Funkadelic Freestyles Episode 108
Excerpt: A Conversation with Grande Marshall + Freestyle
Recorded on September 6, 2013 at WLVS Radio in Washington, DC

Hosted by Jamie Benson (@jbenok)
Guests: Grande Marshall (@GrandeMarshall) & Ras Nebyu (@RasNebyu)
DJ: Mista Selecta (@MistaSelecta)
Executive Producer: VJ White (@VaJohn)

Grande Marshall talks surviving SXSW, a future trip to Jamie's home state of Maine, + ends the show freestyling with drop-in guest Ras Neybu. 

Funkadelic Freestyles 108 (9.6.13) - Grande Marshall

Funkadelic Freestyles Episode 115
Excerpt: An Interview with Black Milk
Recorded on October 24, 2013 at Liv Nightclub in Washington, DC
Aired on November 1, 2013 on WLVS Radio in Washington, DC

Hosted by Jamie Benson (@funkadelicfreestyles)
Guests: Black Milk (@blackmilksoundcloud)
Executive Producer: VJ White (@VaJohn)

On the final night of his North American tour, emcee/producer Black Milk sits down with Funkadelic Freestyles host Jamie Benson to discuss his new album, No Poison No Paradise. The Detroit native breaks down the conceptual approach on his fifth solo LP, including specific insights on standout tracks "Sonny Jr. (feat. Robert Glasper & Dwele)," "Ghetto DEMF (feat. Quelle Chris)," and the dual single "Sunday's Best / Monday's Worst." We also get hints of further collaborations between Black Milk and one of his idols, Black Thought, who is featured on the project; plus the artist's thoughts on the future of his struggling native city. 

Purchase Black Milk's new album No Poison No Paradise via his official website:
http://blackmilk.biz/news/black-milks-no-poison-no-paradise-album-out-now/

Funkadelic Freestyles 115 (11.1.13) - Black Milk

In the first installment of Funkadelic Freestyles Radio's new op-ed segment, "Closing Thoughts," host Jamie Benson explains why he believes Fool's Gold Records - a collective traditionally associated with electronic dance music (EDM) - had the biggest year in the hip-hop category. Headlined by their October release of Detroit rapper Danny Brown's third LP 'Old,' Fool's Gold so blurred the line between EDM and hip-hop that fans seemed to forget there was a barrier to begin with. Is Fool's Gold Records the genre-bending label of the future?

For more information on Fool's Gold Records and their artists, visit their official site: http://www.foolsgoldrecs.com/

Written and produced by Jamie Benson

Originally aired on the December 6, 2013 episode of Funkadelic Freestyles Radio

Funkadelic Freestyles is LIVE every Friday night from 8-9pm EST on WLVS Radio at www.listenvisionlive.com


Closing Thoughts: Fool's Gold Records' Big Year

In the second installment of Funkadelic Freestyles Radio's new op-ed segment, "Closing Thoughts," host Jamie Benson suggests it's time put a stop to posthumous releases, aka releasing the previously-unheard music of an artist after they've passed. This week's installment was inspired by the iconic producer Madlib, who was quoted last week as saying he'd "burn [his unreleased music] down" before he died, after seeing how the legacy of his friend - the late great J Dilla - has been exploited. 

To read Madlib's revealing interview with Dazed and Confused Magazine:
http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/18062/1/a-rare-encounter-with-madlib

Written and produced by Jamie Benson

Originally aired on the January 10, 2014 episode of Funkadelic Freestyles Radio

Funkadelic Freestyles is LIVE every Friday night from 8-9pm EST on WLVS Radio at www.listenvisionlive.com

Closing Thoughts: Pressing Pause on Posthumous Releases (Inspired by Madlib)

Funkadelic Freestyles Episode 141
Excerpt: An Interview with Diggs Duke
Recorded and originally aired on June 13, 2014 at WLVS Radio in Washington, DC
This interview has been edited for time.

Hosted by Jamie Benson (@funkadelicfreestyles)
Featuring Julian Payton & Marcus
Guests: Diggs Duke (@diggsduke)
Executive Producer: VJ White (@VaJohn)

Last Friday, we had the opportunity to interview jazz/soul artist Diggs Duke, who's signed to BBC Radio host Gilles Peterson’s label Brownswood (@brownswood) Recordings and is just a few weeks away from releasing a new EP, The Upper Hand and Other Grand Illusions. Diggs just so happens to lay his hat here in DC, so we reached out to him on a Thursday and had him in-studio on a day later.

Diggs Duke Bandcamp: http://diggsduke.bandcamp.com/
Diggs Duke Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiggsDuke

Pre-order Diggs Duke new EP, The Upper Hand and Other Grand Illusions, via Brownswood's Bandcamp:  
http://brownswoodrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/diggs-duke-the-upper-hand-other-grand-illusions

Funkadelic Freestyles 141 (6.13.14) - Diggs Duke

Funkadelic Freestyles Radio Presents...
An Exclusive Mix from DJ Mista Selecta (@mista-selecta)

This is that summertime/play at the 4th of July cookout/raw rap/kickback yahmeanery that you need to set the holiday off right. This is the first installment in our new sub-series, "Selecta's Choice." This is Summertime Raw.

Originally recorded on 6/27/14 during a live broadcast of Funkadelic Freestyles at WLVS Radio

Full tracklist: http://ffradio.tumblr.com/post/90589497824/stream-dl-selectas-choice-vol-001-summertime-raw

Selecta's Choice 001 - Summertime Raw (DJ Set)

Funkadelic Freestyles Episode 143
Excerpt: An Interview with Malcolm Xavier
Recorded and originally aired on June 27, 2014 at WLVS Radio in Washington, DC
This interview has been edited for time.

