Radio Facts

Photo Credit: Shannon McCollum

Doc Wynter | 6

Charlamagne | 20

D.L. Hughley | 14

Congratulations to the Radio Facts 2018 Power Play List honorees in our second annual magazine. These are the innovators and trendsetters that drive the industry to be the great vehicle that it is. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Be on the lookout for yet another new magazine in March/2019 from the Radio Facts brand, “All Things Music.�

DJ ENVY | 28

Juliette Jones | 32

Angela Yee | 24

Marvin Sapp | 36 RADIO FACTS | 3

LEVERAGE THE RETURN ON YOUR CAREER INVESTMENTS

BY KEVIN ROSS

If I was to state the immediate exception that I have noticed in interviewing distinguished honorees it’s that they are keenly aware that radio is a springboard, not a recliner. With all due respect to the medium, it doesn’t stand still; it changes and it grows, so why can’t we?

When you look at some of the biggest success stories in the broadcast industry like Steve Harvey, Tom Joyner, Ryan Seacrest, and Wendy Williams – broadcasting was not what they did, it was what they used.

In broadcasting, you must know to close the door behind you as you open the doors for growth in front of you. If both doors are closed, the end is inevitable and I’ve seen this happen many times from this perspective as a trade publication. And in talking to those people and trying my best to counsel and motivate them, I can state it’s a very weighty and dark process, more times than not.

Mostly because of their fears.

THE VOICE OF THE VOICES PUBLISHER: RMI Publishing Inc.

• None of them are any more secure, intelligent or more brilliant than the next guy; the difference is they don’t let fear, doubt or negativity get in the way of what they want to do.

• None of them complain. They see things for what they are and they either embrace it or find a better way to do it.

• None of them attack other people — as I did the interviews, I noticed they gave credit to others.

• They are not afraid of change, they embrace it, learn from it and find a way to be a part of it.

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR: Kevin Ross

kevin@radiofacts.com

CONTRIBUTORS: Hassahn Liggins, Dwayne McClary, Coka Lani, Cameron Penny, A. Scott Galloway and Janine Coveney.

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Geoff Hulme, Kevin Ross PHOTOGRAPHY: (various) ADVERTISING

• They read and/or surround themselves with people who know what they don’t know.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Kevin Ross kevin@radiofacts.com

• They surround themselves with genuine people in the industry, or they opt to find them outside the industry.

Copyright © 2018

• They are all a bit unsure of themselves but they have great confidence in their abilities.

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Coming from a former place of darkness myself just a few short years ago, I can relate. But if we are to survive we have to push through those barriers that paralyze us.

• They all have reinvented themselves once, twice or more times.

PHONE: 323.285.6099 EMAIL: staff@radiofacts.com

I realized when I started the Women of Color and the Power Play List Magazines, you get a LOT more from building people up than from tearing them down. It’s not just about them it’s about you too. For years I absolutely hated doing Radio Facts as a blog because I don’t like gossip or reporting deaths, firings, station closings, heart attacks, strokes, cancer or mass layoffs which are, ironically, always the biggest stories on the site (laugh). So I started focusing more on the business potential of the brand and now I love it because I love being an entrepreneur.

• They use their leverage to expand instead of resting on their successes.

• They all know this could change tomorrow so they get on, plan for tomorrow and enjoy the ride.

I’d like to personally thank all of our honorees for their time and for their interviews, which I am sure will benefit our readers. To our readers, thanks for your continued support of the Radio Facts brand.

FAX: 323.521.3669 WEBSITE: RADIO FACTSwww. radiofacts.com RHYTHMIC.FM (Rhythmic) www.rhythmic.fm PODCAST PORT (Urban Podcast Site) www.podcastport.com

As Ever, Kevin Ross 2018/19

To that end, I had to create more positive vehicles and I saw something missing in our industry. A lack of overall specific support systems for minorities when it came to recognition for their work. There are several common denominators amongst the honorees that bring a great light into the room.

• None of them know what to expect or what tomorrow brings but they explore their ideas, options, and opportunities.

4 | RADIO FACTS

Cover Photo Credit: Shannon McCollum

The Deja Vu Show is what girlfriends talk about and so much more—from Black Hollywood to living your best life.

Afternoon Ratings Powerhouse WBLS-FM, New York

#1 AA Adult 25-54 | #1 AA Women 25-54

#2 AA Men 25-54 | #3 ALL Women 25-54

Middays and Afternoon Drive For Affiliation: abcradio.com | For Sales: skyviewnetworks.com Source: Average of Nielsen Radio PPM, New York; FA ‘17, SU’17, SPR ‘17, WI ‘17; Metro; M-F 3p-7p; P25-54, W-25-54, M25-54.

“I couldn’t imagine being a computer programmer for the rest of my life. It was the most boring thing that I have ever done ...”

Broadcast Executive of the Year

Doc Wynter

Photo Credit: Joel Marasigan Flashpoint Grafix

Executive Vice President Urban/Hip-Hop Programming Strategy & Program Director Real 92.3 Los Angeles iHeartMedia, Inc.

By Kevin Ross

I’ve known Doc Wynter for almost three decades and no matter how successful he becomes, he is still the same person he was in 1990. He has a great sense of humor and has been a good sport to my consistent one-liners since his days at KMJM. I constantly hear industry people speaking highly of him, his position, his influence and his legacy at the most progressive media corporation in the industry, iHeartMedia. It’s always great to catch up and learn something new from the progressive industry vet who just welcomed a new son. I have to honestly say it’s an honor to honor him as the “Broadcast Executive of the Year” because I’ve watched him grow over the years from doing the Quiet Storm at KMJM to his current position as one of the most respected people in the industry.

Any of us who have been in the industry for more than 25 years have seen the industry reinvent itself several times and few have survived all of the changes — but it’s no surprise that Doc is still on top and ready for new challenges by continuing to educate himself and eagerly embracing rapidly changing industry technology.

6 | RADIO FACTS

DOC WYNTER: BROADCAST EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR KEVIN ROSS: We spoke when you first arrived in LA. I remember telling you that LA is a very interesting place and it can change people. How long have you been in LA now?

About four years?

DOC WYNTER: Yeah, it’ll be four years in February. I really like LA. We’re having a good time.

Obviously, I love working with Big [Boy] and you never know how things like that are going to turn out. Even somebody who’s an icon in LA and who has been working here so long, you just hope that the chemistry jells. It’s been a great experience working with him.

What have you seen change in the last four years concerning radio that you think is the greatest plus?

I don’t know if I’ve seen anything change that’s a plus, and I think the landscape is obviously among the most competitive in the country, so you know our battle is song-for-song. I’m trying to convey that to my team. Understand, like, you can’t take any breaks off, you don’t take any songs off, because it’s really that competitive.

The festival space has changed things in some respects. All of a sudden, guys are making tons of money who get virtually no radio airplay, probably just streaming airplay, and you go to these festivals and the audience knows every word to every song. And, again, little to no radio airplay. That’s humbling in some respects, but also exciting for hip-hop. It’s truly finally being recognized in the format that it is. For somebody that was there at the very, very, very beginning, I’m fortunate to still be in it now. It’s just amazing to see the evolution.

I was in it from back in the clubs in New York City, where the DJ was on the phone and a MC just grabbed the mic and started rapping to King Tim III on The Fatback Band album or to Rapper’s Delight. It was like, wow. All these years later and it’s the format, it’s popular music, it’s changed the nomenclature of the country. It’s pretty amazing.

Do you think the radio should be more cognizant of the fact that there are so many other avenues right now?

Oh, absolutely. I think within the space that we have, we’re a utility for people that come to hear, in most instances, their favorite talent. And to have their favorite talent accompany them on whatever journey it is that they’re currently on, while they play their favorite music. I think now, more than ever, you gotta have great talent.

That’s interesting because when we started, and we came up in the industry, that was not the general consensus. It was that the music was the star — you remember that?

Yeah. But if you can go get it anywhere now, like, what’s the difference?

I see that iHeart just purchased the biggest podcast company, and I see you guys are doing an award show for podcasts. I admire the way that iHeart is aggressive in their approach to grasp concepts outside of radio. How have you been able to work that into what you do?

We had a lot of great content that just needed to be converted into a podcast framework; you know, so much video, so much compelling entertainment. Whether it is from The Breakfast Club, Big Boy, Angie Martinez, or, you know, Homegrown Radio with DJ Hed and Chuck Dizzle, it was just there. It’s just putting it into the proper bucket and teaching best practices about how to best introduce it to those who are seeking podcast content. What’s great about our company is the fact that we craft these mediums and then, of course, we learn to be the best at it.

Why do you think jocks are still afraid of being progressive and doing their own podcasts and branding themselves outside of the company?

I know a lot of people who do them. I think a lot of jocks in our company have great podcasts. I don’t think that people are afraid to do it. I think the people that want to be in that space, who feel like they have something to say — those are the people who gravitate to that space. It’s not everybody’s thing.

That’s an interesting point. Everybody thinks that radio people should automatically graduate to that, but perhaps it’s a rude awakening to discover “maybe I’m just a jock that talks to people every day, but I really have nothing to say!”

Yes, having a great voice is not what podcasting is about.

Is there anything that you can talk about that we can expect from iHeart?

Nothing that I can really share at this time. We just continue to find great talent and I continue to tell people how proud I am to work for this company.

I know it sounds like a sales pitch, but I love this company and what it stands for. You know we have set out to find the best people, to make the

best product that we can. And even for the opportunity to come and program radio in Los Angeles, which is a totally different urban environment, I had to learn to understand the sensibilities of not only African Americans, but also Mexican Americans and Latinxs. This is something that I briefly learned a little bit about when I launched “The Beat” in Miami years ago, but these are Latinxs that are from an entirely different country of origin.

So learning and understanding the sensibilities for Latinxs that like hip-hop and live in Los Angeles has been fascinating.

How do you find talent today with so many opportunities for people to be independent?

Like with podcasts?

I’ve got to find people that love radio, and that can be somewhat of a challenge because this new generation wasn’t necessarily brought up on radio. I’ve found that there are more people that are actually passionate about hip-hop, but not necessarily passionate about radio. When I do find people that I like, I have to make sure, like, “Yeah, is this what you want to do? Is radio what you love?” And, if not, I understand. I get it. I grew up on radio, so it’s a part of my DNA. You need to understand how important this is for me and, if you’re going to be on my team, I need you to understand like, “Yo, this how I take care of my family!” So I need you to be on the same page with me. If not, that’s cool, I’ll help you go get something somewhere else where you can express your talent and your passion.

What do you think about urban radio bringing back the Quiet Storm concept?

I think, on a market-by-market basis, it definitely makes sense. I have found myself wondering like, “Man, what music do people make love to [today]?” You know, what are you listening to?

You don’t hear a lot of that out there. I work with Keith Sweat who does one of our shows. Whenever he’s in LA, I’ll go to see his show, just to say “hi” and there’s still a passion for that music.

