DJ Dahi has produced some of your favorite songs of the past several years. He did “Money Trees” for Kendrick Lamar, Drake’s “Worst Behavior,” Dom Kennedy’s “My Type of Party,” Schoolboy Q’s “Hell of a Night,” and many others.

That run of hits brought him to the attention of none other than Dr. Dre, and Dahi ended up playing a key role on several tracks of Dre’s new album, Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre.

But there’s far more to Dahi than any of that. At a relatively young age, he has developed a style that mixes elements of trap, indie rock, and some unclassifiable elements into a unique blend. With all his accomplishments, his recent solo work shows that he’s still restless, still experimenting, and still just getting started.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/132/ for full show notes and comments.

Elzhi got his start as an emcee in the now-famous Detroit rap scene of the 1990s, going to shows and open mics alongside some of the city’s great talent like Guilty Simpson, Royce da 5’9”, Phat Kat, Invincible, Proof, Eminem, and Slum Village. In 2001, Elzhi would join Slum Village after J Dilla left the group. He would remain with them for nearly a decade, leaving in 2010 amidst drama with the other members and their record label.

In 2011, Elzhi released an album-length reinvisioning of Nas’ Illmatic, entitled Elmatic, which met great critical and popular success. His brand new album, inspired by his struggles with depression, is called Lead Poison.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/152/ for full show notes and comments.

David “Chino” Villorente is not only one of the foremost graffiti artists ever to pick up a spray can, he’s also a true historian of the art form. His work has been seen on television, in magazines, and in galleries. He has also written numerous books about different aspects of graffiti culture (including several with our Episode 124 guest Sacha Jenkins) , and served a huge role in popularizing the culture as the editor of The Source’s influential “Graf Flix” column.

To see all of the art we talk about during this episode, check out this episode’s image gallery.

In addition, Chino gave us a very special playlist of music that inspired him during his writing days. You can check it out on our YouTube page.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/162/ for full show notes and comments.

Jarobi White is the mysterious fourth member of A Tribe Called Quest. He was a founding member of the group with his childhood best friend Phife Dog. Jarobi appeared on the group’s debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, introducing the world at large to the group’s revolutionary vision. After that, his role in the group was intermittent - contributing ideas in the studio, showing up for some performances, and generally keeping people guessing about what he was up to.

During that whole period, and continuing until today, Jarobi was also pursuing his other passion, food. He is an experienced cook who has worked as a private chef and in Michelin-starred restaurants. He currently runs an events company called Eats, Rhymes & Life that brings together his passions for food and music in live events.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/165/ for full show notes and comments.

Sophia is a longtime music business power player who has guided the careers of many of your favorite rappers and singers, including a healthy percentage of the Wu-Tang Clan. She started in the music business working for a Graceland-era Paul Simon, but quickly moved into top positions at labels like Atlantic and Jive. But it was in artist management that she really found her stride. Sophia managed Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest, Blackalicious, Organized Noize, D’Angelo, and Raphael Saadiq. But the real heart of her career has been with the Wu-Tang Clan. She worked with RZA, GZA, and ODB, managed RZA’s label Razor Sharp Records, and even ran the USA Shaolin Temple. She now works with the company MedMen, a leading cannabis firm that just opened a flagship dispensary in Los Angeles’ West Hollywood neighborhood, and keeps a busy schedule lecturing at prestigious colleges and universities. Sophia’s fascinating new blog about her life and times is Raised By Wu-Tang.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/176/ for full show notes and comments.

Thirstin is a Brooklyn rapper who came on most rap fans’ radar during the underground hip-hop boom of the late 1990s. His comic songs like “I Still Live With My Moms” and “How Many Babee Muvas” caught the attention of listeners who liked their lyricism and tales of New York City street life with a side of humor.

But as much as for rap, Thirstin is also well-known for his long-running obsession with Polo. As a teenager, he played a key role in uniting two disparate Brooklyn crews into the Lo-Lifes, a group that would become notorious for both their boosting sprees and their fashion. Thirstin has a new book documenting the worldwide reach of the Lo-Lifes, called Bury Me With The Lo On.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/187/ for full show notes and comments.

Jericho Jackson is a group made up of producer Khrysis and rapper Elzhi. Khrysis is best known for his work with the rap collective the Justus League, which counts among its members 9th Wonder. He is currently a member of 9th’s production team the Soul Council. In addition to his North Carolina crew, Khrysis has produced for Sean Price and Heltah Skeltah, Jean Grae, Evidence, Talib Kweli, Black Thought, and many others.

