The Hilltop Glove Podcast

The Hilltop Glove Podcast
  • 4.9 (17)
  • Society & Culture
  • Weekly

The Hilltop Glove Podcast is where culture meets economics. Based in the Carolinas, THG explores Southern creative life through candid conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, musicians, organizers, and cultural leaders. We talk about hip-hop, art, business, politics, identity, community, and the forces shaping the South—but underneath every conversation is a bigger question: Who creates the culture, who owns it, and who gets to benefit from it? The Hilltop Glove: Where Culture Meets Economics.

  1. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    Rylie Dae: A Young Emcee Explains Why Real Stories Matter

    Send us Fan Mail A 12-year-old rapper shouldn’t be able to explain storytelling, fame, and money better than most adults, but Rylie Dae does. We talk with Rylie, a young artist from the Charleston, South Carolina area who’s grown up around music and creativity, and she brings a clear point of view: if your lyrics aren’t real, people can feel it. She shares her earliest music memories, what it was like recording a first song at eight, and why she’s determined to keep her writing grounded in truth and narrative. We also get into the bigger stuff that comes with being a young creative. Riley compares her style to her dad’s, talks about learning boundaries, and opens up about the pressure that can come with recognition. She has sharp takes on influencer culture and insecurity, plus a surprisingly practical idea for a music discovery app that automatically sorts PG-13 vs explicit songs by age and even organizes tracks by mood. Then we go deeper on faith, spirituality, and what it means to keep learning as you grow. Rylie reflects on a Disney opportunity that didn’t work out and why she’s grateful she still gets to have a real childhood. We wrap with honest talk about teen money habits, saving strategies, and the discipline it takes to chase big goals without losing yourself. If you care about youth artists, storytelling in hip hop, parenting creative kids, and building confidence in a noisy world, you’ll get a lot from this conversation. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

  2. 3d ago

    Elijah Bradford: How A Church Kid Built Mr. Thaddeus On Stage

    Send us Fan Mail Church culture can make people laugh, wince, and rethink everything they’ve been taught, sometimes in the same minute. We sit down with Elijah Bradford from Sumter, South Carolina, the creator of Mr. Thaddeus, to talk about why comedy can be a real form of ministry and why a stage play can reach people that church language pushes away. We get into Elijah’s creative pivot from a deep music background into writing and producing live theater with no formal scriptwriting training. He shares how a simple promotional parody turned into a fully formed character with a family, a voice, and a mission, plus what he studies to deliver excellence on stage. If you’re trying to break into something new, build an audience, or turn online storytelling into live events, his process is packed with practical clues. Then the conversation goes where many rooms won’t. We talk about the topics churches often avoid, fear-based responses, and how families get torn apart when people confuse “having a stance” with withholding love. Elijah explains why he uses Mr Thaddeus to confront hard realities directly, and why so many people are feeling disillusioned with church as usual, especially after COVID. We also dig into holiness versus perfection, performance-based faith, and the generational divide driving younger people away from the Black church. If this hit home, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What part do you want us to go deeper on in Part 2? Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

  3. 6d ago

    Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon: Stop Rapping Like You Texting

    Send us Fan Mail You can hear it in the way he talks about the work: Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon is not chasing a moment, he is building a system. We sit with the Charlotte-based hip hop artist Jahmonte Lyde to trace the full arc, from writing at age 10 in Akron, Ohio to shaping a sound that cuts through the Carolinas and travels far beyond it. Along the way, we dig into why certain songs earn repeat listens, how Beautifully Black connected with fans, and what it takes to keep authenticity when the stakes rise. We get specific about craft: the jump from poetry to structured rhymes, the lesson that changed everything (“stop reading and use your voice”), and the influence stack that shaped his cadence from Redman and boom bap to the blog era indie underground. Jahmonte also opens up about early experiences with colorism at school and how those moments pushed him toward expression instead of silence, turning personal pressure into sharper writing. Then we go deep on the business of being an independent rapper: daily studio runs, filming content, emailing labels, throwing shows, working the door, pressing vinyl, and building leverage city by city until Lex Records becomes a real home base. He breaks down the difference between having a squad and having a team, why roles matter, and how touring feels when the machine is built right. We also tackle a bigger cultural flashpoint he wants more people to address: diaspora wars and what unity could look like in real life. If you care about Charlotte hip hop, independent artist strategy, music marketing, and culture meeting economics across the Carolinas, hit play, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