The place is always packed. Everybody knows every lyric and, you know, you still got guys out here doing R&B like Tank, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, and newer people like SZA; I love SZA’s new album. You’ve got Ella Mai and more. So there are still people out there that are making those records and we’re beginning to see R&B make that turn back to being really relevant. So I think it makes sense that you’re seeing Quiet Storm. For a minute it went away because it was no longer viable on the mainstream stations. People wanted to hear hip-hop and so Quiet Storm kinda got relegated to urban adult shows and, you know, depending on who that station’s audience was,

RADIO FACTS | 7

DOC WYNTER: BROADCAST EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Do you still want to be on air?

Noooo! You know what’s fascinating to me though, man? The number of times people reach out to me for records that I used to play and it’s the craziest thing because, as I’m reading the text, or if it’s via social media, they really expect me to remember this record that I played back in 1990-something and, if I’ve had five requests, I’ve gotten the record right all five times. Just crazy.

They usually don’t know the lyrics and will say a man sings it or a woman sings it. The station played it all the time, etc. It’s amazing.

I know what you mean. They will say “Do you remember that song you played in 1989? I don’t remember the name of it but the lady said ‘oooh.’ What’s the name of that song?”

So tell me about your staff at the station right now. How long has Big Boy been in radio?

Like 20-something years?

Uh, yeah, I think he is at about 20, 25. Yeah, 25 years.

Isn’t it amazing how fast 25 years go by?

Doc with DJ Khaled. Photo credit iHeartMedia

it may not have been the right cup of sauce to use, so that’s good stuff. I’m glad to hear that it’s coming back.

I’ve actually talked to a couple record reps who state that older singers think that the Urban Adult format is insulting and that whole format should be abolished.

I’ve had the conversation before, that it should be called R&B, but even that format needs a splinter because you have to ask, “Does the R&B from 2018 necessarily fit with a Peabo Bryson from 1975?” Now, I’d argue that, you know, chances are the people don’t want those songs, the juxtaposition, you know what I’m saying? It really is about the available audience. How many stations can you put on? That’s one of the things I love about the iHeart app – I can go to the app and create a “Trey Songz Station” there and hear other artists that are like Trey Songz.

I work at Real 92.3 all day, but there are those times when I’m driving home and I want to hear music from back in the days when I was on the radio, you know, like Blackstreet, Johnny Gill, etc.

I use the iHeart app for that and I can be in that space. It’s fast, it’s convenient, and it does the trick for me.

8 | RADIO FACTS

Oh man. It’s incredible. And his story is so amazing, man. Like the way he just fell into that from being a bodyguard with The Pharcyde, then he’s on the air, and his growth. You travel with him in LA, it’s insane. And the crazy thing about it is, I’ve gone with him to New York. I’ve gone with him to Wyoming. I’ve gone with him to Miami. It’s the same thing everywhere. When he’s out, he takes every picture and you forget he’s done movies so, you know, everybody knows him.

Yeah. He has a great history. So, I know he’s doing syndication again. How’s his show doing now?

He’s on about 25, 26 markets. In the markets where it makes sense, it’s a great fit. And then, you know, you got The Breakfast Club that are doing their syndication in other markets on the East Coast. So, it’s great having that kind of arsenal and you’re, you know, like, which one do you want? You know, it’s kinda cool.

What do you think of syndication?

I think it makes sense for a lot of radio stations that can’t afford high-quality talent. Unfortunately, we went a period where we were putting people on the radio who just liked radio but weren’t necessarily the most talented people.

And, uh, there became a need for talent. I remember back in the day, like being among the first Tom Joyner affiliates. When Tom left us, there was the Steve Harvey movement. Then we had Star and Buc Wild as our first hip-hop syndicated show.

I remember everybody else at that time wanted syndication first. They didn’t want to have any local success first, they wanted to be syndicated. I remember Cadillac Jack and I talking about The Breakfast Club and putting Envy, Angela and Charlemagne together. I remember ten months into that, we were like, “is this gonna work or not?” And I was like, “Man, there’s something about them.” For me, it was actually more about the chemistry that I saw that they had off the mic than they had on the mic. And I was like, “Man, if we can ever get that chemistry on the radio, this is going to be crazy.” And it came to fruition. They just became this viral sensation. And it’s amazing.

I’ve got some amazing talent in Los Angeles too, like Bootleg Kev and DJ Hed who do nights for me. They come on at 5:00 pm. I think they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in LA. They just have an incredible chemistry between them. Kev is more of the radio guy, while Hed is an LA dude. We got a white guy and a black guy doing nights in LA and they sound amazing.

They got this feature called “Celebrity Smash,” when people call in and talk about their experiences in bed with celebrities. Of course, we never reveal who the celebrity is, but it’s actually pretty entertaining radio and this is the perfect market for it.

DJ A-Oh is my APD and does middays for me. He used to work at WGCI in Chicago and WMIB in Miami. Nina Chantelle, who also worked at those two stations, does afternoons for me. Then there’s Abby De La Rosa, who does late nights for me at 10:00 pm. They’re so talented and, you know, they just make a great crew.

We both have been around a long time. From this perspective (industry trade) I can honestly tell you that I’ve seen many people endlessly waiting for a gig and, in the process, they die. I’ve seen it happen more often than not.

I think that a lot of it is their lack of a willingness to change. I think with technology, there are certainly other resources they can use to progress or to do something else, either permanently or in the meantime, but they’re really afraid of change.

What is your advice to people, over 40, who have been accustomed to doing radio a

DOC WYNTER: BROADCAST EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR certain way and want to have longevity in the industry? Is it possible? And, if so, how do they do it?

That’s a really interesting question. How do I answer that question? I think that there are some options, depending on the company you worked for or how you were brought up in the business.

Programming an urban station in Atlanta vs programming an urban station in Los Angeles are two different things. You have got to be flexible enough to understand the intricacies of each market and you’ve got to be smart enough in order to articulate your vision to your staff and to your bosses.

I think that there have been a lot of people in our business who have had some amazing reputations, whose names and reputations were not necessarily commensurate with their skill sets and so you hear sometimes “I can’t believe such-and-such can’t get a job,” and it’s usually from people in the industry who may or may not be qualified to really assess whether that person was a great programmer. They just know the person’s name. A lot of times, in some instances, the person just worked for a great radio station at a time when great brands succeeded because of the nature of the measuring system, and now the measuring system has changed. And so now you’ve got to be keen enough to understand what was a “TSL” (time spent listening) business versus today, where we are in an “occasions of listening” business in terms of diary versus PPM. And so whatever you might’ve learned in a diary experience, whether it be how frequently you should turn your powers versus what might make more sense now, you’ve gotta be willing to say,

“Okay, I have got to think about this.” And does it make sense? And you’ve got to be able to introduce that into the conversation and then determine whether or not that is the best course of action.

I’m trying to be honest but, at the same time, I’m not trying to make light of anyone that has struggled in this business. But I, myself, because of this job, I’ve come across a lot of people who had great reputations but when it came down to having a conversation about a programming strategy, they suffered from that lack of liberal arts thinking (a broad foundation of knowledge) in terms of making an adjustment. In their mind, this is how this station was programmed and successful back in 1995. So that same strategy should work in 2015, 2016 and 2017, but it’s not going to.

What did you do differently when you were younger to create this path for yourself?

I had a phenomenal education. I went to a great high school and, although I played basketball in high school and college, instead of going and playing Division One basketball, I played Division Three at a very good basketball program at a very excellent school and I specifically remember getting into an argument with my guidance counselor because I wanted to take a Cobalt class (a programming language), and he refused to allow me to do it. He was like, “I don’t care, you can take a basket weaving class, but you cannot take that class.” And later on when I graduated from college, and I began working as a computer programmer, I wanted to find him and hug him and kiss him because when I went into computers and started working at

the company that I started working at. I learned everything so much more quickly because I understood the science of programming versus how to program that specific language, and that message has always followed me throughout my career because I’ve been like, “okay, this person has a liberal arts education in radio and that person learned how to program in that space, at that time, in that year, in that measuring system — and that’s about all they can do.”

So you leveraged your computer programming experience and you brought it to radio programming. How did you make the transition from computers to radio?

I liked computers, but I loved radio. I couldn’t imagine being a computer programmer for the rest of my life. It was the most boring thing that I have ever done in my life. I went to college for it, but I loved radio. And I grew up listening to WBLS [New York] and WRKS in New York, and Frankie Crocker, Don Imus, and Howard Stern.

Who gave you your radio break?

Oh, my first break was a guy by the name of Greg Dixon at WNOU in Willimantic, Connecticut, and then Jazzy Jordan and WNHC in New Haven.

I didn’t know Jazzy worked in radio.

Yeah, Jazzy was my PD there. Then I had left urban radio for a year and I worked at WNHC in New Haven, which was a Top 40 station where I worked with Tom Poleman, who is our President of National Programming at iHeartMedia now.

There was a looseness about urban mom-andpop radio that I didn’t like because I came from

Doc Wynter with staff from Real 92.3 in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: iHeartMedia

10 | RADIO FACTS

COLUMBIA RECORDS CONGRATULATES

Broadcast

EXECUTIVE of the year

2018

COLUMBIA RECORDS WELCOMES

LIL TJ AND POLO G

RADIO PROJECTS COMING IN EARLY 2019

DOC WYNTER: BROADCAST EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR deals and the way they were structured, it probably wasn’t what he expected. And not to say that he wasn’t doing well, but the idea is doing something for free at some point in your career you’re like, “Yo, are you kidding me?” And from our vantage point, we were just like, “Man, what’s going on with you? I’m a huge fan of yours and I came to see you perform and you’re acting like this?” And again, he had no recollection of how he was acting that day or at that event. I’ve had similar conversations with Keith, and he just has no recollection whatsoever.

Again, these guys were drunk with fame and they don’t recall the way that they were acting because it was real for a number of years. They had incredible runs and then all of a sudden, one day, they woke up and times had changed.

Nima Etminan/VP/GM Empire Records, DJ A-Oh/Real 92.3 APD, Morace Landy/Empire Records and Doc Wynter

the corporate, structured environment. But then there was also a cadence to urban radio that I preferred more than I did Top 40. So after experiencing Top 40 for a year, I transferred to St. Louis where I worked at KMJM. Being the PD of Real 92.3 and helping to run so many other stations around the country, your time has to be very limited on a daily basis. Give me a guesstimate of how many requests you get each day. Like people calling you, stopping you or emailing you, asking you questions, etc…

I don’t even know. That’s basically what my job is. It might be someone from another market, a distant relative, someone I used to work with, someone that I met at a club, or it’s an artist manager with a new artist, etc. You know, some of the best relationships I have are with artists who have lived past their peak and who are trying to stay relevant.

we’re able to go back and talk about those previous situations now. I remember one time having a conversation with (the late) Gerald Levert about the show he did for us in St. Louis reluctantly and, you know, it was because his dad made him do it.

I think he performed like three songs, then he just dropped the mic and broke it, and just walked off the stage.

So, like ten years later, I’m in Jacksonville and I have this job at a station and Gerald is trying to remain relevant and, you know, we’re in the production room, we’re talking, and we’re comfortable enough where I brought up the experience and I really believe he had no recollection of it whatsoever. He was drunk on fame at the time.

Seeing that happen to people, and then to see the drunkenness wear off and they’re normal again and, you know, you’re like, “Wow man, what was that run like?” It’s insane. For some people, there’s probably nothing more difficult than when they stop running after you.

