Bedroom Beethovens

045: Substantial

My guest this week is Stan “Substantial” Robinson, someone who I've been a fan of for many years. The Maryland-born MC and I go deep into the weeds on the philosophy of serving others, hooking up with Nujabes in Shibuya for a month being apart of his musical family, and life as a business owner with his wife. At Substantial Art & Music, LLC they provide design and consulting services to emerging and established artists. His new song is While They Sleep (Remix) which serves as an audio introd...

044: Eligh

Eligh is my special guest this week. He is a rapper and producer from Los Angeles, California and one half of the infamous, "The Grouch & Eligh". We chat about his evolution of an artist that follows his journey through tales of Living Legends to Grand Tapestry. Rap has gone global but there's still very few instances where the realms of rap and world music meet. So with that said, we dive into the genre bending music he is making, as well as his love of Bruce Springsteen, and the various so...

043: Awon

This week I sit down with the other half of Don't Sleep Records co-founder, Awon. There is a lot of confusion around what it means exactly to be a true independent artist. So we take a deep dive into the logistic in running a grassroots label, the ins and outs of business, and the many things that can affect it. We also talk about growing up on the East Coast, from tales of incarceration to discussions around the prison industrial complex and how it effected the black first-generation wealth...

042: Julia Haltigan

Acclaimed bombshell songstress Julia Haltigan joins me this week on the podcast. We discuss her history growing up in New York, as well as her parents experiencing life there in the 70s. Back then it was referred to as Fear City, and they distributed a pamphlet, meant for tourists who wanted to avoid danger during their visit to the big city. To a current-day New Yorker, its rules for safe conduct are laughable and it became a clear sense of what was lost as New York left behind one set of p...

041: Ghostnaut

Montreal-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Ghostnaut joins me for another insightful episode of Bedroom Beethovens. It’s his first ever podcast! So I get that honor this week! Inspired by the Golden Age Era of Hip Hop, he began as a pianist with a jazz education, and also learnt drums along the way. Not only will you recognize his style with his mellow keys but his style can be defined as modern conscious music with a blend of soul. So having the opportunity to sit down with him was a...

040: Theory Hazit

Theory Hazit, the legendary music producer and visionary of multi-mediums swings by the studio this week. We talk about hip hop stories from creating his various albums over the years, making beats out of necessity, which led to him receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Film & Video not too long ago. We then deep dive into a discussion about Masta Ace visiting his apartment one evening for a collaboration. Other topics include his childhood growing up in the church and if Kanye's new ...

039: The Lasso

Overjoyed to bring you my next guest this week, The Lasso! Of course we dive into his life, moving 1400 miles away from his hometown and starting fresh in a new area and how those events led to him working with Lando Chill. However, we also talk about the new album he has with Chris Orrick, “I Read That I Was Dead". You see, Cryptozoologist Chris Orrick died last March. The Detroit vocalist with the same name woke up and read the news of his namesake’s death. This sparked a journey into a su...

038: Taali

Chamber-pop singer/songwriter/producer Taali swings by the podcast in light of her new single “Los Angeles (Acoustic)” the first track from her forthcoming EP “Were Most of Your Stars Out?” Taali founded Rainbow Blonde Records, a label and worldwide collective she runs with her creative partner, R&B/jazz vocalist José James, and engineer and producer Brian Bender. We had a lovely conversation about her homelife and coming from a strong lineage of women, to stories of her finding her voice an...

037: J57

Legendary producer J57 swings by to chat about the ol' days interning at Fat Beats and how it was a networkers dream. Who was humble, who was cool, and who was a jerk? Also we chat about being business minded and the balancing act of running a label while still keeping in mind the consumers needs. Lastly we chat music (of course) and tease whats ahead in 2020, including news from the forthcoming album 'Walking with Lions', with Ras Kass and El Gant. Visit the website: https://www.bedroombeet...

