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The Jam: Geoff Gillis

Listen in to The Jam as KC guest hosts for Merc80 and interviews marketing guru, Geoff Gillis. During the last two decades, Geoff Gillis has worked in the entertainment industry on a global scale. Most known for his former role as Director of Marketing for Rocawear, Geoff discusses with KC and Chris the music scene in his hometown of Seattle; the music industry influence on choices in fashion and lifestyle; how the West woos artists; and his current projects, artist Porter Ray and Trnsprt Digital.

Other topics includes Seattle street musicians, Sub Pop, Roc-A-Fella Records, New York life, and the impact of the internet on the marketing industry.

Contact Merc80:

Website- Merc80:

Twitter- @Merc80

Soundcloud- Merc80

Contact Black Is:

Voicemail: (323) 455-4219

Twitter: @BLACKISONLINE

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The Jam w/ Merc80 – Special Guest Desmond Marzette (Replay)

This week we look back at the first episode of The Jam with guest Desmond Marzette, Global Director of Advertising for the Jordan Brand and the inspiration behind Lil Dez in Nike’s Kobe VS Lebron campaign.

Website- Merc80:

Twitter- @Merc80

Soundcloud- Merc80

Contact Black Is:

Voicemail: (323) 455-4219

Twitter: @BLACKISONLINE

Facebook: Black Is Magazine

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It’s The Jam! Episode 6

Here we are again with The Jam!  This episode features special guest DJ A-Ski.
I first met A-Ski way back in the day at a spot in Hollywood called The Room. It was one of the few places I knew I could count on for dope music in LA in my younger days. A-Ski is a talented DJ and loves all styles of music from Hip Hop to House. He shares with us how he first fell in love with DJing and some great perspectives as a person who has interned at record labels, spun on the radio, and kills it at the parties. He has a clear understanding of what really makes people move.
Other topics include: Lil Boosie, Sugafree, pimps, Drake, House music, Audobon Middle School, ratchets, and boobs.

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It’s The Jam! Episode 5

In this episode we talk with our special guest, Zo! Zo is originally from the great city of Detroit. He started piano lessons at a very young age and grew up in a very music loving family. From there he went through a bunch of twists and turns going from musician, to athlete, to musician again. He tells of how he met Phonte of Little Brother/The Foreign Exchange, and how he became a part of the Foreign Exchange collective. He also speaks on life as a former music teacher to becoming a full-time musician, tour life, and great insight into how he and Phonte created “Zo & Tiggalo Love the 80s”. He also gives the story of why he and Phonte remade a song that (I think) must stop being played.
Other topics include: Detroit culture, baseball, instruments going extinct, family reunions, chicken, hot sauce, The Jones Girls, 2×4 pieces of wood, grits, Ohio, EPMD, House Shoes, and West Coast influence in music.

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The Jam w/ Merc 80 –

Once again, it’s The Jam!
This episode we have music writer and my “new-old” friend Jesse Fairfax. He’s been a writer for Hip Hop DX for a few years now. He’s interviewed some great artists and also maintains his own podcast, GoInRadio.com.  Jesse is the fiancé of one of my good friends. Once he heard the 1st episode of The Jam he hit me up to get on an episode too, and it was nothing for a playa to say OK!  In this episode we talk to Jesse about his transition as a New Yorker to Los Angeles, how the blogging/journalism world works, and about his podcast being his virtual therapist couch. He also wanted to be sure we talk about songs that he feels need to be “retired” from DJ sets.  We had a great lively discussion on that, as well as the two jams we played on this episode.
Other topics include The Black Spirit of a jam, E-40, Friday, stereotypes of the East and West Coast, Montell Jordan, wedding songs, Montell Jordan again, and how NOT to approach a writer to review your music.  Listen and enjoy!

Twitter: @BLACKISONLINE

Facebook: Black Is Magazine

Email: kc@blackisonline.com

(323) 455-4219

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It’s THE JAM! Dilla All Day…

Welcome back to The Jam!
On this episode we discuss the legendary J Dilla. One of the illest musicians, who led the charge of great Hip Hop music from Detroit. Since his passing in 2006, Dilla has also been a bit of a polarizing figure since many people feel he is being praised a bit too much. We discuss our favorite Dilla tracks/beats, the politics of music, and the “what ifs”.
Other topics include: The Soulquarians, how Dilla can help you find a soulmate, the physics of Funk, Napster, and how to appreciate creativity.

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THE JAM (Podcast)

Welcome back to The Jam!

On Episode #2 we have the dynamic duo Jaq and Alex, better known as Nola Darling. They are a singing/rapping combo who have been doing their thing for some years now. They met at NYU and created a serious buzz with their Pretty Gritty Mini Mixtape. They’ve consistently been recording, traveling, and even topped the charts in Australia on a track with the EDM duo Yolanda Be Cool.
In this episode we talk with Nola D about how they got into music, how they met, and how they go about making their own jams. Then, we chatted about a jam that Chris picked to discuss. Jaq and Alex painstakingly went through a lot of songs to pick their jam, so we had to be sure to have a good discussion on their choice. We definitely took it back to some childhood memories with both song selections.
Other topics include: sex with Oprah, Hatian relatives, ordering music videos off The Box, The Source Magazine, Babyface, Al B Sure, and cool older cousins.

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Introducing THE JAM! (Podcast)

Welcome to The Jam! A show where we discuss nothin but the most jammin-est songs, what makes them the jam, and all the other great things associated with them.
Our first guest is Desmond Marzette, Global Director of Advertising for Jordan. Yes, THAT Jordan. Dez and I talk about how we first met and became homies, his work in the advertising world, and how he became the inspiration behind Lil Dez in Nike’s Kobe VS Lebron campaign.
Some the other topics include: handclaps, twerking, freaking, maxi-singles, dance routines at parties, recording music off the radio to cassettes, and the Black version of “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.

 

Website- Merc80:

Twitter- @Merc80

Soundcloud- Merc80

 

Contact Black Is:

Voicemail: (323) 455-4219

Twitter: @BLACKISONLINE

Facebook: Black Is Magazine

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