The SoundCentric Podcast

EPISODE 119 | LIFEOFTHOM TALKS VIRAL FREESTYLE WITH NYC MAYOR, WORKING WITH PLAIN PAT & BREAKING INTO THE RAP INDUSTRY

 
In Episode 119, Adam sits down with Washington Heights rapper LIFEOFTHOM to break down his journey through New York City’s rap scene and how he’s building a career in today’s independent music landscape.
 
Thom talks about the viral Washington Square Park freestyle moment where he ended up rapping in front of the NYC mayor, how moments like that can translate into real fans, and why artists need to learn how to leverage attention in the modern music industry.
 
He also shares the story behind connecting with legendary producer Plain Pat (Kid Cudi, Kanye West) and what he learned from working with someone who has helped shape some of hip-hop’s most iconic records.
 
Throughout the conversation, Thom gives insight into building a team, opening for artists like Conway the Machine and IDK, life on tour, and how independent rappers are navigating tech, direct-to-fan models, and the changing business of music. Whether you’re a hip-hop fan or someone interested in the music industry, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to build a rap career today.
 
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00:00:50 Washington Heights Rapper “LifeofThom” on His Rise + New Plain Pat Project00:02:50 La Russell’s packed calendar as an indie artist00:05:51 Inside NYC’s New Rap Scene: Building Community Like Pro Era & Brockhampton00:11:05 Rapping for NYC’s Mayor: How a Viral Washington Square Freestyle Changed Everything00:15:59 When Do Artists Need a Manager? Building a Real Team in the Rap Game00:18:31 Opening for Conway, IDK & Taylor Bennett: How Rap Show Opportunities Actually Happen00:22:11 Life on Rap Tour: The Real Experience vs. What Fans See on YouTube00:23:41 Why Rappers Should Pay Attention to Tech, NFTs & Music Platforms00:26:24 The Future of Rap Money: Direct-to-Fan Music, No Labels Needed00:29:20 Working with Legendary Producer Plain Pat (Kid Cudi, Kanye)00:33:07 How Great Rappers Write: Freestyling vs. Crafting Bars for Days00:37:38 Rap Influences: Pro Era, ASAP Rocky, Blog Era Mixtapes & J. Cole00:41:22 Mount Rushmore of NYC Rappers (Debate Gets Heated)00:45:24 New Music with Kota the Friend, CJ Fly + What’s Next

Episode 118 | Don Chenz Talks New J. Cole “The Fall Off” Album, Tyler’s Grammy Run, Producer GOAT Debate + More & Is Rap Too Polished?

 
In this episode of the Soundcentric Podcast, Adam sits down with Don Chenz for a wide ranging and unfiltered conversation about the current state of hip hop. They break down J. Cole’s long awaited album after an eight year tease, debating Disc 1 versus Disc 2, KOD versus Might Delete Later, and whether Cole’s technical brilliance sometimes works against him. The discussion expands into the Grammys conversation, including Kendrick Lamar’s dominance and whether Tyler, The Creator has become the Academy’s new favorite. From there, they dive into producer GOAT debates featuring Alchemist and DJ Premier, the evolving sound of the 2020s, and whether modern rap has become too polished. They also explore marketing in the streaming era, mysterious artist branding, snippet culture, short form versus long form content, and the thrill of discovering artists early like Trevor Spitta, Doechii, and Jack Harlow. It is a passionate and layered discussion about rap nostalgia, algorithms, artistry, and where hip hop is headed next.
 
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Website: https://soundcentricmusic.com
Podcast: https://www.soundcentricmusic.com
 
00:00:00 NYC Apartment Studio Setup, Audio Horror Stories & Podcast Production Talk  00:00:50 Welcome to the Soundcentric Podcast + John Wall Dougie Intro  00:02:00 J. Cole “The Fall Off” Expectations After 8-Year Tease  00:03:00 “This Might Be My Favorite Album Ever” – First Reactions to J. Cole  00:05:30 Disc 1 vs Disc 2 Debate – Burna Boy Feature & Red Velvet Cake Line  00:08:30 Hip-Hop Interpolations – Nas, Common & Storytelling Comparisons  00:09:50 High School Nostalgia, Blog Era Rap & Jersey Shore Memories  00:12:30 JID, Ab-Soul & Meeting Rappers Stories  00:15:00 Best Songs Breakdown – Bun B Road, Alchemist Beat & Future Feature  00:18:00 6-Minute Songs vs TikTok Brain – Attention Spans in 2026  00:20:00 Concert Volume, Headphone Culture & “I Can’t Hear the Person I’m Talking To”  00:22:30 Album Rollouts & Marketing Strategy – Teasing vs Dropping Immediately  00:24:30 Mysterious Artist Era – Playboi Carti, Snippet Culture & Fan Hype  00:27:00 KOD vs Might Delete Later – Ranking J. Cole Albums  00:28:37 Grammys Debate – Kendrick Lamar, Drake Line & Rap Album of the Year  00:30:00 Tyler, The Creator Early Era – “Nobody Knew Who He Was”  00:32:00 Tyler’s Grammy Run – IGOR, Chromakopia & Don’t Tap The Glass Debate  00:34:00 Clipse vs Tyler vs Kendrick – Who Really Deserved the Grammy?  00:35:50 What Is the “2020s Sound”? Rage Beats, Distorted Vocals & Genre Blending  00:38:30 Late 2000s Rap vs Blog Era – Why Some Music Doesn’t Age Well  00:40:30 Is Rap Too Perfect Now? Nas, Eminem & Technical Rapping Debate  00:41:00 Producer GOAT Debate – Alchemist, DJ Premier & Schoolboy Q  00:43:30 Tyler as Producer – Should He Produce a Lil Wayne Album?  00:45:00 Long Form vs Short Form Content – Podcast Growth in 2026  00:46:10 “Would I Even Watch My Own Content?” – Creator Self-Awareness  00:48:30 Building a Recognizable Brand in Music Media  00:50:00 Jack Harlow Doesn’t Get the Love – Baby Keem & Next Rap Star Debate 00:52:00 Brent Faiyaz, The Weeknd & Modern R&B Sound  00:54:00 Discovering New Artists – PR Emails, Music Submissions & Gatekeeping 00:56:00 Being Early on Trevor Spitta & Doechii  00:58:00 Why Discovering Music Feels Elite in Hip-Hop Culture  01:00:00 Final Thoughts on Rap, Algorithms & The Future of Music

