I met Lupe Dragon for the first time at a MadMinds artist open-mic. When I saw her, I assumed she was a singer. What I got wrong about her was the fact that she's also a rapper, songwriter, and most notably an incredible performer. Her energy is infectious and you can tell she is there only to pour her heart into her music; not to impress anybody in the audience or try to make you like what she creates.

Lupe has been releasing music since high school and she recalls some conversations on YikYak - an app for people to speak about others anonymously - where she read conflicting opinions on her sound. Since then, she has never let the opinions of others get in the way of her songwriting and you can tell by her raw and emotion-filled lyrics. Lupe emphasizes the part her influences played on her being able to open up in her music the way she does.

Thank you for tuning in, and I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did recording it.

Stream Lupe's Latest EP, "Bedroom Files" Here - https://open.spotify.com/album/2JXUAsjR4PxliazaKTGZvx?si=IB3QC2kbRyuPRdq7m0SWAA&dl_branch=1

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I met Devin Dwyer, known by his stage name AK40DEVIN at a MadMinds open mic event. I've mentioned the MadMinds countless times throughout this podcast, but it wasn't until our video shoot with MadMinds co-founder, fellow BopCast guest and artist, Sye for our song, "5 Fingers," where I actually got to know Devin.

When I met him I saw him as a videographer and had no idea he had been rapping, writing and releasing music for over 6 years. I then went through his discography to discover songs about his childhood, his brothers, inspirations and his son who is now 3 years old.

On this episode, you'll hear how Devin went from working at a pizza shop to launching his own videography business. Also, how he bought tickets to his own show to build his reputation as an artist and performer. Finally, he speaks on his music, influences and how not to get into the videography world when you have no experience.

I had a great time talking with Devin and he even freestyled a bit once we turned the cameras off! That footage will be released when we start our Patreon in the next month.

Follow Devin Here - https://www.instagram.com/ak40devinofficial/

Stream his music Here - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vQVLaLLoYJFtdmzgr9qLg?si=uECtbnkHR7GD2aoapacjrw&dl_branch=1

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Back in 2015, at age 15 Ethan Liebross had a crazy idea to start a DJ and entertainment company. He worked at the local ice rink and had been DJing there since 14, but felt he could make more money and entertain even more people if he took it on the road with his own equipment.

Ethan came to me with the idea in 2016. He asked me if I could MC the events and drive us there because he didn't even have a license yet. I had been into music for a long time, but this is something I had never done before. I agreed, we started booking gigs and to our surprise we ran an actual entertainment company in high school. Sure, there were some nightmare gigs - that's just being young and unaware. We were naive, but the experience shaped us and led me into a 6 year DJing career I still pursue today.

On this episode, Ethan speaks about his mindset around starting the company, how the idea formed and what he learned from it. On top of that, he tells us how he balances a non-profit, medical school, authoring books and educating students all at the same time. I have a lot of respect for him and what he's accomplished at the ripe age of 21. He's garnered media attention with his non-profit, The College Prep Project: an initiative that brings college students together to help high school students land scholarships.

Ethan will continue to do big things as he and his passions grow. I can't wait to have him on again!

Find the College Prep Project Here to Help a High School Student Land a Scholarship - https://www.thecollegeprepproject.org/

Follow Ethan - https://www.instagram.com/ethanliebross/

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It's been a long time coming for BopCast. We've been interviewing folks for over 3 years and it was finally time to make it 'we' for real. Our sponsor, sodabeats.com was the first big change of the year and I'd like to introduce the second.

As you may know, it takes a team to run this podcast. Our video editor Brandon has transformed the show with this ability to edit with multiple camera angles. Ryan Kelly revamped the logo, Matt Kane created the intro and now Trett Shepherd will be able to produce for us.

Trett Shepherd is a salesman and musician from Kingwood, New Jersey. He ended up reaching out to me after I posted a few stories searching for somebody to help us out with the podcast. It's been a lot of fun getting to know him even more, brainstorming ways to improve the show and finally on this episode, sit back and have a conversation on topics I wished I could hit with other guests, but couldn't find a spot to fit them in.

I hope you enjoy this wide ranging episode of BopCast with our new producer, Trett Shepherd.

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Adam Miller and I met on Facebook - the place where all great relationships start in the podcast world. I had asked him about some tech he was using to switch camera angles and it led me down a road of discovery starting with his podcast, Bowhunter Chronicles. After listening to a few episodes I knew I had to have him on.

Adam is a pharmacist by trade, but he and his co-host started Bowhunter Chronicles a few years ago as an outlet. They felt unrepresented in the hunting world and figured there needed to be a place to openly admit and speak about good and bad hunts as well as have the ability to talk with experts in the space. What started as a side project has now gained 10's of thousands of listeners, countless sponsors, a Patreon account and an intriguing weekly show to listen to whether you're a hunter or not.

