3.23.10: FF 067 - Phil Adé


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Tonight! A brand new LIVE episode of Funkadelic Freestyles featuring our dear ol' pal Phil Adé, the prodigal emcee from Maryland. Expect some wild SXSW stories and an EXCLUSIVE announcement regarding a special concert this Friday here at GWU, presented by the Funkadelic Freestyles crew and WRGW Radio.

In this post-SXSW week (and pre-WMC period), we'll try and compile as many recaps of the Texas festival as possible (even though we didn't go). That other guy in the picture above (excuse me, his name is Modi) might call-in for the second week in a row, as he put on a show of his own last weekend. Plus special guest DJ Mastamind will be in the building, playing new music from Reflection Eternal, Fashawn, Jared Evan, Asher Roth, Ski Beatz, Bun B, & more. And as always, fresh commentary from the Real Mango Juice crew - Jay Promo, Unkle Scooty, Omar L, & King Carter.



FF 067: Phil Adé
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, Unkle Scooty, & King Carter
With DJ Mastamind
8:00-10:00pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22
Posted by jben.ok

3.16.10: FF 066 - X.O.


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Photo credit: Lavan Anderson

Tonight on a slightly-modified live episode of Funkadelic Freestyles, we welcome back our good friend X.O. - the DC emcee who has logged the most appearances in our show's history. The Diamond District member is back in the city after a brief tour with his group members Oddisee and yU. We'll get to talk to him on the night before he leaves for SXSW in Texas, and we'll begin our new special panel series on Gentrification & DC Hip-Hop. We're anticipating yU to come thru, as well.

Tune in from 9:30-11:30pm (GW Men's Basketball has our 8pm slot tonight) for discussions on SXSW, Spring Break 2010, and a recap of yesterday's Janelle Monae in-studio. Plus DJ Jerome Baker III is back with a mix of new music including Che Grand, Gorillaz, Donwill, Von Pea, & K-BETA.


FF 066: X.O.
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, Unkle Scooty, & King Carter
With DJ Jerome Baker III
9:30-11:30pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22
Posted by jben.ok

3.15.10: FF Special Edition - Janelle Monáe


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Photo credit: Nastassia A. Davis

So you're on spring break (or maybe you're at work) and you've got little to do on a lazy Monday afternoon...oh WAIT! The beautiful and talented singer Janelle Monáe will be live in-studio on Funkadelic Freestyles with hosts Jamie Benson (jben.ok), Jay Promo, & Unkle Scooty on WRGW Radio at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Ms. Monáe is a Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and performer originally hailing from Kansas City, Kansas. Her first featured performance on record include two selections from Outkast's terrific Idlewild soundtrack. In a surprising move, she signed with the famed Bad Boy Records in 2007. Her first EP, Metropolis: The Chase Suite, was released in August 2008 with the hit single "Many Moons."

Her new album The Arch Android, which will include the second and third suites from Metropolis, is slated for May 2010 release. She is currently on a nationwide tour that includes a stop in Washington, DC at The Black Cat on March 15th, 2010....which is now SOLD OUT!


Funkadelic Freestyles Special Edition: Janelle Monáe
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, Unkle Scooty, & King Carter
With DJ Face
3:30-4:00pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22




Posted by jben.ok

3.2.10: FF 065 - Introducing... The Black Sunn


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Tonight on Funkadelic Freestyles we revive our short-lived (Fall 09) "Introducing..." series with a relatively-new hip-hop artist out of Baltimore, MD. The Black Sunn is a 20 year old emcee from East Baltimore "with an uncanny capability of illustrating colorful storylines coalesced with a vivid golden sound." If it hadn't been for the insistent (no, NOT annoying) emails from his manager, Jon Feldman, I'd have let another promising young artist fly under my radar.

Luckily, I ran into Jon a few weeks ago at the Stussy DC Dilla Day event and promised him we'd bring The Black Sunn in-studio the first Tuesday in March, and now - here we are. Tune in tonight for "Introducing... The Black Sunn" along with insightful discussion from Jay Promo, Unkle Scooty, King Carter, and myself on Guru, Lil Wayne, and the Oscars. Plus new music in the mix with DJ Jerome Baker III from J. Ferb, Donwill of Tanya Morgan, Danny Brown, Freeway, and many more. Plus a EXCLUSIVE sneak preview of the upcoming Mochilla DVD/CD release, Timeless: Suite For Ma Dukes!