Those relationships are amazing and some of the best conversations I’ve ever had. And when you’ve been doing it this long, you know, you obviously hope that it’s going to continue.

So funny you say that because I interviewed Gerald a few times. He wasn’t a big fan of doing the promotional radio visits. I’ve actually found several artists to be like that. They feel once they get to a certain point they shouldn’t have to go do radio interviews and get up that early.

You remember the great runs like R. Kelly’s run – INSANE – but it came to an end. Gerald Levert, great run, came to an end. Keith Sweat, great run, came to an end. But now he works for me. And so

I think at some point it has a lot to do with the fact that when you have a certain amount of fame, you’re expecting to make a certain amount of money and, I’m sure back then with those record

That’s interesting.

12 | RADIO FACTS

I can see why you would be interested in those conversations, but a lot of working industry people actually run from it. They don’t want to talk to people who want to talk about the “good old days.” They see it as draining and regressive in progressive business.

What do you think is the takeaway that could perhaps benefit younger artists?

For me, it’s just having a conversation because we became friends. It’s pretty much like you’re just trying to hold on. Because, at the time, they didn’t think that their time was done. That’s not really their call. That’s the audience’s call.

There’s always going to be people that will be bitter because their time is different. Look at the festival business. I submitted a request the other day for a guy to do a festival for me that I paid $75,000 to do a show last year in one of my key markets and the request for the new festival was for seven figures. Last year $75,000, this year seven figures? Dude, are you serious? Yo, there are people that are multi-millionaires that have a tenth of the talent of a Gerald Levert who, unfortunately, will never see that kind of money.

Well, I mean, you can’t get mad at somebody for being savvy and understanding supply and demand. If people want it, what can you do?

Absolutely the times have just changed.

Thanks, Doc and Congrats again. Also, congratulations on the new addition (referring to Doc’s newborn son, Cole Wynter). So now you’ve got another 18 long years of hard work ahead of you (laughs).

That’s the homie right there.

Broadcast Executive of the Year

2018

The thing I like most about DL Hughley is that he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

He is one of those rare people who has to be who they are in order to be fully beneficial to their purpose. He’s a confident and independent thinker who is modest and appreciative of his platforms. Yet, it appears, he’s not fully aware of his impact, which is fortunate because he can’t be swayed to move in the direction of external influence and he remains true to his own direction with little concern of who likes or dislikes his position. This year DL has had a best selling book “How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People” and his videos continue to make a HUGE impact online and on the Radio Facts site when it comes to expressing his opinion on politics or whatever else the controversial topic of the week is.

Photo credit: Shannon McCollum

D.L. Hughley Radio Host of the Year

By Kevin Ross KEVIN ROSS: So let’s talk about radio.

You’ve been doing it now for what, about 25 years?

D.L. HUGHLEY: It’s funny. I did it at KJLH [Los Angeles] when I was the morning man. I did it at Kiss-FM [the former WRKS/New York] and I’ve been doing the current show [Reach Media/ Radio One syndication] for about five years or so. I have always loved the medium. And it’s funny because I never got a chance to do it this continuously. But I didn’t necessarily understand it or its input. From a consumer’s outlook, I’ve always understood it because when I lived in LA and I didn’t know anything, it was my entry into the world. But I understand how, you know, from this side of the microphone, how important it is to be clear. And so, uh, I’ve done

14 | RADIO FACTS

it, you know, off and on, I would say about 12 years, but I understand how important it is to be clear and how important it is to make sure you take a side. You’ve got to take a side.

Okay. I thought it was longer. Now when you were doing WRKS in New York that was an interesting situation because you were not actually being paid for that, correct?

I thought it was longer than that because I remember you. I missed you at KJLH because I was on there for a while and that was like the early, I want to say, maybe the late-nineties?

No, because, you know, it put me in a horrible tax situation because we signed the deal and I thought they would honor it but it ended up not being that way. But I love the medium so much and I thought, well, you know, eventually they’ll work this thing out. Unfortunately, that deal didn’t work out, but it did prepare me for this one. So I guess I’m balanced. It worked out positively, I just didn’t see it at that time.

Yeah, because, remember, I got fired by Stevie Wonder?

What did you do? I don’t remember that.

What happened?

Because I said KGLH was so raggedy that even Stevie Wonder could see it.

So you’ve done TV. They even tried to get you on the political TV circuit. What was the situation with that? Why didn’t that work out?

D . L . H U G H L E Y: R A D I O H O S T O F T H E Y E A R Oh, well, CNN used to get a million people a weekend. And what happened was at the same time we were doing the show, the huge economic downturn happened. The bottom fell out of the economy. So all the things people have money for, in terms of frivolous things, like a black dude doing a political show or a news show – they didn’t have the money for it. And you know, it’s like everything else. Last ones hired, first ones fired, but I enjoyed the experience.

So where do you think radio is going at this point? I know that you do a lot of TV appearances and you go outside of just doing radio. What do you see as the future for radio right now? Do you think you could just be on the air and not do anything else?

Like anything else in society right now, I think that standing on the sidelines or being benign and pretending like you don’t see what you see is not acceptable to society anymore. I don’t care what endeavor you’re in. I don’t care what it is. If Nike can take a side as a corporation, you have to take a side as a human being. I’m not saying you have to be loud, but you have to let people know where you stand. I think a lot of people in corporations in radio, you know, just an amalgamation of corporations want commerce without any [controversy] and that’s impossible in this environment. What you try to do is be who you are and hope that people understand that you’re being who you are.

You’ve got to choose the hill you wanna die on and make sure when you say something, you mean it.

do radio want to get the same money that they are not getting in radio anymore with podcasts.

So it’s two parts to the same thing.

“...if you have a microphone or a canvas or any apparatus, it expounds your perspective and you have an obligation to say what you see “

No. No, man.

So this will be your first honor?

What I want to be and what I understand is I am saddened that so many people are indifferent to my people and by my people, I mean human beings. I think that you have, at a certain point, if you have a microphone or a canvas or any apparatus, it expounds your perspective and you have an obligation to say what you see and it makes me sad that for commerce’s sake, people would do almost anything. It makes me sad. And I refuse to do that now. Like if they don’t dig me on radio, I’ll just do the road. If they don’t dig me on the road, I’ll write books. If they don’t dig me writing books, I’ll dig ditches but I’m never going to be like that again in my life. I spent a lot of time when I was a little boy being scared. And I don’t want to do that anymore.

And speaking of which, I want to talk to you about that. You have a very interesting background. I know that I’ve heard you in various interviews talking about how you had some issues with your mom growing up. Give me a little more information about that and how, with those circumstances, you make a decision to go either left or right.

I don’t know if you make the decision to do that.

Listen, I’m a lot luckier than I am gifted. And I understand that, but I think now, I know so much now about growing up and what it meant, and I think a lot of people have a tendency to put their parents in a certain place and, in the end, they’re just human beings. My mother was a very young woman. My mother was about 16-years, 17-years-old. So imagine being a kid and raising someone, and you didn’t like the father and the little boy reminds you of the father.

I think that played itself out a lot of times. But I don’t have malice and I do understand.

Do you think that you’ve had to dumb down at times to fit in?

Well, I don’t have to dumb down because I’m not necessarily that bright a guy. It’s not that big of a reach. I don’t think I’ve had to do anything that I’m uncomfortable doing but I think some people have been uncomfortable with a lot of things I said.

That’s interesting that you don’t see yourself as intelligent. What are your favorite mediums beside radio? Do you like podcasting?

I think podcasting is an interesting arena. It started out great and now everybody has one.

And the end goal is to try to monetize it. So that will mean it will have the same kind of corporate infringement that everything else does. But I think the idea of it is dope. I just don’t like the application of it because the same people who

Have you won any awards in radio?

Jaasmine Sanders and DL Hughley from the DL Hughley Show Photo Credit: Reach Media

One of the things that relationship taught me is if you’re not certain whether you’re loved in your home, it gives you more freedom than I think a lot of people have. Because once you have affirmation, when you’re young, then you seek it when you don’t have it. It’s like if all of a sudden I was blind and everybody cut the lights off, I wouldn’t know the difference. And I think it has felt like that to me.

RADIO FACTS | 15

D . L . H U G H L E Y: R A D I O H O S T O F T H E Y E A R because [he doesn’t make reference] to where he came from. Like, I loved Jim Brown. But I think the old Jim Brown wouldn’t recognize the new Jim Brown.

What are your thoughts on who you surround yourself with? Some industry people say they don’t like a lot of friends or they like to keep their circle small.

Photo Credit: Shannon McCollum

Let me make sure I’m clear on this. You’re saying that if you don’t know you’re loved as a child, that it is an advantage?

I think you deal with the circumstances you have, but I think a lot of people who know that they’re loved or get positive affirmation, they seek it. It is important to them. Because I didn’t have that kind of affirmation, I’m indifferent towards it. I like it when I get it, but I don’t necessarily need it to survive. It’s not my goal. And I think it served me well in terms of a creative standpoint because my goal is to be as clear as possible, not to get a level of affirmation from the people who listen to me or who are around me. I believe that if I have a perspective, my only obligation is to be as true to that perspective as I can possibly be.

That’s very interesting. I actually think it can go either way. It’s like if you’re not sure if you were loved as a child, you DO seek it.

And I think that if you have it, then you have more self-esteem and/or confidence.

It can go either way. [But] You can’t miss what you never had. I really believe that there are too many people [seeking] and I think it’s the function of where we are as a society in the function of a technical apparatus. Look at the things that people are willing to do just on social media to get a like. That comes from somewhere. Look at the things people are willing to apologize for to [encourage] favor. It comes from somewhere.

16 | RADIO FACTS

So you went through that situation with your mom and you say that you think you’ve been lucky. You also said it served you. How did it serve you?

I heard an analogy and I agree with it — you are either like a rose or a cactus. A cactus don’t need no water. It can grow anyway. It needs the bare minimum of anything, the bare minimum.

It survives — and even thrives — without all the accouterments. A rose needs light, attention and pruning, you know, and optimum circumstances. I’m more like a lot of black people than people can admit. I don’t know anybody, or very many people, who started out in optimal circumstances and became uber successful.

I’ve known a lot of people that had horrible circumstances and now thrive.

I agree. I think the setbacks can serve you and I think a lot of times it serves one’s independence. When you know you can’t go back home, you’re going to make sure you never have to.

Right. You don’t want to. You ain’t welcome.

Have you ever seen a homeless person on the streets? That person. He had a family, or she had a family, and whatever happened? That family is gone for whatever reason. So it’s a lot of people that couldn’t do it and they didn’t do it. But then we see a lot of people from those same circumstances who manage. Like, the reason I used to love Kanye is because of where he came from. The reason I can’t now is

I don’t think you have to keep your circle small.

The time, circumstances, mental and emotional output dictate that. Like, I’ve never had to try to keep my circle small. It ain’t that many people that like me, so it’s not hard to keep it small. But I was responsible for a family to raise. I always had to check-in to make sure that no matter what I did or didn’t do, that I was able to take care of my responsibilities. So that is a check and balance within itself and I just think those things kind of work out when you are a certain way. You will either attract or move people out of your space. That’s a natural function of just living. And so I’ve been very fortunate. They either dig me or they don’t.