On this episode we speak about the stigma that surrounds hunting, why hunting is conservation, the thing you should never overlook when starting, and how Adam grew the podcast from the ground up.

Listen to the Bowhunter Chronicles Podcast Here - http://bowhunterchroniclespodcast.com/

Follow Adam - https://www.instagram.com/bowhunterchronicles_podcast/

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In November, 2019 Derek Frey and I met Gary Vee at Winelibrary in New Jersey. Without him, I would've never met the guy I looked up to and learned from for 6 years.

Since that meeting with Gary Vee both of us have gone on to pursue business. Derek has had his company, Precision Care Detailing for over 8 years and I've been in business with Podcast Principles (my podcast production company) for over a year; mostly inspired by my conversation with Gary.

On this episode, we take a look at what we've been doing since we last met. Derek talks about going from detailing cars to cranes and on that note, how to properly wash your car so you don't ruin your paint. Finally, he speaks on being involved in 2 bands: The Robbers and Sister Salvation and lets us know what the rest of the year looks in terms of playing live.

Hope you enjoyed the episode as much as we did! I love these catch up episodes. We hope to have another conversation in 2 years.

Follow Derek Here - https://www.instagram.com/derekfrey/

Need Your Car Detailed? https://www.precisioncaredetailing.com/

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Q Swervo is a trader, investor, mentor, teacher and founder of Tiger Iye. We fast forward 2 years to see where he is at now.

I had Q on the show two years ago after he had been trading for a short time. He was making money from it, but not enough to quit his day job. On that podcast he told me he'd be able to quit his job, move out and build a life off of investing and now he's done it.

On this episode we speak about Tiger Iye and how to start investing. Q breaks down the philosophy and psychology that go into trading. He also speaks about the reality of trading and if it's actually sustainable for most people. There are many emotions that flood your body when you're buying and selling stocks and Q speaks on the important of building a community around you to support you and help you as you go.

I hope you enjoyed this episode of BopCast with Q Swervo!

Follow Tiger Q Here - https://www.instagram.com/qswervo11/

Learn more about Tiger Iye - https://tigeriye.net/

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I met Sye in the studio at The Vault; Tyler Braddocks recording studio in Boonton, NJ. I was interning for free and barely able to pay my rent, but the artists I met there made it all worth it.

Sye is a rapper and songwriter from Rivers Edge, New Jersey. He's built a fanbase over the last few years and began his career under the name Rightful Disciple before transitioning to 'Sye' in late 2019.

The new name fits him well, and his versatility is apparent in his flows and even more so in his hooks. He's the type of artist that can leave you with a stank face after hearing the verse and later that day you'll still have the hook lodged in your head.

Seeing the evolution of Sye and myself has been a rewarding experience. We had the opportunity to write, record and shoot a video for our song, "5 Fingers" that appeared on his first EP as 'Sye', titled "Everything in Between." I suggested a hook, Sye suggested a beat and we came together to create something special.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we did recording it!

Follow Sye Here - https://www.instagram.com/sye.music/

Stream his EP Here - https://open.spotify.com/album/7fncdNbNskJc9j9z3vd21Z?si=KZvkM7blQa-1NDLWqllDYg

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I'd like to welcome the first of my family members to appear on BopCast, my cousin Kyle Markovitch.

While we may look similar, we do completely different things. Kyle works as a lead grower at a Marijuana dispensary. His primary job is one that enthusiasts dream about, but it takes some serious time and effort to get into this field and even more to make it your living.

On today's episode we cover how exactly Kyle got into the field, and what he had to do along the way. This is in no way an exact roadmap of how to be a grower, but instead one persons story of starting with an idea, and making it happen. On top of that, I ask him to explain things like trichomes, and the difference between sativa and indica.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this as much as I did, and huge thanks to Kyle for doing this! We had been wanting to for years, and it was great timing.

Make Sure to Follow Kyle Here - https://www.instagram.com/kylenado_/

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Young Benny is a friend, rapper, and lyricist. He's been recording and releasing music for over 2 years and in that time has generated a fanbase of thousands, with his most popular song, "On This" garnering over 50k views.

Some people are naturals at what they do, others have to work 10x harder to make it look natural, but Benny has a presence about him. He impressed me most when I saw him for the first time at an open mic in 2019. I remember him hoping on stage, freestyling an acapella with no beat, and grabbing the whole rooms attention.

We got deep on this episode. Benny spoke about his influences, and his family being the biggest motivator to achieve success. As well as, what it's like growing up not knowing his fathers true age until Benny was in his 20's. Finally, we touched on the music industry, recording, and his writing process.

I hope you all enjoyed this episode of season 3.

Follow Benny Here and Watch His Latest Video Here

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