Podcast
Capital City PodCast
Hosted by Capital J and DL Glass · EN
With over 30 years in the music industry, Hip-Hop historian Jerome "Capital J" Dickens and DL Glass talk lyrics, beats, and music. In-depth conversations that discuss the music business and the business of music. To be apart of the conversation email us at info@overheretv.com.
13episodes
Episodes
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Capital City Podcast #143 "The Untold Story of Dame’s Chicken & Waffles | Entrepreneurship, Durham Culture & Building a NC Restaurant Brand"
1w ago01:14:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Capital City Podcast, Capital J and DL Glass sit down with the one and only Dame of Dame's Chicken & Waffles for an in-depth conversation about entrepreneurship, struggle, reinvention, and building one of North Carolina’s most recognized restaurant brands.Dame shares the untold story behind the creation of Dame’s Chicken & Waffles — from struggling as a caterer and nearly losing everything, to turning a bold chicken-and-waffle concept into a cultural staple in Durham and beyond.Topics include:• The meaning behind the famous menu names • Growing up in Fayetteville, NC • Corporate life and working overseas in Asia • Getting laid off and betting on himself • Building Blue Mountain Catering • Rebranding into Dame’s Chicken & Waffles • Surviving tax issues and business setbacks • Expanding into Greensboro and lessons learned • Quality control, leadership, and restaurant culture • Why community support matters • Future expansion plans for the Dame’s brandThis episode is a masterclass in resilience, branding, and Black entrepreneurship in North Carolina.Listen now on all podcast platforms.Website:www.capitalcitypodcast.comFollow Capital City Podcast:Instagram: @capital.city.podcastYouTube: @capitalcity919Follow Dame’s Chicken & Waffles:www.dameschickenwaffles.com#CapitalCityPodcast #DamesChickenAndWaffles #DurhamNC #Entrepreneurship #BlackBusiness #NorthCarolina #RestaurantBusiness #FoodCulture #BullCity
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Capital City Podcast #142 “I Left Radio…” – Brian Dawson
3w ago01:01:29Tap to summarizeAfter 20+ years in radio, Brian Dawson sits down with Capital City Podcast for one of his most honest conversations yet.In this episode, Brian Dawson opens up about:Why he officially left radioFeeling like the industry was moving too slowBuilding his DJ brand outside the stationMaking more money beyond radioOutgrowing comfort and betting on himselfThe business of media, branding, and longevityThis is more than a podcast episode — it’s a real conversation about growth, ownership, and knowing when it’s time to move on.📍 Recorded at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles🎙️ Subscribe to Capital City Podcast:▶️ YouTube: @capitalcity919🌐 Website: www.capitalcitypodcast.comFollow Capital City Podcast:📸 Instagram: @capital.city.podcast#BrianDawson #CapitalCityPodcast #Radio #Podcast #HipHopCulture
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Capital City Podcast #141 "Is Cheap Equipment Holding You Back? DJs, Podcasters & Creators Need This Talk"
Apr 700:35:40Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Capital City Podcast, Capital J and DL Glass break down a question every DJ, podcaster, producer, filmmaker, and creator has to face: does the quality of your equipment really matter?From DJ controllers, microphones, speakers, and wires to cameras, laptops, CDs, tapes, and studio gear, this conversation gets real about the difference between cheap equipment and true quality. Capital J gives the DJ perspective, while DL Glass speaks from the sound, film, and production side.This is bigger than gear talk. This episode is really about leveling up, investing in your craft, and understanding that what you use can directly affect how people experience your work. Sometimes budget gear can get you started, but sooner or later, quality becomes impossible to ignore.If you create music, record podcasts, DJ events, shoot video, or care about doing things the right way, this episode is for you.In this episode: • Does expensive equipment really sound better? • Why used quality can beat brand-new junk • How cheap gear limits growth • The truth about microphones, speakers, controllers, and cables • Why leveling up your equipment is part of leveling up yourselfCapital City Podcast, Capital J, DL Glass, does quality matter, quality equipment, cheap vs expensive gear, DJ equipment, podcast equipment, microphone quality, audio quality, sound quality, film equipment, video production gear, music production equipment, hip hop podcast, DJ controller, studio microphones, podcast microphones, content creator equipment, invest in your craft, creator growth, professional audio gear, beginner DJ gear, podcast studio setup, quality over cheap
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Capital City Podcast #140 "Is Regional Music Dead? How Hip-hop Lost Its Local Sound"
Mar 3100:37:07Tap to summarizeIs regional music dead? In this episode of Capital City Podcast, Capital J and DL Glass dig into one of the most important questions in music culture today: has hip-hop lost its local identity?From go-go, bounce, hyphy, Detroit rap, Miami bass, chopped and screwed, and Southern Soul to the rise of national sounds driven by streaming and industry consolidation, this conversation breaks down how regional scenes once shaped the culture—and why that lane may be disappearing.The fellas also get into how local artists used to build real momentum in their own cities, why certain sounds crossed over while others stayed home, and whether today’s music business leaves any room for regional styles to become national movements again.If you care about hip-hop history, local scenes, radio, artist development, and the evolution of Black music culture, this is one you need to hear.