When you say people don’t like you, are you serious?

When I’ve heard myself described, it’s never been consistent with who I believed I was. I never believed that I was as bad as people thought I was or as good as people thought I am. I can’t say whether I’m liked or not. I can say what is clear is that radio has allowed people to get to know me and when they make a decision about how they feel about me, it’s more informed.

You do a lot of videos and whenever I put them on the site, they’re always the hottest videos on the site. I’m constantly asking your reps for more of your material because the audience loves it.

I’ve never in my life ever heard that before.

Really?

Ever! No, no, no. I’ve always known I would love radio, I just didn’t know I’d get this kind of opportunity, and I take it very seriously, but I always knew I would love it. As I said [listeners] come away with enough information to make an informed decision. It’s not one of those snap judgment things. Before, it was something I’ve said in an interview, or something I’ve said in a stand-up routine. It’s something I said, you know, just in passing on TMZ or something like that. So it didn’t have context. Now if people

D . L . H U G H L E Y: R A D I O H O S T O F T H E Y E A R listen to you long enough, I’m pretty sure they’ll get a good idea of who you are.

Well, you talk a lot about politics. Have you ever thought about running?

No, it doesn’t interest me at all. It does interest me from an observational perspective. But I will say this — if I believed that somebody who I knew was harmful and were going to do something, like when Stacey Dash decided she would run and if she just started winning in that district, I would have run. Like if you’re going to take a clown seriously, I’m in it. That’d be the only way I would seriously consider it, is if somebody that I knew who was harmful was running. If she got any traction I would have ran.

So what do you see for yourself in the near future?

I’m doing exactly what I love to do, but I don’t think I’ve gotten where I need to be. And I think radio takes such a long time because I’m learning something every day and I learned a lot. I don’t want to be a guy who’s just on the radio, I want to be great at radio. And that takes so long. So many things I don’t know.

I want to talk about your new book for a minute. “How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People.” A funny concept. Did you voice this book?

Yeah, I voiced the audio version and it actually got nominated for Good Humor Best Book of the Year, and it’s actually going to be a series.

I bought your last book, the audiobook “Black Man, White House: An Oral History of the Obama Years” and I couldn’t quite figure out if it was supposed to be like a play or what it was. There was a lot going on with different voices.

Honestly, I had no idea or no understanding of how important that my voice would be on there. I was a voyeur on that one. It didn’t have the impact I would have liked. But I think part of it is because I was seen as more like a passenger than the driver of the train and that was something I learned and brought to the new book. I love writing. I think it’s all just the same conversation. It’s all like water coming to your house. Same source, different uses.

Some water is used to wash the clothes.

Some is used to cook and some to take a shower with. I think perspective is that way

too. The same thing, just applied a different way. But the next book I’m writing, I’m going to try to give black people the same protections as animals you can hunt. Because we would do better if we were White-tailed deer and we would do better if we were protected by fish and game wardens instead of the policemen.

What kind of student were you in school?

I was horrible. I was definitely horrible.

Class clown?

Yeah, but I was a class clown because I was afraid.

What were you afraid of?

Uh, people knowing that I was inadequate.

People knowing when I didn’t know the answer.

That’s all it was, man. And it’s one of my greatest regrets because I like learning, but I pretended like I didn’t because I didn’t learn like everybody else. I like learning.

You think some of that pressure also came from being a black male?

Well, you know, I think it’s so easy to categorize us. You gotta remember 75 percent of the teachers in America are white women. 75 percent. So if you scare them or don’t do what they say, they don’t see it as somebody being challenged. They see it as being defiant. And I learned a long time ago that if I made people laugh or distracted them, they wouldn’t see how inadequate I felt. They wouldn’t see it and they wouldn’t judge me for it. And I think the one thing I could say now is I’m literally not afraid of people seeing how inadequate I am.

I felt the exact same way as a kid. Did they ever put you in the special classes?

Yes. I was in the special class too. I don’t admit that too readily. But I hated public school. I was too creative and distracted.

I don’t know if I was creative, Kevin. But I’ll tell you what, I would be in that class saying I don’t belong here. I don’t belong here.

A lot of kids don’t learn the same way. I thrived at Performing Arts years later but when we were kids, public school was very

boring and limited. There was not a lot of the things that they taught us that intrigued us. Teachers and professors should also take acting classes.

Maybe that was you but I was just dumb. I really was. I didn’t belong in that class. I mean, I may not have had it together, but I ain’t this dumb. Come on now. But it’s so funny that somebody else who is so eloquent and uses words for a living had the same experiences I did.

Yeah. They put you in special classes when they see a problem and when they saw potential, which is also a problem. I hope they don’t still exist. Those classes were the pipelines to prison. I agree some of those kids were completely out of it but there were others, mostly black males, that were smart.

As you said, all the things that have happened have really prepared you for where you are now. No matter if it was abuse or if it was maltreatment or if it was, you know, an inadequacy or insecurity. It’s like all those things, at some point they come to serve you for the greater good.

That’s the point not all of us get the same lessons or the same nurturing. But all of us get indications of who we are. All of us do. Now I’m not saying that we know what it means or what to do with it or how it works. All of us started to get an idea of what the universe has given us.

If you’re fortunate.

Yeah, that’s right, if you’re fortunate, you’re listening. If you’re fortunate, two things will happen; people will listen and it will matter.

Because it’s your purpose.

Yep, it is. Everybody wants to co-opt people’s purposes. Like I know people who are tremendously successful in the industry. They say and get to do things and they get all these shows.

I’m like, I’m good. I love where I’m at. I love me.

I love what I do. I believe in what I’m doing. It’s so interesting how the way I see things now and it’s interesting that we [being put in special ed classes] would be maligned for being different and not being able to do the work and communicate. And we do that for a living now.

That’s hilarious to me. And I think that’s more important to know than people realize. I call it notes from the GED section because I have one. I have a GED.

RADIO FACTS | 17

“The least you can do is record your content and put it online and send your content to various websites that are available that may run some of your content”

Charlamagne Tha God

The Breakfast Club: Syndicated Radio Show of the Year

Photo Credit: Swirl Films

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It’s been really interesting to see how Charlamagne Tha God has evolved over the years. He has always been very talented and completely driven to succeed, starting his career at a time in the industry when broadcasters were not allowed to have personalities or their own branding ideas outside of the station.

Great thinkers and creatives, for the most part, think outside of the box then take action on those thoughts.

Charlamagne went against the grain and it not only cost him a job or two, but it also cost those who supported him their jobs — namely George Cook, the current Brand Manager for KKDA in Dallas. To find out the details buy Charlamagne’s best selling first book “Black Privilege.”

Charlamagne will tell you everything about himself you want to know, and some things you could do without — like holding in a fart while taking a picture with Anita Baker in order to maintain her respect. You have to laugh nonetheless because you don’t expect it and he has a way of bringing out the kid in all off us.

Just releasing a second book — “Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me” — Charlamagne continues to grow each year with his business ventures and using his platform to spotlight an array of people and subjects that make The Breakfast Club incredibly interesting.

T H E B R E A K FA S T C L U B : S Y N D I C AT E D R A D I O S H O W O F T H E Y E A R

By Kevin Ross CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yo. What’s up, Kev? KEVIN ROSS: Let’s talk about the book. How’s that going for you?

Book’s going great, you know, my second book, “Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks On Me. My first book was transparent. This book is more, I guess, you know, vulnerable, ‘cause I think being in therapy, in general, makes you more vulnerable, and, you know, I didn’t even set out to write a second book, or even sit back and say to myself, “I’m going to write a book about mental health.” I was really just keeping a journal of my experiences in therapy, you know, things that have historically given me anxiety, things that give me anxiety now, and once I started going to therapy, I just started peeling back layers of other stuff, like PTSD, trauma, trauma from past experiences, you know, things that happened to me when I was younger.

So, yeah, it just turned out to be, like, this really good body of work, man! And it’s elevating the conversation of mental health in our community, and you know, helping to eradicate the stigma of mental health in African-American communities, so I’m very proud of it.

Don’t you think that what you just described, you know, just the PTSD, the mental health challenges, all those kinds of things, you know, are the way we grow up — don’t you think it’s sort of indicative of a lot of black men?

Oh, yeah. It’s like we don’t even realize that a lot of the things that we grew up in weren’t normal. Like, we’ve normalized so much BS in our communities, you know what I’m saying? From the violence, to selling drugs, to even stepping on other people to get ahead. None of that is good, We can act like we doing something noble, or we can act like there’s an honorable way to sell crack…or there’s an honorable way to rob people, but it’s not noble or honorable. And you know, a lot of that stuff weighs heavily on you when you get older.

You start thinking about the things that you did wrong growing up, and, you know, have you truly paid for the karma of those things? And you start thinking about the things that have happened to you, whether there have been guns pulled on you, or getting beat up, or anything. You know? Like, a lot of times, man, being black in America just brings on a whole different level of anxiety that a lot of people don’t have to deal with. And especially if

you grow up in the hood and you were kind of like, you know, thrust into doing wrong.

Agreed. So, as far as interviews this year, what have been some of your most memorable?

Um, my favorites interviews from this year, were definitely DC Young Fly, Chico Bean and Karlous Miller, the 85 South Show, when they came. The comedian Ms. Pat was really good, too. Um, Jess Hilarious was really amazing to me and Jenifer Lewis was really good. Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish, when they came, that was really good.

You know, we’ve had some good ones. Michael Blackson. I can honestly say comedians really showed up this year. You know, ‘cause if you noticed, the majority of those people that I named were comedians. Like, the comedians either were really funny, or they had some insightful stuff to say.

Are there types of content that you’re shying away from at this point?

Um, I’m not shying away from anything, but I’d be lying if I told you, you know, there are not certain things I sat back and heard myself saying, and then felt uncomfortable, like, “WTF was I thinking?” But, you know, like I always say, sometimes you can get caught up in the shtick, and you get caught up in the shtick because when you are a person who has grown up, and you’re looking at what people are saying about you, I think that’s one of the weirdest things for anybody. When you start seeing what people are saying about you, you know, whether it’s in magazines, or in articles, or on comments online, you start seeing what people like about you, and you start doing more of that instead of doing what’s really in your heart, what you really feel is real.

Did you actually see results?

A hundred percent.

That’s really good.

It’s literally like my brain has been organized. It’s like going into a closet, right? And it’s full of junk.

It’s got all kinds of like, you know, clothes and stuff, overflowing everywhere. And it’s like, now, all boxed up. All the stuff I don’t need and, you know, give that away to Goodwill and organize all the stuff I want to keep, and now I can bring in new stuff.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes when your living space is like that, that your mind is like that too?

Oh, a hundred percent. Like, that’s why everything has to have organization.

What are the characteristics that you should look for in a therapist? Do you think that you should go to somebody who has experienced what you’ve experienced, somebody who’s black, or somebody totally opposite?

Okay. So, what was the deal with cognitive therapy? That didn’t work out for you?

I went and got a therapist that was like, well, I wanted an Asian woman because I wanted somebody that was going to be like, completely neutral; somebody that didn’t have my preconceived notions or biases or pre-judgments of the world.

