Laurence Inman is not in a hopeful mood, despite receiving good news

The sudden shutdown of all channels of Greece's national broadcasting company by the Greek government is 'unacceptable for an EU democracy', says West Mids and Warks Lib Dem MEP Phil Bennion.

Liam & Gaz return from their summer break with a box full of new records including tracks from Paul & The Tall Trees, Michael Kiwanuka & Jimmy Duck Holmes alongside classic cuts from T Bone Walker, Percy Mayfield, Rodney Crowell & The Black Keys.

There’s also an exclusive Blues Kitchen live session with The Blind Boys of Alabama & Amadou & Mariam. The two groups have recently collaborated on 6 tracks - A meeting of southern gospel from Alabama and desert blues from Bamako in Mali. 

** Join Liam & Gaz for a live recording of The Blues Kitchen Podcast **

- Weds 16^th October

- 7pm – 9pm

- The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch (Basement)

- Limited £5 tickets from: bit.ly/bkpodcastlive

To see the Amadou & Mariam & The Blind Boys of Alabama performances in full, head over to The Blues Kitchen YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BluesKitchenLondon

When you've caught up with the podcast, head over to The Blues Kitchen YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/BluesKitchenTV

Email the show: radio@theblueskitchen.com

Listen on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, Mixcloud, Acast & many more…

In the final episode of 2019, Gaz & Liam celebrate 10 years of The Blues Kitchen Podcast with a look back at the finest blues, soul, folk, roots and indie music from the last decade. 

Expect music from Charles Bradley, Leon Bridges, Mavis Staples, Gary Clark Jnr, Blind Boy Paxton, JD McPherson, The Arcs, Margo Price, Alabama Shakes, Dr John, David Bowie & much much more... 

Be sure to check out:

The Blues Chronicles
Bush Hall - London
Thurs 27th 2020
Fri 28th Feb 2020
https://theblueschronicles.com/events/

When you've caught up with the podcast, head over to The Blues Kitchen YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/BluesKitchenTV

Email the show: radio@theblueskitchen.com

Listen on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, Mixcloud, Acast & many more…

Richard Lutz takes the long route through another lost week.

This week, we have a two-part treat! In the first half of the show, we talk to hip-hop stars old and new at the NYC premiere of Ice-T’s documentary The Art of Rap. Guests include Marley Marl, Fabolous, Raekwon, and Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg. In part two, we have an extended chat with Jay-Z biographer and Forbes hip-hop writer Zack O’Malley Greenburg about Hov’s business mind, hip-hop branding good and bad, and lots more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/11/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, we bring you a very special talk with Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets. We chatted with him about his extensive and fascinating life and work. We’re very proud to bring you this incredible bit of living history.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/19/ for full show notes and comments.

This episode, we talk to Milk Dee. Along with his brother Giz, they formed the Audio Two, an influential duo whose biggest hit, “Top Billin’,” has been sampled or interpolated by pretty much every rapper alive. We chat with Milk about the Audio Two, his successful production career (he was behind Eamon’s monster hit “Fuck It”), and the work of his sister, the legendary MC Lyte.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/40/ for full show notes and comments.

This episode, we have a talk with one of hip-hop’s first superstars - Guy Williams, better known as Rahiem (of all the ladies’ dreams), from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The Five took their sound and style from parties in the Bronx to stages all over the world, while having massive, world-changing hit songs like “The Message” and “White Lines.” We talked to Rahiem about his life and times with the Five and afterwards, and got some incredible tales of his, and a whole genre’s, rise to the top

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/49/ for full show notes and comments.

This show, we bring you Umar bin Hassan of The Last Poets. Umar is a long-running and key member of the legendary group, and we talk to him about everything he’s seen. From his youthful adventures as a shoeshine boy to being forced out of his hometown on pain of death; from being a veritable prince of Harlem to his battles with drug addiction; from Gil Scott-Heron to Miles Davis — we travel through it all.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/51/ for full show notes and comments.

This episode of the Cipher, we bring you a talk with Brian Brater, co-founder of Rawkus Records. Rawkus was perhaps the single most important underground record label of the 90s, putting out singles and albums featuring artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Company Flow, Pharoahe Monch, Big L, Common, Eminem, and more

Brater tells us about the ups, downs, hits, misses, and the couple big ones that got away. So lace up your Timbs, grab your backpack, and join us as we talk to Brater about hip-hop’s last real golden age

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/54/ for full show notes and comments.

From Broadway stars to legendary DJs to the best of the battle rappers, OTL has hosted a spectrum of voices — each with an individual story to tell. This episode takes us through the very best of OTL — its highs and lows, its most memorable soundbites, and its most resounding voices. Join us as we take you through Part 1 of OTL’s best.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/74/ for full show notes and comments.

