Cipha Sounds | ROC Solid w/ Memphis Bleek

Summary

ROC Solid with Memphis Bleek: Episode Recap

Episode: “Cipha Sounds | ROC Solid w/ Memphis Bleek”

Date: April 7, 2026
Host: Memphis Bleek
Guest: Cipha Sounds

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Overview

This episode of ROC Solid dives into the life and journey of Cipha Sounds — legendary DJ, producer, radio personality, hip-hop tastemaker, early podcast pioneer, and comedic force. Memphis Bleek and Cipha share deep, unfiltered stories from New York’s hip-hop golden era, reminisce about the Tunnel club, Hot 97, Roc-A-Fella history, and highlight Cipha’s role in breaking major acts (notably Rihanna). They critically examine the shifts in the industry from radio to streaming, what’s missing in hip-hop culture today, the realities behind fame and respect, and Cipha’s unique movement from the DJ booth to comedy stages worldwide.

Their back-and-forth is raw, hilarious, insightful, and packed with lessons and realness about the game, past and present.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Career & DJ Beginnings

• Cipha's Come-up: Started as Lil' Kim’s DJ during her solo breakout in ‘96, earning just $300/week (05:15).

  “I was getting in her first promo run. ’96, $300 a week.” – Cipha (06:07)

• Grind Mentality: Both recall never being properly paid per diem on tour (06:26).
• Behind The Hot 97 Link: Landed Hot 97 slot through the Tunnel club and association with Funkmaster Flex (07:37).
• Tunnel Club Era: The Tunnel is revered as the true proving ground of New York street culture and music (08:59).

  “The Tunnel nightclub was, like, the illest club in New York City. It was, like, for music and culture, it was the purest of purest street shit it could possibly be.” – Cipha (08:59)

2. The Power of DJs & The Bad Boy Era

• DJs like Cipha, Big Kap, and Enough were pivotal in breaking Bad Boy’s music via Hot 97, creating a tight network shaping what records blew up NYC-wide (10:07).

  “If you wanted to know if you had the streets, you had to go to the Tunnel... if it wasn’t poppin’ there, you did not have the streets at all. Right?” – Memphis Bleek (09:11)

• Puff Daddy recognized their influence and once challenged them, “If I took every one of your Bad Boy records out of your crate right now, could you do a party tonight?” (10:41).

3. Mixtape Era & Influences

• Doo Wop, SNS, Ron G, Clark Kent, Premier, Pete Rock were icons shaping Cipha’s approach.
• Cipha viewed DJing initially as a step toward producing — “I thought you had to DJ to be a producer.” (12:46)

4. Old School vs. New School – Skills, Technology, and Respect

• Challenges of DJing on vinyl, needle breaks, and “cheating” with technology (13:15).
• Cipha criticizes younger generations for not respecting or researching the roots:

  “Kids nowadays don’t even try to look back... and I’m like, yeah, but that’s where you get the talent from.” – Cipha (14:26)

• Blasting Lil Yachty’s disregard for “Rapper’s Delight”:

  “That’s blasphemy. They should take his rap card for that.” – Memphis Bleek (15:02)

5. Evolution and Decline of Radio’s Cultural Power

• Radio’s influence shifted with CD changers and then streaming (16:46).
• Cipha clarifies radio is more for passive, everyday listeners; real heads always seek music elsewhere (16:46).
• Importance of radio “sneaking in” underground tracks:

  “But I have a corporate obligation... so I could sneak in my Mos Def, sneak in that Pharoahe Monch, sneak in Big L…” – Cipha (20:23)

6. Radio Politics, Loyalty, and Personal Stories

• Bleek recounts lacking support from some DJs, notably DJ Enuff — a story about a record (“Like That”) Enuff helped Bleek with but never played (22:34).
• Cipha stresses not taking industry slights personally — it’s business.

7. The First Hip-Hop Podcast – Juan Epstein

• Juan Epstein (with Peter Rosenberg): Cipha insists they were the first true hip-hop podcast, created to test morning show chemistry before podcasting made money (24:38).
• The show captured unique, in-depth stories from A-list artists.

  “There’s still some stories that were told on Juan EP that have not been told anywhere else.” – Cipha (26:57)

• Snoop Dogg interview after Nate Dogg’s death; Kanye on “You Ain’t Got the Answers Sway” day (27:11).

8. Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, and A&R Work

• Cipha broke Rihanna and Nina Sky, helped Sean Paul get his deal, was key in Caribbean music’s NYC radio acceptance (34:09, 36:48).
• Revisits the story of Rihanna’s signing at Def Jam, arguing with Hov about her overnight potential (38:09).
• Cipha never feels he gets enough credit for A&R work or musical contributions (73:02).

9. Transition to Comedy & Chappelle Show

• Inspired by Dave Chappelle while DJing for the Chappelle Show; Dave pushed him into stand-up, recognizing Cipha’s comedic timing (47:00).
• Blends DJing and comedy, especially within New York’s toughest crowds — “The worst people to do jokes for: Jamaican crowds. They don’t laugh at nothing.” – Cipha (52:05)

10. Reflections on Respect, Longevity, and Legacy

• Real talk about being left out of hip-hop’s central narratives (‘flowers while living’ theme) (73:02).

  “I always wonder why I get left out of so many stories and situations...I must have missed a step somewhere.” – Cipha (73:02)

• Bleek suggests Cipha moves to new roles too quickly for people to give him flowers; Cipha values the love over money.
• Cipha’s loyalty to Hov, OG Juan, and Dez — praise for their work ethic and mutual support.

  “All the power and success they have, they still will go the extra mile...I think that gets underappreciated.” – Memphis Bleek (56:33)

• “There’s not a person in the world who don’t want a picture with Jay Z.” – Cipha (57:47)

11. The Changing Energy of Hip-Hop Engagement

• Loss of mass “event” moments as streaming fragmented the culture (63:14).
• Artists don’t “touch the people” like before; social, physical engagement is missing (68:20).
• Cipha and Bleek reminisce about fan connection stories, the necessity of being present.

12. Advice and Wisdom for Aspiring Music Industry Players

• Do whatever it takes — early, stay late, work for free, provide value (79:03).

  “Work in a club, DJ for free and kill it to the point where...when the other DJ’s late, you gotta stay an extra hour.” – Cipha (80:45)

• On Funk Flex: his tireless communication, relentless work, and that “the only thing that matters [in radio] is the ratings” (82:19).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Your personality has always fit this world... The technology and the media caught up to what you already [had].” – Cipha to Bleek (04:20)
• “There’s a group of people in New York City... Gold medal shit talkers.” – Cipha (58:55)
• “All we did was talk about me. I got so many Roc stories, yo,” – Cipha (84:30)
• “Give the legends the flowers while they still can smell them. Don’t wait till they in the air, because then we can’t see them and we not gonna care.” – Memphis Bleek (84:17)
• “Pay your friends. Love, support, recognition... Don’t ask for discounts at your friend’s business.” – Cipha (83:11)

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Notable Segments & Timestamps

• [03:10] Welcome and Cipha’s Early Career, Lil’ Kim DJ stories
• [08:59] “The Tunnel” – history of NY clubs & street culture
• [10:41] Puff Daddy and the DJs: shaping NY Hip-Hop
• [14:26] DJ technology and new school vs. old school tension
• [16:46] Radio’s changing impact and Hot 97’s legacy
• [20:23] “Sneaking in” real hip-hop on commercial radio
• [22:34] Memphis Bleek’s “Like That” and radio politics
• [24:38] The invention of the hip-hop podcast: Juan Epstein
• [34:09 & 36:48] Behind breaking Rihanna and Nina Sky
• [38:09] Rihanna’s legendary Def Jam signing story
• [47:00] Cipha’s leap into comedy, inspired by Chappelle
• [52:05] “Worst crowds to do comedy for: Jamaican crowds”
• [73:02] Cipha Sounds on not getting his due in hip-hop
• [80:45] Advice for young up-and-comers: “work for free, build value”
• [83:11] New project promo: “Pay Your Friends” show/podcast

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Final Thoughts

The episode is a masterclass in hip-hop history, industry survival, and personal evolution. Both Cipha and Bleek give a no-holds-barred look at the rollercoaster paths of NYC legends — hustling through endless side gigs, learning from giants, winning and losing in the shifting game, and still having love for “the culture.” The refrain: Do it for the love, stay outside, give credit, and give flowers now, not later.

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Recommended Listening:
For anyone passionate about hip-hop history, radio’s twilight, the origins of podcasts, or real stories from those who truly built New York’s rap culture — this is a must.

Transcript

[Cypher Sounds]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Daniel Alarcon]

I'm Daniel Alarcon and this is my friend. He's much more famous than I am.

[John Green]

I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co host of the podcast the Away End with my old friend Daniel.

[Daniel Alarcon]

On our podcast the Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.

[John Green]

Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. Coming up this season on Math and Magic, CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario.

[Cypher Sounds]

People think that creative ideas are like these light bulb moments that happen when you're in the shower where it's really like a stone sculpture. You're constantly just chipping away and refining.

[Bob Pittman]

Take to interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick and her own Chief Business officer, Lisa Coffey. Listen to math and Magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Memphis Bleak]

What up, y'?

[Cypher Sounds]

All?

[Memphis Bleak]

This your main man, Memphis Bleak, right here. Welcome to Rock Solid, a production of iHeartRadio and the Black Effect Network, in partnership with my guys over at Drink Champs.

[Cypher Sounds]

You should know by now. You should know by now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, y'. All. You already know what it is. Yours truly, M. Greasy Myth Bleak back with another exclusive episode of Rock Solid. And I got one of my guys right here. I mean, when I started this, this is one of the first guys who interviewed me, so. So it's an honor for me to interview him. He was the voice of New York. I watched this guy set blazes in many different trails in this game. So to be sitting here kicking it with him, finding out what's the latest trail he blazing right now is an honor. Let's welcome my guy, Cypher Sounds to the building. What's up, my guy?

[Cypher Sounds]

Thank you so much.

[Memphis Bleak]

How you been, bro?

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm in. Great. Healthy, alive.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yep, that part right, man. Thank you for that great intro, people.

[Cypher Sounds]

Man, before you even start with me, I don't give a shit about any of that. I wanna say, here's my intro. I've been trying to call this guy for a while. I had an old number. I wanna tell you.

[Memphis Bleak]

You had the rapper number. This is a journalist number.

[Cypher Sounds]

I had a rapper number. I did have a rapper.

[Memphis Bleak]

You did.

[Cypher Sounds]

I wanna tell you, Ro, of all these people jumping into this world, you are one of the illest to do it.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, man.

[Cypher Sounds]

And not only that, your personality has already always fit this world. Is the technology and the media caught up to what you already. How you've been? The reason why you're so good on this is the reason why we love you. And it just happened to just work out perfectly the timing of what you're doing and the stories you got out here. And it's no negative energy.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, yeah. Nah, man. You know, I ain't never. We ain't.

