little bear is having a hell of a whirlwind week here in Chicago. Between Pitchfork pop-ins, studio sessions, press, a backyard release party for their new EP Needs on Thursday, and playing in the house band at the third annual Chicago Poetry Block Party, the Bronx-based electrabrasspop artist is on the run, and enjoying every minute. Their new EP features AirGo alums the Burns Twins and Sol Patches, and the Chicago connections run deep (their brother just happens to be AirGo cohost Kiss). With Damon out of town, the two brothers talk music, next steps, shared childhood, and more.
Episode 145 - Loona Dae
This week's guest is Loona Dae, a vocalist, songwriter, and producer originally from St. Louis who has been a mainstay here in Chicago for a few years now. She recently dropped a fantastic new track produced by AirGo alum Eddie Burns called "Summertime (U Remind Me)," and has a new project called Moon Flower coming soon. In the meantime, peep her Phases EP from last year!
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Episode 144 - Shawnee Dez
Shawnee Dez is a vocalist, songwriter, and joyous spirit. Living in the world of soul music, Shawnee's sound connects to a lineage, but can't be mistaken for anyone but her. She swings by AirGo to get nostalgic, wax rhapsodic, and more.
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Episode 143 - Kaleb Autman
None of us know the future–no matter how muscular our radical imagination. But we do know that as long as Kaleb Autman is in it, there will be at least one person bringing love, honesty, and courageous, quiet righteousness to our fights for liberation. The 16 year-old organizer, photographer and writer delves deep into his thoughts on student protest, building a life, Future Kaleb, and more.
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Episode 142 - Mani Jurdan
Mani Jurdan is finding balance. He's a rapper from out west, mentor at a youth program in Austin, and a happily-affiliated member of Chicago creative collective Huey Gang. He drops by to talk loss, mentorship, his music, and more.
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Episode 141 - Nikko Washington
Nikko Washington's contours and contrasts are something to behold. He's a painter, clothing designer, and Hyde Park native, whose work has covered the albums of many of Chicago's finest, including Kami, Noname, Joey Purp, Vic Mensa, Towkio and many more. He has a new exhibition, entitled Saturn, going up this friday at the Adidas Originals store in Wicker Park.
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Episode 140 - Hip Hop Theater Fest
At the intersection of art, culture, social justice, and community building, Kuumba Lynx produces The Chicago Hip Hop Theater Fest (CHHTF). The fest features nine different performing artists/companies presenting 12 different shows over five days. CHHTF is curated by Kuumba Lynx Co-Founders Jaquanda Villegas and Jacinda Bullie in an effort to reclaim public space, and cultivate a community building & performance space that reflects the communities we represent. The fest utilizes critical Hip Hop Theater to engage in a dialogue that aims to rewrite our narratives, reimagine the world more just, and connect people across communities. AirGo sits down with several of the presenters and participants to talk about their creative works, perspectives on the fest, and more!
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Episode 139 - Brendan Shiller
Brendan Shiller is fighting. He is one of the founders of the West Side Justice Center, and is a co-partner in the law firm Shiller Preyar LLC, serving the needs and legal battles of the divested from and disenfranchised across the city. He is the lead attorney for the #NoCopAcademy Campaign, which was rumbling through City Hall last week in opposition to the $95 million proposed project to be built in West Garfield Park.
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Episode 138 - Matt Muse
Matt Muse is a rapper, producer and YCA teaching artist who's working hard. Constantly performing on stages across the city and on the road, his work ethic and confident baritone has opened doors as he continues to push his craft and career. His new project, Nappy Talk, is coming ASAP–he had a listening party this past week at YCA.
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Episode 137 - In the Loop, Out the Blue
This week's episode is the product of a partnership between your friendly neighborhood producers here at AirGo and Real Chi Youth, the newsroom at Free Spirit Media, a nonprofit organization based in North Lawndale. We worked with this wonderful squad of reporters between 20 and 25 years old to build a new, humanizing, deep dive into the stories they were covering, bringing subject-to-subject dialogue into a traditional news space. The result is In the Loop, Out the Blue, a new podcast. Enjoy the first episode!