From Broadway stars to legendary DJs to the best of the battle rappers, OTL has hosted a spectrum of voices — each with an individual story to tell. This episode takes us through the very best of OTL — its highs and lows, its most memorable soundbites, and its most resounding voices. Join us as we take you through Part 2 of OTL’s best.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/75/ for full show notes and comments.

We speak to the rapping team at the head of the powerful rap/rock group ¡Mayday! – Ben “Wrekonize” Miller and Bernardo “Bernz” Garcia. Since the early 2000s, the band has been delivering powerful music to a growing legion of fans. That fan base was dramatically increased when the Miami group teamed up with Tech N9ne’s Strange Music label a few years ago. The most recent album released by the hardworking collective is a joint project with West Coast legend Murs called, appropriately enough, Mursday.

Wrek and Bernz talk about their career and songwriting process, but also find time to discuss their famous relatives, partying with Lil Wayne, and which group member is best with a slow cooker.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/93/ for full show notes and comments.

This week, our guest is Benjy Melendez, founder, President, and singer of the Ghetto Brothers. He is joined by his co-author and friend, Amir Said.

The Ghetto Brothers were one of the largest and most powerful street gangs in the Bronx in the late 1960s and early 70s - a time when the borough, and New York City as a whole, had plenty to choose from. At its height, the organization had around 2,000 members city-wide.

But after one of their key figures got killed by rival gangs, Benjy devoted his efforts to peace, and held a now-famous peace treaty meeting at the Hoe Avenue center in the Bronx in 1971 - a gathering that set the stage for the ending of the gang era and the beginnings of hip-hop.

In addition to being a powerful organization, the Ghetto Brothers were also a rock and roll band. They only released one album, 1971’s Power Fuerza, but it became a prized collectors item, notable for its surprisingly sweet lyrics and Beatle-esque melodies, Latin percussion, and unique backstory.

While parts of Benjy’s story have been shared in the new documentary Rubble Kings and even in a graphic novel, the new book by Benjy and Amir Said, Ghetto Brother: How I Found Peace in the South Bronx Street Gang Wars, is the first place Benjy shares his entire life story.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/114/ for full show notes and comments.

Prof is a Minneapolis-based rapper whose fun and deceptively intricate tracks and entertaining, sometimes chaotic live shows have been entertaining fans since the mid-2000s. He has an outsized, outrageous comic persona, but that doesn’t stop him from frequently rapping movingly and artfully about his difficult childhood and family life.

Prof quickly rose through the hip-hop ranks in his hometown, and is one of only a handful of rappers - local or otherwise - who can sell out Minneapolis’ biggest venues. His success led to him joining forces with the city’s pre-eminent hip-hop label, Rhymesayers. Prof’s debut album on the label, Liability, just dropped this past Friday, October 16th.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/125/ for full show notes and comments.

Allah B is a longtime member of the Nation of Gods and Earths, formerly known as the Five Percenters. He grew up in Harlem in the 1950s and 60s, a time when the Nation of Islam had huge influence thanks to its minister, Malcolm X. Clarence 13X Smith was an NOI member who became disenchanted with the group around 1963, and formed his own organization the following year. Clarence quickly became known as “Allah” or “The Father,” and most of his early disciples were teenage boys, Allah B among them.

The group, originally known as the Five Percenters and now as the Nation of Gods and Earths, grew steadily until Allah’s murder in June 1969. It would have a rebirth in the 1980s and 90s, as many of the young children raised in the group’s beliefs would go into hip-hop and spread Five Percenter beliefs, slang, and practices far and wide.

If you’ve ever listened to Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, or the Wu-Tang Clan, said “Peace” or “word,” or stood in a b-boy stance, you owe a huge debt to the Gods and Earths, whether you realize it or not. Allah B has been there for the group’s whole history, and shares it with us in this interview.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/151/ for full show notes and comments.

Ben Westhoff is an award-winning journalist and hip-hop contributor who has worked for almost every major media outlet: the Guardian, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Vice, NPR, L.A. Weekly, the Wall Street Journal, and more. He wrote the 2011 book Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop.

But none of that is why we wanted to talk to him. Westhoff’s new book is Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap. As the title implies, it tells the whole story of rap in Los Angeles and beyond, from the birth of the scene in the 1980s through the tragic deaths of Tupac, Biggie, and Eazy-E over a decade later. The book is fascinating and exhaustive, with tons of never-before-reported information about the lives and careers of the scene’s key players.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/177/ for full show notes and comments.

