This week we talked to “the Internet's busiest music nerd,” Anthony Fantano. The man behind The Needle Drop has become a trusted source for album reviews. Holding a conversation with him proves he's just as passionate about music as he seems on video. This man is really a talker, had to reel him in a few times. We caught up with Anthony while he was in LA and talked about his college radio career, his dad's power lifting, and slow motion moshing to drone metal. – Lee...
Nov 13, 2013•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 39
On Episode 38 we sat down with Kyle. He's a smooth young rapper with a penchant for strong visuals and a very solid work ethic. Gained a lot of respect for him during this conversation because, not only is he a clever song writer with amazingly catchy melodies, he's also a student of the game that's been working on rap music since he was 11. Bright future for this dude. We talk to the Ventura, CA native about our half-generation gap, utilizing Youtube as a rap resource, and how we're the same ag...
Nov 06, 2013•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 38
This week we sat down with Dumbfoundead. People incorrectly assume we have bad blood since parting ways with Knocksteady. This is simply not the case. Our conversation gave us a chance to clear the air about that. We go deep into the transitional phase he's going through in his career and life. We talk about changing his nom de plume, his hard work and persistence, and using humor to escape a few ass whoopings. – Lee
Oct 30, 2013•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 37
On Episode 36 we sat down with Open Mike Eagle. Mike might be my favorite rapper on certain days. He's good at the talkies too, so I think you'll like this conversation. We chat about music industry gatekeepers, getting better with age, and Hammer's unfortunate “ Pumps and a Bump ” speedo. – Lee
Oct 23, 2013•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 36
This week we talked with Kid Sister. The Chicago native tells us about classical music being the first genre she was drawn to. She tells the story of hearing her Kanye collab by surprise over the phone. And she explains how there might be something magic in the South Chicago water. – Lee
Oct 16, 2013•55 min•Ep. 35
Alfred Darlington, better known as Daedelus, is a stalwart staple of the LA music scene. His history in the evolution of the LA beat scene runs deep. He's released an awesome collection of diverse projects throughout his career. His new record Drown Out is out now on Anticon . Hear us discuss his passion for coffee, an artist's undying need to be heard, and how feeling like an outcast has kept him inspired. – Lee...
Oct 09, 2013•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 34
This week we talked with Seattle's Sol. Sol just finished a life-changing 10 month journey to almost a dozen countries. Now he's embarking on his first headlining tour. We talk about him rapping as a child and why Seattle's scene is bubbling. Be sure to check out his new EP Eyes Open . – Lee
Oct 02, 2013•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 33
This week we talk to William Thedford, better known as Kail. Kail has been a long time friend and one of the Los Angeles rap scene's best kept secrets. We talk about his extensive movie knowledge and history as a precedent setter of the modern battle scene. He explains how talking to a gal on the phone these days is like unprotected sex. – Lee
Sep 25, 2013•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 32
Toy Light is the alias of 21 year old producer and singer Walker Ashby. His melodic mixtures of found noise and instruments combine for dreamy pop soundscapes. He's influenced by and reminiscent of later Radiohead records. After this podcast he went on to be signed to Alpha Pup. Tune in as we talk about starting a band at age 11, how hard surfing is, and synesthesia. – Lee
Sep 18, 2013•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 31
This week we sat down with Ugly Frank and Khris P of ILLFIGHTYOU. The Tacoma, WA group's self-titled debut came highly suggested from trusted sources. I'm glad I checked it out. It's a project that feels raw but sounds polished. Just three friends constantly trying to out rap each other over filthy beats with hardly a concern for song structure or hooks. We talk about how they became a collective, growing up skateboarding, and why there's nothing wrong with admitting you were a Limp Bizkit fan a...
Sep 11, 2013•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 30
We talked to The Koreatown Oddity this week. He's an interesting character that raps with a mask on. Their was an air of mystery because I'd never seen his face. The conversation gets past that pretty quickly and we have a very great talk. Hear about his history as a standup comedian, living in KTown during the riots, and getting hit by cars as kids. – Lee
Sep 04, 2013•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 29
This week on Kinda Neat we talk with Brick Stowell. Brick is a photographer, hustler, and Odd Future tour manager. Brick has worked his way into a position he loves through hard work, and excellent networking skills. This convo will inspire those of you who want to be involved with music, without necessarily being a musician. We talk about getting the Living Legends customized Reeboks when he was 17, how he became part of the Odd Future team, and how he found out Cleveland, Ohio has the wildest ...
Aug 28, 2013•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 28
This week on Kinda Neat we sit down with electro-songstress Nylo. She has mellow grooves, smokey voice, and deceivingly aggressive songwriting. Her music is currently catching the attention of lots of artists and industry folk. Mac Miller sampled one of her songs and Nas loves her. Nylo talks about being the unhealthiest vegetarian, being a 7 year old psychiatrist to her parents, and not letting anything get in your way when you're following your dream. – Lee...
Aug 21, 2013•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 27
Clayton is a publicist with one of the most influential companies in indie music. He's also co-owner (with Skrillex and others) of OWSLA. He's lived a lot of life at age 28. We cover a lot of ground ranging from the inspirational to the absolutely heartbreaking. Listen in about his upbringing as a skate rat in Boise, living in flop house with 20+ Chinese immigrants in San Francisco, and how SXSW changed his life one year. – Lee...
