Mixed and Mastered

Jonathan Shecter cofounded The Source out of a Harvard dorm room with a mailing list and about $200. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk growing up on Philly radio, borrowing Lady B's station drops to launch Street Beat, the covers and ratings that made The Source hip hop's bible, his years at the poker table, and how he went from booking DJs in Las Vegas to programming the music inside Wynn with Playback Prodigy.

This is Mixed and Mastered with Jonathan Shecter.

Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by SAVAGE...

Bryan-Michael Cox wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Jagged Edge, Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk about cutting his first demos on Beyoncé, getting put on by Jermaine Dupri, the leak that changed Usher's Confessions, and how a frustrated phone call from Jimmy Iovine turned into Be Without You. Bun B pulls up to close it out on why the club tells the truth that streams won't.

This is Mixed and Mastered with Bryan-Michael Cox.

Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by SAVAGE. C...

Tracey Waples heard Wu-Tang on a tour bus and was in RZA's basement the same day. The Def Jam A&R who signed Method Man sits down with Jeffrey Sledge to talk Andre Harrell driving her home at 15, Russell Simmons telling her "you have a job, go to work," working Redman, LL Cool J and Mariah Carey, and why the studio will always be a buried treasure cave. 

This is Mixed and Mastered with Tracey Waples.

Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by SAVAGE. Catch all our episodes at h...

Chris Atlas has worked every side of the record. Promotion, A&R, marketing, distribution. Tommy Boy, Cornerstone, Def Jam, Warner, and now Fat Beats. He sits down with his friend of thirty years, Jeffrey Sledge, to talk Kanye before the world heard him, the L.A. Reid meeting that was just the movie Gladiator, and why anyone saying hip hop is dead is telling "the biggest lie." 

This is Mixed and Mastered with Chris Atlas.

Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by SAVAGE. Catch all our episodes at https://w...

Mike Ross co-founded Delicious Vinyl with a business card from a sandwich shop and found his first artist by cold calling a stranger's cousin. That cousin was Tone Loc. Wild Thing went to the top of the country off a video that cost $500. On this episode of Mixed and Mastered, Mike tells Jeffrey Sledge how two white DJs in a Black record pool in LA built a label that put out Tone Loc, Young MC, Def Jeff, Mellow Man Ace, the Brand New Heavies and the Pharcyde. He explains how Q-Tip passed him a beat from an unknown kid...

Matty C put Biggie, DMX, Mobb Deep, and Common in The Source's Unsigned Hype column before the world caught on, then ran A&R at Loud Records. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk discovering a generation, the real Wu-Tang chronology, the Purple Tape sessions, and the finance pivot nobody saw coming.

This is Mixed and Mastered with Matty C.

Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. Catch all our episodes at https://merrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod and for early access, live recordings and more, join us on Merrick...

Jeffrey Sledge sits down with William "Fuzzy" West, the West Coast connector who went from Compton sound booths to Power 106 mornings to the front office at the new Death Row. Snoop, Big Boy, Dr. Dre, and the day he sat with Michael Jackson in Vegas. This is Mixed and Mastered with Fuzzy West.

Unglossy is hosted by Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank. The show is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. See all of our our episodes at https://www.wearemerrickstudios.com/unglossy-pod. For early access, live recordings and more, join us on Merrick Studios+<...

Music executive Adrian Miller takes us from St. Louis's Pruitt-Igoe to Tulsa radio, building the rap chart at Hits, Wu-Tang's first 12-inch at SRC, the Immortal run with Cypress Hill, working with Prince at Warner, and building Anderson .Paak's independent career. A behind-the-scenes strategist who's spent his life positioning people and protecting the art.

This is Mixed and Mastered with Adrian Miller.

Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. Catch all our episodes at https://wearemerrickstudios.com/mixed-and-mastered-pod and for early access, live recordings and more, join...

