Sometime in my first 6 months on twitter, I started following Combat Jack (Reggie Osse). I have no idea how it came about but we’ve been interacting – consistently and inconsistently – since. I have been fascinated by his journey through hip hop, starting as an attorney with his own firm as well as part of the Business and Legal Affairs Department of Def Jam. for various artists, including DJ Clark Kent, Rockwilder, Lords of the Underground and Jaheim. He’s been an executive at MTV as well as Managing Editor at Source Magazine. My real introduction to him was through twitter and his blog Daily Math, where he shared the wealth of experience and insight into the music industry, especially hip hop. He has an interesting perspective because he came to the industry as a fan and as a lawyer.
Just over two years ago, he started the Combat Jack Show Featuring Dallas Penn on PNC Radio and has had some legendary interviews with everyone from Redman, EPMD, Danny Boy and Ill Bill, and Neil Brennan to RZA, Big Boi, Prodigy, Havoc, DJ Clark Kent, Das Racist, Jean Grae and Terrance Dean. They present the show as a “weekly online radio show comprised of a diverse array of personalities with an overall love and appreciation for hip hop culture, fashion, music, and current events. #Newmanati”
Visual: Theotis Jones
The team consists of Combat Jack, Dallas Penn, Premium Pete, DJ Ben-Ha-Meen, Matt Raz and producer A-King, each with a distinct personality, each bringing something different to the team. Each of them also have initiatives and areas of interest that are worth exploring. I encourage you to do some research. After being featured, producer Just Blaze joined the team bringing further insight into the inner workings of the music industry today, including producing for artists like Jay-Z through to Rick Ross. I’ve taken to walking around with headphones constantly and pretending I’m talking on the phone because there are many ‘laugh out loud’ moments.
The dynamics between the people in studio, the guests as well as you as the listener makes for great listening, particularly if one is interested in the evolution of hip hop and rap, the lives that have changed and the opinions of people with a more than working understanding. Some things must be taken with a pinch of salt, especially from Dallas Penn, but this is what makes the shows.
This is officially my favourite radio show and there have been too many really good episodes for me to hold any as being above the rest.
It is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, TuneIn Radio, and on YouTube (as some of the episodes are now filmed), amongst other places.
