Mixed and Mastered

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...

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 Merri...

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 M...

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, Digit...

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 C...

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 abou...

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 column...

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...

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 mana...

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. Sh...

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, le...

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 ran...

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, Ma...

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 d...

Send us a text 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....

Send us a text 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 relation...

Send us a text 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 evolve...

Send us a text 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...

Send us a text 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 wh...

Send us a text 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. M...

Send us a text 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,...

Send us a text 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 th...

Send us a text 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...

Send us a text 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 s...

Send us a text 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), pl...