By Skullcandy - Ari Lennox

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Valee’s unpredictable surroundings have created his zen-like personality, a trait that makes him unusually intriguing. He approaches life calmly and strategically, seeing it as an opportunity to cleverly disrupt tradition. His desire to advance the mundane has now carried into rap music, something he decided to pursue on a whim. Valee never intende…

Long Beach native Shane Blanchard, better known as Bane’s World, makes music that lovingly captures the sunny vibe of his California hometown. Laid-back and dreamy, his sound is at the forefront of a lo-fi movement known as “bedroom pop”. In our ‘You Feel Me?’ podcast interview, he mentions an affinity for “sad love songs”, which accurately describ…

Jeremy Jones is a legendary snowboarder known for going deeper, further, and higher. Going pro as a 16 year old in the early days of the snowboard industry, as time went on he noticed climate change affecting winter wonderlands he’d frequented. In 2007 he decided to do something about and started Protect Our Winters. For over a decade the non-profi…

Smrtdeath is part of a booming indie scene that’s been frequently mislabeled ‘emo rap,’ but is showing itself to be an amalgamation of a litany of styles beyond emo and rap. The scene has exploded since we first covered it in 2017 and smrtdeath, with his booming voice harmonized and distorted with just the right amount of autotune, has become a sta…

Denzel Curry is Fearless. As a pioneer in the Soundcloud rap scene, Denzel’s had eyes on him since his teenage years. Now he’s a household name and his music has evolved in a way that’s gracefully taken him from underground hero, to mainstream accessibility while maintaining edge and depth of content. From his early days in Rvidxr Klvn, to Nostalgi…

Pink Siifu talks growing up in Cincinnati, getting his start as a poet, and bleeding on the track Pink Siifu is part of a growing movement in rap music. There’s a sub-sect of artists making deeply personal, poetic, and abstract music over stripped down loops that aren’t necessarily adhering to traditional song structures or rules. It’s a fascinatin…

Cautious Clay is Deep. He's an amazingly well rounded musician known for his poetic lyrics. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, and lyricist, he got his start taking flute lessons from YouTube phenomenon known for playing the flute while beatboxing. His deeply intuitive understanding of music led to Clay preferring to listen to notes, rather than re…

Hook is a rapper phenom exploding out of Riverside, CA. Her recently released critically acclaimed debut tape “Bully” — entirely produced by underground pot-stirrer Nedarb Nagrom—is taking the underground by storm. Her ferocious style combined with his upbeat, sample-free 808 kits combine for the perfect soundtrack for a hot girl summer. She’s gett…

Soccer Mommy is rad. With a sound rooted in 90s rock and an aesthetic rooted in 90s kitsch, Soccer Mommy embodies throwback radness. Her humble beginnings as a bedroom musician in Nashville were interrupted by the time she got to NYU for college and realized she had some big decisions to make. Music was pulling her away from school, and thankfully …

Tommy Genesis is independent. She emerged from the underground rap scene, stayed true to her vision, and grew a devoted fanbase by doing things differently. She experimented with a multitude of music genres, including emo, noise, and punk, before creating her own: fetish rap. The term isn’t meant to signify the often overt sexual nature of her musi…

Lee Fields’ career as a soul singer has spanned over 6 decades. It started with a talent show in Wilson, NC when he was 14, and has continued to this day. He’s been everything from a cover artist, to a one man band, a real estate manager, to a Billboard charting phenom, and now a living legend and road warrior with his band The Expressions. Intervi…

Leikeli47 is empowered. She’s taken control of her narrative by hiding her true identity. Now critics, fans, and observers are forced to judge her on the merit of music instead of physical appearance. Admittedly a shy person most of her life, concealing her identity has empowered her to be herself in the music. 47 is the rare all-in-one complete pa…

Maxo talks Lil Big Man, Def Jam giving him full creative control, and the power of timelessness People always ask me how I find new music, and I can never really explain it. Finding Maxo was pure luck. A mere whisper in a Twitter thread amongst music journalists where someone said something along the lines of “Maxo’s new one is so good.” It was eno…