Aug 14, 2013•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 26
This week on Kinda Neat we sit down with my pal Rheteric Ramirez. This conversation is an LA underground rap nerd's dream. Rhet has been in the scene a long time. We talk about his first hand experiences at Foundations, the Good Life, and Project Blowed. He used to have run ins with folks like Will.I.am when he was just another kid on the grind. We also talk about starting elementary school knowing no English, his controversial verse on Busdriver's record, and the balance of being a warrior/poet...
Aug 07, 2013•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 25
Coolroy wears his heart on his sleeve and you can hear it in his music. I could tell while he was walking in that the convo would get open and heavy, and it did. We talk about the end of his relationship with the mother of his daughter, his father's enigmatic living situation when he was a kid, and keeping dreams alive. – Lee
Jul 31, 2013•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 24
We finally talked with my pal Blockhead this week. He first caught the public eye working with Aesop Rock on Labor Days and Float. Eventually he went on to put out many solo records with Ninja Tune. We talk about being an integral part of a few very influential albums, letting fans down by being a “normal bro,” and his dad getting Madonna naked. – Lee...
Jul 24, 2013•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 23
Chippy Nonstop is a true cosmopolitan international traveler. We talk to her about being born in Dubai and going to school in Africa. She makes claim she's influencing Miley Cyrus' new wave. She also sheds light on and copy-paste cyber sex sessions. – Lee
Jul 17, 2013•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 22
Caleb stone is a multi-instrumentalist producer. He frequently works with previous guests Speak , Pell , and Dream Panther . His solo tapes are great, and so is his work rappers and singers like Kali Uchis . As a kid he'd flunk ADD tests on purpose, and got expelled from boarding school. Surprisingly Ringo Starr was a huge influence. – Lee...
Jul 10, 2013•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 21
This week on Kinda Neat we sat down with my old pal Mestizo to talk about his nomadic upbringing, how his crew Machina Muerte began, and the everlasting search for normalcy. – Lee
Jul 03, 2013•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 20
This week on Kinda Neat we sat down with Odd Future ‘s own Mike G. He tells us about his constant uprooting and moving as a kid, meeting the OFWGKTA crew, and partying with Justin Timberlake . – Lee
Jun 26, 2013•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 19
Zeroh is an amazing rapper and producer. I'm very excited about his music. I was equally excited to learn about where it comes from. The wordsmith from Long Beach talked to us about his love of skateboarding and his new found sense of spirituality. Hear why he wakes up every morning at 6am. You can also see his first live studio performance right here on Kinda Neat. – Lee
Jun 19, 2013•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 18
This week on Kinda Neat we sat down with double threat (rapper / producer) Alexander Spit. We talk about the importance of creating a strong visual aesthetic to match your sound, his time spent working and learning at The Hundreds , and we have a good time reminiscing about being real fans. Be sure to check out Alex's new beat tape, Mansions 2 . – Lee...
Jun 12, 2013•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 17
This week we round off our 2-parter covering the minds behind Ham On Everything. We talk to David Romo about planning and throwing a successful party, his constant urge to create, and love songs about zombies that are actually still kind of about love. -Lee
Jun 05, 2013•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 16
I've talked a lot on previous shows about my buddies from Ham On Everything . Adam Weiss and Romo are an important part of the current LA music landscape. Their parties attract a wide and eclectic audience while bringing out many important acts to LA for their first time. I sat down with each of them to talk about their journeys. In this episode I talk to Adam about his dark drug-riddled past, cleaning up after a long stint in jail, and becoming LA's party mascot. – Lee...
May 29, 2013•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 15
Wax is a good rapper, good conversationalist , and all around good guy. Beacause of that we could've bullshitted for another couple hours on tape, but it was too damn hot in the studio. Listen to us talk about Rosana becoming a huge hit in Europe. We also discuss how being good at too many things can be a problem. Hear about the good ol' days of hiding porn in the woods. – Lee...
May 22, 2013•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 14
Shaun takes us deep into the record label's history. His journey started as an intern in Berkley. Eventually he relocated the label to Los Angeles. It was there he became the operational manager. We also talk about being rap nerds and how his tastes changed over time. Oh and he got roofied on tour. – Lee
May 15, 2013•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 13
This week we talked to my old compadre VerBS. VerBS is an extremely creative bar spitter. I owe him a lot for helping me hone my style while trying to keep up on the BUZZ EP. We talk about his history with the Spliff and Bananas, nomadically peddling through the city, and chakra hugs with Santa Cruz hippies. – Lee
May 08, 2013•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 12
Kyle is a VFX artist in the movie industry by day. By night he frantically pumps out rap battle and music videos . He's quietly played a huge role in the battle scene over the years. We talk to Kyle about his obsessive work ethic, the rise and fall of the Grindtime rap battle league, and why Sage Francis hated his rap group “Omnivorous Genitals.” – Lee...
May 01, 2013•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 11
Kitty (formerly known as Kitty Pryde) was in Los Angeles last week. We had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with her about growing up in a sleepy tourist town , how a Facebook group full of future stars changed her path, and how life is different in the year since “ OK Cupid ” blew up. Be sure to catch her on tour with Danny Brown this month in a city near you. – Lee...
Apr 25, 2013•53 min•Ep. 10