[Cypher Sounds]

That's what I'm saying.

[Memphis Bleak]

I ain't been doing that.

[Cypher Sounds]

It's an honor for me to be here, man.

[Memphis Bleak]

Nah, man, definitely appreciate it, man. Shout out my guy, Nori. Cause if it wasn't for Nore, I would not be doing this.

[Cypher Sounds]

Right.

[Memphis Bleak]

He saw this, I didn't.

[Cypher Sounds]

Right.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know what I mean? So I got to give Nore all the credit. I didn't believe Nore, but, yo, let's get to my guy, man. Cause a lot of people know you from Hot 97.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Let's start before I know you as Kim DJ.

[Cypher Sounds]

Right, right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Who is Lil Kim DJ before 37?

[Cypher Sounds]

Yup. My first job in the industry. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

So let's talk about that. How did you get that? That with the Queen beat?

[Cypher Sounds]

I mean, I think I just was a very reliable young DJ in the game. Opening up at the Tunnel for Funk Flex and all those people. And then the woman member, Jessica, that used to run a tunnel, she was very cool with all the classic Kim and Biggie people. So, you know, Kim was going. Kim was basically leaving. Not leaving Junior mafia, but doing her solo run. And they needed a DJ for her. Cause Enough was Biggie's dj. And then Junior mafia, kind of just whoever Biggie's DJ was. So she needed her own. And I got plugged in and I was getting in her first promo run. 96, $300 a week.

[Memphis Bleak]

A week. Not a show a week.

[Cypher Sounds]

Oh, nigga. A week. Oh.

[Memphis Bleak]

Kim was pocketing that bag.

[Cypher Sounds]

And to this day. To this day. And I never bring it up in a disresp. Respectful way, but Kim, Un Jacob, y' all motherfuckers still owe me per diem from all those shows. Yo.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, we were supposed to get per diem, yo. Bringing up per diem, you know, I didn't have a clue what she meant until I. Until the Hard Knock Life tour where she was like, niggas can't eat without per diem. To me, that was just a cool line until I really couldn't eat till that per deal.

[Cypher Sounds]

Per deal, bro.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, that shit was important.

[Cypher Sounds]

I think it was 35 a day.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, y' all was doing good. HOV was looking out. They was giving us 275 a week on the Hard knock.

[Cypher Sounds]

They had to get 275 a week for shows. Yeah, that was bad.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, that's crazy.

[Cypher Sounds]

But it was promo time, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

And promo is usually free.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, she wasn't getting no money. She was on the road doing all these little radio station shows and.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, so she was just even paying you off? Promo run.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, nah, Kim, My bad. She wasn't pocketing that.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, no, no, no.

[Memphis Bleak]

She's a good one.

[Cypher Sounds]

It's halfway.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's probably why my D never got paid for promo.

[Cypher Sounds]

I ain't get paid. You ain't get paid. I got paid for promo.

[Memphis Bleak]

We grinded.

[Cypher Sounds]

But halfway through, when she started getting money and still saved 300 a week, I was like, don't my shit go up? Cause yours went up. Oh, my God.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy.

[Cypher Sounds]

That's a good idea.

[Memphis Bleak]

So the little chem play and all that, that's what led into Hot 97. How did that come about?

[Cypher Sounds]

No, Hot 97 was through the Tunnel and Funkmaster Flex. So Kim was like. I was lucky. Cause Kim would be working Wednesday through Saturday. Whatever. And the Tunnel was Sunday nights. Yes. So I could get home and still do the Tunnel.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, how old was you back then? About, what, 18?

[Cypher Sounds]

Nah, 20. 19. 20.

[Memphis Bleak]

The tunnel.

[Cypher Sounds]

Tunnel was different.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, it was wild, bro. Like, I haven't been to a club like that still to this day.

[Cypher Sounds]

Never. Never.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't think it'll ever be, but,

[Cypher Sounds]

nah, it was one of a kind. And the nights you were in there. I got tapes, bro. I got. Nobody had cameras back then. The Choke. No joke. And Mr. Excitement.

[Memphis Bleak]

Who?

[Cypher Sounds]

He got his own issues.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. Choke even fighting for his tapes. I ain't mad at these dudes, man. It's history. And it's like, you gotta pay that back.

[Cypher Sounds]

Whoever owns the camera technically owns the tape. So make sure you make an agreement with this guy, whoever your guy is.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cause he looked.

[Cypher Sounds]

He looked fishy.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, he couldn't.

[Cypher Sounds]

Sketchy.

[Memphis Bleak]

He couldn't even get up in the fridge. So we ain't worried about him. He ain't even figured out the freight problem yet, bro.

[Cypher Sounds]

I had a little camcorder, and I got. I still got. I'm looking for an adapter now so I could transfer the. I got the old tapes and the old camera. I gotta transfer it to digital.

[Memphis Bleak]

You need Yoda, Guru Guru got all that shit. All you gotta do is tell him what you got. He like, I got that, right?

[Cypher Sounds]

Boom. Send it to.

[Memphis Bleak]

Trust me.

[Cypher Sounds]

So the Tunnel nightclub was, like, the illest club in New York City. It was, like, for music and culture, it was the purest of purest street shit it could possibly be.

[Memphis Bleak]

If you wanted to know if you had the Streets, if you had the Streets, you had to go to the Tunnel because it wasn't popping in the Tunnel. You did not have the Streets at all. Right?

[Cypher Sounds]

You might have the bougie, you might have the mainstream, but the Streets, yes. So I was in there as a Young Buck. And I was. Bro, I had to play early. Cause what happened in the tunnel was they used to DJ. They used to have first 500 girls free.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yep, I remember that.

[Cypher Sounds]

But it was like from up to 11 o'. Clock. So I had to DJ at like 9 o' clock with 400 girls that got in for free. In a club that holds 3,000.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yep. And that's when they start charging us 1,100 to get in. Cause there's 400 girls in there. Free.

[Cypher Sounds]

Free. So then I was. I played for. So I was the man with the R and B. Cause, you know, I was playing for just girls until, like, midnight. And then DJ Big Cap would get on. Rest in peace.

[Memphis Bleak]

Rest in peace, Big Cap.

[Cypher Sounds]

Then I would get back on, play a half hour of reggae, and then Flex would get on, and the night would explode.

[Memphis Bleak]

Before I let you finish, I just realized something. Yeah. As a kid, I always wondered how the hell Bad Boy had so much pull with Hot 97. Yeah. All of y' all was they DJs. Big Cap, DJ for Biggie. Enough. DJ for Junior Mafia. You DJ for Hot Night for Lil Kim. This is why they records played all day, y'.

[Cypher Sounds]

All.

[Memphis Bleak]

This is why y' all had no slap time. All right? We finally cracked the code.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yo, Puff said one time, Puff said to us, all the DJs, he was like. He's like, if I took every one of your Bad Boy records out of your crate right now, could you do a party tonight? And we was like, this is like 98. And we was like, we could, but it won't be good. Yo, chill said we could, but it won't be good.

[Memphis Bleak]

You tell me.

[Cypher Sounds]

No biggie, no flavor in your ear, no total, no faith, no whatever. Nothing.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn. And we were like, nah, some of these records still play today, man. Come on.

[Cypher Sounds]

112 today. You still playing these records today as a DJ, right? Let's say if I go to a. Let's say I'm gonna go play a country party. Let's say I get hired to do some weird country shit, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

Okay.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'll call up a DJ that knows country music. And I'll say to him, what's the Benjamins of country? That's our guideline. What's the Benjamins of reggae? What's the Benjamins of house? Give me 10 of those. Cause to us, the Benjamins is the record that it tells you the top record of a certain genre.

[Memphis Bleak]

That makes sense. I get that. I get that. Man, you from the bx, man. As a Bronx Kid. Coming up, the mixtape era. Like, what DJs would you say you got your influence from or studied before you got in the games?

[Cypher Sounds]

There's a lot I used to like. Doo Wop is my favorite.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, man, Doo Wop, that's my guy. Doo Wop got all his tapes. Not to go off from you.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, I know.

[Memphis Bleak]

Did you know he got all his mixtapes ever made as an archive where you could buy it as a download?

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, he got a flash drive.

[Memphis Bleak]

You ended at them Doo Wop tapes. He got it available.

[Cypher Sounds]

The illest. And the reason why I love Doo Wop is the, you know, the music everybody had. SNS was great. Craig G was great. Ron G, Chill, Will. But Doo Wop had the illest mic game and he could rap. So to me, he was like everything. His tapes were the best to me. But like, yeah, I get. But really I wanted to be a producer first.

[Memphis Bleak]

No way.

[Cypher Sounds]

So, yeah. So my influence is Premiere, Pete Rock, Clark Kent. Those guys.

[Memphis Bleak]

Rest in peace, Clark Kent.

[Cypher Sounds]

I thought you had to DJ to be a producer. Cause they were all DJs. I didn't know. I was young, so I was like, oh, let me, let me learn how to DJ.

[Memphis Bleak]

A lot of producers were DJs.

[Cypher Sounds]

Were DJs. That's how you get, you know, how, you know, to make certain club bangers. So I was following. I thought you had to learn how to DJ to be a producer. I didn't want to do parties until I got older. I just thought like, all right, so you have to scratch on your beats. So I have to learn how to scratch. I didn't know about parties yet.

[Memphis Bleak]

I tried that. I didn't know you had to be light handed to be a dj.

[Cypher Sounds]

What, you're heavy handed?

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, shit was bad. Needles breaking. Remember, these kids don't even got to worry about needles breaking. They could throw it in they little serato, they little machine. They don't know that even on stage. Remember you a real dj. You did them shows. You used to have to tell, stop jumping on the stage. You making the record skip. Like you one of them DJs who probably had to put the coin on the joint.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, it was. You taped it. Taped a quarter on the needle, yo,

[Memphis Bleak]

so it won't skip. These are the things these young rappers today will never ever experience. And I feel like that's what takes away from a lot of the talent. Agree to disagree or disagree, like. Cause I feel like back then you had to go on the fly. Like as a DJ in the mc, you would Throw on a break beat, I just start rhyming.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Or if we had a show. The wreck is skip. There is no yo, starting from the beginning. Bring that back. We had to be on time to catch it right there. Like, what part is skip to? Okay, we right here now.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't think these kids will be able to survive.

[Cypher Sounds]

Nah. The problem now with technology is that it's too easy. Yes. And I'm not knock. I use a lot of the stuff to make it easier.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. I love it.

[Cypher Sounds]

But it seems like the kids nowadays. And I don't like talking bad about kids. It seems like the kids nowadays don't even try to look back to see what it was. They're like, ah, y' all old, y' all cook, y' all corny, y' all boomers. And I'm like, yeah, but that's where you get the talent from.