Omar Apollo is fresh. Beyond being a fresh face in the pop scene — and a heartthrob to boot — he’s taken a fresh approach at creating music. Perhaps it’s humility or self-deprecation when he claims he didn’t have any natural aptitude for music, but his passion to learn created an absolute phenom. He devoured YouTube tutorials to learn guitar, take …

Travis Thompson has had a busy couple years. The emerging rapper was on tour with with another Seattle rapper, Macklemore, when I met him in 2017. It was his first time on the road and he’d recently quit his job. The tour led to a collaboration, the collaboration led him to appearing on The Tonight Show. The video we shot upon meeting organically s…

Nick Waterhouse’s warm recordings take me back to hearing my dad’s records in the basement as a child, where his vintage Sansui stereo made everything sound like the soundtrack to a Scorsese film. He blends influences from days past to make records that deal with modern problems in a classic way. His latest self-titled record takes everything he’s …

Music makes us feel elevated, and we chose West Atlanta natives EarthGang to represent that feeling. Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot have been elevating their craft together since their high school days. Having self-released a bevy of records and acquiring a cult following, EarthGang signed with Dreamville in 2017 poised to take their next big step. On…

Rico Nasty was our first and only choice when looking for an artist that embodied the word “bold.” Not only is she the perfect artist to set off our 12 Moods project, but every decision she makes — from her visual aesthetic, to her ear for beats, her lyrics which are often scathing anti-hater incantations, to her fashion choices — all seem to radia…

A leader in the expansive Chicago art rap scene, Saba is an open diary. Tune in as he talks recording raps as a 9 year old, the legendary Chicago library open mics, and the stolen bikes of his youth. Stay tuned after the show for discount code offers. Highlights: 14:00 Working a four track recorder at age 8 18:30 Defining the Chicago rap sound 29:2…

Gifted rapper and producer Kweku Collins has sprung from the Chicago art scene. Here he talks synergy between music and skating, growing up with a rhythmically gifted father, and how his skill for self-promo emails boosted his success. Highlights: 05:50 Childhood musical influences 14:00 Kweku starts skating 20:00 The pressures of mixed race 32:00 …

Duckwrth fuses his design and music skills to create in-your-face, genre-defying music and even more electrifying live performances. Here he talks with Lee about his childhood and how his visual art helps with his music. Highlights: 09:00 Sheltered home life in South Central LA 18:00 Feeling disassociated but finding your place 27:00 Loving Lupe Fi…

Yuno is one of Sub Pop’s newest signees and a growing pop powerhouse. Hear us talk about his debut EP Moodie, finding out about punk rock by searching for a Bob Seger song, and how nerdcore rap influenced him. Highlights: 03:45 Childhood creativity 08:00 Discovering music through skating 14:20 My first guitar and learned songs 18:00 “Accidental” ra…

In Mark McMorris’ words, “Get it while I’m young, I’ll chill when I’m older.” Check out episode 15 as host Lee Shaner and pro snowboarder Mark McMorris talk how to properly pronounce his hometown Regina (hint: it sounds inappropriate), how good hip-hop is right now, and how people handle fame differently. Highlights: 03:00 Hometown resorts 07:30 Re…

International rap phenomenon Princess Nokia talks about her activism, artistic progression, and some of her earliest conscientious objections in Catholic school.? Highlights:? 01:00 Hood 2 La Gente 08:00 My brother the violinist 12:00 Dignified rebellion 25:00 Wavy Spice & A$AP Yams 30:00 Credits and headphone discount code…

Philly singer-rapper Lil Zubin a.k.a. "the SoundCloud Weeknd" discusses Post Emo, accidentally becoming a singer, and his underground breakout Misery EP.? Highlights:? 05:00 Emo days? 09:20 Discovered by Working On Dying? 13:00 Who is Ned?? 19:00 Post Emo? 28:00 Credits and headphone discount code?By Skullcandy - Guest Lil Zubin

Philadelphia-based rapper and UPenn grad Ivy Sole talks about where to get the right cheesesteak, independent artistry, and her new record Overgrown. Highlights: 02:30 Philly bodegas and Gremlin juice 06:15 Independent hustle 101 13:30 Is Philly diverse? 18:00 Choosing your path 29:10 The East & West EPs 38:00 Seeing a therapist 49:30 Credits and h…