Part 2 of 2. Jacob York returns to break down the real story behind Lil' Kim's verse on Biggie's "Another," discovering Gucci Mane at Strokers, the Deb Antney and Jimmy Henchman power play that nearly cost him Big Cat Records, and his work with Buju Banton. Jacob also pulls back the curtain on how he invented the influencer business years before Instagram and OnlyFans through Buffy the Body, Digital Dolls, and developing talents like Karrueche, Ruby Rose, and India Love. Plus, the origin of Electric Republic and why being 12 years ahead always came with a cost.

This is Mixed...

Part 1 of 2. Jacob York, Founder of Electric Republic, joins Jeffrey Sledge to break down his journey from Bushwick to becoming one of the music industry's most influential dealmakers. Jacob shares stories from his unconventional Brooklyn upbringing, the legendary NYC nightlife era with Jessica Rosenblum, and the inside truth of the Undeas years—signing Cam'ron, the making of Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Conspiracy, and the real story behind Lil' Kim's Hardcore. Plus, his unfiltered take on streaming, the death of physical media, and how the music business lost its culture.

This is Mixed and Mastered wi...

Dr. Denise J. Brown joins Jeffrey Sledge on Mixed and Mastered to share her journey from classically trained pianist in Buffalo to entertainment attorney and dealmaker. Denise reflects on working alongside Reginald Lewis on Wall Street, being mentored by Kendall Minter, running the Black Music division at Warner Bros., and a memorable night riding through London with Prince. She also opens up about her path to becoming an ordained minister and Dr. of Biblical Studies, and her work teaching the next generation at NYU's Clive Davis Institute.

This is Mixed and Mastered with Denise J. Brown.

Today's guest is Scoop Jackson — writer, cultural critic, and one of the most distinctive voices at the intersection of hip-hop, basketball, and Black identity.

From the South Side of Chicago to Howard University, Scoop turned his academic study of hip-hop into a career that reshaped sports and culture journalism — as a founding voice at Slam Magazine, a key architect of XXL, and a national columnist at ESPN.

Now he's telling the origin story of hip-hop itself, co-writing the Grandmaster Flash memoir that brings the DJs, breakers, and writers of the Bronx together in one place for...

Today’s guest is Mike B — a stylist, designer, and cultural force who helped define the look of one of hip-hop’s most iconic eras.

From Westchester to Bad Boy Entertainment, Mike B was in the room as the culture evolved—working alongside Groovy Lou and Puff to shape the style of artists like Biggie, Faith Evans, Mase, and Black Rob.

From standout moments like “Special Delivery” to influencing the jersey era, his work helped turn fashion into a language that matched the music.

Now, through his brand Bogard, he’s focused on bringing indiv...

Today on Mixed and Mastered, we sit down with Byron Kirkland — entrepreneur, marketer, and founder of Stealth Worldwide Group, a force behind some of the biggest names in music.

From growing up in Brooklyn to landing a high school internship at Arista and Uptown Records, Byron learned early how to turn access into opportunity. That mindset carried him through fashion at Sean John, into artist management with Machine Gun Kelly, YBN Nahmir, and Cordae, and now into building his own brand in golf and lifestyle with Masterpiece.

In this conversation, Byron breaks down the realities of...

Before the South ran hip-hop, Julia Beverly was documenting it. In this episode of Mixed and Mastered, Julia Beverly, founder of Ozone Magazine, shares how she helped amplify a region the industry once overlooked. From building Ozone into the definitive voice of Southern rap to breaking artists before the mainstream caught on, Julia played a key role in shifting the culture’s center of gravity.

She talks about turning a photography hustle into a media platform, navigating a New York-dominated industry as an outsider, and earning trust from artists across the South. She also reflects on her re...

This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with Wendy Day — a legendary music industry advocate, dealmaker, and founder of the Rap Coalition who helped shape the blueprint for independent success in hip-hop. From pulling artists out of bad contracts to helping structure groundbreaking deals for Cash Money, No Limit, and more, Wendy has spent decades fighting for artist ownership, leverage, and long-term wealth.

In this conversation, Wendy shares the real stories behind some of the culture’s most pivotal deals, how she built leverage for artists before labels came calling, and why her mission was...