[Memphis Bleak]

You heard the little homie just say, what is the hip, the hard, the all. That was whack. Like, what was my man name? Who just said that, man? Lil Yachty. Oh, that's his name. He tried to shit on the old school Rapper's Delight. How can you.

[Cypher Sounds]

I know.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's blasphemy. They should take his rap card for that. That's bad.

[Cypher Sounds]

You can't shit on forefathers, man. I don't play Rapper's Delight every day in my car. But back then, I would never shit on it. Like, it's yo, listen, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's a fact. None of us would be here today. He wouldn't even be having this conversation if it wasn't for that record.

[Cypher Sounds]

With millions, you have millions.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, it's impossible to say that. Like, I get it. A lot of these kids, music don't resonate with us. It might not be for us, but my son like the kids. It resonate with them because you can't. I love my son. This is my guy. I raised him to the core, but I cannot tell him that. What's the Homie that Got the Baby by Iggy Azalea. I'm bad with these new names.

[Cypher Sounds]

Playboi Carti to him.

[Memphis Bleak]

Playboi Carti Killing Hov. He like what? Playboi Carti the best. But I can't tell him he ain't. That's his era, right?

[Cypher Sounds]

I just. I just hate.

[Memphis Bleak]

But he respect the old school. He not gonna sit there and tell me. Yeah, but Run DMC was whack, dad. He know we fighting. That's When I'm gonna really see if you a man now, shorty. Word.

[Cypher Sounds]

So it's not child abuse anymore.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm fucking you up now.

[Cypher Sounds]

Man to man.

[Memphis Bleak]

Word up. So radio once dictated what I feel like. You know, people say it broke what went on in New York, but New York dictated what was the world. Hot 97 was the key to everything. Whatever broke on Hot 97 went everywhere else.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

How you feel it changed with the streaming and everything.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, even before that, it changed with. It changed with multi disc CD changes in your car. Cause you could play not just one cd, you could go through a bunch and then it went to MP3s and now streaming. So a lot of the attention went away from radio. But here's the thing about radio though. Radio was never for people like us who are like really, really into the music and into the culture because we would go find our ways to find other music anyway. Radio is more of a passive listen to people who kind of just like listening to music on the way to work and on the way to the store. So for them, radio still rocks.

[Memphis Bleak]

Hell yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

They still fuck with it. Yeah, they still fuck with it. Like when real underground hip hop people used to yell at me like, yo, why are you not playing? I'm like, bro, radio's not for that. You're underground. Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this rush hour ad to keep you calm, which could help your driving. And science says therapy is great for a healthy mindset. So enjoy this 14 second session on us. I think you've done everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, anything that hasn't gone your way could probably be blamed on your father not being emotionally available because his father was an emotional available and so on. And now that you're calm and healing, you're probably driving better too. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[Amy Robach]

This is Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes from the Amy TJ podcast.

[TJ Holmes]

And there is so much news, information, commentary coming at you all day and from all over the place.

[Amy Robach]

What's fact, what's fake, and sometimes what

[TJ Holmes]

the f. So let's cut the crap, okay? Follow the AmyNTJ podcast, a one stop news and pop culture shop to get you caught up and on with your day.

[Amy Robach]

And listen to Amy and TJ on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Edwin Castro (Castro 1021)]

Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021, and I'm Conky, his best friend and business manager. And we've got A new show called the 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Cypher Sounds]

I went and sat on the little ottoman in front of him.

[Memphis Bleak]

I was, hi, dad.

[Cypher Sounds]

And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen and she says, I have some cookies and milk. This is badass, convict. Right? Just finished five. I'm gonna have cookies and milk at mom. Yeah.

[Cino Show Host]

On the Cino Show Podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trail to talk about addiction transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Haddish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm an alcoholic, and without this problem, I'm gonna die.

[Cino Show Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the Cino show, and listen now.

[Cypher Sounds]

And I always try to mix it in where I can. Yes, but underground is a thing. You love it so much. I also love it so much. But I have a corporate obligation. In order for me to keep my job, in order for me, who was a underground backpack nerd hip hop guy, I gotta play 8, 9, 10 mainstream records. So I could sneak in my most def. So I could sneak in that Farrell Manch, sneak in Big L in between that's Crazy, Ja Rule and Memphis Bleak, you know what I mean? Like, and that's how we did it.

[Memphis Bleak]

I wasn't mainstream.

[Cypher Sounds]

He was mainstream in New York. He was sometimes. Yeah. But, you know, in the mix sometimes.

[Memphis Bleak]

A lot of. Yo, listen, I love my New York City DJs. I'm never gonna shit on y'. All. I don't take nothing personal. Cause it was all rap. It was a career. Like, it don't matter if we worked in fucking food and beverage. You might not have took some of my deliveries this day. It don't matter. So I look at it the same way. It's nothing personal. It's the job. But a lot of y' all from Hot for the ones that I say didn't look out. The ones that did outweigh that. Like when it come down to you, Mr. Cease, Rest in peace, Sonny. D.J. envy. When he was over there. Fucking Flex. Looked out when he wanted to, when he wanted to. Sometimes Flex will give me that.

[Cypher Sounds]

Really?

[Memphis Bleak]

I ain't fucking with your man right now.

[Cypher Sounds]

Oh, that's true. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I caught a lot of that. And when Hov said, they don't play my hits, so if I don't play, they show. I don't give a shit to him. He did. I did. Cause they'd be like, okay, they don't care. We ain't playing hits on. We gonna stop Bleak and Bean shit. So that's the brunt we caught of that. So I couldn't take a lot of shit personal with people.

[Cypher Sounds]

Nah, you can't.

[Memphis Bleak]

Enough. Is my guy off. Off music. Like, man to man. I love DJ enough. I don't fuck with him.

[Cypher Sounds]

Really.

[Memphis Bleak]

I love him, though, as a brother. Like, wait, enough.

[Cypher Sounds]

Wasn't playing your shit back then, nigga.

[Memphis Bleak]

Want me to tell you a story about E?

[Cypher Sounds]

That's what we're here for.

[Memphis Bleak]

Listen. Like that, Swizz. Beats like that calls me bleak. I got it. I got the record. I'm like, word, you got it. I'm on my way. Wake Guru up. We in baseline. Wake guru ups. 3 o' clock in the morning, we go down there to Swizz Studio. Who in the studio with him? Enough, enough. The first person say to me, nah, Bleek, this. That joint right here. That beat crazy. So I'm like, all right, what record is it, Swizz? Play it like that. Tell me if it's like that. It's like that. Enough. Sat there like as if. Excuse me. Remember, you know, my crew, you know, bi, you remember Murder, Leaky, Proof, all them. He sat there with me like he was one of them while I'm writing the rhymes. Yeah, that's it. Yo, E, what you think? Yeah, bleep. That's it. Did the record. He like, yo, I'm telling you, Bleed. I said, go play that for Jay. Went played it for Jay. Jay, like, that's the single. We putting that out, E. There. I got you Bleak. We gonna run. That nigga ain't play the record once.

[Cypher Sounds]

Nah, that's not. I can't.

[Memphis Bleak]

Don't mind me. He ain't play the record once. And I don't know. I never ever asked him either. You know, I see him and never say, yo, bro. Yo, you walked me off the plank in New York City, left me for dinner.

[Cypher Sounds]

You gotta bring him up here.

[Memphis Bleak]

I got to. I want to. I'm mad it went the way it went. Cause then, now people Think I'm an interviewing for that, but. Nah, I need answers from back in the day. Why? Like, that ain't get played, and you helped me make it. He probably gave me a bar.

[Cypher Sounds]

Probably.

[Memphis Bleak]

I ain't give him no pub, that's why. You think that was it?

[Cypher Sounds]

Nah, Maybe. I don't know. That's a weird one. Cause if you in with me the

[Memphis Bleak]

whole time, bro, it never played. That record got more play in Africa than it did in New York City, I guarantee you.

[Cypher Sounds]

I wonder why. Maybe it had to be something political.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't know. My g. What made you like. You was one of the first that did this podcast thing. The Walt Epstein, like, you was doing this shit back in the day. Like, the first one to do it. What made you pivot from radio into that?

[Cypher Sounds]

And it wasn't a pivot, but first of all, I just. I don't. I hate to be, like an asshole and correct you on your own show. We were the first. Yeah, you said one of the first. There's no one. There's number one.

[Memphis Bleak]

Okay, my bad, my bad, my bad.

[Cypher Sounds]

Steam podcast is the first. Was the first hip hop podcast ever. I didn't know nothing about podcasts. They made me get the morning show with Rosenberg.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes, I remember.

[Cypher Sounds]

Never met the guy. Ebro put us together. He said, I think y' all will be good on a morning show. I said, before we start going on the mornings, let's just go in this back room right here and just talk to each other and record it and see how we sound together. See how we could, you know, make sure we click. Yeah, Chemistry. And he said, oh, we should record it and make it a podcast. And this is the early days of. There was only, like, news podcast, right? Like, podcast pod comes from iPod. So it was like something for the ipod. So I didn't even know that. Yeah, that's why it's called podcast. Yeah, it's the ipod. So we recorded it, and he would put it out, and people would come up like nerds, like, come coming to me, like, yo, I like the. What y' all doing with that guy Peter? So that's how we got our chemistry. So then we started doing the morning show. Never was it a pivot Podcast didn't make no money then. Nobody even knew how to.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's what I was gonna ask you.

[Cypher Sounds]

No money, nothing.

[Memphis Bleak]

I asked you about the monetization back then.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, there was none. There was none. Zero.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. Cause There was no YouTube yet.

[Cypher Sounds]

Probably no YouTube.

[Memphis Bleak]

Just started.

[Cypher Sounds]

YouTube just started putting podcasts recently. But what we got from it, the monetization wasn't money. It was the love, right? Bro, to this day, and me and Rosenberg, we got our ins and outs all the time. But us two together, two hip hop nerds, talking about hip hop with hip hop artists. Cause how we got all the artists is. Cause they were coming to Hot 97. And then we would say, hey, could you do me a favor? After we do the radio interview, can we go back here and talk on our podcast a little more in depth? And bro, we got everybody. And they told us the illest. A list. A list stories. To this day, I watched Noree, I watched Fat Joe, you, everybody. There's still some stories that were told on Walnut that have not been told anywhere else.

[Memphis Bleak]

Wow.

[Cypher Sounds]

So them shits are still.

[Memphis Bleak]

Them tapes is viable.

[Cypher Sounds]

They not video, though. That's the only part audio. So we gotta wait for the technology to make it, you know. But, bro, we had Snoop Dogg right after Nate Dogg died.

[Memphis Bleak]

Wow.

[Cypher Sounds]

And he happened to be on a promo run for something else. And he came in, the saddest person in the world. Like, he just lost.