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Capital City Podcast #139 "How Skating Rinks Helped Spread Hip-Hop Across America"
Mar 2400:23:11Tap to summarizeBefore hip-hop took over mainstream radio and clubs, it had to grow somewhere. In this episode, Capital J and DL Glass take listeners back to the skating rink era — when rinks like Sports World gave young people their first taste of nightlife, music culture, fashion, DJing, and live hip-hop energy. From Rocky Mount to Greenville to cities across the country, this conversation breaks down how skating rinks became a major part of spreading hip-hop beyond New York and into small-town America. This is part history lesson, part memory lane, and all culture.
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Capital City Podcast #138 “AI is About to Replace DJs… and Nobody is Ready”
Mar 1700:23:15Tap to summarizeIn Episode 138, Capital J and Dana Glass tackle a question shaking music culture right now: Will AI kill the DJs? From AI-generated playlists and Apple Music blending songs to the decline of radio and the rise of non-DJ party hosts, this episode breaks down how technology is changing the value of real DJ skill, live performance, MCing, and music discovery. Is AI just a tool, or is it quietly replacing the art form? This is a real conversation about where music, radio, and DJ culture may be headed next.
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Capital City Podcast #137 “ The Old Welcomes The New: Young Artists “Old Heads” Actually Rock With"
Feb 1600:27:23Tap to summarizeWho really bridges the hip-hop generation gap in 2025—young heads the old heads rock with, and old heads the young crowd still plays? Capital J and DL Glass break down the “grown folks party” test: who makes it into the room, who gets skipped, and why the sound has drifted so far that some new artists don’t translate at all.We talk Glorilla’s Memphis familiarity, why some “ratchet” joints still move aunties, how Kendrick became a universal party pick, and why the career-boost feature (young artist pulling an OG back into relevance) barely happens anymore—until we land on a few real examples.🎧 If you enjoyed it: download the episode, share it with one friend, and leave a review (it helps more than you think).Episode notes (show notes)Topic: Generational crossover in hip-hop (young ↔ old), club DJ reality check, and feature “cosigns” that revive careers.Highlights:Defining “old heads” (35–55) vs “young heads” (15–25) and what “resonates” actually means in real partiesGrown folks party approvals: Glorilla, Sexy Red (sometimes), Megan Thee Stallion, and why familiarity mattersClub DJ perspective: why the % of new music that works for 35–55 feels smaller nowKendrick’s new “every age group” status (post-beef momentum)The flip: old heads young folks still request (Drake, etc.)Why “pulling an OG back up” through features is rare nowExamples that did work (re-introducing an older artist to a new audience)Quick salute / moment for Rich Homie Quan (RIP) and crossover resonance
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Capital City Podcast #136 "Hip-Hop’s Slippery Slope: Raunchy Rap, Gang Culture, Mumble Era… Who Opened the Door?"
