Rebel Radio

Le Youth is going to teach us about reinvention and goal setting. He makes great house music with a sexy infusion of R&B, but it wasn’t always that way. After early success in the music business, it all went pear shaped. The music wasn’t moving him, and a lawsuit from a band member threatened to unravel everything he worked for. Spoiler alert: He won the case, started over with new music, and has been blowing up the clubs with a string of hits that’s steadily moving him to the top of the game. In our interview, he explains how he made it happen. He learned to protect himself, to take risks, and to focus on the end goal. So many good stories here. Listen up. EDM.com Track of the Week: https://soundcloud.com/deepsounds/kharmelo-feel-you-now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we bring you a very special recording of our first ever LIVE podcast. Brought to you in partnership with Honda Financial Services. To all you college grads out there, this is your time. And Honda’s here to help you get going. Save $500 on any 2016 or newer Honda vehicle. Check out http://www.hondafinancialservices.com to learn more. Our guest, Jennifer Kushell, came up on stage and told amazing stories from her journey as an entrepreneur — from starting her first business at 13 to writing her first book at 24: the New York Times bestseller, Secrets of the Young & Successful — to her work with brands like Subway and Bloomberg to help bridge the gap between corporate employers and young professionals. She tries to make both sides smarter and help them find common ground. Check out Jen’s website: ysn.com. Our favorite lessons we can take from her: Think like an economist; act like an entrepreneur. Don’t just show up and say you’ll do whatever an employer wants you to. You might think it makes you s

Mattie Safer has made music across three genres. You might know him as the bassist for The Rapture, the indie (or something) band whose track House of Jealous Lovers was called a top-10 song of the decade by NME. But Mattie’s true passion is in soul and hip-hop. So much so that he left The Rapture so he could make music that really speaks to him. His debut EP — All We Are — feels like more of a tribute to Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield, or at least Bobby Caldwell, than anything from the early 2000s electro era. He comes by the studio to tell us what it’s like to walk away from success in search of something bigger, to organize everything in life around a single pursuit. Listen to the interview here. *EDM.com Track of the Week: https://soundcloud.com/xxx/danny-indigo-kojo-a-future-lover Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is part of our ongoing ARTWORK REBELS series — hosted in partnership with Guerilla One — in which we talk to the most talented and creative people creating art in the streets. Check www.rebelradio.net for other ARTWORK REBELS episodes. Michael Delahaut, aka Wise, is a bit of a double agent. As a member of the Seventh Letter crew, he’s a graffiti veteran. By day, he’s a creative director who’s worked on groundbreaking campaigns for Nike, Sprint, and of course Scion, which is how he knows Josh. He comes by the Rebel Radio studios to tell Josh and Eddie what it’s like to be a real life superhero with a secret identity, how graffiti and advertising are basically the same hustle, and how he built his career by simply going for it. He tells a great story about getting his start in business. The lesson: Just Do It. Wise also tells us about his latest project — a collab with House of Pain’s Danny Boy — Delta Bravo Urban Exploration. They’re finding iconic locations from important movies and music vi

This week’s episode is another installment in our ARTWORK REBELS series in partnership with Guerilla One. Check out the others at www.rebelradio.net. If you don’t know OG Slick, you don’t know LA graffiti. My dude has been famous since the 80s. More precisely, since the Slick x Hex battle at the Levitz furniture factory, which ended up as an early reality show on local TV. He’s gone on to become one of the most noted artists on the West Coast, if not the world, and a creative force behind early streetwear brands Fuct and Third Rail, and is now the proprietor of Big Dick’s Hardware, a graffiti lifestyle brand and store in Gardena, CA. He’s also the designer of the iconic album cover for The Pharcyde’s A Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. What you know about that? Slick stops by the studio with Guerilla One’s Eddie Donaldson to talk about his own bizarre ride from Hawaii to the streets of LA to underground superstardom. So many good stories about the golden age. Plus some good lessons for the rest of us: - Choo

Amanda Micallef says her company, Arsenic, offers an innovative medium that is crowdsourced and crowd curated. We think it’s about pictures and videos of fine ass women. But what do we know? Could be both? Either way, Arsenic is the most-followed brand on Snapchat and is killing the game on Instagram. Innovative for sure. It’s a “magazine” with no magazine, and a digital company with no website. Arsenic started up as a means for Amanda to express her creativity that wasn’t being met through independent film and commercial production. She quickly learned that people, models and fans alike, loved the way Arsenic put them in control. It gave them a voice, with a side of sideboob. A winning combination, to be sure. She stopped by the studio to let us in on her secrets. Hint: they include free pizza. Trust: You’re gonna wanna hear this one. *EDM.com Track of the Week: https://soundcloud.com/lavish/yas-muse-ft-wes-period Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ally is a YouTube celebrity, with views by the millions on her videos. She’s one of the leaders of the ASMR movement, or genre, or whatever it is. Picture pretty women whispering and playing different characters, or just talking. Whispering, rather. Some people get a tingling sensation and then get very relaxed and fall asleep to these videos. Millions of people. Ally is joined in our studio by her sometimes collaborator, Lane. Lane is a digital marketing expert and host of the Beerlosophy podcast. Our host, Josh, was a guest on Beerlosophy back in January. Check it out on Soundcloud if you want to hear them drink Tsingtao and talk about the value of an idea. Meanwhile, listen in as Josh tries to understand what ASMR is about and digs into lessons in digital marketing, how Ally built her own brand, and why on earth she’s started a company that makes content for brands and another one that’s making 360 VR videos. Josh doesn’t quite get it, but what the hell does he know? He doesn’t even know how to whisper a

