#talksoreal

(Pushermania Network)

Oh man here we are back again with another episode of Talk So Real with Matt Sonzala and this is a big one, we finally got YellaStud in the house! We go way back and reminisce about all kinds of Austin hip hop memories. YellaStud, I still call her Lolo, and I did a lot of shows together for SXSW and just in general and have always been fam. A pivotal human in this Austin rap ecosystem, you won't find a person that is more supportive AND motivating for real. We talk about the launch of the Never Enough Brand and the meaning behind it and all sorts of thangs! Tune in and tell a friend to tell a friend!

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@yellastud @never.enough.brand

(Pushermania Network)

SEASON 3 BONUS WEEK HAS BEGUN! Well three days at least. Today starts the ERIE EDITION of Talk So Real. I spent a good part of the summer in my hometown of Erie, PA and meant to do way more podcasts, but I did get with three of the people who were HUGE in the formation of who I am today. These are LITERALLY my day one dudes (Day one starts after I got out of high school because school was a TRAP) and in those daze right after High School man, I accomplished A LOT with this particular dude.

Brian Diplacido aka A Bullet for Fidel was the singer for the first band I ever booked a tour for, Lost from Erie, PA. I will never forget the first time I saw them live at the Continental Ballroom in 1989 on a local bill with My 3 Scum and Backwash (Alex Lewinger from Submachine's old band also RIP Danny Perry). Lost was way more my speed than a lot of things happening those days. I love pure punk rock and the old school and all that but in my late teens I was way more Touch & Go/Amphetamine Reptile/Sub Pop than I was like, for lack of a better term, pure punk. Actually I'm tripping I liked everything but let's just say seeing a band like them hitting like that coming out of Erie (nee, Harborcreek) was huge for me. (And they were really not like T&G, AmRep, etc I don't know what I am saying. As the kids say today, they hit different).

I approached them after the show and probably bought a tape and a shirt and if memory serves me right I ran into the drummer Pete at Record Country and we talked and all became friends. It was at that show that I decided that I wanted to try my hand at throwing shows, and on these Erie podcasts we talk about how all that went down.

I toured the US multiple times with Lost, sometimes for six weeks at a time, and then in 1991 Brian and I backpacked around Europe for the first time which changed my life in a major way as well. So much to talk about.

(Pushermania Network) Man it felt really good to do this one for sure as I got to get my man Bak on the other side of the mic! Bak is one of the most thorough podcasters that I know personally, he is definitely an OG in the city of Austin where he has been covering nightlife and more for years. He has literally interviewed everyone, including me a few years back. These days he is focused on his comedy and mostly talking to fellow comedians on his show, but if you go back into his archives you will hear some real talks with so many of the people who truly made/make Austin the Live Music Capital of the World. And more.Born in Senegal, raised in France, and reared in Austin, the man has stories and insights for days. I hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as I enjoyed making it and as always please tell a friend to tell a friend to like, follow and subscribe to Talk So Real with Matt Sonzala.

@thefeedbak

@recordplaylive

(Pushermania Network) Maaaaaaan it finally happened. I've BEEN meaning to sit down with the legend OG Ron C and chop (no pun intended) it up about all sorts of things, and on this episode it finally happened with a bonus appearance by DJ Hollygrove. We talk about the beginnings of the Swisha House, The Chopstars and how they have evolved over the years. We discuss how both of us started out driving the promo van for a radio station in Houston, and later get into Ron's new career as a filmmaker/actor.It was great to see The Chopstars all around #SXSW2023, they definitely held it down all over the city. I even got a literal candle from @DJCandlestick. Crazy! There is a lot of real talk on this one as you know neither I nor OG Ron C are known to hold our tongues so be sure to tune in and tell a friend to tell a friend about this podcast. Audio available on all platforms it really goes down!