036: K-Murdock

On this episode I sit down with Kyle Murdock, who was born in Washington, DC and raised during the golden era of hip-hop, K(yle) Murdock is best known for being one half of the progressive hip-hop tandem Panacea and K, along with the group’s emcee Raw Poetic, were signed to legendary underground hip-hop label Rawkus Records in 2006. We have a lengthy chat about those times, how he has progressed, linking up with Mega Ran and his time spent working in the field as an “audio animator” for XM S...

035: Ewonee

Another member of Mutant Academy swings by the podcast! When a young Ewonee decided to borrow his father's copy of "It Was Written", he had no idea how it would transform the rest of his life. Entranced by what he had heard, he eventually began collecting instruments and flipping vinyl records, developing his own brand of dusty, fashionably off kilter hip-hop in the process. Though he was immediately intrigued by the process of beatmaking, there were many growing pains. From a young boy to p...

034: Courtney Orlando

Grammy-winning St. Louis artist Courtney Orlando, singer-songwriter and producer formerly known as J.R.,swing by to chat with me about the last few years of his life, which was a journey of self-discovery and to whom he belongs. These series of events left him questioning his mortality every minute of the day. It caused him to question if God was still with him, if he was fed up with his sin and unbelief and finally decided to put an end to it all. Courtney even wondered if he was going to d...

033: Patrick Pryor

Producer/songwriter Patrick Pryor returns to the podcast! We chat about celebrity podcasting culture as it is booming as stars enter the field. Is it fair? Should we have a louder voice? Then we dive into Chance the Rapper’s new album and chat about the evolution of an artist. Lastly, before we talk about his new projects, you may have a little bit of extra dough lying around that you are planning on using to get a feature from a bigger rapper. Luckily for you, if you want to know how much a...

032: Brian Owens

This week I am honored to sit down with Brian Owens. He has a new album entitled, Love Came Down, which is poised to touch millions. We chat and touch upon themes of faith, family, and purpose as Brian offers words and explanations of his most personal and introspective recording to date. We chat about the tragedies within Ferguson, MO to the artistry of Johnny Cash. No stone is left unturned as we deep dive into a discussion through his music leading up to his latest album, which symbolical...

031: Zo!

It's crazy to think that at only 31 episodes in, I've been lucky enough to have another FE artist join me for a chat. Phonte and Zo! have worked together extensively over the years via The Foreign Exchange, and we dive deep into his new project(s) FourFront and their era-and-genre-hopping work on the new IFC series Sherman's Showcase. We chat a bit about how the guest list on this new record came together and we reminisce about how we both encountered 27 inches of snow back in Maryland 10 ye...

030: Khari Mateen

Khari Mateen joins me on the 30th episode of the podcast. He is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist working all over the world. Working with Grammy-nominated artist and on Emmy-winning films, he’s had a successful music career spanning various projects, collaborations and albums. His work encompasses his perspective, creativity and storytelling via song. WE chat about how ?uestlove's mom got him his first job at a movie theater in Philly, to eventually working on numerous reco...

029: Bishop Nehru

This episode I sit down with Bishop Nehru to talk about his love/hate relationship with New York, his ability to see/hear colors via music which aids him in identifying notes or keys, and racial tension in America and beyond. If you just take the time to ask supergenius people, you'll notice that they, their learning process, the way they process information, is slightly different. It's really interesting to see the people who do and the people who don't. He's got a new EP coming out and a f...

028: Chordandjocks

Chordandjocks is a 24-year-old producer from central Arkansas who caught my attention and I wanted to sit down and talk about navigating through marching band in high school to finding himself in his college days producing music. Other topics we touch upon is discussion of Chance the Rappers' new album, one where although the production style of the songs changes throughout the album, many of the tracks continue to contemplate the ups and downs of romantic relationships. We weigh in on this ...

027: Mega Ran

Oh man, Mega Ran is in the building! Fresh from Comic Con, we have a serious chat about black representation through video games and he then lets me know we shouldn’t be so dismissive of the idea that a renowned rapper draws inspiration from video games. We chat about progression of todays youth, reflecting back on his days as a teacher, and we chat about his future which includes a brand new podcast entitled ‘Random Encounters’, a published book by the years end and the beginning stages of ...

