make sure you show some love and check it out!

On today's show I caught up with damnboy! He is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, and producer with a unique blend of genres. His hard work and talent paid off early in his career as he began opening for major artists such as MAX, blackbear, Nelly, BRB. & Jimmy Brown.

He also performed at Lost in Dreams festival and at the Palladium on the Elephante tour with nøll. damnboy! is a versatile artist who excels in multiple genres, and his 2018 hit "How High?" reached number one in Hawaii and charted on the Billboard charts. He is currently finishing up his project "nvr ending UNKNOWN"

On today's show I caught up with JimmySoDope. Hailing from Newark, James Frazier, professionally known as JimmySoDope, is more than an emcee—he's a cultural architect with a fearless mindset. Influenced by 90s Hip-hop legends and transcendent artists, Jimmy blends eras and genres seamlessly.

🎤 Performance Highlights: From iconic festivals like SXSW and Rolling Loud to stages across the nation, Jimmy's versatile style and charismatic live performances make him a standout presence.

📝 Media Journey: Self-taught journalist for WBGO (88.3 FM) and a producer at 5 Wards Media, Jimmy amplifies voices and tells compelling stories beyond the mic.

🌟 Empowering Message: With supreme confidence and an empowering message, JimmySoDope's artistry goes beyond music—it's a cultural preservation journey.

On today's show I caught up with Serious Klein. Serious Klein is an Artist, with Ghanaian origin, that has emerged out the underground hip-hop scene in Germany.

His first EP "The Serious Outlook" (2012) put Klein on the map locally. His following EPs "The Introduction“ (2015) and “Summer 03's Problem" (2016) gained Klein more popularity within his local market and a new found recognition in the US & UK. His sound which he describes as ‘art rap’ is an eclectic mix up of jazz, rap, hip hop, trap and soul. His intrinsic sound stems from his love of music of all kinds and is heavily influenced by a variety of artists ranging from 2Pac Shakur to Luther Vandross.

2016 was the year that saw Serious coming into contact with multiple international artists like Denzel Curry, Mick Jenkins, The Underachievers and Bryson Tiller, some of who he has now supported on European tour dates.

Later that year, Serious was invited to perform at Grammy award winner Alicia Keys' underground in Berlin and was recognised by the lady herself as one of the hottest urban newcomers in Germany. Serious Klein delivered highly-anticipated debut album You Should've Known in 2018, out via Majestic Casual.

On today's show I caught up with Dr. Vernon Wiggins, also known by his stage name V-LO The Maestro. He is a music artist; actor; entrepreneur; philanthropist; executive film producer; and business owner.

The Louisiana native has had a passion for the film and entertainment industry since he was a kid. The main thing that he focuses on in his music is telling stories and providing messages to the listeners. His big break in the music industry came when his song “Can’t Phase Me” went viral and reached over 1 million views on YouTube. His second album “The Vision 2: Remastered & Reloaded” became an absolute classic. His hometown anthem “Whoa Town Anthem, Pt. 2” also went viral on YouTube.

Maestro is a Top 100 ITunes charting hip hop music artist with 3 studio albums to his credit and has songs with some of the top music artist in this industry like Kevin Gates; Young Buck; Project Pat; Just Brittany & more. He has also worked with some of the industry’s best producers such as: Ronnie King; Scoop Deville; Lewis “LouDog” Richards; Haven J.; Devon Kirkpatrick; Mr. Ignit; Lady Kym; and many others.

On today's show I caught up with Daniel Maidman. Daniel Maidman is best known for his vivid depiction of the figure.

His drawings and paintings are included in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Long Beach Museum of Art. His art and writing on art have been featured in The Huffington Post, Whitehot, Poets/Artists, ARTnews, Forbes, W, and many others.

He has been shown in solo shows in New York City and in group shows across the United States and Europe. He designs coins for the US Mint and the Canadian mint. He is a repeat guest critic at the New York Academy of Art. His books, Daniel Maidman: Nudes and Theseus: Vincent Desiderio on Art, are available from Griffith Moon Publishing. He works in Brooklyn, New York.

On today's show I caught up with Narissa. Crenshaw native Narissa, is the middle child and the only girl from a family of 5. At a young age, she developed an interest in music through her uncle’s lens who worked as a songwriter.

She learned sound and writing techniques from him that later helped sculpt her into an artist. After graduating high school, Narissa knew that furthering her education was important. She made the decision to enroll in St. John University moving her from California to New York.

With college in her rear view and a Bachelors of Arts in Communication under her belt, Narissa moved back to Los Angeles and began to focus on her music career. Narissa had to find a way to make it happen. She was certain she couldn’t work for anyone else, so she began The Lash Trap on Slauson, a lash bar which has become an LA staple for beauty and has a second location in NYC.