[Memphis Bleak]

Never seen Snoop like that.

[Cypher Sounds]

It was the wildest shit I ever saw. And we're like, yo, can we talk to you in the back? And he was like. And like, no, we just want to ask you, you know, if you're feeling all right. And he talked to us, bro. It got him out of the zone. He said, thank y' all so much. You got me out of my fucking depression. Cause we were asking. The thing about Juan EP is we always asked about the music drama, bro. We interviewed Kanye Kim. Kardashian was in the room. We didn't give a fuck.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. Walking.

[Cypher Sounds]

Walking clip, bro.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's walking clip.

[Cypher Sounds]

Anywhere else where she would be, everybody would be trying to.

[Memphis Bleak]

We didn't get.

[Cypher Sounds]

We paid no disrespect. We paid no attention to her. We were asking him, hip, how come your drums and this song, you try to sound like Dilla? He's like, whoa, da da da da da. The same day, if you watch the clip, when Kanye went on Sway, you ain't got the answer to Sway. He left our show to go do that show. So he got the same clothes on. It's the same day, and we just add nerd ass, nerd hip hop shit. So the love of the music and the culture is what kept WNP alive for so many years. We never hit the jackpot, money wise, but the love. I can see someone in the airport and the way they talk to me. I Know they're a Won EP fan.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo bro, I see that with me doing this. Like, people that come up to me now and say something, it's like, yo, you listen to podcasts?

[Cypher Sounds]

Like, no way.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, you know who I am. Like, it's. My podcast is different.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, I don't think. No. How can I say this? Mail delivery service guy or transit service guy, police service guy, fireman service guy in New York City. Don't tune in to Rock Solid. Cause everywhere I go, they stopping me. Bleep. The episode was this. And then it's like, wow, you listening to this?

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm so great. You got great stories. You got great insight. You were there. That's the thing with you and with Nori was the best about y' all is like, you was. You could tell shit about when you was there backstage.

[Memphis Bleak]

Nah, that's a fact, bro. I was there. I was trying, man. Like, I watched you start. Like I said Lil Kim to the Hot 97 to the War app, then the morning show Takeover. Like, y' all was the first ones

[Cypher Sounds]

doing that Angela Yee. Word. You came on that show.

[Memphis Bleak]

I remember Yee before she got her deal. I remember Angela Yee, bro. When she first. This was in when the Shade 45. It was just the one building in DC, I believe.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

And she just got her. I guess it was her slot. She was just starting her new show, and she said to me, they'll bleak. It'd be dope if you give me a little interview real quick so I could get my name up. And I'm like, I got you. I think I was one of her first interviews. She got a, hey, you gotta show me some love and let him know I was the first. Like you said. There's no first of. I was the first.

[Cypher Sounds]

You ever saw the video where HOV punched Angela Yee? Never seen that.

[Memphis Bleak]

No.

[Cypher Sounds]

Oh, shit. He punched Angela Wade punched. Well, that's what it looks like.

[Memphis Bleak]

That wasn't her in the video.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, it's a video where he looks like he's punching Angela Yee. But her hair was on fire.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo chill.

[Cypher Sounds]

So he was putting out a fire.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, check chill. She had the Michael Jackson.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yo, D, I swear to God, I

[Memphis Bleak]

ain't never seen this video.

[Cypher Sounds]

It's not a big video. It's, like, grainy. It looks like. It looks like.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, Jay slapped Yo Chill.

[Cypher Sounds]

And then people like, yo, what's going on? And she was like, my hair was on fire.

[Memphis Bleak]

He was. Yo, man, so. But how did The Morning Show Shane 45, like, just doing radio and general. Change your whole aspect. Like, you said you wanted to be a producer, and now it's DJ World.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, yeah. No. Once I got to high 97, my beats weren't that good, so. My beats weren't that good.

[Memphis Bleak]

You never played the beat for me. So I can honestly say, you know, as a person, you know, like, this one ain't it.

[Cypher Sounds]

Let me chill. I didn't like my beats. So when I learned radio, I was like, all I say, yo, I'm Flex Funk Master Flexes. He's my mentor. I'm the mentee. I said, you know, he getting up there in age. He gonna retire soon, and then I'm gonna take his slot. And my whole career, my early career, was trying to get his slot. And then after a while, I said, this ain't going nowhere. I gotta change my direction, Bro. I remember the day I looked at him, I said, he ain't going nowhere. He ain't. I better get a personality and learn how to do mornings, because that's the other most important slot. And Angie had afternoons. Angie was there. I wouldn't even attempt to try to be like Angie.

[Memphis Bleak]

No.

[Cypher Sounds]

So I started working on my personality to get the morning show. And, you know, after years of being in the industry, talking my shit, I was always funny to my friends. In person, I was like, let me try to make that into this. Cause I didn't know how to talk. I just wanted to dj. But after a while, I did the morning show on shade 45, and then Hot 97 pulled me in back home. And it just became, like. Is the greatest. The greatest moments of my life talking to actual New York people. Going to work, going to school. That's the best part of it. The politics, the radio, all this shit. That's all bullshit. Talking to people. And then you see those people out.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

And they're like, yo, you get me going every day, or you help me with this? Or your story about your aunt made me feel this. Like, that's the. That was the key.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's dope, man. Cause damn, y' all even had Joe Buttons up there doing the morning show.

[Cypher Sounds]

Joe Button did before me?

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, word up, man.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, they saw it. They saw what's making him popping now. How nice. And I saw that back then. Yep.

[Memphis Bleak]

Word up, man. They was the first. They had everybody up there doing the morning show, but they. But then, you know, a lot of people see you do the comedy, but me, I saw something before that, after high 97, the pivot. You did before comedy, a Lot of people don't give you your props, man. Rihanna wouldn't be Rihanna if it wasn't for. She got the talent. But you had the vision. When Roc Nation, when Roc A fella

[Cypher Sounds]

was before Roc Nation, it was Rockefeller.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, it was Rockefeller, but he was the president of Def Jam.

[Cypher Sounds]

Def Jam.

[Memphis Bleak]

But when Roc Nation was being formed, you were the first A&R.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Hired. Yeah, I remember you had your own office. I was jealous as a motherfucker. How the fuck Cypher got office. And I what the hell? Word up. I used to come up there every day. And I remember when you first played me the record too. Ponderplay like, this is it, bro. I'm out. This is it. We gone.

[Cypher Sounds]

I don't get a lot of credit. You know who gives me the most credit? Rihanna.

[Memphis Bleak]

And that's the one who's supposed to. I love that. She a real one.

[Cypher Sounds]

The realest. I just saw her recently and she fucking yelled in a hallway. She's like, everybody respect this, man. He put me on. Like, I never. I hate when people say, you made or discovered. I never discovered her. I broke her. Like, I played the record before anyway. Before she had a deal. I helped her get her deal at what was Def Jam at the time. But I'm trying to show you something

[Memphis Bleak]

like, yo, bro, I never get my credit. But you know what else, too, that's always been funny to me about you. My ghost. I can honestly say you the only Puerto Rican who went full fledged. Ross, Clyde, Bumba, we in the spot. My massive meat. Yo, this was in more hood spots than me. I used to see the videos the next day. I'd be like, that. Cipher sounds DJing. They gonna make some masa. Put your lighters on. Be like, yo, this thing is way more yachty than me.

[Cypher Sounds]

First of all, first of all, first of all, yes, for a long. When I found the real dancehall reggae scene, I jumped in. But I never put the fake accent. No, no, no, no.

[Memphis Bleak]

But you was in there. Like, that's what I'm saying. You don't. It's natural. It's not, bro. I'm not Caribbean at all. You hear? What? Take me down the Eastern Parkway during the parade.

[Cypher Sounds]

If you in New York, Massive. If you from the hood of New York, you automatically part Caribbean.

[Memphis Bleak]

It don't matter. Automatically.

[Cypher Sounds]

Automatically. You have a sugar cane, you Caribbean. Look, this is the. This is the note that Jay Z gave me to be the A and R. Dang picture, bro.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn.

[Cypher Sounds]

He slid me this note. I'm gonna send this. He Said, he slid me this note. It says, start at 50K. Senior Vice President, A and R. I said, fine. No, no. I said, ho. You know, I learned from you, bro. I listen to all your music, listen to all your lessons. You know, you never take the first offer. Come on, now. It's him and OG1. I said, Bro, you never take the first offer. Come on.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

That's all we got. I said, fine.

[Memphis Bleak]

So I tried. I tried. I have not.

[Cypher Sounds]

I wanted to go.

[Memphis Bleak]

Me neither. Not with them. Yo, they the worst people to try to negotiate with. Cause they know all the hustles, they know all the games. So it's like, yo, why you trying to spin me, though, bro?

[Cypher Sounds]

He said, that's all we got. I said, okay, fine.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. You good, we good.

[Cypher Sounds]

I don't give a hope. Could have paid me zero to be an A and R at Rock. But I was known a little bit in the current world. I helped Sean Paul get his deal. Damn right. So from that they. And I had that group, Nina Sky. I put them over on Reggae Beat Up.

[Memphis Bleak]

So Reggae sky, man, they were super dope, too, bro.

[Cypher Sounds]

So when they came with Rihanna, they went to the guy who's known for breaking Caribbean music.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

So I went, boom. I heard it. I said, I like this one. Let's play this on the radio. So that when you go shop for a deal, you already got some momentum. So then the famous story of she went to Def Jam and they wouldn't let her leave until they did the deal.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't know where they got that story from.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, it's a real story.

[Memphis Bleak]

I know, but they act like she was there by herself. Like Jay locked her in the room.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, I know. I know the way it sounds now. Yeah, it's weird. It wasn't like Jay wouldn't let her leave.

[Memphis Bleak]

You were there.

[Cypher Sounds]

I wasn't there.

[Memphis Bleak]

Who was there? But all the Def Jam rappers was there. Jay Brown, everybody. They act like it was just Jay.

[Cypher Sounds]

And I know he wasn't loud. They make it seem like he was strong arming her. No, the story is they didn't want her to leave. They were trying their best to find the deal.

[Memphis Bleak]

Make the best offer.

[Cypher Sounds]

The night before, me and your man. And this is your man. Hov. We had a big argument about that.

[Memphis Bleak]

No way.

[Cypher Sounds]

In the vestibule of 40. 40.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn.

[Cypher Sounds]

You know, from the street, little hallway

[Memphis Bleak]

club, then the club.

[Cypher Sounds]

So he's like, what you think? I said, bro, she's it. I'm telling You. And mind you, I didn't know she was gonna be this. But I'm just saying, from what I know in the Caribbean world, and to bring it to Major, she's it. And he goes, I don't know, maybe she don't got the whole thing. And me and him started arguing to the point, screaming to the point where his security had to open the door and be like, you good? And I go, he good, he good. Yo, but these are security guards I saw every day. You know, it wasn't like I was talking to a stranger. But I'm just saying. I'm saying it now on Rock Solid. I just want my credit in that story.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

I just want my. Why you leave me out?