026: J-Zone

J-Zone swings by before dropping the Du-Rites live album, Soundcheck at 6, to chat about music back in the 50’s and 60’s and how young musicians had to survive the tutelage of ruthless mentors like Miles Davis and Joe Dukes. This leads us down a winding road of social media culture, the self loathing nature of artist and aspects of professionalism, Nas beat selections and his own love affair with funk music. We run the gamut on numerous musicians like Benson slowly but surely developing into...

025: Matt Rose

This episode I put the spotlight on rising artist, writer, and producer Matt Rose. We chat about soul music, the balancing act of co-producing your own records, and growing up in the church. It’s a strange thing to ponder something like D’Angelo‘s Brown Sugar in terms of its influence–musical or cultural–over the 20 years since initial release but we dive into Kaytranada & Leon Bridges comparisons and how its impacted him as his own musical influences. After all, his single “Apology” aims to...

024: Von Pea

Von Pea joins me this week to chat about growing up down the street from Jay-Z, to knowing Donwill from the Okayplayer message boards which formed the group Tanya Morgan. Topics discussed includes the process of creating his new album, his introduction to Fruity Loops, Madlib and using digital software versus hardware to create a beat, and the hype of having a day job. Streaming culture versus vinyl gets thrown back and forth and we go through the discography of Pea's Gotta Have It to YGWY$4...

023: King I Divine

The almighty King I Divine joins me for a sit-down to chat about authenticity in hip-hop, not conforming to a certain sound, and staying true to yourself. We also tackle the Kanye/Chaka Khan sampling fiasco, Madlib using an iPad to craft an entire album and what to expect from Divine Scienze III. We chat about growing up in Queens, and why I owe Scienze $30 for a vinyl years ago. He is back after a hiatus to grace us with numerous new projects, with Firefly EP being the latest. This year is ...

022: Koolade

Croatian producer Koolade (real name Matko Šašek) has crossed Heads’ radars for 20 or so years, with a CV of veritable who’s-who in hip-hip including, Sean Price, Ghostface Killah, Sadat X, and many others, We talk about constructing the production work on Masta Ace's "Beautiful" on the album A Long Hot Summer and 'Disperse' for Consequence, his current EP 'Benches', and his new G-Funk albums coming this summer. We talk about his views on the industry and how he divides his time between the ...

021: Jansport J

This week Jansport J ( prod. credits Ab-Soul, Ty Dolla Sign, Hit-Boy, Kool G Rap, Snoop Dogg) swings by to talk about his newly released album, Low. From scraping over 15 tracks of the album, and being comfortable enough to delay it until he was happy with it, its a great lesson in personal fulfillment. We run it back to Covina, California growing up, finding inspiration from Timbaland and Dilla, to looking ahead in 2020 as he crafts his musical masterpiece...album #10. It's a deep dive into...

020: Nicolay

Dutch record producer Nicolay (born Matthijs Rook), does everything from writing, producing and engineering, to business battles and touring. You might know him best as one-half of The Foreign Exchange with Little Brother co-founder Phonte Coleman. I’ve been a personal fan of Nicolay’s for over a decade and I was very honored to sit down and navigate through those years of being a bedroom producer who just moved to the U.S. leading up to now, which is a Grammy-nominated producer that’s five ...

019: Tall Black Guy

Tall Black Guy, one of my favorite producers of all time, sits down with me to talk about music and life. We talk about his headspace while creating music which extends into his other projects, which leads us into dipping your toe into the jazz world, and analyzing the miscommunications between a lyricist and a producer. Its an all encompassing look into the world of Mr. Terrel Wallace, who has cemented his position as a standard bearer for the current hip hop and beats scene. From Detriot, ...

018: Astro Raw

Constantly embracing polarity, mixing and matching sounds and visuals to create something new and unique – LION BABE are the New York duo formed of singer/songwriter and performance artist Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman a.k.a. Astro Raw. Since he draws on an eclectic mix of influences for their sonic and stunning visuals, we dive into an in depth conversation about growing up in the rich melting pot of cultures that New York offers. We also dive into getting into music in...

