Good Convo

From Takoma Park, MD to the Bay to L.A, Yihenew Belay (known as Heno.) has lived his life infatuated by the potential of what life could be once acknowledging the known unknown as inevitable. He’s lived through the streets, addiction, depression, hypersurveillance and the trials of forging one’s path as an independent artist. Death was the only guarantee, and that granted him the freedom to be. A dark utterance on a train ride became his album’s namesake: Death Ain’t That Bad. And as Heno. speaks with Michael — our host, and an artist grappling with that question all his life — the Maryland comrades send a beacon out for nomads, for Black folks, for dreamers gazing into the void and taking steps nonetheless.

To witness the gifts of serpentwithfeet is to witness an immeasurable gratitude to the legacies before him, and an incomparable style emanating from himself. His voice commands the room, his melodies haunt and delight within seconds, and his star’s rising with every dazzling performance. He’s also an Old Bay advocate and a purveyor of the power of corniness. In this episode, Michael and serpent connect for the second time (first published — Michael lost their first interview to tech errors three years ago). Within, the duo discuss DEACON, the necessity of community, and how to balance love and rage.

The cheerleader: a symbol of power, femininity, even purity should she be coated in porcelain. She’s despised and desired, and according to Mia Berrin, this image colored her formative girlhood experiences as a pillar of something unattainable. Pom Pom Squad became her project: a reimagining of the figure and an ongoing examination of the vulnerability of otherness via race, gender, and queerness. On this episode, Mia checks in with Michael to discuss how her youth paved the road to this project and her upcoming full-length debut Death of a Cheerleader. The pair also discuss the whitewashing of Black music, the power and money behind modern indie aesthetics and how to walk in one’s pain to power something beautiful.

Kevin Rhomberg’s well-accustomed to the whirlwind of what a music career can be: He’s been on the broke hustle in L.A., been on the radio, and won a Grammy just to end up back in the dingy apartment where he got out his dreams. Knox Fortune’s already took us to Paradise with his otherworldly pop sensibilities, and when the world needed him… he faded to the background. Now, he’s in New York with his lover, fresh off the COVID album cycle of Stock Child Wonder. On this episode, Knox talks to Michael (for the second time) about what he’s done in the years between records, the perception of artist/producers, the shifting meaning of home, and how memory informs the warmth of his music.

‘Twas a simple recommendation (before recording our ARTHUR episode) that initiated our host into the otherworldly nature of 454. Almost a year later, and the artist born Willie Wilson is poised for a breakthrough by making hyperdriven rap influenced by everything from footwork to early Rvidxr Klvn. His 4 LIFE mixtape served as introduction for many fans and tastemakers, but Wilson’s shy and humble aura glows through the screen from his Bushwick bedroom. For every smile, there’s a shade of the darkness he endured that molded his purpose. In this episode, 454 and Michael detail how place informs his process, the transition from Orlando to NYC, and everything that fuels him in chasing the unknown for all to enjoy.

What’s life for the Lil Scammer That Could? Ask Oakland’s own Guapdad 4000, and it looks like a feature on a platinum record, a hefty Lyft budget, several durags, and L.A. weather. Gone are the days of his Dior Deposits, but not the pain that came from it; when one inherits a hustler’s bloodline, one’s never too far from chaos. That’s what makes the fabric of Guap and !llmind’s collab album 1176, and it’s the fabric of this episode as well. Within, Guap and Michael discuss the Bay’s impact on music and culture, the way Guap maneuvers between clout and creativity, and the choices Guap made throughout his life to stand on his own ten no matter where you place him.

Fana Hues is a Black woman from Pasadena: known for the Rose Bowl, yet small enough for everybody to know one another. Whether shows with the family band or volunteering in her neighborhood, her entire life thus far has given her the foundation for an artist with a deep care for community. She contains many methods to speak, only strengthened by the time in life where she couldn’t; a childhood flurry of illnesses hushed her voice to a whisper, carving space for her to find her strength inside and out. Now, her star turn: this episode (her first podcast ever!) finds Fana chatting with Michael about the California she comes from, what prepared her to release her first collection Hues, and building the framework for all her artistic selves to belong to.