(Pushermania Network) Special shout out to my brother Gregory "Beef" Jones (@ogbeefjones) for inviting me to the Group Black party during SXSW IA last week. Group Black is a company founded by industry legend Bonin Bough to dramatically transform the face of media ownership and investment. Beef and I had been trying to link all day, when he ended up at this party and told my wife and I to come meet him there. He said "They have free drinks, a DJ and some Afrobeats artist will perform." Neither of us knew who we were about to see.Then Yung D3mz hit the stage, straight outta Ghana. It was so refreshing for me to hear this kind of music being represented at SXSW and by a young up and coming talent who has not jumped on the hype train as of yet. I truly felt as if I was witnessing something special. Possibly his first show in the USA, and for a crowd of highly enthusiastic - mostly women - who were dancing and singing along. It was a really special moment for me as ten years ago when I worked for SXSW I took a couple trips to Johannesburg to meet more people from the African music industry and hopefully see SXSW expand into booking more from the continent. That is all easier said than done but in recent years Africa's presence at the conference has grown for sure. So props to SXSW for that.I approached Yung D3mz and talked to him about his music and told him that I was a fan of Fokn Boiz from Ghana and knew their manager, Panji Anoff, and from there he could tell that I knew a little something about this music thing. I met his manager and his crew and invited them to come over and do a podcast, and they actually showed up and this talk is the result. It was a real pleasure to get this young persons perspective on Afrobeats and just life and culture in general. His music can be streamed anywhere you stream music and you should check him out. We are also joined on this episode with his producer Uche B, a force in his own right. Please tune in and tell a friend to tell a friend to subscribe and listen to Talk So Real With Matt Sonzala.

@yung_d3mz

(Pushermania Network) Maaaaaan I am finally getting back to the podcast game and this one is a good one! I finally got to sit down with Shu of IITight Music (2 Tight) from Japan! Shu is a huge supporter of real rap music and one of the truest fans I have ever met. I love meeting people from around the world who appreciate and work to help and progress our culture and Shu is very much so one of them. Listen to the story of how he has been coming to the US multiple times every year for 20 years to buy music to take back and distribute in Japan, mainly independent real rap music. He goes from hood to hood in search of gems on CD, cassette, vinyl etc and he even licenses music from underground artists. I even have a vinyl copy of a Southern Merchandise album he put out. Southern Merchandise were a group in San Antonio in the 90's and here in Austin I felt like I was the only person who knew of them. I loved that CD and somehow this dude found them and reissued it on vinyl. Crazy! Tune in for some real game and maybe you have something to offer him in the way of unreleased music to release in Japan, or some old cassettes you have in a closet. He also has brought artists like Bun B, LE$, Lil Keke and PKO to Japan for concerts. The story is amazing tune in and let me know what you think!

(Pushermania Network) Keith Corona is a South Austin hip hop legend. A leader in all that he does, Keith has been on the cutting edge of the visuals game for as long as I can remember. You have got to check out his YouTube page where you will find all sorts of dope music videos, many of which were filmed in Mexico where he resides for part of every year. He is back in Austin for the moment so I got to sit down with him and talk all sorts of stuff. Namely my wish to live in Mexico as well and how he made his way down there, and why he comes back every year. I'm literally jealous of this mans life. (though I would probably just chill down there full time if I could, and closer to some water. Listen and you will know what I'm talm bout.)In this episode we learn how he got to South Austin and how South Austin is an entity in and of itself. I school him a bit on some late 80's/early 90's rappers from South Austin, who are the main dudes who got me to start coming to Austin back in those days from Houston. (#RIPCROPDIGGIE) And he reminds me of a whole lot of dope artists and events that we have experienced living here in the Live Music Capital of the World.These days Keith is rapping mostly en Espanol so we talk a lot about how I want to see him tour the Spanish speaking world, as he definitely has the skills and the drive to make it happen. I predict big things for my man right here and I am so glad that we got a chance to sit down. As always tell a friend to tell a friend to check out Talk So Real with Matt Sonzala and read below for info on a dope event he will be performing at this weekend!

(Pushermania Network) Season 3 of Talk So Real with Matt Sonzala STARTS NOW! And today we have a big one. DJ Michael Watts of the Swisha House joins me in the studio for about an hour of real talk about music and all sorts of things. We talk a bit about the new Swisha House Experience that was curated by their longtime designer Mike Frost last month in Houston and look at how his design shaped so much of what people perceive of the Swisha House. We talk new music, old music and just kind of do how we do here at Talk So Real.Be sure and visit www.helldonebrokeloose.com for all the new Swisha House gear and to get your hands on their exclusive box set. And please tell a friend to tell a friend to check out Talk So Real with Matt Sonzala on their favorite podcast platform!

@djmichaelwatts