[Memphis Bleak]

That's a fact. I don't. They definitely don't put your name in the beginning of the Rihanna book. Because when Rihanna first came from the first time, me and her, remember, I met her and Tiara Marie at the same time. They got their deal at the same time. At the same time.

[Cypher Sounds]

Teairra Marie was signed to Rockefeller.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yep.

[Cypher Sounds]

Rihanna signed to Def Jam.

[Memphis Bleak]

And literally Rihanna came. I mean, teairra came at 3 o', clock, signed. Rihanna came at 5 o', clock, by 8 o', clock, 9 o', clock. She signed literally same day. And when we walked out that office, you were on the road every day with her. Take every radio station everywhere, all the promo runs, what we called it back then, the Chitlin circuit. You know what I'm saying? You did, bro. You was moving.

[Cypher Sounds]

I remember Carabana in Toronto.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, my God. I got. I didn't. I didn't make it that year when y' all performed. Oh, I got booked that year. That was the year they told me, hey, weed charges is cool, but you got a little bit too much.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

And I'm like, but weed is legal here.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, but you can't.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, they like, but I'm not convicted. Oh, I can't go. I thought it was if I had a felony, not just court cases. They was like, nah, m. Go back. So I never made it to that carabiner would reperform.

[Amy Robach]

Hey there, folks. Amy Robach and T.J. holmes here.

[TJ Holmes]

And we know there is a lot of news coming at you these days, from the war with Iran to the ongoing Epstein fallout, government shutdowns, high profile trials, and what the hell is that Blake Lively thing about?

[Amy Robach]

Anyway, we are on it every day, all day.

[TJ Holmes]

Follow us, Amy and tj for news updates throughout the day.

[Amy Robach]

Listen to Amy and TJ on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Edwin Castro (Castro 1021)]

Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021, and I'm Conkey, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called the 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scene scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports, and with the World cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Cypher Sounds]

I went and sat on the little ottoman in front of him. Hi, dad. And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen and she says, I have some cookies and milk. This is badass, convict. Just finished five years. I'm gonna have cookies and milk at mall. Yeah.

[Cino Show Host]

On the CENO Show Podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trail to talk about addiction transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Adish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm an alcoholic and without this program, I'm gonna die.

[Cino Show Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the Cino show and listen now.

[John Green]

I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of the Fault in our Stars. And now, I guess also as the co host of the Away End, a bre brand new world soccer podcast.

[Daniel Alarcon]

I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, the Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

[John Green]

For us, soccer football is a story we've shared for over 30 years, since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team.

[Daniel Alarcon]

Very debatable.

[John Green]

And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty.

[Daniel Alarcon]

Together we'll find out why. Of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.

[John Green]

Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Podcasts

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm gonna tell you an ill story. HOV was with us the whole time as president of Def Jam. That's all he was on that trip. President of Def Jam. We all was told that. We ought to remember that. Yeah, it was. It was. Kanye was there and Rihanna. And we went to all the TV stations, all the little shows, promo shows, and then what? We did one big show. It was in, like. In a. It was between these buildings, like an alley, but it was like, thousands of people. And I said, yo, Cardinal Official, who's my brother, he's also on Rihanna's first album, and he's in the video. And I say, yo, can I bring Cardi so he could perform with us? Like, make the show better? They're like, boom. So before we even start the show, everybody's talking to hov, yo, you going on. He's like, I'm not going on. I'm president of Def Jam. This is for them. This is for y'. All. All right? Boom, boom, boom. Rihanna, everybody perform. Carti goes on.

[Memphis Bleak]

They lost, bro.

[Cypher Sounds]

They went so beyond crazy. This nigga HOV goes, safe. You got psa.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo.

[Cypher Sounds]

You liars.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, J. Yo, yo, that's that competitive shit, man.

[Cypher Sounds]

He couldn't take it, yo.

[Memphis Bleak]

He like, what the fuck is the crazy.

[Cypher Sounds]

You got psa? I said, yeah, hov, I got psa. Who don't have psa? He goes. I say, you gonna do it? He goes, yeah, fuck around a little bit.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, that's crazy hard now.

[Cypher Sounds]

Used to have Toronto fucking turned upside down that night. He was Jay Brown and him. They was talking to him. The only problem was, I think he was already talking to Akon. So they got into a little bidding war, and he went with Akon eventually, but they was trying to get him.

[Memphis Bleak]

I ain't gonna lie, man. Cardinal is one of those artists that. If you was an artist from New York, booming in the tunnel, moving, remember his records wasn't really in New York like that. So you asleep. It happened to me. I went to Toronto thinking, okay, Cardinal Official, I know him.

[Shopify Ad Host]

He cool.

[Memphis Bleak]

He ain't really the cool. He go on before me. All right, I got some hits. My nigga. That nigga hit that stage. I wanted to give the money back to the promoter. Like, y' all want me to perform after that?

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, y' all might as well take the money back. I can't compete with that. Like, what the fuck? I had no idea. This day, I didn't give it up. Word up. So then you was the first in a lot we discovering that you was the first in a lot because from the Rihanna A&R, Hot 97 DJ and Lil Kim producing one app, fucking Sean Paul put. I didn't have no idea. You put Sean Paul on Nina sky fucking Ross, bro. Ross too. You know I made that call. You made the finishing play. That was like a tag team.

[Cypher Sounds]

That was Taxi.

[Memphis Bleak]

That was tag team. Cause I did the intro. You was Mr. C. You finished off strong. Yo, but yo, I was going into comedy. You was doing the comedy shit before anybody, bro. So like.

[Cypher Sounds]

So first of all, it's weird, right? Like now my full time gig is comedy. Yes. But I still to this point, like, I don't really. I don't really call myself a comedian. I call myself a hip hop person that does comedy.

[Memphis Bleak]

But you wasn't doing it yourself then. You were promoting me first.

[Cypher Sounds]

But that was my it, bro. Okay, here's how I got. I was the DJ on the Chappelle Show.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

So the Chappelle Show.

[Memphis Bleak]

I forgot about that.

[Cypher Sounds]

You gotta get better notes.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I got my notes. Is they not that good?

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, they good, but they Chappelle's Show.

[Memphis Bleak]

I forgot. Remember the Chappelle show got clipped. It's been a long time since I watched the Chappelle Show. But we gonna get in the.

[Cypher Sounds]

You.

[Memphis Bleak]

This is why you here.

[Cypher Sounds]

So I was a DJ on that. And me and Dave used to fuck around with the crowd.

[Memphis Bleak]

Dave, the realest comedian that fuck with hip hop.

[Cypher Sounds]

Oh no, Dave's a rapper.

[Memphis Bleak]

I know he wanted to drop out. He probably got an unreleased album.

[Cypher Sounds]

To me, the Way Dave Moves.

[Memphis Bleak]

He got an unreleased album.

[Cypher Sounds]

He's a rapper that. His raps are comedy. Yes, but he got an entourage. He got the music in the back. Everything about him is a rapper.

[Memphis Bleak]

He's a rapper. Everything you go in his dressing room before the show is rapper, man.

[Cypher Sounds]

When he meets rappers, it's like he's meeting his kindred spirit.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's crazy because he's one of the only guys that tells serious shit. And it's funny 100%. He don't even really tell jokes anymore. It's just real shit.

[Cypher Sounds]

It's hard of what we dealing with in the world today. And he feeds it to you in a way that you could digest it and laugh in the moment. But really it's something to think about. Yes. He's the illest.

[Memphis Bleak]

The illest, bro.

[Cypher Sounds]

So I was a DJ on Chappelle's show. We used to fuck around with the crowd before he started taping. He can't not do stand up in front of a crowd. He can't not. So if he's like, there's a crowd out there. I'm gonna do a little stand up, then we'll start recording the show. So sometimes I'd fuck around with music, play something like the Little John sketch, you know? Little John?

[Memphis Bleak]

What?

[Cypher Sounds]

That came from us. Because he would talk on stage and I'd be like, what? Yeah. And he would look out. I'm like, what? She's like, yo, you know Lil John? I go, yeah. He's like, we want to do the sketch. So it came from that bringing up

[Memphis Bleak]

Little John, God bless him, you know, he lost his son, man. So sorry, man. Much, much love to you and the family. Prayers to the whole family, bro.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, John's my man. Word. So then from there, Chappelle goes, yo, you. You should do standup. He said that to me. He goes, you should do stand up. I said, why? I'm a dj. I don't even know what he's talking about. He's like, you got the timing. He's like, you don't realize when you do that. That's a joke.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

He goes, you got the timing. He goes, you talk on the radio for a living. You got the personality. You should look into it. I'm like, shut the fuck up. Why would I do Stan? I'm like, I'm living my life right now. The best life. And then years. So I just. All these years, MTV Hot 97. People would just say, you funny. You funny on the radio, you funny on mtv. I'm like, why they keep saying that? So I was like, all right, how do I make money with this? That's all I'm thinking about. Hustler.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

Okay, you think I'm funny? Well, what if I get a bunch of funny people in this club on a Tuesday night and promote it, and you give me the money and I'll give you the funny. And that's all it was, me just being a producer.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'll get the. You know.

[Memphis Bleak]

See, you ended up producing, See.

[Cypher Sounds]

Well, I got it, See.

[Memphis Bleak]

Ended up producing anyway.

[Cypher Sounds]

And then I go up there, I say one or two things, and then I bring out a real host, and the show goes on and everybody's happy. And then one day I go up and I say something funny, just naturally. And I get a laugh. And I was like, oh, what's.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, they fucking with that shit.

[Cypher Sounds]

Feel kind of good. And I talk to the comedian, like, Talent Capone, Rob Stapleton, Mark Vieira, I'm like, how do I do that again? They like, well, you gotta write a joke.

[Memphis Bleak]

And then I was.

[Cypher Sounds]

And then bro. And then I just started.

[Memphis Bleak]

But a lot of these comedians have writers, right? Am I bugging?

[Cypher Sounds]

Some do. It's different, though. Like, remember you said enough. Might have gave you a bar. Yeah, I've given many rappers bars. Hook ideas. Finish the line like this. I wouldn't say I'm a rapper, but I wrote some parts, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

You write a joke, a comedy.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, that's the bars.