  4. Oct 22 ·  Bonus

    Understanding Domestic Violence Red Flags: Amber's Sancutary of Hope

    Send us Fan Mail Control does not always look like violence at first. Sometimes it shows up as “Where are you?” “Who are you with?” surprise pop-ups, phone checking, and the slow squeeze of isolation until you barely recognize your own life. We sit down with Kandace Kelly and Sharon Herndon (Amber's Sanctuary of Hope) to name those early domestic violence warning signs clearly, especially the subtle ones people explain away because nothing physical has happened yet. We also get specific about financial abuse and coercive control, including how money becomes leverage when one partner limits access to accounts, work, transportation, or basic choices. From there, we talk safety planning in a practical, real-world way: trusted people, vital documents, device privacy, and why leaving has to be strategic. If you or someone you love needs support, we share resources like the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE) and the importance of reaching out before things get worse. Finally, we zoom out to the bigger forces shaping how people define “love,” from social media fantasy to generational patterns that normalize pain. Kandace and Sharon also share how they protect their mental health while advocating, and how Amber’s Sanctuary of Hope turns grief into community care through coat drives, shelter support, and encouragement for survivors. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find these tools when it matters most. Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

  5. Oct 20 ·  Bonus

    J00Ny3r: Can Independent Hip-Hop Survive the Social Media Era?

    Send us Fan Mail Culture doesn’t just live in playlists, it lives in places, families, and the choices artists make when nobody is watching. Skip sits down with J00Ny3r, a Charleston-based MC who’s carving out a lane in independent hip hop while still calling himself “aspiring” for a reason: he’s more interested in getting better than pretending he’s already arrived. We talk about a military upbringing that stretched from Germany to South Korea to South Carolina, and how that shaped his first real connection to rap through Eminem, early MP3 downloads, and the later realization that “free music” had a real cost for artists. From there we get into craft: why lyricism matters, what battle rap teaches you, and why writing great bars doesn’t automatically mean you can build a great song. J00Ny3r breaks down his process of catching inspiration fast, then spending days recording, editing, and refining like a mad scientist. The conversation widens to the music business and hip hop culture right now: Kendrick vs Drake as a mirror for what listeners want, why the internet can flatten regional sounds, and why building a local scene in your hometown still beats chasing a trend. We also hit the hard topics indie artists wrestle with, from gatekeeping and commodification to using AI responsibly as a tool for direct-to-fan infrastructure, not as a shortcut for creativity. If you care about independent rap, Charleston music, DIY artist strategy, and the future of hip hop culture, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us: what does “making it” mean to you? Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

  6. Oct 19

    Barry White: Drawing In The Watchtower Margins Paid Off

    Send us Fan Mail One day you’re sketching superheroes in the margins just to get through a meeting. The next, you’re using paint to pull yourself back into your own life. We talk with Barry White, also known as Typheadamus, about the long road from childhood art sparks to a grown-man decision that changed everything: stop shrinking and start being seen. Barry opens up about growing up Jehovah’s Witness, how structure can shape your personality, and what it feels like to rebuild identity after you walk away. We get into the real fuel behind his creativity, from the hand-drawn magic of the 90s to why X-Men hit deeper than any other comic universe. Then we shift into the craft: digital art vs traditional drawing, learning anatomy, perspective, and fundamentals, and how mentors like Sanford Green and Tyrone Jeter helped him trade pure talent for durable skill. The heart of the conversation is art therapy and emotional healing for Black men. Barry shares how returning to art around the pandemic helped him stay level mentally, physically, and spiritually, plus a raw story about showing vulnerable work in the wrong room and what that “failure” taught him about boundaries, audience, and courage. We wrap with what he has coming up in the South Carolina art scene and how he’s learning to share wins in real time. If you feel stuck, unseen, or out of place, this one is a reset. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people find the show. Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