FF 065: Introducing... The Black Sunn
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, Unkle Scooty, & King Carter
With DJ Jerome Baker III
8:00-10:00pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22
Posted by jben.ok

VIDEO: Funkadelic Freestyles Cypher - Tanya Morgan x Kenn Starr x Nick Tha 1da



Just hours before their Washington, DC stop at Bohemian Caverns on U Street, the hip-hop trio Tanya Morgan (Donwill, Ilyas, & Von Pea) pay their second visit (Don's third) to WRGW Radio for a special edition of Funkadelic Freestyles. Amidst a plethora of technical difficulties in-studio, the emcees start the seamless cypher featuring DC natives Kenn Starr and Nick Tha 1da. The WPFW radio host DJ RBI is on the 1s and 2s.

Funkadelic Freestyles Radio is LIVE every Tuesday night from 8-10pm EST on WRGW Radio at www.gwradio.com and GWU campus channel 22. Hosted by GWU student/WRGW General Manager Elect Jamie Benson (aka jben.ok) with co-hosts Jay Promo & Unkle Scooty, also featuring DJ Jerome Baker III. Tune in tomorrow night for musical guest The Black Sunn (Baltimore, MD).
Posted by jben.ok

PODCAST: FF 063 - FF & Subsoniq Radio Unite


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This week: An interview with K-Murdock & Gangsta Mittens of Subsoniq Radio, a weekly outlet for progressive and independent hip-hop - not unlike Funkadelic Freestyles - that was recently taken off the air after nearly 8 years on the Sirius/XM platform.

Also: A recap of Dilla Day 2010 at Stussy DC (FWMJ was there!), an endorsement for the new Reks x Statik Selektah x DJ Green Lantern mixtape, and important info on how YOU can help get Subsoniq back on air.

Music from: DJ Jerome Baker III back in the building with new music from Janelle Monae, J. Cole, 810, Devin the Dude, Oddisee, Reflection Eternal, & Freeway.


Posted by jben.ok

2.25.10: FF SE - Tanya Morgan x Kooley High x Kenn Starr x Nick Tha 1da




Another special (SPECIAL) edition of Funkadelic Freestyles goes LIVE on air tonight with guests (and good friends) Tanya Morgan, Kooley High, Kenn Starr, and Nick Tha 1da. Donwill, Ilyas, (Cincinnati, OH) and Von Pea (Brooklyn, NY) are on a east coast tour with NC natives Kooley High, and tonight they'll be stopping in DC for a show at the Bohemian Caverns (10pm).

Tune in tonight for a special interview and freestyle session with TM and Kooley High, plus DC natives Kenn Starr and Nick Tha 1da. We'll be on air from 8-9pm EST with our special guest DJ RBI! (PS - the video above is from TM's last visit to Funkadelic Freestyles in May of 2009 with Oddisee and Kenn Starr).


LISTEN (Live @ 8pm EST): FF Special Edition - Tanya Morgan x Kooley High x Kenn Starr x Nick Tha 1da

Posted by jben.ok

2.23.10: FF 064 - Win Tanya Morgan DC Tickets!


Tonight we've got a short show (1 hour) at a special time (9:30-10:30pm EST). If you're a college basketball junkie, tune into WRGW at 7pm for the GWU Women's game against Saint Louis, and you'll understand why our show is cut short this evening. Just because we're cut short this evening DOES NOT mean that we don't have a special one for you.

We'll be giving away two (2) FREE tickets to the Thursday (2/25) Tanya Morgan x Kooley High x Kenn Starr x Nick Tha 1da x a billion others concert at Bohemian Caverns here in DC (disregard that Red Lounge location in the flier above). And then on Thursday, before their show, Tanya Morgan will join us LIVE in-studio (at 8pm EST) with special guests Kooley High, Kenn Starr, and Nick Tha 1da. Remember what happened the last time Von, Don, Ilyas, and Kenn stopped through?!