[Memphis Bleak]

You a fucking comedian. You might not be the guy, the personality to tell it, but you could give it to the person who has the personality.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah. Some people, you might get help. You might get a tag. A tag is like. You can add this to the joke. You might get some help. Some people got writers, but a lot of times, like, sometimes people say they write for Chris Rock. He just likes people in the room and they just to bounce ideas. Yeah. Yes, yes. So, you know, there's some. Some are bullshit that have writers. My thing is, like, if you don't write your own shit, do you really. You don't really want to be a comedian. You just want to be famous. And that's two different things. I don't. I want to be famous, but I don't care if it doesn't happen. For me, I love being a comedian, so why would I say someone else's shit? That's the fun part to think of it. Write it, say it, and it works. To me, that's the whole shit. When I used to do my show, all the top comedians were like, sif, this don't count. This is your crowd. They know you come to Brooklyn, come to Queens, come to this pool hall we do on Thursdays where you might get shot.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, shit.

[Cypher Sounds]

Come on.

[Memphis Bleak]

You don't wanna do that.

[Cypher Sounds]

I was in there. Joke, bro. Let me tell you, the worst people to do jokes for Jamaican crowd.

[Memphis Bleak]

Chill.

[Cypher Sounds]

They don't laugh at nothing.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, no, chill, man. Don't laugh. They ain't playing them gay joke for sure. None of that lgbtq. Yo.

[Cypher Sounds]

I used to be like, yo, I'm Puerto Rican. I eat a lot of pussy. Yo, yo, yo, Bonfire. Oh, yeah, no bonfire.

[Memphis Bleak]

They not with none of that.

[Cypher Sounds]

But, yo, here's what makes me real. I went back.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

I went back again. I went back again. Got one laugh. Ooh, got it.

[Memphis Bleak]

I made it. That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

One more, one more. And I just keep.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's New York for you. Think you could be the hottest rapper in New York City do a show, and these motherfuckers is in there like this.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, it's the worst.

[Memphis Bleak]

While you performing, you looking like, am I killing it? You like, I think so. They know the record, but nobody move niggas like this. Yeah, that's. Cause today niggas is too fly. They own a $5,000 shirt, $10,000 jeans, $20,000 niggas. I'm not wrinkling my clothing.

[Cypher Sounds]

You.

[Memphis Bleak]

I came to see you perform, not me.

[Cypher Sounds]

I don't want you to watch me perform.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I came to see you, dog. You jump around and dance. Not me. Nah, man. Yo, so being a producer, dj, who pivoted into all these worlds, was there ever a time that you felt radio ever had you boxed in?

[Cypher Sounds]

Oh, yeah, for sure. The morning show.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, wow.

[Cypher Sounds]

The morning show had me boxed in. The morning show was a rough time for me because I was locked in every day, Monday through Friday, waking up at 4am and even if I did comedy or DJ the night before, I'm getting home, 3 o', clock, shower, go right back, right back to work. And then, bro, even when I was on radio, I would still do comedy. I would. I would do stand up, I would dj, I would go to radio. And then I still worked at Rock or I worked with the Neptunes for a while. Like, I never stopped.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

I kept other jobs. I was on mtv, so I always say. But the only thing I didn't like about Hot 97 Morning show was the fact that I was stuck every day from Florida, whatever time. And then, like, I couldn't even go away on the weekends because you had to be there. I couldn't fly back Monday. I had to be on the air show. I had to come back Sunday. You know what I mean? So, like, I would try to ask comedians if I could open for them on the road and be like, I could leave right after the radio. Like, if it was like Boston or Albany or D.C. i could drive and then leave right back. So a lot of people gave me chances like that, but I was like, all right, how do I get on stage? I gotta do it for free. Ask if I could open up, right? So I'd just be running around. And the morning show, it definitely. Like, the last two years, I. I felt like I was in prison.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn.

[Cypher Sounds]

I just wanted to get out of there.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn.

[Cypher Sounds]

And I never thought I would feel that way because Hot 97 was my life. And then the way I left was very unceremoniously. It was just a nasty.

[Memphis Bleak]

You just Jetted.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah. It's like a nasty, weird situation. There was new bosses. They didn't know the work I put in over all those years. They didn't know, bro. Remember we had the blackout in New York City?

[Memphis Bleak]

How could I feel, bro?

[Cypher Sounds]

The blackout happened. I happened to be around hot. They're like, yo, is anybody around the station? I said, I am. I went up there, bro. I was on the air for like 28 hours or some sh. Like no one could get in because the ferries, the subway. But this Hot 97 had a generator. So I just went up there in a blackout and just rocked the whole time. That's who I was. Yeah, Everybody knew me as being like a soldier. Super early, leave late, never complain, da, da, da, da. And then how I left was just like. It was just nasty. And then, you know, not, you know, here, since we're here. Hello. OG Juan, yeah, saved my life, bro, all the time. He said, OG Juan said, yo, listen, this is like, after I left rock, I left Rock La Familia, the label, because I got the job on mtv. And HOV was like, yo, look, you could always work here behind the scenes. This is an opportunity for you to go. To be in front of the camera. You should take that. HOV told me that. Then that's when ROC Nation started. And OG was like, yo, when you leave hot, come here. We'll manage you. You're under the rock umbrella. And then we go from there.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

And to this day, like, whatever, yo. Whatever dez, Juan or HOV needs, I'm there.

[Memphis Bleak]

And vice versa. That they'll drop it off for any. That's what people don't understand about them. Them three, with all the power and success they have, they still will go the extra mile. They homies, you, I, any one of us, like. And that's the thing, I think get under appreciated from guys of that magnitude.

[Cypher Sounds]

All this shit fucking. I can't listen. I'm loyal to a fault, but my loyalty comes from experience and situations I've been in the. That people talk about Hov like, oh, I don't. I don't really with him like that. He went. I see all those people when he walks in. Y. All the comes out of him, all of it. Straight up, that nigga's presence in a room. I seen people who are absolute haters,

[Memphis Bleak]

straight up turn and say.

[Cypher Sounds]

And he comes in. They like, oh, shit, Jay Z. Yo,

[Memphis Bleak]

ask him, yo, you think I get a picture? Yo, it's like, yo, my man, you

[Cypher Sounds]

just, just, just five minutes Ago, talking shit.

[Memphis Bleak]

Word up.

[Cypher Sounds]

Like, that's what I can't stand.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's why I don't even believe it. That's why when I hear. I see it and hear it, it's like I just.

[Cypher Sounds]

Not real. Because it's like.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cause if he walk in this room, you. You gonna want to get down, homie.

[Cypher Sounds]

Nobody. There's not a person in the world who don't want a picture with Jay Z.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's a fact.

[Cypher Sounds]

That ever said anything. Nah, he don't. He ain't the. He really do this, do that. He ain't the best at you. Bullshitting, you lying. But the problem I have with HOV is since 1996, I'm from the Bronx, he's from Brooklyn. You from Brooklyn. There's always a weird sarcasm battle.

[Memphis Bleak]

With what?

[Cypher Sounds]

With me and him. When people see us together, they think we hate each other. Cause all we do is talk the most, son.

[Memphis Bleak]

But that's. That's New York, though.

[Cypher Sounds]

But son, it's me and him. I don't know what happened. It's not a tv.

[Memphis Bleak]

Hov just love the pop shit, though. I try to tell people that he HOV is the professional pop shitter. Straight from the bricks. Bum ass nigga. You ain't doing nothing. Fuck out of here. Niggas don't know that side of hov.

[Cypher Sounds]

There's a group of people in New York City. They come from outside. They're on the stoop, on the sidewalk, on the corner. These are called professional shit talkers.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, like all day, that's all we do.

[Cypher Sounds]

Gold medal shit talkers. Yo, this guy seen me in San Francisco. I ain't seen him in a while. He's kind of big now. He's like a billionaire status or something. He's kind of moving differently. I was doing a show with Dave Chappelle. He comes backstage, him og Juan and Death. Hov sees me, lights up, lights up, gives me the biggest hug. Son, I ain't seen you in so long. Biggest hug. Love. I count down in my mind. I got about 8 seconds of this before he talks shit.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

Boom, boom, boom. Gives me a hug. Yo, you doing good, bro. You was good out there. Da da da K. Then he goes, hey, dez, our little guy made it. Look at our little guy. Our little guy made it. Yo. I said, yo, I ain't your fucking little guy. No, you little guy.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right, Juan.

[Cypher Sounds]

Look at little guy. He made it.

[Memphis Bleak]

He made it.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm like, yo, so people are looking over. They didn't see the embrace part. They just see me going, yo, shut the up.

[Memphis Bleak]

So now they think, yo, I'm telling you, that's the side niggas don't know of, Hov. And I love that he don't even show it, that he keeps it personal with the. With the fam. It's not on camera and all that. So it's the mystique about it.

[Cypher Sounds]

Oh, the mystique is crazy.

[Memphis Bleak]

But HOV is the gold medalist.

[Cypher Sounds]

Shit talking the best time. Roc Nation. I'm in the office. This is when I was working for Title.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn. Title.

[Cypher Sounds]

When Tidal first started. Word up, I was working with him, bro. I'm in the office. He was on the. Remember, he was on the floor above.

[Memphis Bleak]

Still up there. The ninth.

[Cypher Sounds]

Okay, I was on the. No, no, before that, 40. It was like 30s or 40s before that office.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, before the. Oh, you talking about the old building on 39th and 40th floor.

[Cypher Sounds]

So he was on 40. We won 39th. Yeah. So I just happened to be in the reception area getting a package. He come out the elevator. He come in the room. I mean, in the front reception area. So I look up, I see him. I give him the head nod, right? He got a serious face on. So he walk in. He walk past me. He gets halfway down the hall, stops, turns around and goes, yo. I go, yeah. He goes, when I walk in, show me love.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, chill.

[Cypher Sounds]

I said. I said what? He goes, I'm still Hov, nigga.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm still Jay Z. Show me love. When I come in this motherfucker, I said, bro, we at work. I'm leaving you alone. That's right, because everybody come up to you, like, picture autograph, da, da, da, da. I say, you look like you doing. Nah, nah, show me love. I'm like, yo, you a sick fuck, bro.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, I'm telling you, yo, them niggas is crazy, man. I went up there yesterday. I had a meeting in the office, right? Yo, and I go see Wal, just kicking in with og OG like, yo, I been meaning to call you. What? What I do. You did A lot, man. You be saying some shit, man. We gotta have a talk.

[Cypher Sounds]

Are you saying too much?

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't know. He didn't say what I said or did say. So I'm still waiting for that call. Like, God damn, I did something that I don't even know if I did. I probably did something. This might be the good call.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, we gotta talk. But it just sounded gangster. I don't know it might be one of those.

[Cypher Sounds]

Nah, but you telling the real stories

[Memphis Bleak]

like he gave me, he gave me a little idea of something that I'm gonna try. Cause, you know, a lot of people write books, do documentaries. Nobody told their story in this type of setting.

[Cypher Sounds]

Right.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know what I mean? Where you can go back and replay. It's almost like Rosetta Stone. Visually.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yes.

[Memphis Bleak]

Audio.