  7. Oct 15

    Jackie Bobo: What Is “Happy Spooky” and The Art of Being Black, Queer & Unapologetically Yourself

    Send us Fan Mail Something wild happens when art looks sweet enough to eat, then hits you with a ghost, a spider, or a hard truth you weren’t expecting. We sit down with Jackie Bobo, a self-taught Columbia, South Carolina artist whose signature style is “happy spooky” bright, funky color paired with whimsically macabre motifs and a whole lot of heart. Her story starts with an interactive-art childhood influence (the Strong Museum of Play), then jumps to adulthood questions about identity, community, and what it means to create without squeezing yourself into a framework that was never built for you. We talk about the real origin story: painting during COVID as a response to grief, rage, and the pressure Black folks feel when the world tries to limit the “acceptable” range of emotion. From those first therapeutic paintings of Black beauty to later work that uses fluorescence, comic-like storytelling, and immersive installation, she explains how “happy spooky” becomes more than an aesthetic. It becomes a worldview, a way to hold joy and fear at the same time and still choose connection. You’ll also hear an honest take on creative blocks (sometimes the strategy is doing nothing), the tension around monetizing art, and why hustle culture can kill the soul of a creative practice. We get into artist residency support, mentorship moments like Vista Lights, and a powerful classroom story as a queer educator in the South that turns into art about radical self-claiming. If you care about interactive art, immersive experiences, queer Black artists, and building a sustainable creative life, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs permission to make what they love, and leave a review with your favorite “happy spooky” takeaway. Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

  8. Oct 12

    Vitus Shell: Black Art, Hip-Hop & the Politics Behind His Work

    Send us Fan Mail You can hear it right away: Vitus Shell doesn’t treat art like a mystery. He treats it like a practice built from choices, community, and a long memory. We talk with the Monroe, Louisiana born mixed media collage painter and University of Louisiana Monroe professor about how he plans his career with real intention, how his time in music taught him to read the room, and why writing your goals down is not corny, it’s strategy.  From there, the conversation gets personal and honest. Vitus connects his creative process to growing up in the projects, leaving for Memphis, finding mentors who fed him knowledge and literally fed him meals, and learning how different people can take different paths from the same starting point. We also get into what it means to nurture kids and students without killing the spark, why elders and young people both have to stay open, and how “community” becomes a kind of protection when the art world feels gated by money, class, and sponsorship.  If you’ve ever looked at collage and wondered why it hits so hard, Vitus breaks it down: layering paper is layering history. He shares how he sources magazines and cultural artifacts through thrifting and archiving, how every material choice is intentional, and how his work remixes identity, civil rights, and contemporary Black culture the way hip hop samples sound. We close with a real-time question artists can’t avoid: AI and art, and why physical fundamentals still matter as digital workflows get disrupted.  If this conversation gives you something, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of Vitas’s process challenged the way you think about art? Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show BOOK OUR SPACE (Columbia): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/673ab11c9ec72595c7e5f909 BOOK OUR SPACE (Charleston): https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67ae7cb5cb965a8e4b77028f https://www.peerspace.com/pages/listings/67a92b506ec2c3b8a866f42e Make sure to subscribe to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Also follow us on Instagram and Facebook @hilltopglove. Sponsored by: @lynxrecording @asylum_digital @celebstudio_ @caddypack . Become a member of our Patreon channel to watch our exclusive series, Amplifying Voices: Carolina Storytellers and Cre8 Talks: SC Hip-Hop Pioneers.

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4.9
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

The Hilltop Glove Podcast is where culture meets economics. Based in the Carolinas, THG explores Southern creative life through candid conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, musicians, organizers, and cultural leaders. We talk about hip-hop, art, business, politics, identity, community, and the forces shaping the South—but underneath every conversation is a bigger question: Who creates the culture, who owns it, and who gets to benefit from it? The Hilltop Glove: Where Culture Meets Economics.

Information

  • Creator
    The Hilltop Glove Podcast
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    199
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Hilltop Glove Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Hilltop Glove Podcast