And, you know, if you think it’s hard to find a black therapist, then go try to find an Asian woman therapist. And so I ended up going to this white woman. And the reason I liked her is because, like, she would actually be listening with the intent to understand, not the intent to reply. Like, you know, there was one time where I unloaded on her and she just let out this big sigh afterward.

You know what I mean? Like, I was like, “Damn, that’s a lot, right?” And she was like, “Yeah, that’s a lot.” And she just kind of sat there for a second before she started, like, answering me. And it’s not like she’s trying to tell me what to do. You know what I’m saying? She was just figuring out my personality traits and my characteristics and telling me, you know, how to move properly, basically, based off who I am.

Um, I mean, it’s still something that I dabble in.

But you know, like, more so when I started to go, I thought that’s what I needed ‘cause I was, like, flirting with the idea of therapy, and talking to other people who were telling me that they go to CBT and stuff like that. But my therapist was having me doing stuff to help me deal with my anxiety.

And then a lot of people don’t realize, they actually have to go the therapy too. Like when you said, “She sighed,” it’s like, part of the requirement of, you know, of being a therapist, is that they actually have to go and get therapy themselves to unload all the stuff that you put on them.

So now you say you go to therapy. I think I heard you say you go to cognitive therapy?

Well, I’m just going to regular therapy now to, like, deal with my anxiety and stuff like that.

RADIO FACTS | 19

T H E B R E A K FA S T C L U B : S Y N D I C AT E D R A D I O S H O W O F T H E Y E A R I feel like I’m a person that’s been blessed with various platforms, so, I have radio, I have my podcast, I have books, like I have a lot of different ways that I can get my message out there.

I’ve realized that a lot of tweets that I’ve posted before have gotten completely taken out of context.

What people say — do you read those comments?

Yeah, I used to a lot. I try not to as much.

Right. ‘Cause they can be pretty brutal.

Sometimes people are just p**sed off.

Photo credit: Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed

Yeah, I always wondered, like, “Who does my therapist talk to?” [I’m preparing myself for the future], like, I‘ve got a vision, you know what I’m saying? Like I’m already in the process of being a multi-media mogul where we just have podcasts, we have books, we have television shows that I am executive producing, and my ultimate goal is to do late-night television. Like I want to do a late-night show on a major network. You know, I feel like, there hasn’t been a black late-night host since Arsenio. And you know, respect to Jimmy Fallon, respect to Jimmy Kimmel, respect to Stephen Colbert, who I love, who has me on his show often, you know, I love all of those guys but I just feel like a lot of times, man I see them using our culture, and so I’m like, “Yo, why continue to have people using our culture when we can have somebody who is actually of our culture?”

Well, the only thing that I can suggest is to make sure that you own whatever you do.

That’s the key.

I’m doing that now. Any of these shows you see I’m executive producing, or any of these podcasts you see me launching, or any of these, you know, books, that’s all ownership. Like my next thing after this book is going to be my own book publishing company and I’m going to be putting other people’s books out.

Wow, that’s great! A lot of jocks in the industry don’t see that that profession is drastically changing? Why are they not taking advantage of the audiobooks, the podcasting, all of the other things they could be doing?

What are your thoughts on that?

20 | RADIO FACTS

I mean, I think that a lot of people really, simply, just don’t know how. And, I mean, it’s interesting to me that, you know, people can watch The Breakfast Club for the past eight years and, like, not follow a lot of our moves. I mean, the least you can do is record your content, put it online and send your content to various websites that are available, that may run some of your content that doesn’t even have to always be celebrity interviews. It could be, you know, great phone bits.

It could be great, you know, prank calls. It could be great conversations with different listeners.

It’s all kinds of ways to, you know, open up discussions and get people to talk about certain things. But I think a lot of people really just don’t know how, and I think a lot of them are just waiting. They’re saying things to themselves like, “Oh, I’ll wait ‘til I get this big interview.” Or “I’ll wait until I get in this big market.” You can’t do that. When I was in South Carolina, I was doing the same thing I’m doing now. I was taking my content and posting it online and taking my content and sending it different websites.

Whether it was allhiphop.com, or SOHH at the time, like, I was pushing my content out there.

I wasn’t waiting on anybody. And I think that’s what a lot of people need to start doing now. I’m like, stop waiting.

Do you think that it’s important to hire somebody to handle your social media?

No. I like handling my social media myself. Ain’t nobody that busy, bro. You know what I’m saying? All it is is some pictures and some tweets. I don’t tweet as much as I used to, only because

I just don’t like the negative energy, like, you know what I’m saying? Like for me, it’s just negative energy. That’s all it really is. Sometimes you gotta remember, man, that energy is never lost or destroyed. It’s just transferred from one party to the next. So, it’s like, miserable people love to pass on that misery.

Right. And yet it’s the only chance they get to do it.

A hundred percent.

What’s coming up for Charlamagne? What’s next?

Man, I got a lot of different things, man. I‘ve got this show that I am about to do. It’ll probably be announced soon. And it’s a show that I’m doing, man, which kind of just happened organically (in Session Live with Dr. Jess – a live therapy session). Um, you know, ‘cause like I said, I’m really trying to elevate the conversation about mental health and I feel like God kind of wiped my slate clean to really make me focus on this book, and really make me focus on this conversation. And, like, this TV show that I’m gonna be doing, it’s going to be like a special, but hopefully, it’ll turn into a regular series. It actually has an air date and everything, but I can’t say anything until the press release comes out, but that’s about to be announced. Um, I have this documentary that I’m doing with Bakari Sellers called “While I Breathe I Hope.” It premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival and we won “Best Audience” award. And, you know, so it’s like, I’m just working, man! You know? Like, that’s all. Like, I got a lot of, you know, different show ideas that I’ve been working on. A lot of things are coming to fruition. And I’m just gonna keep pushing. You don’t become that next media mogul by just hoping and wishing. You know?

Syndicated Radio Show of the Year

“… I have to understand sometimes that people in our audience don’t have exposure to certain people and certain things.

So I think it’s important for us to bring that to the show”

Angela Yee Breakfast Club: Radio Facts Syndicated Show of the Year

Photo Credit: José Antonio Figueroa

By Kevin Ross KEVIN ROSS: So, I want to talk to you about The Breakfast Club and how the show has evolved over the years. One thing that immediately comes to mind is that I have noticed, as of late, I’m seeing you much more on camera.

ANGELA YEE: You know, I never know where the camera is. I don’t pay that much attention to it, like I can’t tell because, you know, our video channel has cameras just set up in the room and they’re right in front of you. I can’t tell when they switch from camera-to-camera and then I think it’s the angles,

22 | RADIO FACTS

Angela Yee is an enigma. In an age when everybody is on social media screaming “LOOK AT ME,” she chooses to make her point, then shies away from the spotlight to focus on her many other projects. I find that commendable. Being elusive is so completely opposite of the social media world that we live in today. But for those of us who understand true celebrity, people like Angela Yee make the greatest impact. The time spent taking selfies while getting drunk at a bar could be much better spent on a board, running or starting other businesses, or inspiring others with non-profit efforts, which is exactly what Angela Yee does. We got a chance to talk to the host who makes up one-third of The Breakfast Club. too, where the cameraman stands is, like, to the side of me. So that’s what makes it kinda hard sometimes.

I noticed you’re not looking directly at the cameras either so I guess that would make it difficult because generally from your angle, you’re sitting in a totally different position versus Charlamagne or Envy, who could probably see better; that makes sense.

And truthfully, I’ve never been a real wanna-be-oncamera type of person, so I don’t mind not being on camera like that.

What have been some of the most memorable shows both positive and negative?

I would say some of the most memorable ones are, of course, when we have huge artists come on there that I think aren’t easy to get, like a Jay-Z or a 50 Cent, things like that are always memorable to me.

Especially because like Jay-Z, I’m from Brooklyn. So having grown up at the era when Jay-Z was getting big and everything, you know, that’s always a big deal when somebody like that is on the show. But even having certain people, like a Tiffany Haddish when people didn’t know her as well, is memorable.

She came on the show and “Girls Trip” had just

T H E B R E A K FA S T C L U B : S Y N D I C AT E D R A D I O S H O W O F T H E Y E A R come out and she told her story. I think things like that really resonate with people also because I love when people come on our show and it makes people look at them differently, or people know who they are after that. I think that’s one of the beauties of The Breakfast Club; where it could be an artist or a guest or a personality who people don’t know that well, and they come on the show and people are like “oh, wow, now I really like this person after I heard that interview. I’ma go buy their book, I’ma go watch their movie, I’ma go listen to their music.”

What do you see that is different about yourself now? For example, if I read a blog post that I did even three or four years ago, I’m kind of surprised that I wrote something like that. When you go back and look at some of your old stuff, do you think to yourself, “I’ve really grown from that” or “I would do that again” or “I’ll never do that again”?

I think that the growth that I really see is probably more from when I was on Sirius. When I was on Sirius and I had my own show, it was just way different than it is now. Having a cast of people now, it really is like having to sometimes double-dutch into a conversation, or sometimes it’s not the direction that you anticipate an interview going in, or you don’t even anticipate a topic. There are topics that, you know, for me being on a show with two guys, certain things are important to them, or there are topics that they might look at it a certain way that is different for me. Certain topics that I’m going to address from a woman’s perspective, they’ll never understand no matter how much I explain it or we argue about it off the air. And certain things about them as males, it’s just not as relevant to me.

I think a lot has changed in society. I think with social media that’s had a big impact on things, even as a far as how we report news and regarding how we talk about celebrities. I even think how we talk about women has changed a lot.

When I listen to the show, one thing that I definitely see that I like a lot about The Breakfast Club is how diverse it is. Your show is the only one that is friendly to many different people from various walks of life. I can’t turn on certain syndicated shows and see transgender people or Dr. Umar Johnson or I can’t hear or see Dr. Phil or white industry acts. For the most part, everybody really sticks to what they think will work for that urban audience or what they themselves like. How do you guys pick your guests?

A lot of it is a combination of our own personal relationships. Like when you said transgender women, we had Janet Mock on and that’s because

I have a book club. So, I was doing her book for my book club and that’s how she ended up as a guest on the show. I also feel like for myself, personally, when I think about people that I want to have on the show, I also love to educate our audience on things that maybe we aren’t as aware of.

Certain things are happening in society and I want to make sure to bring awareness to them. I’ve always been a very open-minded person. I think a lot of that is because of how I grew up and where I grew up, so I’ve never had certain [negative] feelings, but I have to understand sometimes that people in our audience don’t have exposure to certain people and certain things. So I think it’s important for us to bring that to the show and bring those perspectives to the show. But we all have relationships, so it could be Envy’s out in the club and he runs into somebody and they’re like, “Yo, I wanna come on the show.” I have really had some great guests on the show and I have another guest coming on that I’m excited about because he doesn’t really do any interviews but I’ma wait until it happens to say who it is, because it should be happening on Friday. And by then I’ll be able to confirm it. But things like that are important to me — to get somebody right when something is happening and no one else has it. I love when we are able to break these stories or when people want to come to The Breakfast Club because it is the best way to get their story out there.