018: Astro Raw (LION BABE)

Constantly embracing polarity, mixing and matching sounds and visuals to create something new and unique – LION BABE are the New York duo formed of singer/songwriter and performance artist Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman a.k.a. Astro Raw. Since he draws on an eclectic mix of influences for their sonic and stunning visuals, we dive into an in depth conversation about growing up in the rich melting pot of cultures that New York offers. We also dive into getting into music in an early...

017: K, Le Maestro

Browsing Twitter on a daily basis this guy kept popping up on my timeline to the point I couldn't ignore him any longer. This weeks episode features K, Le Maestro, a talented young man on the rise who taught me that true creativity is about existence and being and giving of yourself and being honest -- true creativity. He has already caught the ear of esteemed beatsmiths like Dibia$e, Elaquent, & Flying Lotus, by dropping a steady stream of remixes and original productions. Only midway throu...

016: Phoniks

If we're talking about the definition of hip-hop you cant talk about it without mentioning authenticity. Music runs the world so if there isn't any authenticity in the music then there isn't in the world. So many people lie in their rhymes, lie about what they got, lie about who they know, pretending to be someone else. Not this episode! Don't Sleep Records employs a roster of dope MC's true to the game - and I have the resident beatmaker Phoniks joining me this week. Known for his vintage-...

015: Tuamie

Up to bat this week is Mutant Academy producer Tuamie who knew he wanted to do something creative with his life from a young age. In episode 15 of the podcast, he shares his music-making journey, how DJ Premier and Pete Rock inspired him, and his plans to release volume after volume (all the way up to vol. 10!) of Emergency Raps, a series he started with Mutant Academy's four core rappers. Opening this episode, I play a sample from his latest tape, where Fly Anakin exclaims he has the best b...

014: Ace da Vinci

Ace da Vinci, the Chi-Town MC & producer, began developing his craft at the age of 16. Since then, he’s been building a formidable following, deepening track-listing & domineering presence in his music. As the creator of SmartMouf Ent, da Vinci has solid intentions on establishing a sound in Hip-Hop that is incomparable to most & rivaled by none. His flow can be aggressive or laid-back, and his lyrics are largely politically-charged or deeply personal anthems of self-empowerment, often both ...

013: Amerigo Gazaway

Forging an evolution of the “mashup” album format, producer Amerigo Gazaway’s “conceptual collaboration” projects imagine studio sessions between like artists of different genres and eras. It would be boring if we focused on the low hanging fruit though, so we navigate the conversation through his upbringing in Nashville, to traveling with his father from musical venue to venue to figure out the embedded experiences which Amerigo used to turn them into useful and powerful tools to make his m...

012: Freddie Joachim

Always an avid listener and collector of hip hop, jazz, and soul music, Freddie Joachim is in the house! He's got a new album "Beyond The Sea Of Trees” coming out next month so he sits down with Cello to discuss his commitment to having patience within the music industry, why he switched from a computer to an MPC and his view on soulful producers collaborating with trap rappers. Freddie talks about the deep gentrification barrier of hip hop, working with J. Cole, his upbringing, and we touch...

011: Charles Hamilton

The hip-hop tale of Charles Hamilton is very well documented. In 2019, however he is scraping his way back into a rap scene that’s changed significantly since he first emerged. This week I sit down with him to find out where exactly is his place within it? From his upbringing in Cleveland, to shuffling around New York, we chat about his childhood, his survival instinct, his failures, triumphs, and new outlook on life. Of course, production and sampling is talked about heavy, as is the transi...

010: brandUn DeShay

brandUn DeShay (also known as Ace Hashimoto) is a producer from the west side of Chicago, Illinois and has produced for artist such as Mac Miller, Sir Michael Rocks, SZA, Casey Veggies, Chance The Rapper, and more. We chat about the migration of popular mixtapes from today's top rappers to streaming platforms, which has left room for error for those who produced the music we adore. This seems to be the case for Joey Bada$$, who has been accused of failing to pay for productions services by D...