Champagne Drip creates a sort of trap - future bass - tropical house - glitch fusion. Or something like that. What I’m trying to say is stop trying to categorize his music and just enjoy it. He makes bangers for Mad Decent, a recent collaboration with Dillon Francis, and prior to his reinvention as Champagne Drip, he was making drum & bass under the name SPL. Sam drops by the studio to tell us how his alter egos came to be and why they make creative sense, whether or not they make any business sense. For Sam, it’s all about exploring his creativity in as many was as possible. The business, he figures, will take care of itself. Listen to his story here. Then leave us an iTunes review. *EDM.com Track of the Week: Audiobot & Bamiyah - Lies https://soundcloud.com/xxx/audiobot-bamiyah-lies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bishop Lamont is here to teach us about perseverance. As an up-and-coming rapper, he was discovered by Dr. Dre and signed to Aftermath Records, on his way to stardom. That was 11 years ago. He got shelved, dropped, and had to reinvent his career and find another way. He released a series of mixtapes that kept him relevant in the streets while he could figure out how to navigate the business, soaking up game from folks like Dame Dash along the way. He relied on family and his martial arts training to get him through the toughest times. On the eve of the release of his first album — The Reformation — Bishop brings us his tale of never giving up, of staying focused, and of learning to choose friends wisely. He brings valuable lessons for those who would choose a creative path and those who would seek to create social change through business. Get into it, and make sure you get a copy of The Reformation. *EDM.com Track of the Week: https://soundcloud.com/hip-hop/noah-north-goat Learn more about your ad choic

Sacha Jenkins is more than a journalist or filmmaker. He’s spent the better part of two decades documenting and commentating hip hop and other underground cultures. He’s been a creative force behind Mass Appeal magazine, the recent documentary Fresh Dressed, and was a founder of Ego Trip’s subversive media empire that encompassed books and magazines as well as TV shows. If that’s not enough, he also plays in multiple punk bands. In our interview Sacha gives us insight into a career that started as a humble attempt to make a life by living in the culture he loved. In the process, he’s enlightened and entertained hip hop and graffiti fans all over the world. How? He leads with his creativity. Rather than thinking of it as a business, he just creates, and pulls other creative people around him to collaborate. And he isn’t afraid to fail: "If you are afraid to fail you are never going to win ever." Hear Sacha’s great stories about his journey here. *EDM.com Track of the Week: Cas Cray - Smokin' (https://sou

Antwon is a rapper. Sort of. That is to say that he raps, but his raps don’t sound like the stuff you’d expect to hear in 2016 if you listen to the Pandora Hip Hop channel or the radio. Antwon’s sound falls somewhere between the uber-backpack rap coming from his label Anticon and Bay Area a la Mac Dre. I’m guessing at this point you have no idea what I’m talking about. He’s also the leader of the Nature World collective, which includes a clothing line and the punk-meets-hip hop Nature World Night Out Fest. He drops by our studio to bring us the latest news from the underground. Spoiler alert: it’s all good. Creativity is alive and well, and Antwon is free to create without worrying what box his music will fit into. He pulls lessons and inspiration from everywhere, even artists like Kid Rock, whose music may be a million miles away. His lesson for you: "Have friends that aren’t shitty." Stay connected to people who care about you and will tell you when you’re making a bad decision. Check it out and don’t f

R3ll stops by Rebel Radio to tell us what it’s like to be young and enthusiastic. He moved to LA after becoming a popular party promoter and DJ in the Jersey Club scene and is now bringing his energetic bass sound to audiences across the country and around the world. He gives us some insights into how he keeps it fun for himself and for fans, and how he tries to create an experience that goes beyond the music. "They need to remember that like weeks, months, like, 'Yo, last time I saw him it was popping and I got to go again.’" Check out the episode here Then check out our sponsors wix.com to build you a great-looking new website fast, free, and easy. Then visit boxed.com/rebel to get up on your bulk shopping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may know Jimmy O. Yang as Jian Yang on Silicon Valley. You’ll surely know him soon from the upcoming movie, Patriot’s Day where he shares the screen with Mark Wahlberg and John Goodman. We know him as a funny ass comedian on YouTube and the Arsenio Hall Show, where he muses about being an Asian dude in America, being broke, and listening to hip hop. Jimmy stops by the Rebel Radio studios to give us some insights into his rapid rise from open mic night to the national touring circuit and now movies and TV. He seems to be keeping his head on straight, for now anyway. We love that Jimmy seems to have no fear and studies his craft relentlessly, whether through acting classes or by soaking up game from other comics and actors. We’ve been in those shoes and we know that the right combination of street knowledge and formal training is where it’s at. He also gives us the cardinal rule of comedy, which we can also apply to just about every other facet of life: Never ask for stage time. Download this episode to