What happens when the theatre kid/music nerd earns a life-changing role that marks him as the next All-American Boy Next Door? If you’re Joe Keery, that means your teenage stans call you Steve from Stranger Things, and a pizza company fashions you like Ferris Bueller. From a sleepy Massachusetts town to the Chicago indie rock scene to Hollywood, this episode finds Michael talking to Joe while he’s isolated in Atlanta while shooting. The pair discuss how Joe’s rise to fame found him adjusting to reality while circling his passion back towards doing what he loves on his terms. Together, they unpack the circumstances behind the first Djo album Twenty Twenty, dissect the Boy Next Door mythology, and offer a new portrait of Joe Keery with no red carpet attached.

There’s a common thread in being thoroughly accomplished, yet feeling like you still have plenty to prove. Enter the life of Ricky Reed: Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, Billboard veteran, reformed indie rocker, and EDM hybrid artist in a past life as well. Movie themes, #1 records, deep cuts… chances are, Ricky’s laid hands on something you love. He’s a man of many breakthroughs, but his second album started via live breakdown: The Room came to him and his collaborators as a COVID salve and a divine return to the purpose he couldn’t evade. From the basement of his new home, Ricky walks Michael through the work behind the victories, his principles for staying productive, and what the industry should do to stand by its marginalized talent.

Erick Arc Elliott (known as the Architect) has spent the past decade as one-third of the beloved NYC crew Flatbush Zombies, leaving a collective legacy as one of the most energized live acts in hip-hop. Solo, Elliott’s built a discography as one of the most versatile producer-rappers of all time. They’ve never signed the paperwork, so the books are written differently; nevertheless, the Architect’s paving his own waves no matter what. On this episode, Erick chats with Michael about the moments that brought Erick from label marketing rep to underground legend to festival act. The two also reminisce on 2010s blog rap, and decode the concepts behind Future Proof, Erick’s new EP and album and a framework for survival and self-improvement.

The journey of Jacob Allen took him from demo versions at the BRIT to tours around the world as Puma Blue: a shape-shifting multi-instrumentalist delving into the depths of romance, heartbreak, and pain. It made him a lo-fi indie darling with millions of streams, but who is Puma Blue in his mid-20s? No longer an insomniac, much more in control of his emotions, and deeply in love from London to Atlanta. Ahead of his debut album In Praise of Shadows, this episode brings Jacob Allen in high-definition like never before: moving through the blue, growing past perception, and leaving the character behind to be who he truly is.

Be it pure fate or by design, Michael always manages to talk with fellow Aquarians during Aquarius Season. This conversation with Love Mansuy is no different, chronicling Love’s journey-in-progress as a passionate overthinker with heavy attention to detail. He’s Canada-born Haitian from Jersey who grew up infatuated with music, and followed his intuition all the way to L.A., tryna make a way with his partner and their son in tow. To date, he’s done it all independently, runs his own company, and got a Wayne feature. This is a dialogue about commitment, divinity, self-belief, and owning one’s mistakes. And like we said, these are two Aquarians talking about being Aquarians… so you know the good game’s imminent.

This uncut two-hour episode features an intimate portrait of VMP's 2021 Hip Hop ROTM “Killer” Mike Render: rapper, businessman, thinker and debater. Many know him as one-half of Run the Jewels, or from his days in the Dungeon Family, but this episode finds Mike (our guest) giving Michael (our host) a tour through the familial and musical histories behind his critically-acclaimed album R.A.P. Music. But it is not these two Mikes’ first encounter... just the first on record. After combing through the album’s finer details, the two Mikes engage for a spirited intergenerational debate on the innards of capitalism, surviving (or dismantling) the state, and some key moments from Killer Mike’s 2020. Come for the details, stay for the discourse. There is no Killer Mike interview like this anywhere else.

