Kid L Podcast

Kid L

Based in Detroit, we talk with artists, entertainers, public figures, and people with stories.

  1. Sep 17

    Michael Seger on Recording Jelly Roll, Boosie, Jaden Smith, Katt Williams & Crazy Celebrity Stories

    Michael Seger joins the Kid L Podcast for a conversation filled with wild celebrity stories, lessons from the music industry and the journey that put him in the room with some of the biggest names in entertainment. Michael shares the story of Jelly Roll’s unforgettable arrival in Detroit, recalling an escort of around 20 police vehicles and several blocks being shut down as Jelly Roll made his way to a recording session. After the session had been canceled multiple times, Michael says he only had about 20 minutes notice that Jelly Roll was actually coming. He also reflects on working with Boosie, explaining how BandGang bringing Boosie in for a session became an important moment in his career and helped attract attention from across Detroit’s music scene. Michael talks about recording with Jaden Smith, including working on multiple songs, some of which were never released, and shares stories about Katt Williams, who Michael says recorded a large amount of music during multiple visits. The conversation also explores the less glamorous side of building a career in music. Before establishing himself professionally, Michael was recording artists from his home. He recalls an attempted robbery following one of those sessions that completely changed how he viewed bringing strangers into his personal space. The experience ultimately pushed him to stop doing house sessions. Michael also remembers investing approximately $45,000 of his own money into an early studio location, only for the roof to collapse when construction was nearly finished. He says he lost everything he had invested and had to figure out how to keep moving forward. Beyond the celebrity stories, Michael breaks down what he has learned from years of working directly with artists. He discusses seeing questionable record contracts, why talent alone rarely creates a successful career, and the importance of work ethic, relationships, marketing, branding and content. He explains the difference between simply knowing how to operate recording software and actually being a great engineer. For Michael, engineering also means earning an artist’s trust, creating an environment where they feel comfortable and knowing when to challenge someone to give a better performance. Michael also reflects on his own relationship with alcohol and sobriety, his evolution as a musician, and the next chapter of his career performing, writing and touring with the Ethan Marc Band. From Jelly Roll, Boosie, Jaden Smith and Katt Williams to attempted robbery, losing a major investment and learning the realities of the music business, Michael Seger shares the stories and experiences that shaped his journey. Full conversation on the Kid L Podcast. 00:00:00 - Intro00:00:50 - Choosing Work00:02:22 - Growing Up00:03:54 - Early Business00:06:05 - Robbed At Session00:07:19 - Business Failures00:08:43 - Get Fresh Studio00:11:56 - Engineers00:13:11 - LMA00:13:44 - Jaden Smith00:14:47 - Kash Doll00:15:33 - Ethan Marc Band00:40:15 - Jelly Roll00:41:04 - Katt Williams00:44:39 - Jelly Roll00:48:23 - Pixar00:49:31 - LMA Story00:52:24 - Team Eastside00:53:18 - Get Sober01:02:26 - Ethan Marc Band01:06:32 - Deals01:08:48 - Jaden Smith01:10:05 - Engineer Vibe01:12:29 - Band Scams01:14:04 - Drake Bell01:19:18 - Making It BIG

    Michael Seger on Recording Jelly Roll, Boosie, Jaden Smith, Katt Williams & Crazy Celebrity Stories
  2. Sep 17

    Jessica Care Moore: From Detroit’s Hip Hop Shop to the Apollo

    Detroit Poet Laureate Jessica Care Moore joins the Kid L Podcast for an in-depth conversation about her journey through Detroit hip hop, poetry, publishing and the cultural movements that shaped her career. Jessica takes us back to Detroit’s hip hop scene in the 1990s, reflecting on the Hip Hop Shop, Rhythm Kitchen and the community of rappers, poets, dancers, designers and creatives who helped establish the city’s identity. She discusses the influence of Maurice Malone and remembers being around artists including Proof, Eminem, Slum Village and J Dillabefore Detroit hip hop reached a worldwide audience. Jessica shares memories of Eminem before fame and reflects on her close friendship with Proof, who she remembers as one of the greatest freestyle artists of his generation. She explains what made Proof special while discussing the different strengths she saw in Proof and Eminem. She also remembers Method Man and Redman coming through Detroit and how the city’s hip hop community treated major artists differently than people might expect. Jessica’s journey eventually took her to New York, where she became part of another historic creative community. She recalls sharing spaces with artists including Erykah Badu, Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli before many of them became internationally recognized. One of the defining moments of Jessica’s career came at Showtime at the Apollo, where she became the first poet to win Amateur Night and went on to win five consecutive times. She discusses founding Moore Black Press, independently selling thousands of books and building her career before artists had social media and modern digital platforms to reach audiences. Jessica also tells the story of working with Nas on his Nastradamus album. She remembers Nas wanting her poetry to be the first and last thing listeners heard on the project and discusses the lessons she learned about publishing, ownership and the business of being an artist. The conversation also touches on George Clinton, India.Arie, Black Women Rock, Betty Davis, the influence of Black women in rock music and Jessica’s commitment to preserving cultural history. From Detroit’s Hip Hop Shop era to New York’s poetry scene, the Apollo stage, independent publishing and collaborations with legendary artists, Jessica Care Moore has spent decades participating in and documenting important moments in hip hop, poetry and Black culture. Now serving as Detroit Poet Laureate, Jessica continues to represent the city that helped shape her.

    Jessica Care Moore: From Detroit’s Hip Hop Shop to the Apollo
  3. Sep 2

    Dawgface Calderon Talks Trump’s Impact, the WNBA, Youth Crime & Black America

    Dawgface Calderon joins Kid L for a wide-ranging conversation about politics, Black America, crime, sports, Detroit culture and entertainment. Dawgface shares his perspective on Donald Trump and Barack Obama, including why he believes Trump’s impact on Black America deserves a different conversation. They discuss racism, personal accountability, Black economic empowerment, community ownership and what Black communities can learn from the way Arab and Chaldean communities in Metro Detroit approach business and real estate. The conversation turns to a recent Detroit crime involving a 15-year-old, leading to a debate about youth violence, mental health, accountability, juvenile sentencing and how much a person’s environment should factor into understanding serious crimes. Dawgface also gives his thoughts on the WNBA, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the controversy surrounding gender and competition in women’s sports. They discuss how social media, personalities and controversy have helped bring new attention to women’s basketball. The episode moves into internet culture, including streamers, viral personalities, 607 Unc, Wack 100 and why people no longer need a traditional talent or entertainment career to become famous. Dawgface speaks about Detroit media politics, feeling blackballed, helping other creators make connections and why famous rappers don’t always make the best podcast guests. Detroit hip-hop history is also covered, including Team Eastside, Doughboyz Cashout, BandGang, Rocaine, Pablo Skywalkin, Trick Trick, Snap Dogg and the No Fly Zone era. Dawgface revisits his VladTV rapper rankings and explains why certain Detroit artists deserve more recognition. They also discuss Eminem’s legacy, why Dawgface wants to hear Eminem work with Helluva, Tee Grizzley’s influence, Detroit’s independent film scene, influencer boxing, Claressa Shields, Laila Ali and relationships between Black, Arab and Chaldean communities in Metro Detroit. From Trump vs. Obama and the WNBA to Detroit crime, Black economics, internet fame and Detroit hip-hop history, Dawgface Calderon gives his perspective on some of the biggest conversations happening in culture today.

    Dawgface Calderon Talks Trump’s Impact, the WNBA, Youth Crime & Black America

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Based in Detroit, we talk with artists, entertainers, public figures, and people with stories.

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