This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with veteran music executive Rodney Shealey — a Brooklyn-born industry leader whose career spans the rise of modern hip-hop and R&B and includes shaping records for some of the biggest artists in the world.

From growing up in East Flatbush and getting his start on the road during hip-hop’s earliest touring era, to rising through the ranks at Virgin, Epic, Island, and Def Jam, Rodney walks us through a journey built on proximity, relationships, and seizing opportunity. Along the way, he shares stories about breaking records in t...

This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with Grammy-winning music executive, producer, and A&R Max Gousse — a Brooklyn-born music industry powerhouse whose career runs through some of the biggest moments in modern R&B and hip-hop.

From learning the business at The Box in Miami to being mentored by legends like Cassandra Mills, Sylvia Rhone, David Renzer, and L.A. Reid, Max walks us through a career that includes working on Adina Howard, B2K, Dreamgirls, B’Day, I Am… Sasha Fierce, YG, and Saweetie. Along the way, he shares stories about building record...

Ian Burke — known throughout hip-hop and R&B as the DreamWeaver — is one of the quiet architects behind Atlanta’s rise as a global music capital.

Born in Mount Vernon, New York and “made” in Atlanta, Ian’s 30+ year journey runs through the rooms where culture actually gets built — from loading equipment as a roadie to living inside The Dungeon during the Organized Noize era, to shaping early development moments around TLC and Xscape, and witnessing the 60-second decision that led to signing Akon.

Ian and Jeffrey connect over their unexpected Mount Vernon roots before tracing Ian’s...

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This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with April Walker — fashion pioneer, cultural architect, and the founder of Walker Wear, one of the brands that helped define modern streetwear before it had a name. April traces her journey from Bed-Stuy and Clinton Hill to the clubs, studios, and streets of ’80s New York, where hip-hop, style, and entrepreneurship collided. She breaks down how Walker Wear was built from the culture outward, the story behind her iconic WW logo, and how word-of-mouth turned her designs into a movement — from early hip-hop artist...

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This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with Steve Carless, a senior creative executive whose 20+ year career spans Def Jam, Atlantic Records, and the front lines of modern artist development. From studying liner notes as a kid in New Jersey to shaping careers for artists like YG, Jeezy, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Nipsey Hussle, Steve breaks down how relationships, risk-taking, and cultural intuition drive longevity in the music business. Steve shares never-told stories from the Star Trak and Jay-Z–era Def Jam days, the rise of mixtape culture as...

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Jeffrey Sledge sits down with James McMillan, Esq. — entertainment attorney, label executive, and CEO of Art @ War Records (in partnership with Warner Records) — for a real conversation about power, ownership, and how leverage actually works in music. James breaks down the mindset behind creative dealmaking, why chasing fees isn’t the same as building equity, and how his path evolved from entertainment law into management and label ownership. Along the way, he shares stories from the Swishahouse era, building with MGK, navigating high-stakes negotiations, and what artists need to understand about streaming, hits, and th...

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Originally released March 31, 2025 "My man. Always an inspiration!!" - A-Trak Step into the extraordinary world of Sean C — legendary DJ, producer, A&R, and true architect of hip-hop. From Harlem block parties to Grammy nominations, Sean’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and cultural impact. In this powerful episode, Sean shares how a cancer diagnosis became the unlikely spark that launched him from the mailroom at LOUD Records to producing era-defining records. He takes us back to where it all began — from his name being given by DJ Master Don, to co-fou...

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Originally released on July 10, 2025.

Jeffrey Sledge sits down with legendary music executive, producer, and A&R Dante Ross for Part 1 of a deep dive into his extraordinary journey.

From growing up on New York’s gritty Lower East Side to immersing himself in punk rock, graffiti, and skateboarding, Dante shares how music became his first true escape. He talks about the artists who shaped his taste – from Chuck Berry to The Beatles to The Jackson 5 – and how the cultural collision of punk, new wave, and hip hop in downtown NYC pu...