When things have gone awry on the show if something didn’t work out, what’s the greatest lesson that you’ve learned from that. Like never do that kind of show again? Never have that person on again?

I think that things like that are always bound to happen; it’s never going to always be smooth. For me, I have found the best way to handle those things is to just let people spiral and I’m not going to go down that road with you. That’s just not me. Now Charlamagne is different and Envy’s different. For Envy, he’ll be like sitting there and he’ll be mad and then he’ll wait for you to ask what he’s mad about and then he’ll tell you why he’s mad (laughs). For Charlamagne, he likes the whole back and forth thing. And then for myself, I’m not engaging in that.

So if you want to act a fool, I’m not going down that road with you; you can do that on your own and that’s just not what I engage in.

What do you do when you have situations where guests come in and they talk about racism? Sometimes I’ve even heard them mention people in the industry or mention things about the industry that they feel are racist.

You know, I’m never here to tell somebody what their experience is or isn’t because I might have a different experience with somebody than somebody else does. I think there are people that I might not like, but other people do because I might have had a terrible experience with that person. That is all subjective. For example, when we talked about people like Lyor Cohen or people might talk about Eminem. I worked for Eminem, so I’ll never look at him in a negative way because my experience was not that. I had a genuine knowledge. I think sometimes people have personal grudges and issues with people and maybe they have more information than I do about a person, so I’m not here to tell anybody how they should feel.

Like for instance, Lyor Cohen, I don’t know him like that. I look at him as somebody who has been in this business for a really long time from early, early, early on, way before I was. So the fact of the matter is, like certain things that he said in the interview, I think they sounded problematic. Yes, I will say that. Do I feel like he represented himself in the best manner?

No. Do I think he’s a terrible person? I don’t think that either.

What was the general consensus after that? I don’t see a lot of record executives on there and I was rather stunned when I did see him. But then I thought, you know what, maybe it’s my chance to get to know him as well. I’ve never met him but I’ve heard things about him over the years. What was the general consensus as far as the response?

I think people had issues with some of the things that he was saying. But I also feel like it doesn’t matter what you say, people are gonna have issues anyway. So you can’t win either way. But I do feel like we talk about issues with artists that have drug problems, right? And we see it over and over again and he’s saying look, if it’s gonna sell, I’m gonna sign you. I’ll talk to you about the issues that I think you have, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not gonna sign you. I feel like probably most executives, black or white, would probably feel that way.

So you’ve been in the industry what about 15 years now?

No, more like 20 years.

What have you seen change for the better in that 20 years?

I think that now it’s more of an even playing field for people. It’s not that you necessarily have to have a huge marketing campaign behind you or a record label behind you. There are so many other ways for people to be creative and express themselves.

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T H E B R E A K FA S T C L U B : S Y N D I C AT E D R A D I O S H O W O F T H E Y E A R Not really, to be honest, because I can’t listen to another morning show because ours is on. So when I’m doing that, I don’t even bother. If I’m in another city though, I definitely love to turn the radio on when I’m there, but I don’t go out of my way to do it. But if I’m traveling I’m like, “Okay, if I’m in L.A., let me put on Big Boy.” I have friends that are on the radio, so I might be in Philly and be like, “Let me hear my girl Roxy,” you know what I’m saying? That’s the time when I do that, but other than that, not necessarily.

I’m sure you work an average of about 10 hours a day, more or less…

Photo Credit: José Antonio Figueroa

So the people that I think have the talent, they don’t have to have those financial resources, and they’re able to make a lot more money themselves by being independent, doing endorsement deals and coming up with creative ways to promote the music.

Seeing how Chance The Rapper could do something with Apple Music to put his album out even though he’s still independent, and make all the money that he’s managed to make while not having radio play until he had the “No Problem” song. I think things like that are huge. He’s playing sold-out festivals. It has definitely leveled out the playing field so it’s not only affecting a few people making money, now there are a lot more artists that are able to control what it is that they’re doing.

So what else do you do besides radio?

I own a juice bar. I’m launching a fresh juice business. There are a lot of things that we do outside of the station that’s basically the core of what it is that we do [on the air]. Everybody has their own podcast and those are our own separate entities. [Radio] gives you a nice cushion that helps to jump-start whatever else it is that you do or want to do.

I have a saying that radio is not a recliner, it’s a springboard. If you have that radio gig, a lot of people around the country ironically don’t understand that concept. They think, “Well I’ve got a job, I can relax, I can just sit here and let everybody control what happens to me.” They don’t understand the power they have to go out and use that job [leverage] to do something else. Do you keep an eye on other shows around the country?

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Yeah, definitely more than that. Today alone, we went to work this morning, did interviews after work. I’m working on a documentary also, so I was working on that for about two hours. Then I went to my juice bar. And now I just came home and I’m doing this, and I have another business launching soon, so I have a conference call for that in about 45 minutes. Then I have a dinner at 7 o’clock, and I voted in between all that.

I’ll tell you what I do, I always make sure that if I’m working non-stop for a few days, I make sure that I have one day that I don’t have anything to do after work. So, if Monday through Friday I’m booked like crazy, on, say a Thursday, I might be like, “You know what? Today don’t book anything for me because I need to make sure that I have one day to just have downtime and take care of my own personal business and then get back to it.” And I also plan vacations, but I do it way in advance. So I already know where I’m going in July, now.

If you were in Atlanta and you were working on the air and you were only on in that market, what would your perspective be? Would it be the same?

I think it’s important to know what’s going on specifically that affects people in Atlanta. And that means knowing about the local businesses, local events, or anything that you can do to help people out that would mean something to them. I know a lot of times, if it means something to me, it will mean something to other people, as well. So anything that I can find out. I might be like, “Listen, if you don’t know anything about voting, go to this website and it will give you all the information you need to know about the candidates that are running in your area. Just put in your zip code.” I know, for me, that was important information. And when I said that, a whole bunch of people were like, “Can you tell me that information again?” Because I know if it means something to me, it means something to other people too. So, I think it’s important for us to be able to provide information that’s meaningful.

What are some of your suggestions that you have for other broadcasters to have longevity in the industry?

You have a responsibility to build a brand for yourself because it makes your radio show better. I think any job, any employer in radio should certainly understand that. I think one way that you could do that is by being a team player at work and, when I say that, I mean if there are other things that you can do that helps the station and helps you, then you should do that. If you’re like, “I have an idea for something that we could do for just digital because digital is so big right now,” that helps you with exposure.

One thing I learned early on doing radio when I was at Sirius was to get as much airtime as possible. If they’re like, “Hey we need you to come fill-in, we need you to do this.” Get on the air, let people know, get your branding done, come up with segments, do whatever it is you can do to get as much exposure as possible.

That’s something I had to learn and, even at Sirius with no budget, that was me having my intern film me. It might take like three weeks for me to get the video back, but it’s the reason people really knew who I was because of a lot of the things that I would do online. That’s when World Star Hip-Hop just started and so I would send Q – rest in peace to Q – I would send Q stuff from my night-time show because I had Lip Service when I was at Sirius also.

I was doing that myself. Sirius wasn’t doing it for me.

So, I think you just have to make sure that the content that you do have, get some of those clips up. They’re not going to pay for a videographer for you. Invest in yourself, find an intern to come up there and do that. Send those clips out. Get those moments and, if you can, offer your services to the station and say, “Hey, we have an event going on, you want me to go cover it?” Or, “Let me go do this,” or “let me host that.” You should do those things.

Have you read Charlamagne’s book?

I read the first one. The second one I have not read yet. He didn’t give me and Envy a copy yet. We were both like, “Can we get a copy of the book?”

Is it possible to have true friends in the industry?

Absolutely. I have some really, really close friends, like Mike Keyser from Atlantic is one of my best friends and he’s in the industry. Just people that I came up in the business with, we’ve been in this business for so long. It’s people that I’ve been working with since we were 20-years-old and we’re still friends to this day.

“I think a lot of people who come in this industry to make money forget where they came from because it’s easy to forget where you came from”

DJ Envy with wife Gia Casey and their children at his car show. Photo Credit: DJ Envy

DJ Envy The Breakfast Club: Syndicated Radio Show of the Year

The one thing that I find really impressive about DJ Envy is his ability to do it all. It was hard to convince him, as an entrepreneur myself, that he needs to bring other people on board. He says, “I know but I’m not there yet.” Envy likes to lead and is very ambitious and it appears he’s just scratching the surface. I’ve heard over the years that he is a brilliant real estate mogul and while we were talking, he was telling me about how he just demolished a property he purchased and took a few kids to show them how it’s done. The same way he gained wealth in real estate is how he plans to do it with his latest idea — car shows. He told me he’s been wanting to do one for years, and he finally stepped out on faith and did it and it was a success. Does that mean he will do another one next year? No, according to him, he will be doing SEVERAL car shows next year. He also has a podcast with his wife, Gia Casey, “The Casey Crew.” Gia is a natural voice talent who could easily be on the air in a major market. When you talk to Envy, you leave feeling motivated, educated and inspired and like your brain just had a much-needed workout.

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T H E B R E A K FA S T C L U B : S Y N D I C AT E D R A D I O S H O W O F T H E Y E A R

By Kevin Ross KEVIN ROSS: How did you get your break?

DJ ENVY: I’m from Queens, New York, so we would take the bus every day to get to school.

One day, I saw one of my neighbors pull up in a nice car. It was a Honda Accord. Like, that was the Maybach or the Bentley to a lot of kids growing up back then. And I went over to him and I asked him what he was doing to get money, ‘cause he was only maybe three years older than me. He said, “Come by my house after school and I’ll show you.” So, I didn’t know what he was doing, if it was drugs, I didn’t know. He could have been selling bagels, I had no clue.

And when I went to his house, I went into his basement and he was a DJ. He had all types of records and cassettes and I asked him what his DJ name was and he told me “DJ Clue.” I knew this kid, Ernesto, for years, from the neighborhood and we played basketball and rode bikes and all that, and I didn’t know he was DJ Clue.

And from there he got me into DJing. I started doing mixtapes and doing everything I possibly could, kind of mimicking what he did, and he gave me an opportunity one time and signed me to his record label, Desert Storm, and that’s how I put out my first album.

As far as radio, Tracy Cloherty, the former program director for Hot 97, gave me my break.

They used to do a segment called “Taking it to the Streets,” where they got street DJs to DJ every weekend. So maybe the first weekend it’d be DJ Kay Slay, the second weekend it might be Green Lantern, the third weekend it might be another DJ. There was a position open and there was a DJ by the name of “Threat,” that got it. Threat passed away, he died. And when he died, they needed another DJ to take his spot, and, they gave it to me, and I kind of never looked back.

So, you’ve actually seen two phases of radio in New York. You’ve seen it when it was a bit more risqué, and now it’s sort of winding down to, I guess, adhere to social media and being more subdued. It’s not as wild as it used to be. Which one do you prefer?

I would say a mix between both. You know, radio back then was really risqué. You were able to say what you felt and pretty much whatever was on your mind, you were able to talk about it — good, bad or ugly. Now it’s a little different.

You know, there are so many sensitive topics that you have to, kind of, go around. You know?

And you have to be very, very careful of what you talk about. Back then it was kind of the

Wild, Wild West and you know, that was good and bad. I kind of like the middle.