[Cypher Sounds]

Audio history, Word out. Oral history.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm gonna run through it, man. But back to you, my G. Do you think. Let's ask your opinion on radio. Do you think New York radio still holds the cultural impact it did? No. Damn, you answered that quick.

[Cypher Sounds]

I mean, I'm not saying it's dead or it's over. It's just not the same impact. Yeah, not the same. It has. It still has impact. Yes, but not the same.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, we don't. I don't think we dictate the mass no more. Because we did.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, it's impossible. It's algorithms now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

But I'll tell you this though, the first algorithm. Here's the problem with music nowadays, opposed to in our heyday, even though we still popping the beauty of radio. When Funkmaster Flex debuted a song, everybody was listening at the same time.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

That created an energy. If you was in your car, in your crib, in the store, you hear the new whatever. Whatever song, the new this, the new that, and you bump into somebody, you say it right then. Did you hear the. I just heard it. And it created more of a. Like a. Like a fury. All right, so like it flexes on at 10 a night and you on your way to the club, and then you hear it that night. It's an energy. Now the way music is released, it's too personal. Everybody listening by themselves at different times in headphones. Shit still looks big with the numbers. Now the biggest thing is your views on YouTube or your views on Spotify. How many listens you got, how many streams? Yes, that's great, but it's flat. It don't have that effect.

[Amy Robach]

Hey there, folks. Amy Robach and T.J. holmes here.

[TJ Holmes]

And we know there is a lot of news coming at you these days. From the war with Iran to the ongoing Epstein fallout, government shutdowns, high profile trials, and what the hell is that Blake Lively thing about anyway?

[Amy Robach]

We are on it every day, all day.

[TJ Holmes]

Follow us, Amy and TJ for news updates throughout the day.

[Amy Robach]

Listen to Amy and TJ on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Edwin Castro (Castro 1021)]

Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021 and I'm Conkey, his best friend and business manager. And we've got a new show called the 1021 podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports, and with the World cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest storylines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA. Listen to the 1021 podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Cypher Sounds]

I went and sat on the little ottoman in front of him.

[Memphis Bleak]

I hi dad.

[Cypher Sounds]

And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen. She says, I have some cookies and milk. This is badass. Convict me just finished five years. I'm gonna have cookies and milk at mom. Yeah.

[Cino Show Host]

On the CENO Show Podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trail. Talk about addiction, transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Haddish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm an alcoholic and without this program, I'm gonna die.

[Cino Show Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the C no show and listen now.

[John Green]

I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of the Fault in Our Stars. And now, I guess also as the co host of the Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast.

[Daniel Alarcon]

I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, the Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World cup for us.

[John Green]

Soccer. Football is a story we've shared for over 30 years, since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team.

[Daniel Alarcon]

Very debatable.

[John Green]

And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty.

[Daniel Alarcon]

Together we'll find out why of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.

[John Green]

Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast Podcasts.

[Cypher Sounds]

The greatest Memphis bleak moment to me is I tell this all the time to people. There was a night you was booked at club speed through. Mr. C. You drove on the block. You had a new Benz by yourself.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, Paul K. Shout out. Paul K. He talk about that. I know exactly.

[Cypher Sounds]

Go ahead.

[Memphis Bleak]

He talk about this.

[Cypher Sounds]

You already pulled up in front of Club Speed. Club Speed was after the tunnel, much smaller, same energy. Yeah. You pulled up in front of the block, Memphis Bleak. You hopped out of the bends and the streets went crazy. You couldn't even get into the building. Why you were by yourself. We never knew. I thought you.

[Memphis Bleak]

Because my peoples was in there.

[Cypher Sounds]

They was in there ready and the door was literally right off the street.

[Memphis Bleak]

And the safest spot for you right there. Yeah.

[Cypher Sounds]

So the spot in front was safely. So literally you could have just came out. It went right in. You couldn't make it to the door. No, people went fucking crazy. And that's what I missed. The beauty of the broadcast.

[Memphis Bleak]

I feel like you know why? That alone, I don't think it's the streaming that stopped that. I think rappers don't go outside anymore.

[Cypher Sounds]

That too.

[Memphis Bleak]

They don't touch the people. Like back then we had the record stores to do the in stores. And when the record stores stopped, we had the clothing stores, the foot locks, the DTLRs, all of those spots where we would pop up, hug grandma, take a picture with the baby. We took pictures with nieces and nephews who grown now so they were able to grow that love for us and appreciation. Like, man, they came to the town, I'mma show some love to them. These artists today, you only see them on social media tv. Then when you go to the show, you behind the velvet rope, you don't even get.

[Cypher Sounds]

Social media does seem like a better idea because you reach more people at once.

[Memphis Bleak]

But you don't touch them.

[Cypher Sounds]

But you don't touch them.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

And I think that's something that's missing. And you could do both.

[Memphis Bleak]

To me it's like you could do both. It's like having PlayStation Network or Xbox and you saying these are my friends. But they in the virtual. You never met them.

[Cypher Sounds]

Never met them.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, like they're not your friends.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah. So I think people do gotta go outside a little more.

[Memphis Bleak]

You have to.

[Cypher Sounds]

I feel like outside is scary sometimes.

[Memphis Bleak]

Nah, man, it's it. Listen, listen. You reap what you sow. If you remember words carry a lot of weight, man. So if the tongue speaks negativity, the ass gonna follow negativity, man. If you speak positivity and believe positive, negative don't have no way to find you. But if you just a negative nancy ass nigga negative shit gon find its way to you. I've been in this game 30 years. Knock on wood, bro. I ain't never been in no club fight, no club incident. I've been all over the world 10 times. You know where I got into my only issue in this rap shit? Marcy fucking project.

[Cypher Sounds]

I knew it was Brooklyn.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's only the niggas, you know, Unless you go out of town in front on some niggas you don't know. But the niggas you know, like, hey, cuz, you, oh, you from here. You not supposed to have made it without us. Get your ass back in the sandbox with us. So you deal with that. But going around, I always been a positive believer, thinker, speaker, you know, on music, we gonna speak what we live and what we know. But majority of the time, I never been one of those negative dudes. Like, yo, watch out, the killers is outside, man. Y' all gonna have to show me.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm gonna tell you an example of how the positivity could lead to negative, right? Recently, about a year ago, I went to this club in Brooklyn. This my boy, he's a DJ from London. He moved to the States. He's like, yo, I got this party. You never come. I got this party. You never come. It's in Brooklyn, like, Williamsburg area. I said, oh, Williamsburg is safe. Let me go out there.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, it's not.

[Cypher Sounds]

I go out there, I go to the party. I go inside for 15 minutes. It's great. These two kids, like three kids come up to me. They young. They like, yo, you cipher sounds. They like 19. You cipher sounds. I say, yeah. They like, yo, you know my pops, yo, chill. They tell, no, it's good, love.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't like when people say that.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, I know.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, God damn, nigga.

[Cypher Sounds]

He's like, you know my pops. I said, who's your pops? He told me, og, nigga. I said, oh, yeah, that's my man. I said, tell him. I said, what's up? He said, yo, yo, we here to make sure you good. You good. I was like, I'm good.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, bro.

[Cypher Sounds]

Two of them lift up they shirts, they both got hammers. I said, they're like, yo, anything you need, we got you og. I said, oh, thank you, bro. Thank you. Bye.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. Yo, listen, I'm one of those guys. Don't be a nigga. I don't know. And show me the gun. I don't wanna be around you, nigga. Get the fuck away from me with that pistol.

[Cypher Sounds]

I had A great time, bro. I got word up.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's time to go.

[Cypher Sounds]

And they showing love. But I said, nah, they showing love.

[Memphis Bleak]

We need now at 19. I say from 19 to about 28. That kind of love, Them niggas would have been there. I'd have got them a roc. A fella. Chance you down, nigga, you got what y' all two nigga what? Let's go to Jake up right now. You kidding me? They done been recruited, but this me now. Y' all niggas go that way. We going this way. Like, I ain't with it. So I avoid a lot of that shit. But let's ask you, right? As one of the best DJs.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yes.

[Memphis Bleak]

From Hot 97, doing reggae dance hall to doing the comedy, everything, do you feel like you get the respect or the just. Do you deserve, out of all the

[Cypher Sounds]

players in the game, 100%. No.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, shit.

[Cypher Sounds]

100%. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

I thought he was gonna say 100%. Yes.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yo, I don't know what happened now. I want to say. I want to preface this. I love my life. I love everything I do. I love who I am. I love where I am. But I always wonder why I get left out of so many stories and situations. I don't know what. I must have missed a step somewhere. And again, this is not regret. I have no regrets. I just wonder why I don't get the love or credit that I from all the things I did. It's really weird.

[Memphis Bleak]

You put a lot into this game. Lot think 10 years. Hot 97.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, 17. Well, as an intern. 17 years.

[Memphis Bleak]

Rihanna. Rihanna fucking played a major part with the Ross getting a deal. Major part. Nina sky, major part dancehall, major part. Dave Chappelle's career clips. Major part in the clips. Like, bro, you did a lot. I don't think people forgot or don't appreciate you. My personal opinion from a friend's perspective, looking. I think you don't. You don't stay long enough to receive your flowers. That makes. I think that's what it is. Because soon as you about to get your flowers, you like, yo, s that he killing it. Like, oh, I got a new building over here, y'.

[Cypher Sounds]

All.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, y' all just saw me over here at Comedy Nigga. I build carousels now we over here. You like, Yo, I just was telling him he do his thing over here. That's what I think it is.

[Cypher Sounds]

Could be.

[Memphis Bleak]

You move quick. Cause you the first that did a lot.

[Cypher Sounds]

A lot.

[Memphis Bleak]

But you got off it so fast that I don't think People remember. They gonna remember now. Cause a lot of people gonna go back. You know, that's what I love about these podcasts. Cause people, fact check.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah, this is my problem. This is what I'm scared of. God forbid I see a lot of our friends pass away recently. I'm so nervous about passing away. And then everybody goes on stage and tells all this shit.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo.

[Cypher Sounds]

Shit. And they go. And they go, I didn't know that syph did that. Okay. Hey. Talk about it now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. Give me my flowers now.

[Cypher Sounds]

I would love some flowers, please.

[Memphis Bleak]

Word up. Why? I still smell them, man.

[Cypher Sounds]

But again, I have no regrets. I'm just saying, I am a trailblazer. I am a forerunner in a lot of different worlds. But I love what I do, bro. Like, I did a party after the Super Bowl. Dave Chappelle. We did an after party and we did two nights, the after party. One night, I was up in a balcony, far from everybody. I couldn't see the vibe. It sucked. I felt rusty. Yeah. I said, dave, if we're gonna do this again, I gotta be down there.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

Put the DJ behind. He goes, yeah, Tell the people I said, put it down here, bro. I DJ'd for three hours. Flawless. Wow. Flawless. Like, I was in it.

