A special episode of me spinning tight tunes in my basement.
Passalacqua – The Baptism
CX Kidtronik – A Weapon
Tuff Turf – Dead ’14
Al Lover – Snake Hands
Eze Jackson – Rappin’ Over Dan Deacon
Lord Grunge – Gorilla Man
Ms. Paintbrush – Rick’s
Jack Toft and Lil Cake – Bettin’ On An E-Cig
King Rhythm – Gone Days
Mike Riley paid tribute to Biz Markie’s The Biz Never Sleeps with this week’s cover art. As always, this podcast is brought to you by The Lineup Room and Mike Riley Comics.
Secret Weapon Dave, aka Dave Barresi, is a DJ and producer based in Baltimore. He is one half of the production duo The Adults, with Mickey Free. Dave was my main collaborator on the last three Height albums; Versus Dynamic Sounds, Versus Electric Rockers and Versus The Continental MC’s.
We talk about his early days in the hardcore scene in Massachusetts. He breaks down his move to Baltimore, and why it’s a paradise for crate-diggers. We also build on how it isn’t true that everything is on the internet
For this week’s art, Mike Riley came with an homage to Kool G Rap and DJ Polo’s Wanted: Dead Or Alive. It all went down at The Lineup Room.
Ricky Ray is one half of The Doc and The Desperado. He’s a seasoned MC who is most widely known for his work on CX Kidtronik’s Krak Attack albums. He got his start at Morehouse, working with Lil Jon, Saul Williams, Zion-I and others.
He has a unique perspective on hip-hop, and he broke down what groups like UTFO, Mantronix and Run-DMC felt like to a young kid in Cherry Hill in the 80’s. He explains his disillusionment with “drug dealer instruction music,” and how he seeks out rap that feels more fun. He talked about how he’s liberated himself from his past writing constraints to find a more natural way of making music.
Mike Riley came correct with this homage to Run-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell. This was recorded atThe Lineup Room.
Black Zheep DZ is a young Baltimore MC from the 7th Floor Villains collective. He’s got a prolific output, and he’s been making noise all over the globe through his thorough internet presence.
He had a fresh perspective on the music grind, and an optimistic view on how things work. He talked about learning the ropes from studying his brother-in-law, Baltimore legend Tim Trees. I was curious how he’s managed to pop off so many tight videos and gain so much traction, at a young age. He talked about carving out his own aesthetic in the youtube age, and gave me some details on his new album, 8th World.
This time, Mike Riley hooked up an homage to Eric B and Rakim’s Paid In Full. We laid it all down with the help of The Lineup Room.
Brandon Lackey is a producer and engineer from Baltimore, MD. He runs The Lineup Room, where this podcast is recorded. He also runs Mania Music Group, along with his partner Dwayne Lawson.
We talked about facing up to some of the tougher aspects of the music business, and having the moxie to stick with your dream when the universe sets you back. I’ve always admired his ability to not take things personally, and keep steamrolling through this rap game. I was glad to get his philosophy down to tape.
This time, Mike Riley hooked up an homage to Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. We laid it all down with the help of The Lineup Room.