“Whooooooooo are you? Who? Who? “ — The Who
Who am I? I am The Professor, host of The Local Show on NSU’s radio station, RadioX. And why should you care? You have classes to take, money to make — why should you listen to a college radio disc jockey?
Numero uno, I play the best music you’ve never heard before. From rock to hip-hop, I have a catalog so deep the Mariana Trench is jealous.
And number two, I have the power. Is your brother’s best friend’s former roommate in a band? If it’s any good, I’ll play his music on air for our audience of thousands. But, what qualifies as good music?
My top five hip-hop artists of all time have a different flavor than most people’s favorite artists. For me, the MC has to speak the truth over funky beats with a flow that’s true to the soul. Lupe Fiasco, Q-Tip, Outkast, Blackalicious and Kanye West — on his first three albums — speak about life with commanding flow, and their music feels fresh and original even a decade later.
Now you might be saying, “What? No Tupac? No Biggie?” They’re not even in my top 10. Exact Change Project, Mark NuYork, TwinFolk, MF DOOM and Del the Funky Homo sapien have all made music that is more timeless, relevant and fun to listen to. Never heard of some of those artists? Well, check out The Local Show on RadioX every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. I play the best rising hip-hop talent, starting at 8.
The rest of the show is up to you and what you send me. Right now, most of the local artists I have are indie rock bands that could blow the socks off a Bonnaroo crowd. And unlike commercial radio, where music is heavily edited for content, RadioX plays the best bands — period — whether they’re raging against the machine or just thinking outside the box.
That’s it for now, my new friend. Check back in this space each week for my column. I’ll be interviewing new artists right here, with video of our chats and live performances viewable on NSU’s TV channel, SUTV. Stay tuned, because next week I’m featuring a Haitian-American whose soulful singing and guitar playing seriously remind me of Lauryn Hill.
Oh, one more thing: definitely call into the show on Thursday 954-262-8460. I might just be giving away tickets to your favorite band.
Tune in to Radio X, 6pm to midnight, on 88.5 FM in the tri-county area. Or, catch it live online 24/7 at nova.edu/radiox/listen.html or though the TuneIn Radio app, available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry.