I’ve always been curious about this. When you do your announcement in the morning, you know, “Welcome to The Breakfast Club,” and you always move the mic around, is that a nervous habit, or are you actually adjusting the mic?

Neither. You’re talking to somebody that ran the boards for close to fifteen years, so when I’m moving the mic around, I’m actually looking at the board to make sure that a pot (audio levels) that’s not, you know, needs to be up, or that we’re not going to get feedback or anything else. It’s just something that I’ve always done, even though I’m not the board op anymore.

I’m used to board op-ing my own shows. It still something that sticks with me, and I always double and triple check.

So you’re a successful entrepreneur but you still work for a corporation?

Absolutely. And, you know, for somebody like myself, who’s owned, you name it — from car washes to sneaker stores to juice bars to owning about twenty properties, twenty units that are rentals, to podcasts, production companies – I own a lot of different things and my money comes from a lot of different areas. And, not only that, I’ve been doing it since I was eighteen years old and I’ve never had to file for bankruptcy. I’ve never been broke, I’ve always been “okay,” knock on wood and thank God, but I always work as well, because I have to, because I enjoy it and because I want to. It’s an outlet for a lot of my other businesses.

I enjoy radio. I mean, it’s one of those things where, it’s kind of like I go to the barber shop, but when I went to the barber shop, you might go for the haircut, but you stay because of the conversation. You know? And that’s how I feel about radio. Radio is like my therapy, where I talk about everything. And now it’s to the point where I’m talking about my experiences, and telling my experiences, so people don’t have to go through some of the same stuff that I’ve been through. It’s kind of like laying the blueprint.

What do you think is the key to longevity in the industry?

I think staying real and staying relevant and being humble. I think a lot of people who come in this industry to make money forget where they came from because it’s easy to forget where

you came from. It’s easy to make a lot of money and move on and not necessarily want to be bothered. But that’s what keeps you around. I DJ hole-in-the-wall clubs. Not because I need the money, but because I like to touch the people. I do things where I’m in there with the people. I don’t have security the majority of the time because I like to touch the people. I like to take my kids to Disney World, I like to go to Great Adventure, I like to take my family to the mall, and I like people to see me there and say, “Hey, what’s up Envy? How are you doing?” Because that makes it seem like you’re relatable, you know? It makes you down to earth, and it makes you think, “Damn, Envy’s just like me.”

Because, at the end of the day, I am. I’m nothing without the people that support me. So, I will continue to do hole-in-the-wall spots and I will continue to be a regular person, because that’s just who I am. Yes, I work hard, and I make good money, but at the end of the day, I’m just a human being like everybody else.

So, how do you balance everything? I mean, you’re running businesses, you’re doing the show, you have a big family, you’re still doing music. How do you balance all that out?

It’s very difficult. But it doesn’t seem like it’s work when it’s fun. My kids keep me young, you know? I get up at four o’clock in the morning, I get to work, I do my show. From twelve to three, I’m doing something with real estate, whether I’m looking for properties or something else, but at three o’clock, not even three o’clock, by two thirty, I’m picking up my son at school. Three o’clock, I’m picking up my daughter. I’m riding with them home, talking about their day, and talking about what they’re going through. Good and bad. And, you know, then, later on, the babies come home at six o’clock. I have a five, four and a two-year-old. I call them the babies, they come home to daddy daycare. You know, feeding them, it’s doing this and doing that, and that’s where I get my enjoyment from and then I can still conduct my businesses and it’s still fun. And on the weekends, I travel. If it’s a great place, I take them with me, and, you know, we all go, and we just enjoy each other and I just really have fun.

Do you check in to see what other DJs are doing when you travel?

Absolutely. I mean, I think that’s all a part of it. I go to different clubs to see what other DJs are playing and what songs are hot. You know, I’m not gonna sit here and say, “I know everything.”

But, you know, I’ll go to clubs and see what my competition is doing. I do it all the time.

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T H E B R E A K FA S T C L U B : S Y N D I C AT E D R A D I O S H O W O F T H E Y E A R No, I really don’t. I honestly think that you know, if you go to an EDM festival, there are fights and there’s drug use. I just think that it’s more publicized when it comes to our community.

But, you know, it is what it is.

What do you like most about doing The Breakfast Club?

Talking to the people every day and giving opinions. It’s also about [succeeding] at something that I think nobody believed in. When I first started DJing, I don’t think a lot of people believed in me. At the time, [DJ] Clue, Ron G, S&S, and Kid Capri were all big, and it was fighting upstream to try to break through that.

That was the motivation. And I think the same thing with The Breakfast Club. You know, when I left Hot 97 for Power 105, Power 105 was bad.

I don’t think anybody really cared about it; it really didn’t do much.

When I got there, the motivation was to kind of think, “I’m gonna make this sh*t pop.” You know? And when The Breakfast Club came,– ‘cause I was doing afternoons at first — and when they put me on The Breakfast Club, it was the same thing. It was, nobody believed, you know? Hot 97 was kicking our ass, and, it was like, well, let’s try to make this happen. And, you know, you‘ve got a cast of people that, I think the best thing that worked was we all came from being a sidekick, you know? Charlamagne wasn’t the star, he was the co. And Angela Yee, wasn’t the star at first, you know, she was the co to Cipha Sounds. And all that being the co-hosts allowed us to be able to share the spotlight.

Madison Casey, 50 Cent, Dj Envy. Photo Credit DJ Envy

When you look at the success of a DJ like Tiësto and you see the millions and millions of dollars they’re making a show, why aren’t there more ethnic DJs making that kind of money and how did that all come about?

I mean, I think the one thing is it’s the type of music we play, who we are and what we represent. Nobody’s gonna give us a venue that holds four or five thousand people because they’re gonna say there might be a shooting or there might be a stabbing or it’s a liability. Tiësto plays EDM music mixed with hip-hop and this, that and the other. And people go and support him but it’s a different crowd.

28 | RADIO FACTS

Look at New York City and you say, okay, back in the day, there were urban clubs where there were people — there was Palladium there were all these places that people went to. Now, you look at Manhattan and you can’t tell me of one club in New York City. They pushed the clubs to the outer boroughs because they feel like urban parties are a problem. And if they feel like urban parties are a liability, nobody’s gonna want to invest in those types of venues or invest in those types of clubs, and there’s nothing that we can do but move around it. That’s how they look at the music and the community.

Do you think there’s some legitimacy to that?

We didn’t necessarily have to be stars. Stars were made from the show because of our own abilities. But that’s what made it. There was no pride, where, “I wanna be the star, it’s my show!

I wanna be the star!” The show was offered to me first. It was, “DJ Envy, here, you know, you’re doing afternoons to make this station go, we want you to have a show [doing mornings]” I didn’t want my own show. And the reason I didn’t want my own show was because I didn’t want to deal with that. Let’s all split and do this the right way. And, you know, we came up with all different types of names: The Big Three, Illuminati in the Morning, you know, The Breakfast Club, and all these different names, and then, that way, there was no major marquis, you know. It’s not, DJ Envy in the Morning, or Angela Yee in the Morning, or Charlamagne in the Morning – it’s The Breakfast Club, and you know the characters of The Breakfast Club.

“…all the experience and knowledge you gained along the way will result in you reaching your final destination.”

Damon Lott/Atlantic-National Director of Urban Promotion, Juliette, Cardi B, Doc Wynter/iHeartMedia, Kevin Holiday/Atlantic VP of Promotions Photo Credit: Atlantic Records

Record Executive of the Year

Juliette Jones

Executive Vice President Urban Promotions/Atlantic Records

Juliette Jones has worked in various positions during her time in the industry. Without a doubt, the varied experiences have helped her in her current position as the EVP of Urban Promotion at Atlantic records. I have known Juliette for several years and I love her straight-shooter approach to the industry.

Her story is very inspiring and offers lessons on the benefits of reinventing yourself and not being afraid to explore new opportunities.

By Kevin Ross KEVIN ROSS: Tell me about your background in the industry?

JULIETTE JONES: I started interning when I was living in Washington, D.C. while going to school at the University of Maryland. I started out interning for Arlinda Garrett. And from there, I moved to NYC to intern at WBLS. A friend of mine that I knew from college helped me to get in at WBLS. Her godfather was Percy Sutton who owned the station. Diddy was leaving his internship there to go to Uptown Records and I took his place at the station. I also started interning with Lionel Ridenour at Arista Records. I did that for a couple years in NYC, developing some great relationships along the way, including Funk Master Flex, who was very instrumental in helping me get my first job and in gaining some credibility in the hip-hop business in the city at that time.

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I got my first regional job with Jive Records in 1994.

Ironically, they moved me back to Washington, D.C. I stayed with the company until 2001 and held several positions there, including Mid-Atlantic Regional, South-East Regional, National Director and Senior National Director before departing. My next job was at HITS magazine in Los Angeles. I stayed there a couple of years before I returned to NYC at the end of 2004 to begin work at Virgin Records with Lionel Ridenour.

Virgin turned into Capitol Records during my tenure.

In 2007, Ronnie Johnson joined the company and I ended up becoming the Head of Urban Promotions for the first time under his leadership. Unfortunately, he passed away at the end of 2007. Then in 2008, I left the company. I took an involuntary sabbatical and moved to Paris for a couple of months. I returned to the states to work for the great and brilliant Geo Bivins [RCA records]. I stayed there for two years and then left there to go to Warner Brothers Records to work with Joie Manda and Todd Moscowitz as the

Head of Urban Promotions. That was the beginning of my current tenure at Warner Music Group.

What was it like to work at an industry trade [HITS]?

HITS was completely different from Jive Records.

California was totally different from NYC. I’d never lived there before. The whole culture in the office was very casual and relaxed, but it was very interesting to work on deadlines collaboratively to put the magazine out while still working in and around the music business with a lot of my old colleagues. Working for Dennis Lavinthal, Lenny Beer and Todd Hensley was incredibly educational and a lot of fun. They’re definitely entrepreneurial guys who’ve seen and done a lot in the music business. I really appreciated the tone and texture of HITS. It was always a little bit tongue-in-cheek and it doesn’t take itself too seriously — that was definitely reflected in the environment in the office.

RECORD EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Joshua J1 Raiford PD WKYS, Juliette Jones, Derrick Baker PD WQOK

How important is it that industry people diversify their skills?

It’s important for anyone in any business to constantly learn and grow. As the world and business changes. That definitely applies to executives in the music business. There’s never a bad or downside to diversifying and broadening your skill set and your knowledge of different avenues in the business.

How has it been to witness the massive success of Cardi B? Watching Cardi B break so many records as a female MC with her first album, Invasion of Privacy, has been nothing less than inspiring. She is extremely hard-working and incredibly likable, so it’s not surprising that she’s having such tremendous success. Her authenticity and relatability continue to touch and inspire many, and the growth she has shown in such a short time is equally as impressive, as all of her other accomplishments. I think we all can’t wait to see and hear what she does next.

Tell us about some of your other artists.

Hurricane Dave/Vice President of Programming and Operations Atlanta at Radio One, Juliette, Jay Stevens/Radio Executive

executives. What’s most noteworthy about both of them is that, after so many years in the music business at a very high level, they still have a passion for the culture and the music. They still love winning and I think it shows in the results.