009: Slot-A

Genre bouncing Producer/DJ from Chicago, IL, Slot-A has produced tracks for Jamila Woods, Skyzoo and many more. You can experience Slot’s range and timbre as we run the story of his upbringing, how he developed his keen business sense, and finding commercial success after he logged his 10,000 hours. Slot’s sound brings a dance-floor oriented, but soulful, unique vibe and I am excited to share his story with you.

008: Patrick Pryor

Hailing from Chicago, producer/songwriter Patrick Pryor was kind enough to join me in the studio this week. After teaming up with Ric Wilson on the record “Don’t Rush” off the EP “BANBA”, Pryor is gearing up for his first EP entitled “Shelia” which is due out this year (after crafting it for over 4 years). Oh, and he’s got Ric’s next album on deck this year as well (hopefully). We chat about the process of connecting with artists, constructing a beat, and being in the studio with a young Cha...

007: Jhameel

Jhameel is an alternative pop artist from the Bay Area known for his signature sharp black face-paint, his skill in 14 different instruments, his unique and untamed style of dance, and his minimal yet gritty approach to writing and producing internet cult-pop hits. If we go ALL the way back to a decade ago, he started making YouTube videos in the comfort of his garage playing around with a few simple instruments. But, what makes him unique is this musical passion came after enrolling in the ...

006: Elaquent

Sometimes the best things in life to ever happen to you...are the things that don’t happen. That’s the philosphy of my next guest whom I have invited to sit down with me. Because just like his latest release ‘Blessing in Disguise’, and this podcast, it’s technically innovative music, words and sounds that reminds you that it’s been crafted by a living, breathing, upright human. Also, anyone I can geek out with over kung-fu films and Sega Dreamcast games is aces in my book. With a sprawling c...

005: Rekstizzy

Before he was in a documentary, before he had his own web series, before he had his own culture website. It was just a guy and his craft. Rekstizzy and I catch up years and years later to talk shop about the evolution of his music, production, and the different iterations of hip-hop, what’s been covered and what hasn’t been. Asians in hip-hop are interesting for people – I’m very interested in identity politics and the idea of how identity plays a role in hip-hop, how that identity changes, ...

004: MYLK

We need to promote the women who are kicking ass so the next generation feels like it's ­something they could do too. Yuki Kurihara a.k.a MYLK is a composer and singer of J-Pop music. At the beginning of her career, MYLK produced various sample packs for a video game and various remixes and covers. Later, she became very famous in the EDM music industry after she started contributing as a vocalist. She is already making her mark with her cute, punchy, bubbly tracks, accumulating over 500,000...

003: D.K. the Punisher

A producer from Baltimore, D.K. the Punisher's journey with music began in 2000 at age 8. Fast forward to 2019, and when you look at him, you realize he is a multi-platinum producer who has also produced records for Justin Bieber, Anderson .Paak, Jill Scott, the late great Mac Miller, and the list goes on. We link up on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to chat about his childhood, our love for Little Brother, the T.I./Floyd Mayweather Gucci debate and his creative process. Visit the website: htt...

002: Confidence

Confidence. The name can refer to several ideas and concepts. Apply it to the world of beat-making and you have a term that exudes high standards and carefully composed compositions. What a fitting name for a hip hop producer who has just that! My guest this week is an authentic golden era hip hop producer bringing back that 90's feel with an updated sound. Born in Philly back in ’77, he’s no stranger to classic sounding hip hop and authentic street anthems. We chat about growing up in Phill...

001: DJsNeverEndingStory

DJsNeverEndingStory is a great friend of mine who happens to be a music producer whose achivements include a Top 10 Billboard ambient album, (The Harmony Epoch). We chat about his roles as composer, working with the NBA, and his numerous collaborations and a triumphant stories of overcoming brief homelessness in LA to entrepreneurship by investing in cryptocurrency. Having an underprivileged and underserved upbringing, DJsNeverEndingStory uses his passion for music and crypto to spread knowl...

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