Saber is not the first to describe graffiti as an addiction. It’s way beyond a simple act of rebellion or self-expression. It's thrill of getting away with it, the positive reinforcement from friends and peers, and of course, the fumes that get so many youngsters hooked after their first hit. In our interview — co-hosted by Eddie Donaldson from Guerilla One — Saber explains how his comrades in the Seventh Letter both fell prey to the addiction and leveraged it to become one of the most powerful graffiti crews in one of America’s largest cities. He also explains how he’s been able to use art as a vehicle for social change, challenging laws that are at times draconian and contradictory, and gives us insight into the challenge of pivoting from the streets to the galleries. All this, and lots of great stories from the heart of the LA graffiti scene. Listen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DJ Spider isn’t just a great DJ; he makes it look fun too. He preaches work-life balance: “I don't know how long term you can be burning up the clubs without burning up your life." He makes hilarious videos, such as his Vine series Mag Life or the multi-million-view Whole Foods Parking Lot featuring DJ Dave. He goes on tour with rockstars: Blink 182 this summer. He starts social media firestorms in his spare time, like the viral hit Make DJing Great Again baseball caps. In our interview, he gives some insights into building a serious career without taking it so seriously. Check it out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denzel Slager started playing soccer at five years old. It wasn’t until his twenties that he learned what the struggle was really about. After rising through the ranks in his native Holland, he hit the big leagues — a contract with Coventry City. Just as everything was starting to go his way, it all fell apart. Two years later, he’s in Los Angeles playing for LA Galaxy II with side hustles including modeling, reality TV, and launching his own clothing line. He stops by our studio to tell us about his amazing journey and the biggest lesson he’s learned along the way: "I think happiness is the most important. Otherwise you can't practice, you can't focus or anything." Listen to Denzel’s story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eddie Cruz is a true innovator. He’s also the co-founder of one of our favorite brands. Undefeated was the first to bridge the gap between athletic apparel and streetwear. In doing so, the brand not only created a global opportunity for itself — 10 stores and counting — but also helped to further the evolution of the genre, including an increasing number of collaborations between upstart streetwear designers and the behemoth sneaker manufacturers. Eddie drops by the studio with Adam Weissman of Stüssy and the band Pollyn (Adam also joined us with Roy Cho in studio: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/chef-roy-choi-changed-food/id1009565465?i=1000358321224&mt=2) to give us some insight into his path to entrepreneurship. The big lesson: He wasn’t content to follow the path that was laid out for him. So he forged his own, and stuck very close to the streets along the way. Learn all about it, as well as Eddie's near miss at a music career and what’s next for Undefeated, in today’s episode. Learn more about yo

Warning: Today’s episode gets pretty deep. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to our regular shallow selves next week. Super CW flew in from Hawaii just to chop it up with us. She’s on a break from being one of the island’s hardest working people: DJ, blogger, marketer, documentary filmmaker, and part of the Pow! Wow! crew that is becoming famous around the world for its cutting-edge art shows. While she battled breast cancer in 2015, she documented her journey and the healing protocol on her Snapchat and her blog and is now creating a documentary film to share her inspiring story with the world. CW shares so many intimate details of her experiences as a nightlife leader and as a warrior. She explains how everything she does is from the heart, and how the experience of cancer brought out the best in her: "It's not this dog eat dog; we're going to help each other because we're all one. We're all from the same place no matter who we are, and it's our duty as humans to make sure that we can help each other." Tune in

If you truly love music, discovering the music Kenny Fresh put outs on his label is likely to make your whole day. While most labels are looking to capitalize on the latest trends, Kenny’s Portland-based Fresh Selects instead focuses solely on putting out music he loves, introducing the world to unique, innovative artists such as beatmakers Mndsgn and Iman Omari, R&B singers SiR and Coultrain, and multi-instrumentalists Low Leaf and Dolphin. Kenny drops by our studio to give us some insight into the forefront of music and building a passion-based business. He also shares some hacks he learned along the way as a social media consultant for brands like Adidas and artists like Detroit producer, Waajeed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXTRA SPECIAL 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EPISODE. Today we bring you a special birthday treat: Lessons from one of the best in the business. Never give up. That’s the lesson we get today from Dirtybird Records chief Claude VonStroke. He’s a DJ, producer, label boss, and the leader of a tribe that trusts him to provide a full-service entertainment experience that includes events and merchandise. The Dirtybird BBQ daylong cookout with DJs have become a favorite of fans around the country, and last year’s Dirtybird Campout took things up several notches — a weekend of grown-up summer camp activities in addition to music from Dirtybird DJs and friends. We’re talking tug-o-war and kayak races. Josh stopped by the Dirtybird LA headquarters to learn the secrets to building a brand with such a devoted following, directly from CVS. First, he never gave up. He failed multiple times along the way — as a rapper, a drum & bass DJ, in movie production — and bounced back each time, refining his vision and renewing his spirit.