I really appreciate that they allow me to work independently for the most part, and they provide help when I need it. It all starts at the top, and the results don’t lie. We’ve had an amazing year and that’s definitely due to their collective leadership.

me was to remember that the artists couldn’t necessarily help me reach my goals if I wanted to be an executive, to stay focused on what I wanted and that people who really believed in me would teach me to fish and not keep me begging. I never forgot that advice and I think it served me quite well throughout the years.

What is the best advice you were ever given?

The best advice I can give them from my experience working with them is the following: Put the time and effort into the things that interest you and where you want to excel and I think the results will show. If you’re in a position where you’re ready to make a change, just remember that all the experience and knowledge you gained along the way will result in you reaching your final destination. Every job may not be the perfect job at the perfect time, but each opportunity offers something to add to your personal and career growth along the path.

That’s a tough one. I’ve been given a lot of really good advice. Early on, as it is with most young people in the industry, I grew up in the era of conventions and, of course, I was 20-years-old and I would get caught up in the excitement of the stars in the building and all the celebrities — and that’s when people still used to dress up. Arlinda had a friend who had been a big radio personality in the ‘70s, George ‘Bugaloo’ Frazier. I met him when I was an intern and the advice that he gave

What advice would you give a millennial or GenZ’er entering the industry today?

Meek Mill, Juliette, Derrick Corbett, Director of Urban Programming for iHeartmedia, Philadelphia

It’s an extraordinary time to work at Atlantic. It’s extremely gratifying to be at the forefront with so many young stars like Lil Uzi Vert and Kodak Black, while our veterans Bruno Mars, Meek Mill, and Gucci Mane continue to break new ground. Each of these artists has been instrumental in making Atlantic the company it is today. We also have an amazing group of up-and-coming artists like Bri Steves, Joyner Lucas, Youngboy NBA, and Roddy Rich that we are super excited about.

Tell us about your management team.

I work for Julie Greenwald and Mike Kyser. They are both incredibly experienced and seasoned

RADIO FACTS | 31

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CAPITOL MUSIC GROUP CONGRATULATES DOC WYNTER AS THIS YEAR’S “BROADCAST EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR”

Marvin Sapp Industry Entrepreneur of the Year

Bishop Marvin Sapp has just released his 11th studio album, titled “Close,” on RCA Inspiration which features his current single “Listen.” Among his many ventures, Bishop Sapp has a syndicated radio show in 30 markets and he ran a Performing Arts school for five years in Grand Rapids, MI – Grand Rapids Ellington Academy of Arts and Technology (GREAAT), a K-12 charter school. Yet, the job he considers the most important is being a father to his three children: Mikaila Sapp, Madisson Sapp, and Marvin Sapp II, all of whom are young adults. Bishop Sapp became a single father when his beloved wife, MaLinda, passed away in 2010. Bishop Sapp is our industry entrepreneur this year for the Radio Facts Power Play List. We wanted to ask him a few questions about his life and career as an entrepreneur.

By Lin Woods

Tell us about your radio show.

LIN WOODS: Congratulations on being the Radio Facts Entrepreneur of the year.

How do you manage and balance so many projects?

Sure. We are on in 30 markets right now. I actually tape it in my hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s a little mixed, a cross-section of what gospel music is. Sometimes it’s traditional music, sometimes it’s very urban, it just depends on my mood at that particular point in time. I try to make sure that we give people a musical message that is encouraging and uplifting. I’ve been told that sometimes they’re listening to it on Sunday mornings, as they’re preparing to go to church, so, you know, it gives them that little spiritual vitamin that they need in order to have that energy to get dressed and get it moving, you know? Sometimes they’ll listen to it on Saturdays while they’re cleaning around the house. It’s amazing to me that, you know, so many people are enjoying it, and that it’s really, really growing. So, you know, I’m excited about it – I’ve been doing it less than a year now. So, the fact that we’re in 30 different markets is a big thing.

MARVIN SAPP: Well, everything for me is about priorities. You know, you prioritize what’s most important, so, you know, first and foremost, before I’m anything, I’m a father. I made sure that I put all of my emphasis and all of my energy into ensuring and making sure that my three children were healthy emotionally, mentally and physically. And, um, I just felt like, you know, I can have my life later, after I make sure that their lives are on course. And then after that, you know, I’m a pastor. I’m a pastor at, actually, two churches; one in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and one in a town that’s about 40 miles away called, Muskegon, Michigan. Then, after that, I’m the recording artist. And then, after that, are all my other entrepreneurial efforts.

From the charter school piece to the daycare, to the full-service salon, to the events centers.

I didn’t go into everything else that I’m really, more or less, passionate about. I’m really trying to function in all of those gifts that I feel like God has given me.

34 | RADIO FACTS

I’m just trying to be all things to all men. You know that’s what the Bible says, “You gotta be all things to all men, that you might win some.” So, I know I’m not gonna win ‘em all, but I think that if I do the very best that I can to

B I S H O P M A RV I N S A P P: I N D U S T RY E N T R E P R E N E U R O F T H E Y E A R

“I never thought that, you know, 30 years later, that I would still be around, and yet, still be relevant�

Photo Credit: Christian Lantry

RADIO FACTS | 35

B I S H O P M A RV I N S A P P: I N D U S T RY E N T R E P R E N E U R O F T H E Y E A R

Photo Credit: Christian Lantry

be everywhere and to make sure that the message that I’m trying to convey is crystal clear, I really think that I’m going to position myself and other people, so that the rest of their days be the best of their days.

So you were on a different path and Fred Hammond called you to join the gospel singing group Commissioned. That was almost 30 years ago. What was going through your head when Fred called?

It’s funny, you know, the story is, I had just gotten off a plane from San Francisco, California. I was out there preaching and, when the phone rang, I picked up the phone at my apartment – I had a roommate at the time — and the caller said his name was Fred Hammond. I said, “You’re kidding.” He said, “No, I’m not, this is really Fred.” And I said, “Give me your number.” And he gave me his number, and I called him back, and he told me about the opportunity, possibly, of being in a very prominent group. He didn’t tell me the name of the group, but asked me, “Was I interested?” And I, honestly, at that point in time, I was so focused on traveling and being an evangelist, that music had become, like, you know, not anything that I was, more or

36 | RADIO FACTS

less even remotely interested in anymore. I had already resolved that I was going to be the preacher-teacher that, you know, I wanted to be. I said, “Well, let me pray about it. So, you know, we both prayed, and after we kept praying together about it. Fred kept calling and giving me updates. Then he finally told me it was Commissioned.

I grew up listening to Commissioned. A lot of people don’t know this, but Commissioned started in 1980, and, as a matter of fact, you might be the only person to ever be able to write this but, Commissioned started in 1980, but in 1982 they actually did their first concert and their first concert was done at my home church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fred Hammonds’ mother knew my pastor and knew my pastor’s family, ‘cause they were musical. She picked up the phone and called my pastor and said, “Listen, Bishop,” — she used to call him William – she said, “listen, William, Freddy’s got this little group. Would you let them come to do a concert?” And my pastor, being musical, he said, “Okay, fine. No problem.” So, Commissioned actually came to Grand Rapids in 1982 and they did a concert at my home church. This 15-year-old boy opened up for them, and that 15-year-old boy was me. Yeah, so it’s crazy

to look at how, you know, I was a 15-year-old boy, a tenth grader in high school. I sang while they were in the back getting ready and then they came out later. I followed them, I mean, the whole time. Once they started recording and everything, in ‘85, you know, I became a Commissioned fan. And then, in 1990 when I received the call, you know, I tell people all the time, that I was a groupie in the group. And, you know, I just, I loved the group. I loved what they were about. It was just different growing up in the church, seeing guys, who understood, you know, that you can have swag and still be a Christian. You know, you don’t have to be, a quartet-singing, crushed velvet, bow-tiewearing, cummerbund-wearing group member.

That group would wear Miami Vice clothes, with the jeans and tees, and stuff like that. That was absolutely impressive to me, and I was just thankful that Fred gave me that opportunity later on in life.

What’s been the most challenging thing about being in the business of gospel? And was there ever a time you wanted to give it up and go do something else?

No. I’ve never wanted to give it up. My mother asked me when I was ten-years-old, I could tell

B I S H O P M A RV I N S A P P: I N D U S T RY E N T R E P R E N E U R O F T H E Y E A R

Photo Credit: Christian Lantry

you story after story, but when I was ten-yearsold, my mother made me chose, at ten, you know, she said, “Marvin, you can sing gospel, or you can sing secular, but you can’t do both.” I had already been traveling and stuff in our region, and I chose, at ten-years-old, that I wanted to do gospel music. And, you know, I never turned back, never had a passion to sing anything other than what I’ve been singing since I was a little bitty boy. So, I think, you know, from the standpoint of doing it for a living, you know, I never thought about that.

I never thought that you know, 30 years later, that I would still be around, and yet, still be relevant. Never in my wildest imagination did I think that. But, you know, I wouldn’t trade my journey for anything. I appreciate the fact that “Never Would Have Made It,” when it hit, I had already been in the industry for 18 years before I got my first hit. Somebody asked me a question, they said, “Well, how do you feel about having this crossover hit?” And I told him, I said, “Well, I’m just grateful that God gave it to me when I was old enough to handle it. ‘Cause I kinda feel like, if He’d given it to me any sooner, it’d have prob-

38 | RADIO FACTS

ably gone to my head.” But, you know, I was at an age where I could deal with it. So, I’ve, I’ve enjoyed my journey, and I wouldn’t trade it. I mean, like, my God, a lot of gospel artists, you know, they’ll never be able to do what I’ve done, and, you know, I’ve had the opportunity to do it, and I’m only 51 years old. So, millions of sales, every award, being nominated, you know — the only award that I don’t have is a Grammy. But BET, Soul Train, everything, I mean, you know, Stellar, Dove.

Yeah, you just won a Dove Award, right?

Yeah, I just won a Dove Award this year. And I got like, more like 24, 26 Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, and two Soul Train Music Awards.

So, I mean, I’ve had a great, great, great career.

So, you know, I don’t think I would change anything. As a matter of fact, I know I wouldn’t.

Now you have this album out called “Close,” and the single is “Listen,” and I will tell you a little personal thing about me and that song. I got the album months ago.

And I listened to it, and I have a 19-year-old nephew, and I was letting him listen to it.

Shortly after that, a month or two later, he was murdered. But, we listened to that song and it resonated, and it meant something to him. His name was Kendrick Woods and I just wanted to share that with you, it resonated with me, as well. It’s kind of hard sometimes for me to listen to that song because I remember that’s one of the last songs that we listened to together. Thank you for that album, and for that song.

Yeah, that’s what keeps me doing what I do.

It’s not about the record sales, it’s not about the accolades, it’s not about the, you know, the awards and nominations. It’s about hearing testimonies of people who tell you that what you have done has resonated and it made an impact and, you know, planted a seed. And to me, that’s our assignment. That’s what it’s supposed to be about, especially in this gospel music industry. It’s about getting a message to a really messed up age. And, you know, I just want to say, “Thank you,” because that’s the fuel that keeps me doing what I do.

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