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This year-end episode of Mixed and Mastered is something special. Jeffrey Sledge sits down with Mickey Factz for a deep, unfiltered conversation that goes far beyond music. From growing up between Harlem and the Bronx to battling in schoolyards, interning at Def Jam and Loud, navigating the blog era, major-label deals, viral moments, and hard industry lessons—this is the full arc.

Mickey breaks down the mindset of a true craftsman: lyricism, independence, evolution, and longevity. The conversation traces his journey from underground standout to cultural architect, including the creation of Pe...

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From DJing the Stardust Ballroom at 15 to shaping Strong City Records, from Rowdy to Blackstreet, and ultimately to founding the world’s premier Hip-Hop Museum, Rocky Bucano’s journey is a masterclass in vision, grit, and cultural stewardship. In this episode, he sits down with us inside the soon-to-open, $100M+ museum rising on the Harlem River—where he breaks down his Bronx roots, the early record-pool grind, Teddy Riley’s first sessions, the MCA rollercoaster, his years shaping Gauchos basketball, and the 16-year odyssey to build Hip-Hop’s permanent home. It’s history, hustle, hear...

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In this powerhouse episode of Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey sits down with the incomparable Dyana Williams — radio icon, cultural architect, co-founder of Black Music Month, longtime Philly International insider, and the heartbeat behind some of the most important stories in Black American music. From her Harlem and Bronx roots to her early days as “Ebony Moonbeams,” Dyana walks us through a five-decade career that includes:

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Rene McLean’s journey reads like a blueprint for reinvention in the music industry. From growing up on the Lower East Side during the crack era—surrounded by jazz legends, culture-shifters, and downtown chaos—to interning his way into radio promo, becoming a 21-year-old regional rep, getting fired, re-entering the game through pure hustle, and eventually creating the Mixshow Power Summit… Rene’s story is a masterclass in evolution.

Jeff and Rene dive into hip-hop’s club era, the rise of Hot 97, launching RPM, breaking LMFAO, navigating brand partnerships, and building Influence Me...

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This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey sits down with Dr. Jason King — Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music, founding faculty at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, and one of the most forward-thinking voices in music education and criticism. From growing up Trini in Canada to shaping the next generation of music innovators, Jason takes us on a journey through hip-hop’s 90s New York heyday, global music-making in Abu Dhabi and Berlin, his deep dives into icons like Sylvester, D’Angelo, and Michael Jackson — and how he’s redefining what it means to...

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This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with a true New York legend — DJ Enuff, the man who helped bring hip-hop from the block to the world stage. From growing up between Harlem, the Lower East Side, and Brooklyn, Enuff breaks down how New York’s diverse sounds shaped his ear and his journey from neighborhood park jams to radio royalty at Hot 97. He shares early stories of club life in the Red Zone and the Tunnel, building the Heavy Hitters DJ crew, and his time as The Notorious B.I.G...

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On this week's Mixed and Mastered Jeff chops it up with Paul “DJ P” Stewart—Crenshaw-raised connector, A&R whisperer, and music-supervision ace. We hit his come-up at Delicious Vinyl (Tone Lōc, Young MC), managing The Pharcyde, and the day Coolio cut the bones of “Gangsta’s Paradise” in Paul’s living room. Then the Def Jam era: bringing in Warren G (triple-platinum lifeline), plus Domino and Montell Jordan (“This Is How We Do It”). Paul breaks down the Singleton years—Poetic Justice, Barbershop, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Hustle & Flow, Insecure, Snowfall—and the real differences betwee...

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Jeff chops it up with Yvette Love Dávila—yes, DÁ-vi-la, accent and all—about a life that runs from East New York block parties to the executive suites and back to the heart. We trace her come-up through Violator with Chris Lighty, road-managing Angie Martinez, a pit stop in politics with Sen. David Paterson (featuring the recurring villain/hero, Lenny the Barber), then into the Arista/Def Jam blast furnace under L.A. Reid. Yvette drops the inside story on rebuilding bridges for Nas at Hot 97—commercials suspended, Dom P flowing, history...