Your favorite rapper’s rapper, Smino, sits down with host Lee Shaner before a show in Brooklyn. Smino tells us how crazy it was to be in St. Louis during the 2000s, growing up with musical parents, and recites a rap he wrote at age 7. Remember to subscribe and stay tuned after the interview for a special Skullcandy discount code. Highlights: 0:05 G…

Superstar point guard Kyrie Irving opens up with host Lee Shaner about growing up skateboarding, how he got into playing the baritone, and self-actualization outside of basketball. Tune in to Episode 11 now. Show Highlights 1:30 Why we idolize people 7:00 Summers in Seattle, race, and skateboarding 9:00 Childhood musical influences; Lauryn Hill and…

Episode 10 features Indie pop duo Now Now. Tune in to hear them talk about meeting as awkward 15 year olds, their first international tour with Paramore, and this one time at band camp. Highlights: 0:20: Now, Now talk about their touring schedule and how they spent their time between album releases. 1:22: Now, Now discuss the impact touring constan…

In episode 9, host Lee Shaner talks with rapper Bohan Phoenix. Phoenix talks about his Chinese roots, discovering Eminem, and appropriation in hip-hop. Highlights: 3:45 American misconceptions about Chinese food 09:30 China’s competitive schooling 12:30 Coming to America 19:55 Bizarre first meeting with dad 29:06 Discovering Eminem (social cutdown:…

In episode 8, host Lee Shaner talks with rapper/performer TopazJones. Jones talks lunch room cyphers, following in his father’s funk footsteps, and the NY music scene. Highlights: 5:30 Learning to rap at school 10:00 Early blog scene 13:30 Music school connections and networking 20:00 Coming up with rap names 22:45 How you find your voice 26:00 NY …

In episode 7, host Lee Shaner talks with pro surfer and musician Conner Coffin. Conner talk about growing up in Santa Barbara, smelling the cows while surfing Kelly’s wave, and a life-altering Rolling Stone’s Concert. Show Highlights: 4:41 Church of Skatan and Conner’s first half pipe 6:00 Learning to surf at age 4 8:30 Brother’s day 09:55 Secret b…

Podcast description: In episode 6, host Lee Shaner talks with pro surfer Coco Ho. Coco talks about growing up in a family of pro surfers, calling the legendary North Shore home, and her 10 years of WSL touring and competing. Highlights: 1:00 Qualifying for WSL at 17 06:30 Coco’s favorite kind of music 08:00 Rules of the North Shore 18:30 Growing up…

In episode 5, host Lee Shaner talks with skateboarder Jenn Soto. Soto talks her first Street League win, her recent move to Los Angeles, and writing down every trick she knew as a makeshift sponsorship resumé. Highlights: 2:30 Skating for the first time 09:00 Explains how her gymnast background helped her learn how to fall 13:30 Falling in love wit…

In episode 4, host Lee Shaner talks with Kyle Thomas a.k.a. King Tuff. Tuff talks about his new record The Other, being the only guy in a staff of women at a thrift store, playing in a band with J Mascis, and his “pet” raccoons. Highlights: 3:30 Tuff talks early musical influences 10:25 Tuff talks about his musical projects before King Tuff and pla…

Episode 3 features Vincent Neff and David Maclean of Django Django. Hear Vincent talk about growing up in the Northern Ireland Conflict, meeting David in art school, and pub culture. David shares about growing up a hip-hop head, being a vinyl-only DJ, and learning to loop cassette tapes. Show Highlights: 1:43: David talks about techniques he picked…

In episode 2, host Lee Shaner talks with Kelly Zutrau, lead singer of Brooklyn-based Wet. Kelly opens up about her time at art school, rebellious youth, and how writing songs in her bedroom accidentally became a career. Show Highlights - 2:30 Kelly shares what music she’s feeling while on tour 4:47 Kelly talks about how her acceptance into the pres…

In episode 1 of Skullcandy’s new podcast You Feel Me? host Lee Shaner is joined by rising r&b/pop artist Amber Mark. Amber talks getting signed the same year she put her music on SoundCloud, growing up in a Tibetan monastery, and how her mother’s battle with cancer influenced her debut EP, 3:33am. :10 Amber gets signed off her soundcloud single 9:5…