Raj

🎧 FRESH TO DEATH: THE ARCHIVE Before @amoody408 became primarily associated with human rights, political prisoners and working for a free Iran, there was Strong Arm 408; the name I went by from 2011 onward (before I switched it to amoody408) , and a whole other chapter of my life built around hip-hop, radio, film and the people making things happen in the Bay Area. After a break in my education and a nearly fatal car accident in 2009 and missing 3 semesters, I eventually returned to San José State in Fall 2010. I switched my major from business to Radio, Television & Film, and somewhere along the way, an elective course (RTVF 20 I think ) changed the trajectory of my college experience. In my second semester, my boy C-Note (@C_Notebeats ), a local producer I knew from a broadcast communications class, told me we could pick up easy elective credits by taking a radio class. Pass the class, and you could get your own show. So we both signed up, passed, and got on air. A few semesters later, my guy @Luicidal; passed me the torch as Urban Music Director. Right or wrong, let's assume right. 😂 He saw something in me and gave me an opportunity that became one of the most formative experiences of my life. At @ksjsfm , I oversaw roughly 12 to 15 shows and DJs, each with their own four-hour weekly slot. I was programming music, managing the rotation, hosting my own four-hour show, and regularly filling in for DJs who couldn't make it. I'd pick up overnight shifts from 2 to 6 AM, sometimes putting in eight or twelve hours on air in a week. My parents couldn't understand why I was spending so much time at a college radio station. My dad would tell me, “این رادیو مادیو، زیاده‌روی نکن.” (Dont overdo the radio madio ish). 😂 But I wasn't just there to hear myself talk or play my favorite records. 🎤 Fresh to Death was built around a bigger idea. Yes, I wanted to play the hip-hop I loved, both new music and records that had already left a mark on me. But I also wanted to bring attention to artists who weren't getting their due, music that deserved a bigger audience, and local talent that could stand alongside anything coming out of the major markets. The goal wasn't simply to play Arman's favorite songs. I wanted to find that intersection between music I believed people needed to hear and music they would actually enjoy hearing. I made the final calls, but I didn't want my own taste to become the only perspective in the room. That's why I ran weekly listening sessions with the DJs. Every week, they'd be assigned songs to listen to and write a short, two or three-sentence review of each. Their feedback mattered. Programming should involve an actual conversation about music, not one person dictating what everyone else should like. This was also the peak of the blog era, when independent artists, writers, producers and online communities were building their own ecosystems outside the traditional industry gatekeepers. I was blogging for TeamBackpack, The Thizzler, DubCNN and Hip Hop Review for Dummies (HHRFD). Shoutout to @devtejwani and the Team Backpack crew, my boy Matt Werner (@EmDubious ) at @TheThizzler , @nima_empire at DubCNN (now at @EMPIRE ) , and everyone else who gave me a platform, showed love and recognized what we were trying to build. Those relationships were part of a much bigger culture that made the era special. Between blogging, programming music and hosting Fresh to Death, I was learning how to listen critically, write about music, identify talent and help artists reach people. Eventually, that opened doors to other work in the industry. My boy @AmadeuzChrist and I started a video production company and shot music videos for artists like @sahtyre @dalocksmith @PlusMoney. Cont . ⬇️

🎙️ Mistah F.A.B. issues an apology to Mustard for their 2014 altercation. Mustard responds. “Just as a man I wanna be able to tell him ‘Ay man, forgive me for my immaturity” The Bay 🫱🏿‍🫲🏾 LA 📱 YT: Drink Champs

Sports betting is correct but for you all that look at LeBron or any other person that are involved in prediction markets are totally misinformed on the subject. calling prediction markets sports gambling is like calling the stock market a casino. you don't have to like it, but it's a regulated exchange where people trade with each other, not a house that profits when you lose. Know the difference

👇🏽 xitter.cf/righttimebomani/status…

Cancel Culture Won’t Die chicago.suntimes.com/nfl/202…

W

Which Watch the Throne songs does Jay-Z get washed on

“Never let a hard time humble us” open.spotify.com/track/4iVD0…

The failure of DOGE in one sentence…

Prosecute/Fauci