FF 064: Win Tanya Morgan DC Tickets!
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, & Unkle Scooty
With DJ Jerome Baker III
9:30-10:30pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22



LISTEN (Live @ 9:30pm EST): FF 064 - Win Tanya Morgan DC Tickets!
Posted by jben.ok

2.16.10: FF 063 - FF & Subsoniq Radio Unite


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After nearly seven years on the Sirius/XM platform, the satellite radio home for progressive hip hop has been pulled from the airwaves. Two weeks ago when we were on the air with DJ Alizay, I got the terrible news that Subsoniq Radio was officially off the air. The show's primary hosts, K-Murdock (also of the hip hop duo Panacea) & KB, are great friends of mine, and I couldn't just sit around and do nothing about it. Tonight, K-Murdock will join us to discuss the show's history and what YOU CAN DO to help get it back on-air.



FF 063: Funkadelic Freestyles & Subsoniq Radio Come Together
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, & Unkle Scooty
With DJ Jerome Baker III
8-10pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22
Posted by jben.ok

2.13.10: Funkadelic Freestyles Live Broadcast - Dilla Day 2010


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Stussy DC & Stones Throw are happy to present Dilla Day @ Stussy DC TODAY! Saturday, February 13th 2010 from 6pm – 9pm.

WRGW Radio's [Washington, DC] Funkadelic Freestyles will be broadcasting LIVE from Dilla Day @ Stussy DC beginning at 7pm EST on www.gwradio.com.

Stussy & Stones Throw are honored to release a collaborative t shirt @ the event that will be released in VERY limited quantities so GET THERE EARLY to grab a shirt.

Music for the evening will be provided by J Dilla and curated by Jerome Baker III. Also scheduled to appear: DJ RBI & DJ 2-Tone Jones.

Refreshments will be provided by Pabst Blue Ribbon.

jben.ok's Tip: GET THERE EARLY! The "small-ish" Stussy DC store will fill up fast!

Also, hit up the Stones Throw site for info on ALL five simultaneous Dilla Day 2010 events at Stussy locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, DC, Vancouver, & Toronto.




Posted by jben.ok

2.2.10: FF 062 - DJ Alizay


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February 2010 is ALL-STAR MONTH here at Funkadelic Freestyles Radio, with a new surprise guest every week. Tonight's local celebrity? DJ Alizay - the legendary turntablist born and raised in Washington, DC. While 'Zay has been a close friend of ours for awhile, tonight will be his first appearance on the show for "political" reasons. Just a few weeks ago, DJ Alizay left his long and trying tenure at DC's hip-hop/R&B commercial hub 93.9 WKYS to pursue new and exciting opportunities. Tonight, he'll spin a special hand-picked mix for Funkadelic Freestyles, and take the second hour to let us in on some of his upcoming projects, post-KYS.

As for the rest of February? We've got another special guest next week, followed by our BIGGEST GUEST EVER on February 15th. Also, spend your Valentine's Eve with us - as we'll be broadcasting live from the Stussy store for DC's DILLA DAY 2010 from 6-9pm EST on February 13th. If you're in the area, stop by and pick up a new Stussy x Dilla limited edition t-shirt, or tune in on WWW.GWRADIO.COM if you can't make it. But above all, since I'm living in the NOW, tune in tonight from 8-10pm EST for DJ Alizay - live in-studio!



FF 062: DJ Alizay
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, & Unkle Scooty
With DJ Jerome Baker III
8-10pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22
Posted by jben.ok

NEWS: WRGW Hip Hop Top 10 (Week of 1.25.10)


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As the current WRGW Hip Hop Director (2009-10), I present you this week's WRGW Hip Hop Top 10 album chart. This chart has been submitted to the College Music Journal (CMJ) for official consideration. Check back each week for a new chart!


1 ODDISEE Odd Winter [EP] (Mello Music Group)
2 BLAKROC BlakRoc (BlakRoc)
3 CLIPSE Til The Casket Drops (Columbia)
4 XO One.One.Ten Mixtape (Studio 43)
5 FASHAWN Boy Meets World (One Records)
6 WALE Attention: Deficit (Interscope)
7 DIAMOND DISTRICT In The Ruff (Mello Music Group)
8 NICEGUYS The Green Room EP (Self-Released)
9 STRONG ARM STEADY In Search Of Stoney Jackson (Stones Throw)
10 PHIL ADE Starting On JV (368 Music Group)
Posted by jben.ok

1.26.10: FF 061 - Lyriciss


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Fresh off the successful semester premiere, Funkadelic Freestyles is back at its regular time (8-10pm EST) for a brand new live episode. It's with great pleasure that we welcome our friend, the talented emcee Lyriciss, back to the show to promote his new mixtape, The Practice, now available from DJ Booth & ilLVibes. Lyriciss is one of the most promising up-and-coming artists emerging from the DC/MD/VA area and tonight, we'll chronicle the next step in his career.