Dedicated Cipher listeners will remember Elzhi from our talk with him on episode 152. The Detroit rapper came to a lot of fans’ attention during his time as a member of Slum Village. He followed that up with a staggering series of solo albums, including the Nas reinvention Elmatic and the deeply personal Lead Poison.

Khrysis and Elzhi’s recent joint album is called Khrysis and Elzhi Are Jericho Jackson.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/247/ for full show notes and comments.

Mid90s, which opened this past Friday, October 19th, is a film Hill wrote and directed about a group of skateboarding friends in—you guessed it—the mid-1990s. The incredibly authentic period piece features plenty of nods to the skateboarding scene and the music of the time period, including songs from the Pharcyde and the Gravediggaz, and a memorable cameo appearance by Del the Funkee Homosapien.

This is Jonah’s first film as a writer/director. He has, of course, starred in tons of films, from Superbad to Moneyball to The Wolf of Wall Street. For this interview, Hill was joined by Sunny Suljic, who plays Stevie; Na-kel Smith, who plays Ray; Olan Prenatt, who plays Fuckshit; Gio Galicia, who plays Ruben; Ryder McLaughlin, who plays Fourth Grade; and Alexa Demie, who plays Estee. To rap fans, Na-Kel Smith’s name and voice may sound familiar—he has a music career of his own, and has appeared on songs with Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/248/ for full show notes and comments.

The Midlands based rail champion, Campaign for Rail will be holding its inaugural Annual General Meeting tomorrow at the Atrium, Moor Street Station

Matt Fulchiron, Comedian and Host of "The Full Charge Power Hour" joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt live in studio

This podcast is brought to you by:

Jayson Thibault, comedian and host of the "Punch Drunk Sports Podcast" joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt live in studio.

Meundies.com Go to meundies.com/joey for 20% off of your first order plus free shipping in the US and Canada

Tony Hinchcliffe, comedian and writer who is releasing his first special, "One Shot" Friday January 15th on Netflix joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt live in studio.

HITecigs.com For a better tasting, longer lasting e cig go to HITecigs.com. Use Promo code joeyschurch for five Hit E Cig's for $50 

Jayson Thibault, comedian and host of the "Punch Drunk Sports Podcast" joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt live in studio.

Ralphie May, Comedian seen on Last Comic Standing and in multiple Netflix comedy specials, joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt live in studio.

This podcast is brought to you by:

Ashley Barnhill, comedian, seen on "Maron" and "Drunk History," joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt in studio.

Ralphie May, Comedian, seen on Netflix and NBC, joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt live in studio. Ralphie also has a residency at Harrah's Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Whitney Cummings, a stand up comedian, author, and creator of television shows such as "2 Broke Girls" and "Whitney, joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt LIVE in studio. 

The podcast is off this week, but we wanted to share one of our favorite podcasts with the late Ralphie May. Ralphie and Joey were amazing friends for many years, and some of our best podcasts are the ones with Ralphie and Joey. Have a great week, we'll be back soon, and remember to focus on the yellow. 

Love you Ralphie. 

Whitney Cummings, a stand up comedian, author, and creator of "2 Broke Girls" and "Whitney, joins Joey Diaz and Lee Syatt LIVE in studio. 

Whitney's new special, "Can I Touch It?" will be streaming on Netflix July 30, 2019. 

Joey Diaz talks about Jorge Masvidal's growth as a man from his appearance on The Church to beating Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Joey also discusses two of the most important friendships he's had. 

Steve Avillo, a childhood friend of Joey's, and Joey have a Zoom call to trade childhood stories. Steve gives his point of view of some of Joey's craziest stories and even reminds Joey of some stories that he forgot. 

Joey's going to be doing this type of podcast more often, to introduce you to the people who made Joey who he is today. 

Follow Steve's band, The Past Masters at http://tpmrocks.com/

Producer spent a week and a half working on stalled project to create the last Fab Four album. Continue reading…

On the 50th anniversary of the song topping the chart, Burton Cummings says it was their decision to not play their smash for the Nixon family. Continue reading…

Rockers ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Elton John speak of the pioneer's impact. Continue reading…

Edgbaston Foundation announces partnership with Birmingham Stories as Literacy Business Pledge launched.

Ros Dodd reports these will be only the second brood of osprey chicks in 400 years in this area of Wales.

Here's a run-down of what's happening at the venue.

A return for a legendary name, amongst others.

There's definitely some unusual events taking place.

Old favourites, new arrivals and good causes.