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Episode 136 - Hilda Franco
Hilda Franco, in this moment, is the culmination of every day, month, and year she has grown through up to this point–as are we all. She wants to make sure we don't forget that. The educator, scholar, facilitator, and culture worker focuses on the pervasiveness and impact of adultism in our schools, communities, policies, and culture-at-large. A former staff member at the Chicago Freedom School, Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy, and other educational spaces, she currently works as a coordinator and consultant for CPS's Student Voice Committee. Hilda is also a member of the Hoodoisie, the block-optic news discussion show founded by Ricardo Gamboa and often mentioned on AirGo.
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Episode 135 - Dometi Pongo
Dometi Pongo is a media-maker, journalist, host, and producer whose work is grounded in the stories, perspectives, and events of our city. Sound familiar? He's an anchor and reporter for WGN Radio, the host of the ChiPedia and Brainstorm with Dometi podcasts, and has created media work with Chicago's Urban League, Donda's House, WTTW, WYCC, and many other platforms. He's the cofounder of The Artists Lounge, one of the city's best open mics, and he also leads annual excursions to Ghana, aimed at establishing better understandings of Diaspora and cultural cohesion.
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Episode 134 - MfnMelo
AirGo gets cooking with Pivot emcee and gem of a human MfnMelo. The rapper's baritone echoes across some of the city's best tracks from the last year, including a gang of hits on his project Melodramatics, which dropped last October. He also hosts the hilarious and very informative Cooking with Mfn cooking show.
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Episode 133 - Lulu Be
Lulu Be's bounce echoes continents. The rapper layers rhythms from across diaspora with hyper-referential and indubitably fun raps that reverberate self-confidence and self-determination. The first generation Ethiopian American Chicago native put out the make-you-move bop Lululand last fall.
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Episode 132 - Brandon Johnson
You know that line that naysayers always say to activists? About how "real change happens from within the system?" Well, Brandon Johnson is about to find out. The longtime educator and centerpiece organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union recently won the Democratic primary for the Cook County Commissioner of the 1st District, and will be running unopposed in the general election. His new jurisdiction covers much of the West Side and western suburbs.
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Episode 131 - AmbI Lyrics
AmbI Lyrics has brought all the pieces together, and is ready to share. The St. Louisian DJ, producer, and certified Pivoter just dropped Study Hall, a wonderful project with some certified bops with a super dope squad of collaborators including Via Rosa, Joseph Chilliams, Nosidam, Lamont Anderson, Sean Deaux, theMIND, Smino, Saba, and Jean Deaux. She pops by a couple days before her upcoming After School Special show at SubT on April 8th, which you should definitely attend.
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Episode 130 - Luke Titus
Singer, drummer, and songwriter Luke Titus is just trying to flow. As a percussionist, he has kept the pocket for brilliant Chicagoans like Noname, Akenya and Ravyn Lenae. He released his debut project, Aside of Love, last year, and will be opening for Ravyn on her upcoming Crush tour.
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Episode 129 - Maceo Haymes
Maceo Haymes swings, growls, and whines like no other voice in Chicago. He's the soul of Chicago soul band The O'My's, and has collaborated with damn near any Chicago rapper, singer, and musician you rock with. A stalwart of the Chicago music scene, Maceo swings by to talk sound, color, art, and more.
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Episode 128 - Check-in #3
Daniel and Damon catch their breath and take some time to check in. The convo bounces around from parents, to love, to growth, to much more. You get a guest every week–we should be enough for ya.
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Episode 127 - Burns Twins
The Burns Twins glint. The duo stands in the midst of much of the most engaging, shining, exciting art echoing through Chicago's music scene, bringing their trumpet, drums, and production to collaborations with an impressive cross-section of Chicago's next wave. They most recently put out the first in a series of EPs with Bedows and Elton Aura entitled Sun Shower, which is an absolute banger, and perform in the bands of many of Chicago's best.