Rapper, abolitionist, Soul Train line conductor: Ric Wilson’s kept busy as a Chicago rising star making funk-laced bops for the dance floor and the protest. (Sometimes, they’re the same place.) Still reeling from a Summer from Hell, Ric checks in with Michael for their second interview, a passionate exchange from the left side of the aisle. Ric details how he’s remained sane and productive: releasing a collaborative EP with Terrace Martin, showing up to demonstrations, his steady climb as an indie artist, and many more clues towards the future of Disco Ric.

There’s a myriad of ways to describe SIR E.U, and a shortage of words that do the 27-year-old DC native any justice: idiosyncratic, innovative, relentless Aquarian leaning contrarian. As a multimedia artist, he’s spent over half his life designing sound, specializing in rap music and performance that shapeshifts on his whim and refuses to landlock itself. E.U’s been heralded, swagger-jacked, and still overlooked in the deep lineage of the D.C. underground. On this episode, Michael chronicles his best friend: the hour offers a mere glimpse into E.U’s journey, his musings on art in our world, and a snapshot into the duo’s ilived history as confidants and collaborators.

At 22 years old, the Iowa-raised, Chicago-based Billy Lemos has weathered more waves from his computer than many artists a decade older. Lemos is a self-managed producer/A&R who survived early popularity from the advent of bedroom pop, and currently strives to push pop music to its strangest potential. He’s rarely seen, yet always on pulse, counting Omar Apollo, Jackie Hayes, and Victor Internet as a few of many collaborators. Now, Billy taps in with Michael about the incubation of his debut album Wonder: the balance between home and roam, his production origin story, and how he stays centered to keep the process over the politics.

People Under the Stairs have rested their LA caps on the mantle, retiring with the legacy of two underdogs dedicated to hip-hop’s essence, prevailing no matter who hated on them. For Thes One, the chip of notoriety remains, but so does the fighting spirit; every pretty memory’s tied to a long montage of hard work. In this episode, Thes One taps in with Michael for an insightful dive into the gritty details of making and breaking independent rap careers, accompanied by reflections on the seminal PUTS album O.S.T.

Three years after nearly breaking up, Madison-bred/Chicago-based rock band Slow Pulp have risen to become critically-revered Midwestern darlings, earning nods from major publications and touring with the likes of Alex G and Post Animal. But the road to their own solo debut, Moveys, was paved in hellish conditions: personal health struggles, a near-fatal car crash, and the threat of a global pandemic. This episode finds all four Slow Pulp members dialoguing with Michael about how their art has mirrored their lives, and how they’ve developed the urgency and honesty required to reflect their growth back out to the world.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano lives to occupy whomever he must be as each moment requires: globetrotter, heartthrob, loner, lover. Now, he’s arming himself with the sounds and stories to become the popstar symbol of his dreams. Agüita, his second album, steeps him in such lineage by casting him as the leading man with a new burst of fire and ferocity. On this Good Convo, Gabriel and Michael discuss the traditions and transitions that served as prerequisites for this star turn, accompanied by an unveiling of Gabriel’s relationships to power, control, and the world as a source of inspiration.

Chicago-born artist/activist Tasha is in the business of making bed songs: music to rest to, stringed refuge for the excluded. (Make no mistake, she’s in the streets when she can be.) Her talents have brought her across the country, and granted her a devoted core who bask in their feelings as she does. What does it mean to make love an active politic? How does one show up? Joining Michael from the crib, Tasha gives us a guided look into how she tends to her imagination, how she cultivates her energy into music, and the radical edges of our most tender selves.

