What have you been listening to lately?
I've been listening to a lot of varied stuff. Little Brother's The Minstrel Show and Black Rob's The Rob Report, on the hip-hop side. Sean Paul's new album, The Trinity, is really dope on the reggae side. Also, I'm loving Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine. Great stuff.
Name some tunes that never cease to get the dance floor moving.
Classics from the '90s. Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love You" and Biggie's "One More Chance" work for the progressive crowd. For the thugged-out audience, 50 Cent's "Whattup Gangsta" and anything by Young Jeezy always works. Also, you can always play some classic reggae.
What are the ladies diggin' the most these days?
Mostly South music that's made for people with the intelligence of a 10-year-old. Examples include lyrical gems such as "Laffy Taffy" and "Gimme That Pussy."
Who are some hot, rising hip-hop artists that we should keep an ear out for?
So much good stuff out there. I'm really feeling Little Brother; Kanye's boy, Lupe Fiasco; Trife (who is down with Ghostface); and, of course, Cleveland's own Ray Cash.
What are some tunes guaranteed to kill the party? What needs to be avoided at all costs?
Anything by Ja Rule. Anything that sounds really low-budget and unmastered, and sadly, anything with real lyrical content. It's a shame.
