The SoundCentric Podcast

Episode 108 | Dewey Saunders Talks Designing Anderson .Paak’s “Malibu,” Future’s “WIZRD” Cover, and the Rise of AI in Art + More

In this episode of the Soundcentric Podcast, host Adam Dash engages with graphic artist Dewey Saunders, known for his iconic album covers for artists like Anderson Paak and Future. They discuss the evolution of music production, the significance of album art in shaping music culture, and the creative process behind designing memorable visuals. Dewey shares his journey from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, the challenges he faced in the music industry, and his thoughts on the impact of AI on art. The conversation also touches on the importance of collaboration, the role of visuals in storytelling, and advice for aspiring artists.
 
 
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00:00:45 Meet Dewey Saunders: The Man Behind “Malibu”00:01:29 Inside the Malibu Cover Origins00:02:27 Early Anderson .Paak: Breezy Lovejoy Days00:03:38 Why That Tiny Desk is One of the Greatest00:05:20 Seeing Your Art on Dorm Walls & T-Shirts00:11:12 Tagging Rappers on Instagram Changed Everything00:14:16 Designing the Venice Cover With Total Freedom00:18:09 Getting the Malibu Job + Quitting His Job for Art00:22:39 The Thanksgiving Night Cover Switch00:26:36 How Album Covers Should Reflect the Music00:31:01 Is Album Art a Lost Art?00:32:28 Using AI in Art: Blessing or Curse?00:37:20 “Too Perfect” Art vs. Human Imperfection00:39:15 The Ray-Ban Campaign That Funded His LA Move00:41:25 From Anderson .Paak to Future’s “WIZRD” Cover00:46:17 How “WIZRD” Validated Dewey’s Versatility00:47:36 Dewey’s Mount Rushmore of Album Covers00:52:06 Advice to Aspiring Cover Artists & Designers00:53:46 The Power of Luck, Footwork & Visualization00:55:37 Dewey’s New Music Era as Dewey Bryan
 

Episode 107 | Chad Howell Talks Tyler, The Creator's World Building, Doechii's Album Rollout, and the Label That’s Changing the Game + More

In Episode 107 of the SoundCentric Podcast, we’re joined by marketing strategist and content creator Chad Howell, the mind behind the popular Instagram account @roscoemarketing. Chad brings his deep industry experience—from Sweetgreen to startups to record labels—to dissect some of the most creative and buzzworthy marketing campaigns across the music and entertainment world today.
We dive into the strategic genius behind Anthony Edwards’ Adidas campaign (00:04:15), Doechii’s cinematic “Alligator Bites Never Heal” rollout (00:05:15), and Aminé’s sunny “13 Months of Summer” campaign (00:11:15). Chad breaks down how artists like Tyler, the Creator (00:13:45), J.I.D (00:21:45), and SWAVAY (00:37:20) are innovating world-building and visuals to elevate their art and brand.
From the FOMO-driven tactics of Blvck Svm’s “michelin man” (00:30:30), to the experimental marketing behind Lexa Gates’ “Elite Vessel” (00:26:00), to the calculated moves by up-and-comers like Oblė Reed (00:33:20), we cover the strategies that work—and why.
We also take a deep dive into Bu Vision, the label behind 4Batz and SAILORR (00:38:20), and reflect on the evolving role of artists as content creators (00:42:00). To close, Chad shares his biggest marketing advice for rising musicians (00:49:20).
If you’re into music, branding, or just love smart rollouts—this episode is a masterclass. 
 
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00:00:45 - Intro
00:02:35 - Chad’s professional marketing background ranging from Sweet Green to startups to record labels
00:04:15 - Anthony Edwards Adidas campaign
00:05:15 - Doechii’s “Alligator Bites Never Heal” album rollout breakdown
00:11:15 - Aminé “13 Months of Summer” album  rollout breakdown
00:13:45 - Tyler, the Creator’s world building, marketing, and album rollouts breakdown
00:21:45 - J.I.D starts rollout for “God Does Like Ugly” 3 months early. Is that too long?
00:26:00 -  Lexa Gates glass box “Elite Vessel” rollout and marketing
00:30:30 - Blvck Svm and his fine dining rollout for his album “michelin man”
00:32:10 - The power of FOMO in marketing   
00:33:20 - Oblė Reed and his terrific marketing   
00:37:20 -  SWAVAY and his amazing visuals for album “Billy 2”
00:38:20 - Bu Vision: a deep dive into the record label behind 4Batz, Ian, and SAILORR and the importance of creating an image as an artist
00:42:00 - Are artists forced to be content creators today and the downsides to being a mysterious artist
00:49:20 - Our biggest marketing advice for rising artists
00:54:00 - Closing thoughts