Skyzoo is a fantastic Brooklyn rapper whose sophisticated lyrics and ear for soulful beats has long made him one of our favorites. Longtime listeners will no doubt remember that he’s been a guest on the show twice before. But this is different.

Sky approached us last month with the idea of having an in-depth conversation to tease out the themes and ideas in his awesome new record. In Celebration of Us, easily his most topical project to date, deals with police violence, gentrification, discrimination, validation, and ultimately what it means to be, as Sky is, a black man raising a black boy in America today.

He wanted to have the talk at a place near to his heart, so we met at Mike’s Coffee Shop. Mike’s is a Brooklyn diner that has been a staple of the rapper’s life since childhood, and remains one now that he has a child — his newborn son Miles — of his own.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/231/ for full show notes and comments.

The Arsonists were a crew formed in Bushwick in the early 1990s. D-Stroy, who began his rap career in his early teens alongside famed DJ Tony Touch in the duo Touch and D-Stroy, helped to solidify a group that would come to consist of, among others, Freestyle, Jise One, Swel Boogie, and Q-Unique. After putting out several early singles, the group was the first hip-hop act to sign to Matador Records, a label better known for indie rock. They released their debut album As the World Burns in 1999.

An intense touring schedule and its attendant stresses put pressure on the crew, and it splintered after the 2001 follow-up Date of Birth. But the Arsonists are back with a new album, Lost in the Fire, and a reissued version of their debut. Lost in the Fire features a mix of old but previously unreleased material alongside new songs.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/235/ for full show notes and comments.

Kalyn is a rapper and the leader of the eclectic Denver-based group Wheelchair Sports Camp, who have garnered critical acclaim for their music and their energetic live performances almost since their founding in 2009.

Wheelchair Sports Camp - named after a real camp that Kalyn, who has brittle bone disease and has been in a wheelchair her whole life - used to attend, is a group that pushes the boundaries in sound and subject matter. Most performances consist of Kalyn, drums, and trumpet, and their latest album No Big Deal explores everything from gentrification to the pressure artists put on themselves to important social issues.

In addition to being a great rapper, Kalyn is also an activist, and now a politician. She participated in a big protest against the repeal of the ACA that had her and other activists taking over a senator’s office. And now she’s running - or rather, as she puts it, rolling - for Mayor of Denver.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/240/ for full show notes and comments.

Soundset is a festival in the Minneapolis area put on by the Rhymesayers label. It’s been running since 2008, and has grown from a show in a warehouse to a day-long outdoor event featuring some of music’s biggest acts.

This past May, we went to the festival to hang out and talk to the performers, and on this episode and the next one, you’ll hear the results. This time, you’ll find conversations with Rapsody, Grieves, K-Salaam, Sa-Roc, and Prof. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the first half of The Cipher’s Soundset special.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/241/ for full show notes and comments.

The University of Birmingham is set to host its first Arts & Science Festival to showcase the wealth of ideas, research and collaboration across its campus.

“Maximising your Return on Investment from a Good Idea”

Madin walking tour led by Alan Clawley Starting at Five Ways Station, 10.30 am, 22nd June 2013

Joey and Lee talk about everything from cats, sports and music. Joey's childhood friend Loubs calls in. Originally aired 9/3/12. 

Joey and Lee chat about music, comedy, tv and life. Mr. T, one of Joeys teachers calls in.

Originally aired 09/05/2012.

Joey and Lee get ready for the first week of the NFL season, and more important betting season. Joey tells us about something great he saw at the ATM drive thru. And childhood friend Greg calls in. 

Streamed 09/09/2012

Joey and Lee talk about the anniversary of 9/11, techniques for losing weight and Joey tells a story about when he hid in a dumpster all day.

Joey's ex - girl friend Devan calls in. They talk about their crazy days in Seattle.

Recorded live 09/10/2012

Joey and Lee talk about his betting days, his days as a thief, and Joey gives dating advice to Albert, a 50 man from Boston.

Tim, the driver in the Jewlery store heist calls in to talk about the upcomming anniversary. 

Live Streamed on 09/10/2012.

Joey and Lee talk about Joey's trip to the mid west, people standing on line, stinky people on planes and much much more. 

Get it together!

Recorded 09/17/2012

Joey and Lee talk music, the best comedy movies, and about the character of the people in this country. Joey's childhood friend Martin calls in for one of the best conversations so far. 

Live streamed on 09/19/2012

Joey and Lee talk about UFC 152, the NFL games, and more childhood stories. Joey's friend, who also happens to be named Joey, calls in to talk about growing up in North Bergen and Joey Diaz' best friend and the other Joey's cousin,  Darren. You won't want to miss this conversation.