Of course, we can't make the show ALL about Lyriciss and his tape, so rest assured we've got plenty to talk about. Yesterday marked the 10-year anniversary of D'Angelo's classic album Voodoo, and next month will mark the fourth anniversary of James "J Dilla" Yancey's death. We'll talk about both topics in the first hour of tonight's show. Plus, a discussion on Oddisee - who I argue, is the greatest working producer right now. It's all tonight packed into two hours of radio goodness!


FF 061: Lyriciss
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, & Unkle Scooty
With DJ Jerome Baker III
8-10pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22
Posted by jben.ok

PODCAST: FF 060 - Spring 2010 Semester Premiere (feat. Greenspan)


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Credit: Boney Starks

This week: I'm on time with the podcast. On Tuesday, we kicked off the Spring 2010 semester with musical guest Greenspan (Baltimore, MD) and special guests Kokayi (Washington, DC), Judah (Washington, DC), & The Niceguys (Houston, TX). Also, an exclusive audio recap of the DMV Helps Haiti benefit concert at the 930 Club featuring Wale, Phil Ade, and more, plus an intense discussion on the validity of various Haiti charities.

As always, resident DJ Jerome Baker III went in on the mix with new material from Tabi Bonney, Statik Selektah, X.O., The Niceguys, Danny Brown, Jay Electronica, and many more (we played at least three joints YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE). After Funkadelic Freestyles was over for the night, JB3 brought you a special preview of his new show Talk Electro! Peep the beginning for the premiere of our new Funkadelic Freestyles theme song composed by Kokayi. AND here's an internet exclusive: a brand new Greenspan track (recorded on Wednesday) for FREE download.



BONUS PODCAST: Talk Electro - Special Preview Show [Excerpt] (COMING SOON)
Posted by jben.ok

1.19.10: FF 060 - Spring 2010 Semester Premiere (feat. Greenspan)


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Ah! We teased you with last week's Spring 2010 Preview, but tonight...you get the real thing. A premiere show that is PACKED TO THE BRIM with special guests, exclusives, and a comprehensive recap of last night's DMV Helps Haiti benefit concert at the 930 Club here in Washington, DC.

Speaking of DC, aren't y'all get tired of ONLY District of Columbia artists on the show? If so, your prayers have been answered with Baltimore's own Greenspan, who - I'll admit, I slept on - will be joining us live in-studio to talk about his latest mixtape and what's next for his career. And if that isn't enough for you, how about special guest call-ins from The Niceguys AND Mike Posner? Oh, and did I mention the WORLD PREMIERE of the new Funkadelic Freestyles theme song, produced by and featuring our very good friend Kokayi?!

Tune in tonight at a special time - 9:30-11:30pm EST - followed by a special preview of our DJ Jerome Baker III's new radio show Talk Electro, from 11:30pm-Midnight EST. We're back....AGAIN!!!



FF 060: Spring 2010 Semester Premiere (feat. Greenspan)
BONUS Show: Talk Electro
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, & Unkle Scooty
With DJ Jerome Baker III
And special guests
9:30-Midnight EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
CALL IN! (202) 994-WRGW
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22


Posted by jben.ok

PODCAST: FF SE - Spring 2010 Preview Show


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The new year has already brought strange and unexpected surprises from the Funkadelic Freestyles family, as evidenced by last night's last-minute two hour program featuring only two hosts and a replacement DJ (proper: special guest DJ). Did we make it work? Of courrrr....well, you decide.

Featuring Jay Promo, DJ MAF, and myself (jben.ok) with insight on the Gilbert Arenas situation and the new X.O. mixtape-album, plus exclusive mixes highlighting the work-so-far from Jay Electronica, Blu, & Fashawn. Also featuring a special call-in from our cohost Unkle Scooty in his new segment "Live From The Bar." Split into two easy listening parts (less than an hour each) for all you audiophiles out there. Stay tuned for the official Funkadelic Freestyles Spring 2010 Semester Premiere next week!




Posted by jben.ok
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