Feb 900:40:49Tap to summarizeHip-hop didn’t jump to “extreme” overnight—it evolved. In this episode, Capital J and D.L. Glass break down the progression pattern that keeps repeating in the culture: something small shows up, nobody checks it, then years later it explodes into the new normal.From raunchy rap shifting from “you had to be at the show” to on wax to full-on image + brand, to gang culture going from references… to real affiliations… to “every crew is a gang,” to violence becoming content, to raunchy male rap hitting a ceiling, to the mumble/SoundCloud era where “unpolished” stopped being a dealbreaker—this conversation connects the dots in a way that’s going to have you pausing, rewinding, and arguing in the comments.And yes… y’all heard it right: they put KRS-One, N.W.A., Master P, Lil’ Kim, and today’s artists on the same timeline and ask the question everybody avoids:Did the culture choose this… or did it get conditioned into it?0:00 – Cold open / behind-the-scenesJ talks remixing the podcast theme and how the show has evolved (audio + occasional YouTube video).0:56 – The episode thesis: “the progression”D.L. lays out the core idea: “bad/tough stuff” in hip-hop often starts small, gets ignored, then balloons into its most extreme form.1:35 – Topic 1: Raunchy female rap’s timelineEarly era: raunchy mostly a live-show thing (not always on record). First “shock on wax” moments (example mentioned: BWP). Lil’ Kim as a turning point: lyrics + image + photoshoot era. The “normalized” moment: what used to be scandal becomes everyday.6:00 – The culture’s desensitization effect“Went from ‘Oh my God’ to ‘Who cares?’” The bigger point: once the shock wears off, the next extreme has to be louder to get attention.7:30 – Topic 2: “Gay rapper” progressionArgument: this trend hasn’t “floodgated” yet the way others did, but the pathway looks familiar. Discussion of artists pushing boundaries and the idea that time determines what becomes normalized.10:00 – Topic 3: Gang culture 1.0 → 2.0 → 3.0West Coast storytelling era → real affiliations becoming visible → “everything is a gang” era. Conversation shifts to how mass appeal + branding can make dangerous identities feel “cool.”13:45 – Topic 4: Violence in hip-hopViolent imagery existed early (movies, covers, stage presence). Debate around “who introduced it” vs “who trivialized it.” Timeline logic: early shocks → pauses → later explosions → today’s extreme outcomes.18:00 – “Mentorship vs outcome” momentA big “what if” discussion: how different paths and guidance could have changed outcomes.19:00 – Topic 5: Raunchy male rap reaching the ceilingFrom novelty raunch to mainstream—then into on-stage extremes. They argue it’s hit the “pinnacle” where there’s nowhere else to go.23:30 – Topic 6: Mumble rap / “unacceptable becoming acceptable”Debate around Master P opening the door for unpolished sound to reach the masses. Connection to the SoundCloud era: polish stopped being required to “finish the race.”29:00 – Topic 7: R&B following rap’s raunchy curveR&B examples across eras and the argument that it’s on the same path, just not fully “exploded” yet.31:30 – The “negative trends spread faster than positive” takeawayWhy positivity doesn’t create a wave the same way controversy does.33:00 – Topic 8: Street code → oversharing eraFrom silence about real life to broadcasting everything (social media, diss cycles, public beefs). Monetization + attention economy as the accelerant.38:00 – “Trivializing violence” discussionThe difference between “meaningful” violence vs “casual” violence in lyrics and skits, and how that shapes listeners.40:00 – Closing thoughts + final punchlineThey call for a progression of positive and end with the “2026” reality check.
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Capital CIty Podcast #135 "From Crates to Waveforms: How DJ Culture Really Changed” (w/ Deron Juan)
Feb 200:53:00Tap to summarizeThe club looks the same… but everything about DJ’ing—and the crowd—has changed.Capital J and D.L. Glass sit down with Deron Juan (102 Jamz / Heavy Hitters) to break down the real shift from the vinyl era to today’s waveform era: why DJs run through songs faster, how attention spans (and social media) changed the whole party, why dance floors are basically extinct, and what DJs used to have to do (scratching, bringing it back, “save-me” records) just to survive a night.They also get into the truth about multi-DJ lineups, promoters chasing flyer hype over execution, and how Deron Juan still breaks records—using radio + social media—like the new-school version of what DJs used to do with pure influence.If you ever wondered why parties don’t feel like “back in the day,” this one explains it from the people who lived both eras.Tap in, share it with a DJ, and tell us: are today’s parties better… or just different?
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Capital CIty Podcast #134 "The Worst Things to Happen in Hip-Hop” : From Scott La Rock to Streaming (feat. M Woods)
Jan 2600:45:11Tap to summarizeOn this episode of the Capital City Podcast, Capital J and D.L. Glass are joined by M Woods to debate a heavy question: what’s the worst thing to ever happen in hip-hop? Starting at the beginning with Scott La Rock’s death, the conversation moves through major turning points like the Biz Markie sampling lawsuit, the rise of violence and gang/drug culture, Tupac signing to Death Row, the deaths of Tupac and Biggie, and how tit-for-tat beef still echoes today.They also dig into modern shifts—streaming payouts, YouTube as the new Wild West, and how hip-hop became the lens the world uses to view Black culture. Tap in, then email your take on the worst thing to happen in hip-hop to info@overheartv.com.
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