Recorded live on 09/23/2012

Joey and Lee talk about living life to the fullest, what it was like robbing gas stations, and why he cant go back to Seattle. Joey's friend since summer school, George, calls in.

Streamed Live on 09/24/2012

Joey and Lee talk with his friend Mike who was with Joey in Colorado durring the cocaine "explosion." Listen to find out what kind of animal tranquilizer Joey used to take to relax. 

Streamed live on 09/26/2012

Joey and Lee talk about his time in Baltimore, how lucky he is to have his group of friends, and how to live your life without caring how other people think. Joey's friend Steve calls in to talk about music and the Pink Floyd Story.

Streamed Live on 10/01/2012

Joey and Lee talk about Joey's upcoming blood test, other "medical tests." and some of the teachers Joey had as a kid. Joey's friend Uncle Mike called in to talk about their days as "running partners" in Boulder and later in Los Angeles. And you'll never guess who contacted Joey on Facebook.

Streamed live on 10/03/2012

Joey and Lee talk about what it means to have character, how to be confident and what confidence can do for you. Also, even though Joey is from New Jersey, you may be surprised to find out how he feels about the Boston Red Sox. Joey's adopted brother Mike calls in and they talk about their days living in Mike's basement.

Streamed live on 10/05/2012

Joey and Lee talk about fake people, being upfront with people and what Joey thinks people should know when looking for a new car. Joey's friend from North Bergen, Guy, calls in and talks about music and growing up in North Bergen.

Live Streamed on October 8, 2012

Joey and Lee talk about how much going home can help someone in need, what it means to have a women in your life and weed stories. Speaking of which, George calls back to tell us what happened when he left a pot cookie out at his 91 year old grandmother's house.

Streamed live on 10/10/2012

Joey and Lee come together on a Special Sunday edition of The Church of What's Happening Now. They talk about UFC 153, weight loss problems and tips, and people on twitter. Joey tells the story of when he first got interested in the UFC and met Anderson SIlva and his manager.

Streamed live on 10/14/12

Joey and Lee talk about Bruce Lee, weed, the UFC and the merits of spending an entire day watching football. Joey's friend Danny B. calls in to after losing touch with Joey for a few years. They talk about Danny's betting service, Joey bringing him guns from Colorado, and Danny's brother who robbed a bank with fishing wire. You wont believe which sports figure Danny has working for him at his company. 

Brought to you by Audible.com. Got to audible.com/church for a free audiobook download.

Streamed live on 10/15/2012

Welcome back! Joey and Lee talk about Lynyrd Skynyrd, working out and much mucch more. This is a crazy episode. Find out what happens when Joey gets too high before he goes to the YMCA. Joeys friend Political Pete calls in and they talk about the cop owned strip club, the Meadowlands Inn. Finally, Joey breaks down one of the greatest movie monologues of all time! Dont miss it.

This episode is brought to you by Audible.com. Go to audiblepodcast.com/church for your free audio book download.

Streamed Live on 10/17/2012

Joey and Lee catch up after a long weekend. Joey breaks down how people used to make "street money." Find out why Joey hates restraining orders. Joey's friend who later became a cop in North Bergen calls into the podcast. Joey plays a scene from The Pope of Grewnich Village. 

Streamed live on 10/22/2012

Joey and Lee with guest Chucky from Joey's days playing basketball in North Bergen. Listen to fond out how to get into Madison Square Garden without a ticket.

Recorded live on 10/24/2012

Joey and Lee have another special edition Sunday gamblng podcast. Joey also gives Lee dating advice. Special Gambling guest Danny B calls in again.

Recorded live on 10/28/2012

Joey and Lee talk about Michael Vick, getting more from your life, and the movie Angel Heart. Joey's friend Jim calls in. He was Joey's boss at Boulder Toyota and taught him about writing down goals every day.

Streamed live on 10/19/2012

Joey and Lee talk about the recent tragedy on the East Coast and what it means for Obama. And Joey's friend Loubs calls in with the update from North Bergen.  Finally, Lee's most uncomfortable moment in life caught on tape. Words cannot describe what takes place.

Streamed live on 10/31/2012

Joey and Lee are back. Joey talks about losing his dear friend Marilyn, the movie Once Upon a Time in the West, and some of the famous singers the Joey cannot stand. Joey's friend Mike calls in to talk about elections in North Bergen.

Streamed live on 11/05/2012

Joey and Lee talk about the election, tattoos, weight loss and much more. George from MMA junkie calls in to talk about health and give some UFC picks. Hear where network tv was 25 years ago.

Streamed live on 11/07/2012