Vampside Norman visits the Couch virtually to talk about his career thus far. He also discussed his famous cousins, relationships in the industry, the Vegas scene, and his upcoming project. He also talks about his hiatus from music and his return.
This week we have a fly-in guest from Arizona, but he's originally from the Joliet area. We break down all of his projects and over 140 songs he's made. He also talks about YGG (Young Go Getta). When talking about Bonnie and Clyde, we bring up previous guests Dom Cee, Lito from 1002 Studio, and Myah Storm.
Starting the season with a bang, we have the host of the biggest podcast in the city: 290 Moe. We start from the beginning, with him not coming from a creative background. Then we talk about going from an award-winning podcast to creating an award show. Next, we discuss the first podcast concert series in Chicago: Thank You For Listening. We talk about his vetting process, starting a podcast, name changes, and inspiration.
On the season finale, we have Kung Pa,o who provided so much information that we can easily get the full story. The interview starts chaotically as expected. He wears many hats, and we start out talking about his producer skills. We also discuss the scenes in Miami versus Chicago. This spirals into talking about going to school in Miami and chasing the dream of being an industry producer. Next, we talk about his DJ journey starting at 14 years old. Next, we talk about Kung Pao's creative director role. After that, we break down his music and get to know Kung Pao the artist. He talks about working with others. He also shares a funny story about having his Soundcloud deleted and recovering it. When discussing miscellaneous things, we delve into his experiences in the fashion world.
This week we have very special guests: the hosts of No Insurance The Podcast. We get to sit down and talk about the inception of the show, their individual journeys, Thank you for listening, and being nominated for multiple awards. We start the interview talking about Nate's background starting with his dad knowing Oprah and mom working in radio. He initially wanted to be a DJ but his path led him to podcasting. Music runs in Trouble's family with his brother making beats and his son pursuing rap.
This week we have the artist: D'So Nyce. Starting at the beginning, we talk about his cousin being the only one in music. The Smooth Operator started rapping at 8 years old, not seriously, of course but it was the beginning. He also tells us a story about seeing Drake and being inspired to get into music and taking it more seriously. He first recorded over the "Fireman' beat by Lil Wayne. We also discuss musical influences especially those stemming from Houston.
In studio this week we have an artist and mental health advocate: Neeky Darko. We start by delving into the many alter egos and personalities that live in his mental mansion. We touch base on the new music and being in toxic relationships. Neeky is looking to tell new stories on his new album. We also delve into his music, performances, and so much more. There is also a segment dedicated to his mental health advocacy,
Today we have the roadrunner live and in studio. Nico Suave takes time out of his busy traveling schedule to visit the Couch. We find out that his father was a pioneer of hip hop in New York and has a huge influence on Nico's career. One of his goals is to shoot videos in different countries. He has also gotten his songs played at clubs in Puerto Rico. We touch base on many other topics and break down a few of his albums and music videos.
We took a little break to welcome in a new sponsor. We also had to bring the season back with a very special guest Lazzey B. Floe. We start with the breakdown of his name and his humble beginnings as a graffiti artist and animation dancer. We go through his musical journey starting with 'Just Bord'. Lazzey learned a lot during his time with Ever Evolved which set the ground work for all of the things he does today. We go back to breaking down music and music videos. We also get personal when discussing homelessness, having nothing, and yet still staying positive. We also discuss being the oldest sibling and the challenges that come with that. Lazzey explains starting with Bord and transitioning to TooGood. Before any other collectives, Lazzey was a founding member of TMRW. We get all of the details on how these three organizations came to be.
Sitting down with a Humboldt Park legend, we reach our first mid-season finale. He tells us all about his humble beginnings, becoming famous, getting signed, losing it all and rebuilding everything. This is one episode you want to sit back and take in as he drops keys and keys to success in this cutthroat industry.
This week we do something a little different and film a live interview at Urban Luxe Cafe during Thank Your For Listening Part 3. Today we have with us Starlight who wears many hats and we delve into as many as we can.
This week we have another one of my co-workers from The Local Artist Show: Gene 'G-Da-Man' Hicks. We rewind 18 years back to 1996 with his first CD and starting with the Paign Family. G was also the first person to have his FCC license and have a call-in line at his radio show. He also threw the hottest parties in Champaign and was never shut down. He's also a rapper with an extensive history as an independent artist and in groups. He has a new album coming soon. Read more here: https://mellystarz.com/2025/03/03/g-da-man-on-mellys-couch/
This week we get to sit down with one of my coworkers DJ Nikoli who just so happens to have dropped a new project titled 'Shine". Instead of the television station, we get to hang out on the Couch.
Today, we sit down with 2087 to discuss music, fashion, producing, content creation, performing, and so much more. You know Melly Starz had to bring out the leather for the special occasion. We start by describing the overall 2087 brand and how it came to be. Eventually, we go back to the beginning to 2010s.
This week we sit down with Epik1 who previously performed at the season four wrap party. We take a deep dive into his history and growth in the hip hop space. We start with a quote that encompasses his music and viewpoint on the craft. We also talk about the transition from Underpaid Productions to Its For Us. Since Epik has a bio we break things down into chapters, and Melly adds a chapter at the end.