Fresh Era

Teren "Del The Funky Homosapien" Jones was a latch-key kid of Oakland, CA in the 1970's, a lover of Hanna Barbera cartoons, and had advanced knowledge of computer technology from an early age. Often dismissed as "slow" in grade-school, Del took his passions and found an outlet for them all in the art of Hip-Hop. Come on a journey through his life and hear how he leveraged his family connection with Ice Cube and his love for technology, cartoons, and art, and turned it into becoming one of the most iconic, legendary MC's out of Oakland, and one of the few that has transcended multiple generations and genres.

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Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler was born in Seattle, WA, but had a portal into the east coast thanks to his father. From there, he learned the coolest in Jazz music, fashion, and Hip-Hop - all in which he studied from a young age. He took the determination he formed through his love for basketball, and turned that into his pursuit of becoming a full-time musician. Come on a journey through his life and hear how he plotted out Digable Planets years before they became the platinum selling, Grammy Award winning trio and fully realized his vision after discovering Doodlebug and Ladybug Mecca through a chance encounter in the early 90's.

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If you're loving Fresh Era, please check out the newest Stupid Fly podcast "Gold Rush" where we dig deep into the understated moments of Hip-Hop history. In our premier episode, we examine the Sprite campaign that changed it all. Before the "Obey Your Thirst" campaign, Hip-Hop in advertisements was perceived as "corny". In this episode of Gold Rush, Sean Kantrowitz talks to the people involved in the making of this legendary, game-changing campaign, as well as the artists featured in the spots, to discuss what made this such an important part of Hip-Hop history.

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Peter "Gunz" Pankey didn't just come up with his MC moniker out of nowhere. As an aspiring artist in 1980's New York, Peter used gun-running as a means to survive. Come on a journey through his life and find out what it was like seeing the crack-epidemic ravage his world, how he and Lord Tariq first met, what Steely Dan wanted for the use of his samples, and how Shaq Diesel became the godfather of his son and future superstar, Corey Gunz.

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Grand Puba, born Maxwell Dixon, is an iconic figure in Hip-Hop who has lived a life filled with "balance". As a youth he "balanced" street life with an enriched education of black history. As an artist he created a lyrical style "balancing" uplifting, positive, black messages with suave, pimpalicious wordplay. And as a human he "balances" spreading love to his compatriots in Rap while trying to climb the ladder of success for himself.

Come on a journey into Grand Puba's life to celebrate Black History Month with us!

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Kim "Kool Kim" Sharpton was born, not only with an amazing gift in poetry, but with an uplifting, positive attitude that made it easy for him to make friends in his neighborhood of Staten Island in the 70's and 80's. Unfortunately, in the early 90's, Hip-Hop culture didn't make it easy on the people or groups that tried to uplift and have fun. Come on a journey through the life of Kool Kim to hear how he navigated through the tough waters of the music business in the early 90's to create one of the most amazing albums, Fruits of Nature, how he went from changing the game to getting changed by the game, and all the shenanigans that came along with it.

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Peter "Pete Rock" Phillips continues to be one of the most legendary Hip-Hop producers ever. He developed his own sound early on and never waivered from who he is and what he's about. One of the most important influences that contributed to his identity was his older cousin, Heavy D. Come take the aduio journey through his life and career and find out what it was like growing up with a Hip-Hop icon int he family, how he and CL met, and what it was like being a part of the creative process of Nas' "Illmatic" album.

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Fresh Era had an amazing 2022. We got to speak with 90’s legends from coast to coast, help tell their stories, and build some new friendships along the way. One important connection we made, was with fellow podcaster, and hip-hop giant, DJ EFN (Drink Champs) who was nice enough to suggest his favorite episode from season 2 and leave us a message telling us why. Enjoy and see you in 2023!

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Todd "Speech" Thomas was destined to be an entrepreneur. With two parents who showed him how to be successful on their own terms, Speech took the torch they gave him and ran with it. Come on a journey through his life and find out what it was like growing up in Milwaukee, becoming the first MC to release a record in the City of Cream, why he ventured south to start Arrested Development, and what it was like to be the first rap group to win Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards.

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Roger "King Tee" McBride had laser focus on becoming successful in music since he was a child. He forewent doing well in school, and in turn, got kicked out of multiple establishments in multiple states for doing so. That experience forced him onto a journey he, or his closest friends & family, never saw coming. One that would take him from becoming a local radio DJ to a worldwide, international MC to the founder of one of the most successful West Coast rap crews to date. Come join us on a tour through his life and find out how King Tee rose to success and helped define the sound for the entire Golden State.