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From graffiti tags to global playlists, Rob “Reef” Tewlow has been at the center of hip-hop’s evolution for 30+ years—and this episode maps the whole arc. Reef walks us through NYC in the late ’70s/’80s, bounces from BU to NYU, and lands at The Source where he helps build the legendary mic-rating system and champions era-defining records. He then pivots to A&R at Atlantic/Big Beat (Artifacts, Lil’ Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A.), slides behind the boards (an early Eminem cut; 50 Cent’s “What Up Gangsta”), and shares fly-on-the-wall mome...

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In Part 2 of our conversation with Datwon Thomas, we trace his path from creating King Magazine to producing some of the biggest shows on television. He shares how his vision for a lifestyle publication—once rejected—became a cultural force that gave us iconic covers with stars like Tyra Banks, expanded into Rides Magazine, and helped launch XXL’s legendary Freshman List.

Datwon opens up about his leap from print to digital at Global Grind, to live television with Dick Clark Productions, where he produced the American Music Awards and New Year’s...

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From Brooklyn to Tokyo and back again, Datwon Thomas’ story is as global as it is deeply rooted in hip-hop. In Part 1, he shares how growing up during the crack era, moving to Japan in the mid-’80s, and facing both culture shock and racism shaped his worldview long before he became an architect of music media.

Datwon walks us through his early hustle—interning at VIBE, boldly cold-calling XXL’s Reginald Dennis, and turning deep knowledge of the culture into paid opportunities that launched his career. Along the way, he reflects...

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In Part 2 of our conversation with Lisa Cambridge-Mitchell, we follow her journey from LaFace Records—where she went from publicity to marketing and helped launch Usher’s My Way—through the politics of Arista, HBO’s digital experiment, and Jive Records. She shares raw stories of industry clashes, the reality of being paid not to work during her most lucrative years, and the constant challenges of being a Black woman executive in a business built on loyalty and power plays. Along the way, Lisa gives us a front-row seat to artist development at its high...

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In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Jeffrey Sledge welcomes industry vet Lisa Cambridge-Mitchell for a deep dive into her early life and rise in music. From growing up in New York and navigating a volatile home, to founding We Three Marketing and landing at Uptown and LaFace, Lisa shares candid stories of resilience, risk-taking, and working with icons like Andre Harrell, Mary J. Blige, and TLC. A raw and inspiring look at how she carved her path in a business that wasn’t built to support women—and why her story still resonates toda...

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This week, Jeffrey sits down with the incomparable Caron Veazey — a music industry force whose career has spanned MCA, Epic, RCA, Island Def Jam, global marketing at Sony, and nearly a decade managing Pharrell Williams. Caron shares her journey from growing up in the DMV to discovering the music business at NBC’s Saturday Night Live, championing artists across genres, and helping shape landmark moments like Rage Against the Machine x Wu-Tang Clan, Christina Aguilera’s Stripped era, and Pharrell’s “Happy.” She opens up about navigating a male-dominated industry without being pigeonholed, the global i...

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In this special Best Of episode, Jeffrey Sledge celebrates the first 25 episodes of Mixed and Mastered by revisiting three unforgettable moments that capture the soul of the series. From Faith Newman’s raw, hilarious, and inspiring stories of being one of the first five employees at Def Jam, to Joseph Patel’s emotional journey from Sundance to Oscar night (yes, that Oscars), to Grace Harry’s behind-the-scenes insight into managing Usher during a pivotal career transformation—these are the stories that show just how much grit, vision, and vulnerability it takes to shape the musi...

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This week on Mixed and Mastered, host Jeffrey Sledge sits down with journalist, tastemaker, and cultural force Emil Wilbekin for a deeply personal and powerful conversation. From his roots in Cincinnati to shaping the voice of Vibe Magazine during hip-hop’s golden era, Emil reflects on the journey that made him one of the most influential Black voices in media.

They talk fashion, identity, HBCU pride, and breaking barriers—especially what it meant to be an openly gay Black man in a historically homophobic industry. Emil opens up about the support that...