Episode 117 | RJ Powell of IBreatheMusicAllDay Talks Turning Music Discovery Into a Career, Building a Platform, Why Rap Isn’t Dead + More

This episode of the Soundcentric Podcast dives deep into the mind of RJ Powell, the creator behind IBreatheMusicAllDay, one of today’s most trusted music discovery platforms. RJ breaks down how curiosity, community, and genuine love for music helped him build a following of hundreds of thousands, discover artists before they blow up, and turn content creation into a real career, all without chasing clout or trends. From dropping out of school and finding his purpose, to explaining why music is not dead (you just are not looking hard enough), to opening up about making his own music and navigating the business side of the industry, this conversation is packed with insight for artists, creators, and true music fans. If you care about underground music, creative authenticity, and how culture really moves behind the scenes, this is a must-listen
 
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Website: https://soundcentricmusic.com
Podcast: https://www.soundcentricmusic.com
 
00:00:00 - intro
00:01:25 - What makes RJ want to discover new music
00:04:00 - The artist RJ is most proud of finding early
00:05:00 - A preview of J. Cole’s new album “The Fall-Off” and our expectations for it
00:09:00 - What rappers and producers we want on “The Fall-Off”
00:13:10 - Our thoughts on the A$AP Rocky album
00:15:00 - The music we are most excited for in 2026
00:20:00 - How RJ built up his page to over 300k followers
00:29:35 - How does RJ find artists and what stands out to him
00:34:00 - Pages RJ goes to find new music
00:36:00 - How RJ started making music
 

Episode 116 | Gabe P Talks Creating On The Radar, Finding Artists, the Power of Freestyles + More

In this episode of Soundcentric, host Adam Dash sits down with Gabe P, the founder of On The Radar, to break down how one freestyle platform grew into a global cultural force. Gabe dives into the importance of freestyles as hip-hop education, how artists are actually discovered and selected, and what separates those who capitalize on their moment from those who waste it. The conversation explores the business behind viral freestyles, the role of the internet and memes in breaking artists, and how On The Radar built trust with artists while expanding worldwide. A must-listen for rap fans, creators, and anyone curious about how culture, creativity, and strategy intersect in today’s music industry.
 
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Website: https://soundcentricmusic.com
Podcast: https://www.soundcentricmusic.com
 
00:00:00 - intro
00:02:15 - How Gabe feels having made a new cultural landmark within hip-hop
00:04:45 - Using the color green in all OTR branding and other people copying it   
00:05:45 - How Gabe decided to format OTR to differentiate from Sway, Funk Flex, and other freestyle shows
00:07:45 - Some of the hardest OTR’s to record
00:09:20 - The importance of freestyles for hip-hop
00:16:00 - Do people pay to get on OTR?
00:17:45 - Why Gabe decided to release the freestyles on DSPs?
00:21:00 - Why Gabe has more than just rap artists and American artists on OTR
00:23:00 - How artists can capitalize on their moment after appearing on OTR
00:29:45 - Does OTR allow artists to rap on famous beats
00:31:20 - The OTR X Kai Cenat linkup
00:38:00 - How artists get on OTR and the importance of artists being visible online
00:42:40 - Tips for artists 
00:45:00 -  Gabe’s dream freestyle cypher
00:49:00 -How Gabe has time to listen to new artists
00:52:00 - Who we are listening to right now
00:54:00 - Closing thoughts
 
 
 

Episode 115 | Trent Josiah Talks Importance of Concerts, Best Rap Voices Ever, the Return of Freestyles + More

In this SoundCentric episode, Adam and Trent Josiah dive into the nuts and bolts of booking shows—from organic connections and managers to why timing and having your “ducks in a row” matters—then geek out on live performance, swapping best-ever concert memories (J. Cole, Kendrick, Little Brother) and why leaving everything on stage beats being too cool to perform; they also debate the greatest rap voices (ODB, 2Pac, Chance, JAY-Z, J. Cole), celebrate the comeback of freestyles (On The Radar, Hot 97, Funk Flex moments), and unpack the power of tight artist-producer chemistry in building a signature sound.
 
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Website: https://soundcentricmusic.com
Podcast: https://www.soundcentricmusic.com
 
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:30 - How do rising artists actually get shows booked
00:02:45 - Making connections with other artists
00:04:30 - How Trent found his manager and built his team
00:06:30 - Making the decision to move from North Carolina to LA for music
00:12:30 - What is the LA scene actually like
00:15:45 - the important of concerts, live events, and making a community
00:18:30 - Our favorite concerts ever
00:23:20 - Why Outkast means more to people in the south
00:27:00 - The greatest rap voices ever
00:30:50 - The resurgence of freestyles in hip-hop with Kai x OTR
00:33:40 - Best freestyles of all time
00:37:00 - the benefit of linking up with one producer