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Before Christopher "Kid" Reid became one of the most iconic faces in Hip-Hop history, along with his partner in rap, Christopher "Play" Martin, he had to endure a lot to become who he is. Nothing came easy - the white people didn't respect him because he was half Jamaican. The black people laughed at him because he was half white. This meant he had to work doubly hard, and use his charismatic personality and love for Hip-Hop as tools to navigate the rough waters of New York life. Come on an audio journey of his life and hear how he went from performing for free at park jams in the Bronx to working at Sears with Martin Lawrence to being the first rapper with a Saturday morning cartoon.

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Since his childhood in the 1970's, Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones manifested his destiny with his determination and undeniable hustling skills. He went from an aspiring teenage MC listening to Run DMC to being signed by the late-great Jam Master Jay. He learned how to fake-it-till-you-make-it by grabbing a pair of hair clippers and becoming one of the most sought-after barbers in Brooklyn. Nothing got in his way, even if it meant running over some of his favorite MC's on his journey to the top. Come on the audio journey of his life in this episode of Fresh Era and hear how it all came to be.

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Parrish "PMD" Smith alongside his partner in rhyme, Erick Sermon, created EPMD - one of the most iconic Hip-Hop groups of all time. Setting trends with their music and fashion, the two carved a path for every MC that came after. In this episode hear how Parrish pivoted from sports to music, from DJing to MCing, and from MCing to artist management, and all that came with it.

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Duval "Masta Ace" Clear has built a legacy that will live on forever, but it didn't come easy. He has had to pivot and rebrand multiple times in his career, but with each new iteration has come classic records that have stood the test of time. Come on an audio journey through his life to hear how he survived being a latch-key kid in 70's Brooklyn, how he found his way into the legendary posse-cut, The Symphony, and why you need to live every day like it could be your last. 

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Ulpiano Reyes, better known as Mellow Man Ace, was born with the Midas touch. As a toddler he won the Cuban Lottery which made it possible for him and his family to migrate to the United States. Come on the audio journey through his life and find out the origin story of The Godfather of Latin Rap - from growing up with his brother Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, the B-Boy brawl that connected him with his future DJ, Julio G, and how performing after a tank explosion is business as usual in Colombia.

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Tajai Massey was raised in Oakland, CA during the explosion of Hip-Hop in the early 80's. His father, who worked at Stanford University, instilled a work ethic in him from a young age, but permitted his exploration of the emerging genre of music, as long as he maintained good grades at school. Come listen to an audio journey through the life of Souls of Mischief member, Tajai and find out what it was like recording with Del The Funky Homosapien in Los Angeles at the ripe age of 15, how he maintained his grades while attending Stanford while on tour, and how 93 Til Infinite almost didn't make their debut album.

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Corey "C.L. Smooth" Penn is one of the most recognizable voices of the Golden Era. Also known as The Mecca Don, CL breathed new life into 90's hip-hop by incorporating honest lyrics and sharing real emotions in his rhymes. Through that, he and Pete Rock created one of the most iconic songs in music history - They Reminisce Over You - A tribute to his family and their dear friend, Trouble T. Roy. Come on an audio journey through the life of CL Smooth and find out how big of an influence his grandfather was to him, the advice Heavy D. instilled in him, and the true story about he and T. Roy's first encounter in front of "Big Lou's".

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Although Al Skratch's success seemingly came towards the end of The Golden Era, he had actually been an architect, helping build the blueprint, for years before. Raised in the 70's, Al saw the rise of Hip-Hop in popular culture from the city he was born, Brooklyn, and took it with him when he relocated to Harlem as an early teen. Come on an audio journey through his life to find out how he managed to transform himself from a failing DJ to a successful MC, why he and Ill balanced each other out, and why working with Michael Jackson was the most special project he ever completed.

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Kim "Arabian Prince" Nazel is the overshadowed member of "The World's Dangerous Crew", NWA...but he prefers it that way. Growing up in Compton, CA in the late 60's, Arabian was guided by his gang-banging family members and taught what NOT to do. Instead of taking the route of street thuggery, he found a passion in music and electronics and forged his own path in music history by fusing the two in ways most had never done before. Come join us on an audio tour through his life and find out what his life was like pre-NWA, how he met Dr. Dre, and why living in the shadows has paid off big.

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Shyheim Franklin wasn't anything like the other child rappers of the 90's. He was from a different borough, wrote his own rhymes, and was mentored by one of the greatest crews to ever exist - The Wu-Tang Clan. Come on an audio tour of The Rugged Child's life and find out what it was like to perform at Madison Square Garden alongside Biggie & Pac at the ripe age of 13, feature on a Big Daddy Kane posse cut, and write rhymes for The Cosby Show's Raven Symone.

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