Episode 106 | DJ Short Talks West Coast vs Joey Bada$$ Beef, Remix Culture vs TikTok, & California’s Hip-Hop Comeback

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00:00:45 - Intro
00:01:30 - Intro to West Coast vs Joey Bada$$ beef
00:03:30 - How Pusha T changed what we expect from a rap beef
00:05:30 - Red Bull Freestyle with Big Sean, Ab-Soul, & Joey Bada$$
00:08:20 - Ray Vaughn drops “Hoe Era” and its California vibes
Joey drops “The Finals”
00:12:00 - What other appers we’d like to see enter the beef
00:14:50 - Joey drops “The Finals”
00:16:50 - Reminiscing on the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef and having an East Coast bias in the beef
00:19:20 - AZChike diss
00:22:00 - Daylyt’s first diss
00:26:55 - KayHon joins to breakdown Joey, Ray Vaughn, Daylyt, AZChike and more
00:42:40 - The return of the California hip-hop sounds and the importance of knowing its history
00:46:15 - DJ’s role in hip-hop culture and the recent rise in DJing
00:47:30 - DJ Short’s journey to start Djing
00:49:00 - How djing and remix culture is being watered down by tiktok
00:50:30 - The power of remix culture: DJ Short made a remix for HER and she ended up using it
00:51:30 - The importance of understanding cultures in DJing
00:55:20 - How DJ Short became the DJ for The Estelle Show on Apple Music
00:59:30 - DJ Short’s podcast “Liner Notes”
01:00:10 - Our favorite songs of 2025

Episode 105 | Brainorchestra talks new EP, learning from Alchemist, building a worldwide fanbase utilizing his Patron, newsletter, and Bandcamp + More

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00:00:45 - Intro
00:01:50 - New tape “Ethergrams” dropped
00:03:00 - How prepared should an artist be before they drop/understanding your goals for an album
00:07:00 - How Brain got playlisted with help from his distributor and the importance of playlisting
00:09:20 - The benefit of being your own producer and engineer as an artist
00:12:30 - Mount Rushmore of rapper/producers
00:14:40 - How Brain got connected with Alchemist and their friendship
00:19:20 - Alchemist’s inspiration on the business side of music for artists
00:20:00 - How Brain first started making money off of his music with cassette tapes and utilizing Band Camp
00:25:20 - The power of responding to your fans
00:28:15 - How Brain was able to do a tour overseas and how he even got the idea
00:34:45 - Creating a Patreon for fans and the power of being able to give exclusive content to your biggest fans
00:41:15 - The power of creating a newsletter and importance of collecting emails
00:44:30 - Our favorite albums of 2025 and what we’re most looking forward to

Episode 104 | Ralph Tashjian Talks Intercept Music, What It Means to be Independent in 2025 + More

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00:01:00 - Intro
00:01:50 - What made Ralph leave a career in promotion to start a distribution company
00:04:20 - The  feeling of finding a new favorite artist
00:06:10 - Why you can’t buy your music into popularity
00:09:00 - How artists should utilize their marketing and how AI can be helpful for organization
00:13:30 - What separates Intercept Music from other distributors utilizing technology
00:16:20 - What does it mean to be independent in 2025
00:21:10 - How can artists make a career off music and make money
00:28:45 - At what point should an artist start thinking about getting a team?
00:34:15 - The best way to get on a playlist
00:36:15 - What is the best type of content to make? Music videos? Short form content?
00:37:00 - How car artist make money outside of streams?
00:39:00 - Where does Ralph see the music industry going
00:41:50 - Closing thoughts