Let the Charlotte-bred MC tell it... the South still got sum’n to say, but the sun’s not talking right now. The storm’s approaching, and Mavi’s been preparing himself. He’s had a whirlwind year full of wins and lessons, sparked by an outpour of support for his riveting debut album. But the world remains the world, and we are still all we need. Calling in from Harlem, Mavi and Michael link for the first time outside a brief dap in L.A. before it all went bad. Only the real will relate, but everyone’s welcome.

As a maker, Sen Morimoto’s used his music as a canvas to pour his insides onto, sorting through the big questions and little pleasures of a vibrant life. Mere neighborhoods apart, Sen checks in with Michael for the third Sooper Records edition of Good Convo. As he assembles his belongings in a new crib, Sen dives into the details of his career trajectory and working practice, and provides a first look into the making of his self-titled sophomore album, due this Fall. Also on the docket: living in love, sorting through feelings, and rarely reaching conclusions.

From the gridiron to the Grammy race, Rexx Life Raj has built his career through the lens of flight. The Bay Area artist has become a deeply-affecting songwriter through the spoils of constant growth and ceaseless collaboration. He leans on his community, and will stop at nothing to foster support for where he came from. Calling in from Berkeley, Raj checks in with Michael to discuss his recent Father Figure 3 album through all its moving parts: transit, transitions, and truth-seeking.

Live from the backyard of his family’s Pennsylvania home, ARTHUR checks into Good Convo livestream, fresh off the release of his sophomore album Hair of the Dog. This episode features Michael’s deep inquiries into the rewarding eccentricities of ARTHUR’s work, attempting to unravel the truths behind each little universe and character. But, much like life, there’s rarely a straight answer; at its best, the journey provides more than the ending ever could. Tap in for an extended exercise in honesty and self-reflection, live from Pandemicland.

On this Good Convo Live, Michael checks in with the beloved rapper-speaker-postdoc Sammus for a freewheeling conversation of practice, ethics and aesthetics. In a lively hour, they work to untangle the politics behind engaging hip-hop from places of privilege, reconciling one’s love for music rooted in violent structures, and how technology works to both assist and inhibit the growth of the independent artist. Thankfully, there’s plenty of joy to find as they collectively maneuver through the unending struggles of being.

In this episode of Good Convo, we tune our feeds to the West Coast to tap in with Naeem: the Baltimore-born rap legend formerly known as Spank Rock. After two decades of international touring and fighting the current, Naeem’s on the verge of a public rebirth, putting the past to rest and creating Startisha: the most engrossing album of his career. This is the first interview detailing how Startisha came to be, what Naeem had to learn to create it, and how he navigates legacy and autonomy as a Black Queer artist.

In this Good Convo Live episode on VMP's Lost Sounds Radio, Michael interviews the DMV duo April + VISTA in a feature-length spree of nostalgia and light. From two different homes, A+V delve into an oral history of their experiences in the DMV scene before finding each other and collaborating exclusively. They also disclose the realities of navigating the industry independently: their strongest victories, most edifying failures, and the ways they maintain motivation to stay present in the process.        

In our first Good Convo Live, we have Michael’s second interview with Ivy Sole... powered by wine, water, and the Internet. In the year since their first VMP feature, Ivy’s relocated to Brooklyn, released an Overgrown live album, and faced the ever-shifting hellscape of independent artistry in a post-COVID world. But Ivy’s energy remains as the world relentlessly presses onward; she serves the listener with an optimistic clarity to stay afloat in the current and stay in the house. Michael and Ivy also discuss developing healthy habits, navigating queerness in the industry, and the ethical potential of Black folks having a Zoom cookout.

Welcome back to Good Convo, Vinyl Me, Please’s interview podcast that puts the content into context. This latest episode features Souper Record’s KAINA who put out Next to the Sun last year intricately warm pop songs to melt into and get lost in. Joined by the presence of her producer, Sen Morimoto, Michael and the Chicago artist talk everything from the trials of their shared aquariusness to self-preservation to sharing knowledge with your community as an artist.    Get KAINA's 'Next to the Sun' in the Vinyl Me, Please Store now. 