Hosted by Jamie Benson (@funkadelicfreestyles)
Featuring Julian Payton
Guests: Malcolm Xavier (@malcolmx)
Executive Producer: VJ White (@VaJohn)

Just a week after premiering his new album via (what would be aptly described as) a high art visual presentation at DC's E Street Cinema, DC-based hip-hop artist Malcolm Xavier sits down with the Funkadelic Freestyles team to discuss his influences, the recording process, and next steps in his young career.

Malcolm Xavier Twitter: twitter.com/malcolm_x

Buy Malcolm Xavier's new album, Sequester, on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sequester-lp/id895038872

Funkadelic Freestyles 143 (6.27.14) - Malcolm Xavier

Funkadelic Freestyles Episode 144
Podcast: An Interview with Toine (from DTMD)
Recorded and originally aired on July 11, 2014 at WLVS Radio in Washington, DC
This interview has been edited for time.

Hosted by Jamie Benson (@funkadelicfreestyles)
Featuring Julian Payton & Marcus
Guests: Toine (@toinewiththeglasses)
Executive Producer: VJ White (@VaJohn)

PG County emcee Toine - best known for his work as one half of the hip-hop duo DTMD - finally has a project of his own to boast about. A few weeks ago, he sat down with the hosts of Funkadelic Freestyles to discuss his new LP, Antoine Jameson. In this podcast - which contains songs from the album - Toine explains what motivated him to step out on his own, his greatest hip-hop moment so far, and what's ahead for him and his crew (hint: it's lots and lots of dope music).

DTMD Bandcamp: http://dtmd.bandcamp.com/
Toine's Twitter: https://twitter.com/antoineraps

Purchase Toine's new solo album, Antoine Jameson, via DTMD's official Bandcamp page: http://dtmd.bandcamp.com/album/antoine-jameson-2

Funkadelic Freestyles 144 (7.11.14) - Toine from DTMD

Funkadelic Freestyles Episode 146
Podcast: An Interview with Ras Nebyu
Recorded and originally aired on July 25, 2014 at WLVS Radio in Washington, DC
This interview has been edited for time.

Hosted by Jamie Benson (@funkadelicfreestyles)
Featuring Julian Payton, Marcus, & Julian Kimble
Guest: Ras Nebyu (@rasnebyu)
Executive Producer: VJ White (@VaJohn)

Ras Nebyu, the 23 year old hip-hop artist from Washington, DC, first came to our attention thanks to Modi (@dctobc), the creator of one of the original DC hip-hop blogs, DCtoBC. The first time Ras visited our radio show, it was by accident - he happened to be in the neighborhood and graciously blessed the end of that night's show with a freestyle. 

This interview - officially, his second visit to Funkadelic Freestyles (he came back for a third a month later) - took place one week before the August 1st release of what he's calling his "breakthrough project." It's very much DC - the album's title is an homage to the Washington football team's star quarterback - but it's far from what you'd traditionally expect from a District rapper. On this episode of Funkadelic Freestyles, Ras Nebyu details his roots reggae upbringing, the effect that upbringing has had on his music, and why his records draw inspiration from both Gucci Mane and Talib Kweli.

Ras Nebyu Bandcamp: rasnebyu.bandcamp.com/
Toine's Twitter: twitter.com/RasNebyu

Download Ras Nebyu's new solo project, Ras Griffin III, via his official Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/rasnebyu/sets/ras-griffin-iii

Funkadelic Freestyles 146 (7.25.14) - Ras Nebyu

Funkadelic Freestyles Episode 155
Excerpt: Live In-Session Performance by Diggs Duke & James Tillman
Recorded and originally aired on October 3, 2014 at WLVS Radio in Washington, DC
This performance has been edited for time.

Hosted by Jamie Benson (@funkadelicfreestyles)
Performers/Guests: Diggs Duke (@diggsduke) & James Tillman (@jmtill)
Featuring Patrick Audain 
Edited by: Diggs Duke

We first met DC-based musician Diggs Duke back in June, just a few weeks before the release of his latest EP, The Upper Hand and Other Grand Illusions. During our interview, we discovered that Diggs has a bit of a family connection with the (equally-talented) NYC-based musician James Tillman, who grew up in the DC area. With the connection in mind, we asked James to get in touch with us the next time he was in town and voila - this very special live in-studio performance was born. 

NOTE: James was slightly under the weather during this performance, but he still killed it!

(1:45) Diggs Duke - The Pinnacle (Of Class And Taste)
(4:16) Diggs Duke - Night Dreamer (Wayne Shorter Cover)
(6:55) Diggs Duke - After The Rain (John Coltrane Cover)

(10:12) James Tillman - Love Within (w/ Diggs Duke + Patrick Audain)
(14:17) James Tillman - And Then (w/ Diggs Duke + Patrick Audain)
(20:16) James Tillman - Take My Time

Diggs Duke Bandcamp: diggsduke.bandcamp.com/
Diggs Duke Twitter: twitter.com/DiggsDuke

James Tillman Bandcamp: http://jmtill.bandcamp.com/
James Tillman Twitter: https://twitter.com/JMTill

Buy Diggs Duke's new EP, The Upper Hand and Other Grand Illusions, via Brownswood's Bandcamp: 
brownswoodrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/di…llusions

Buy James Tillman's new EP, Shangri La, via his Bandcamp: http://jmtill.bandcamp.com/album/shangri-la-ep

Funkadelic Freestyles

Popular tracks