[Memphis Bleak]

You gotta feel it in it, man. You can't be up there spectating. I was like, fuck. I still got it.

[Cypher Sounds]

Cause I don't DJ that much. I don't DJ as a. As a job anymore. I DJ for fun.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

And. But I also have this DJ shit I do with comedy, bro. I need the credit for that, too. I DJ while doing standup.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy. That's what I was gonna ask you. Right? Do you see comedy as, like, your final, like. That's it. That's where I'm stopped. This way. I'm a retired boy.

[Cypher Sounds]

I mean, according to how you talk about me. No, probably not. Yeah. I'm on to the next.

[Memphis Bleak]

After this interview. You might be on Seducer.

[Cypher Sounds]

Nah, I never. My dream is my dream. When I say I made it, it's. I'm doing improv comedy one night, right? Where. That's where we make the shit up on the spot. I had a show running for like seven years with that. Then I do a comedy club. Like, let's say we in Minneapolis. Whatever. I do improv one night comedy club the whole weekend, DJ the after party, and on Sunday, do some kind of charity philanthropic work in the community. But I could do that now. I just want it to be Sold out. When I do it, like, I don't

[Memphis Bleak]

want half a packed house.

[Cypher Sounds]

I can do packed house right now. I'm getting a lot of half packed comedy clubs, and I'm blessed to get them.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

But I just want that to be full. But that's the dream. And like, I'm never not hip hop. Hip hop.

[Memphis Bleak]

Hip hop is everything, man.

[Cypher Sounds]

Hip hop is just my culture, my religion. It's who I am. That's a fact. Everything exudes off me is hip hop. First, because it's just who my DNA is, but then I take that into this comedy world. But now I would like to do TV shows, movies, all that stuff, you know, it's all connected.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's the right time. We got, you know, they got a whole department up at the building for that.

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah. Oh, and I. Yeah, I got just.

[Memphis Bleak]

You got the ideas, they got the pitch department.

[Cypher Sounds]

Let's go.

[Memphis Bleak]

They pitching the nation, getting everything, man.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm about to.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm about to go steal me a position up there. Like the fuck. I'm just Doucet, man. I know how to pitch too. The fuck I could pitch.

[Cypher Sounds]

I gotta go now, yo, because Des and Them just saw me rock San Francisco. So you gotta go while it's hot.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cause if it cooled off, they'd be like, what you did?

[Cypher Sounds]

Yeah. What you got?

[Memphis Bleak]

What you been doing last summer? Then now they want to check the analytics. Hey, yo, you in the algorithm? Cause n hit you with that now you in the algorithm? Like, let's check you out. What the fuck is the algorithm? I'm right here. Like. But, yo, let me ask you this. Like, before we. You know what I mean? How can I say this to you? Because we people ask me this. What would be the best advice if you had to give one piece of advice to any upcoming dj, comedian, any A and R, like. Cause you wore many different hats. A and R, comedian, radio personality, just DJing or producing. If you had to give one piece of advice to anybody that you say this, that you wish you would have heard when you started, what would it be?

[Cypher Sounds]

It's not that I wish I would have heard. It's how I live my life. I. A lot of people I come from, no connections, no family in the industry. Nobody even you had hove. You know what I mean?

[Memphis Bleak]

Hove wasn't hove back then.

[Cypher Sounds]

It was not home back then.

[Memphis Bleak]

We was making gift baskets. They forgot about that. Buying Godiva chocolates and all this. We had to put. Yo, you ever had put use fake grass on Easter? They never Use fake grass. Just on a regular Monday. Like, hey, this for the DJs. So don't think HOV.

[Cypher Sounds]

Always been HOV. I tell people initially, work for free. You could get so much done if you get around somebody and work for free. I did a lot of bullshit work. I got sandwiches. I fucking had to wait in the car. I waited in the car when there was no phones, no YouTube, no Sirius, no fucking streaming, nothing. Just in the car listening. Hopefully BLS was playing a good song at the time. I don't say work for free forever. People always get caught up. Like, I'm not saying forever, but I'm saying to get your foot in the door, offer your services, right? Be early, stay late. Tell them you a true die hard soldier. If you want to be an A and R, go be A A and R. Go find some artists, package them up, make some songs, Give that package to the. You know, to a label or a manager or whatever, you know what I'm saying? And then if you get cut out, understand it was the extra experience.

[Memphis Bleak]

Nah, clap that up.

[Cypher Sounds]

Oh, clap it up. Okay? I say it's experience. I take part of no criminal.

[Memphis Bleak]

We ain't talking about getting cut. We're too old to get cut out. Clap that up.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm talking about the young people. But, like, yo, work. Like, work in a club, DJ for free and kill it to the point where when the other DJs late, you got to stay on an extra hour.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

When I used to DJ in the tunnel, it was from 9 to 10, and Big Cap was supposed to get on at 10. Big Cap showed up, saw I was there. Next week came at 10:30, next week came at 11. I was like, I'm supposed to be here an hour rocking, rocking, rocking to the point where Flex was like, yo, I like your style. Come up to the radio station, help me out. All that came from that. I eventually got my money. But I'm just saying, if you have no other way in, people need stuff done, man. Like, offer that services, get your foot in the door.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's dope, too, that you gave Flex as props. Cause, you know, a lot of niggas been saying, Flex getting niggas clip. They don't talk about Flex got niggas hired, bro. You know, that's why I say we live in a world where negativity outshines positivity.

[Cypher Sounds]

Let me tell you about Flex one thing. All this shit happened where people got fired. Whatever. Flex plays the game. That's on a whole nother level there's a DJ up at high 97. He called me, said, yo, I don't know what to do. People getting fired. Da da da. I said, how's the new boss? He goes, the new boss is cool. I like the new boss. I said, how often you talk to him? He's like, I talk to him like once a week. I call him da da da. I said, flex talks to him every hour on the hour, even on Sundays.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. You gotta work, man. Everybody's spot is up for taking if you slackin', bro. That's how I feel. You gotta solidify yourself, bro.

[Cypher Sounds]

He don't play that shit. He don't play that shit. He stays on top of the people he gotta stay on top of and delivers. The ratings is the. At the end of the day, when it comes to radio, the ratings is the only thing that matters. His ratings is sky high. Cause he shows up and he does the work.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's a fact.

[Cypher Sounds]

And yes, he does play a lot of politics in the back.

[Memphis Bleak]

I just like that, man. Because, you know, we live in the world where people be so quick to. To shoot at you than pull out the flowers for you, man. So I respect that of you. Like, what's next for Syph? What you want to tell the people? What's next? Anything coming up next. Don't take my carousel out there next week. Like, yeah, I build carousels now.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm building a carousel. It's gonna be at the end of the Brooklyn Bridge. Honestly, I started a new show. It's called Pay youy Friends. Pay your Friends.

[Memphis Bleak]

But his is just respect Mine.

[Cypher Sounds]

No, no, not just respect. It's money too. But it's like, pay your friends, pay your friends. Love, support, recognition. Every time your friend get a new business or new store, we want to go there and get the discount. No, pay for the shit like you would pay at the. At the fucking Balenciaga store.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's a fact.

[Cypher Sounds]

So I got a show called Pay youy Friends. It's a new podcast. I only call it a podcast because that's what people are calling it. It's a show.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Cypher Sounds]

It's a show. This is a show. And I got a big birthday celebration. When is this gonna be on? Hopefully before April 16th.

[Memphis Bleak]

Of course.

[Cypher Sounds]

April 16th.

[Memphis Bleak]

We don't got that many episodes in the building.

[Cypher Sounds]

Okay, so this. Is this out?

[Memphis Bleak]

It's coming out.

[Cypher Sounds]

It's out now.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's coming out April 16th.

[Cypher Sounds]

The cypher sounds. More friends, more life. Sorry, I said it wrong. More life, more Friends, birthday show. Dave Chappelle editing out the floor up part.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cause my dude Biggie back there hold it down. We don't play, you know what it

[Cypher Sounds]

is, what was up.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cause you said. I said it backwards. But we ain't gonna put that part in there.

[Cypher Sounds]

Fix it however you want.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, we gonna edit this out. We clip, we shoot it up.

[Cypher Sounds]

Back, back, back.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know what it is, y'.

[Cypher Sounds]

All.

[Memphis Bleak]

This rock solid, this cipher. Sounds legend. Like I said, man, give the legends the flowers while they still could smell them. Don't wait till they in the air, cuz then we can't see them and we not gonna care, you heard? But we outside, man. It's rock side mafia.

[Cypher Sounds]

Because all we did. All we did was talk about me. I got so many rock stories, yo,

[Memphis Bleak]

he said all we did was talk about me. Yeah, I'm interviewing you.

[Cypher Sounds]

I got a lot of rock stories. I'm going to expose you.

[Memphis Bleak]

Let's go.

[Cypher Sounds]

I'm going to expose you.

[Memphis Bleak]

Let's go expose you. Part two.

[Cypher Sounds]

My brother, man. Thank you, brother.

[Memphis Bleak]

Appreciate it, man. That was dope. Yo, this going to be fire. They said, yo, this coming out before 4-6-16. Hell yeah. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows at. And you can follow me on any social media platform under the name Memphis Bleak. You see anybody frauding, flag them.

[Daniel Alarcon]

I'm Daniel Alarcon and this is my friend. He's much more famous than I am.

[John Green]

I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co host of the podcast Away End with my old friend Daniel.

[Daniel Alarcon]

On our podcast the Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.

[John Green]

Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Stories from the frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. Coming up, this seasonal, Math and Magic CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario.

[Cypher Sounds]

People think that creative ideas are like these light bulb moments that happen when you're in the shower where it's really like a stone sculpture. You're constantly just chipping away and refining.

[Bob Pittman]

Take two Interactive CEO Strauss Selnick and our own Chief Business owner, Officer Lisa Coffey. Listen to math and Magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast earners.

[Memphis Bleak]

What's up? Look, money is something we all deal with, but financial literacy is what helps turn income into real wealth. On each episode of the podcast, earn your leisure, we break down the conversations you need to understand money investing and entrepreneurship. From stocks and real estate to credit business and generational wealth. Our goal is simple. Make financial literacy accessible for everyone. Because when you understand the system, you can start to build within it. Open your free iHeartRadio app search, earn your leisure and listen now.

[Cypher Sounds]

Hello gorgeous. It's Lala Kent, host of Untraditionally Lala. My days of filling up cups at

[Amy Robach]

Sur may be over, but I'm still

[Cypher Sounds]

loving life in the valley. Life on the other side of the hill is giving grown up vibes. But over here on my podcast, Untraditionally Lala. I'm still that Lala. You either love or love to to hate. It's unruly. It's unafraid. It's untraditionally Lala. Listen to Untraditionally lala on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.