This episode features El-P: one half of Run the Jewels, founder of Def Jux, relentless artist settling into his next act. He’s the most popular he’s ever been, and the most thoughtful. But as the sunset approached Wilshire, another darkness enveloped our surroundings: the death of the young. The air of that day permeated all of our discussion: surveillance, collective grieving, and losing oneself in process to find oneself again. In other news: new information on RTJ4, completed days before the recording.

This latest episode features Chicago’s own NNAMDI: a musical polymath and DIY legend, known for relentless innovation that’s always unpredictable. This hour’s equally as unpredictable: we discuss his come-up, the present and future of Sooper, how to survive a crushing musical ecosystem, and how to smile and go outside enough. NNAMDÏ 's new album, BRAT, is out on April 3. You can grab the Vinyl Me, Please edition of the album over here. The latest single from the album, "Flowers to My Demons," is everywhere now. Stream it here. Good Convo is Hosted by Michael Penn II Executive Produced by Amileah Sutliff Post-Production by Jonah Graber Original theme song produced by knowsthetime Art by Caleb Vanden Boom Recorded at Tightrope in Chicago by Max

On the season one finale of Good Convo, we talk with the O.G. rap superstar, DMC of Run-DMC, about everything from how he made rappers with sneaker deals possible, to his adoption, to everything else he felt like talking about over the course of an hour.  Hosted by Michael Penn II Executive Produced by Amileah Sutliff Post-Production by Jonah Graber Original theme song produced by knowsthetime Art by Caleb Vanden Boom

Good Convo is a music interview show that puts content in context, no cap necessary. In the fourth episode of this season, we go to A3C in Atlanta to talk with Yoh, the writer behind your favorite rapper’s favorite content. We talk about #invoiceboyz and everything else we felt like, damn near. Hosted by Michael Penn II Executive Produced by Amileah Sutliff Recording by Michael Saba Post-Production by Jonah Graber Original theme song produced by knowsthetime Art by Caleb Vanden Boom

Good Convo is a music interview show that puts content in context, no cap necessary. This episode marks the second convo with Dua Saleh in a year filled with elevation and revelations. They go long on everything: gaining visibility in a toxic world, expanding their repertoire to curate the slaps, and declining passivity in the face of bullshit. Rest assured, mixed vegetables were present, and fits were gotten off.   Hosted by Michael Penn II Executive Produced by Amileah Sutliff Recording by Jeyca Maldonado at Fool Proof Studios in Northeast Minneapolis Post-Production by Jonah Graber Original theme song produced by @knowsthetime Art by Caleb Vanden Boom

Good Convo is a music interview show that puts content in context, no cap necessary. This episode we sat down with legendary hip hop producer Psymun, who co-produced (with Wheezy and SinGrinch) "Fine China" by Future & Juice WRLD and "Chanel (Go Get It)" by Young Thug, Lil Baby and Gunna, has worked with artists from Dizzy Fae to Justin Vernon, and routinely drops killer solo projects of his own. He even brought a gift.  Brought to you by Vinyl Me, Please Hosted by Michael Penn II Executive Produced by Amileah Sutliff Recording by Jeyca Maldonado at Fool Proof Studios in Northeast Minneapolis Post-Production by Jonah Graber Original theme song produced by @knowsthetime Art by Caleb Vanden Boom

The premiere episode of Good Convo features JPEGMAFIA and Clairo, live from Pitchfork Music Festival, in a conversation about everything and nothing. Topics include: pre-album pressure, fame and criticism, authenticity on the internet, and whether or not Ted Bundy was f*ckable.   Brought to you by Vinyl Me, Please Hosted by Michael Penn II Executive Produced by Amileah Sutliff Recording and Post-Production by Jonah Graber Original theme song produced by knowsthetime Art by Caleb Vanden Boom