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10 Questions with ... The Morning Hustle
September 28, 2021
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1. Why did you decide to go into radio?
HeadKrack: Before I started my radio career, I worked on the record label side of the business, which was undergoing many changes at the time. These circumstances made me think about my next move and that’s where radio fell into play. One night, during a party in Dallas, my homies and I were talking about a brand-new radio station in town that was on the search for DJs. The opportunity was intriguing, so we decided to go to the studio the very next day, made a tape of a pretend radio show and turned it in just to see what would happen. We ended up getting the gig. I instantly fell in love with radio – it was less corporate, and we had power and influence across the city. That love for radio continues to fill my cup.
Lore’l: I’ve always wanted to be on the radio. From my career as a music artist to podcasting, being on the air is something I’ve always wanted to do. I realized that radio was missing a little something – and that was me! I met up with the powers that be, and I ended up here with Radio One and Reach Media and I’ve been having a great time ever since and I’m learning every day. My two co-hosts, HeadKrack and Angie Ange, who have been on the radio for many years have been able to teach me a lot and I love it.
Angie Ange: I decided to get into radio because I grew up listening to Russ Parr, Donnie Simpson, Big Tigger, the Live Squad, and I just knew that I belonged in that same space. I’ve always loved people and people have always loved me and are drawn to me. I enjoy speaking with people, partying with people and being their voice. I’ve also always had a very distinctive voice. At first, I thought it was a disadvantage because my voice is deeper than most girls and non-traditional. I would host events in high school and parents would say, “You have a great voice for radio” – I didn’t quite understand what that meant at the time, but it certainly aligned with my dream of being up there with Russ Parr and Donnie Simpson. Hearing those words coming from adults inspired me and when I found out that you can get paid, make a career in radio, and go to college for broadcast journalism versus it being just a hobby, I thought “This is what I’m going to do.” By the time I was a junior, I decided this would be my path and every decision I made was all about being on the radio. I went to Howard, stayed local, which was all about knowing my market so that I could get on the air in my hometown. The rest is history.
2. How would you describe your personality on the air?
HeadKrack: I would say a mix of logic, sarcasm, and satire or what I like to call ‘speaking in italics.’ No matter if I’m trying to entertain or educate our listeners, my strategy is to put those three things in a blender to ‘Trojan Horse’ the message and keep our audience engaged. Most people don’t want to be preached to, which is why it always comes down to how you say it.
Lore’l: I’m always honest and say the things people are thinking about out loud. I ask the questions people want answers to and can be very blunt. On the flip side, I’m also funny, I don’t take things too seriously and know when to have a lighthearted approach. I’m also proud to be super pro-Black and love to speak up for our people. I like to keep people informed (and know a lot about what’s going on behind the scenes), sometimes it’s a gift and a curse, because I don’t want to share too many details and must hold back, but one thing is for sure, you’ll always get the real from me in real life and on the radio. I don’t switch it up.
Angie Ange: I would describe my style as multidimensional. I can go from talking politics, to current culture and events. One of things I always loved about men on the radio is that they could talk about everything whereas women always had to stick to one role. So, I always felt like if I’m going to do radio, I’m going to change the course and be multidimensional and talk about anything and everything that fits me and suits me. On the Morning Hustle, I also have the voice of reason. I like to come in with facts and information, but also play the middle person that shares a balanced perspective and keeps the show leveled.
3. HeadKrack, why do you refer to yourself as an archivist?
In the media, people like to act like certain things didn’t happen and sometimes change the narrative, erase and re-write history. We’re living in an era where people no longer have physical copies of things. In a blink of an eye, data can be removed from servers, books can have pages omitted or adjusted. The second someone decides you can’t have access to something – it’s done. I’ve been one of those people who likes to collect Hip Hop magazines, articles, albums, records for historical reference so that I can always pull them out when needed and share how the story really went down. I even have tests that I took when I was in the 5th grade just in case someone decides to change any history books!
4. Angie Ange, what inspires you?
Ingenuity in technology. I think technology is the great equalizer. You can organically build and grow a platform that connects with the community you want to reach. That inspires me so much because if you wanted to get into radio back in the day, you had to get into a station and were limited to a smaller pool, especially as a Black talent. Today, you can develop a podcast, like Lore’l did, and grow a major following without ever being on the radio or TV. I’m inspired by the freedom technology can create, especially for the future.
5. Lore'l, would you share one of your funnier radio moments?
I have three really funny moments that have happened on the radio: one time Trey Songz hung up on me because we were playing a game with him (HeadKrack loves to create games) and I asked a question that may have been out of line, but that was only because he said the questions, we were asking were a little ‘too soft.’ So, I rebutted with a question that was ‘hard’ and the line went dead. Good thing we weren’t live on the air. The second funny thing that has happened on the air is when I asked 50 Cent when he was going to pop the question to his girlfriend Cuban, and he passed out and fainted. Another time, we were discussing Lil Nas X and his yellow Grammy outfit choice with Pastor Troy. I paused and eyed Pastor Troy from head to toe, who was wearing something very similar, and told him that he must’ve been inspired by Lil Nas X’s style. Pastor Troy couldn’t stop laughing or get a word out throughout the rest of the interview. Basically, my clap back at the artists take them off guard – I’m really not afraid to say anything and always have a great time with celebrity interviews.
6. What are you most proud of?
HeadKrack: I'm most proud of my fearlessness and childlike creativity. The world wants you to grow up, but I feel like you're supposed to learn things and never lose your youthful creativity. Some people are afraid to throw something out there in fear of the opinion of others or are scared to try new things. Well, that’s just not me. I will always try new things and feel proud of the fact that I may be the only person out there who is doing something different. I spent the last 12 months going to various ayahuasca retreats and putting people on to ayahuasca. I'm still even willing to experiment and try new things. There are a lot of things that we don't typically align with as a culture and society, but there's a whole world out there, and the world is ours, so if you're like 30 plus years old and you decide you want to be a freaking cowboy, go for it. Please don't lose that childlike creativity that got you to a certain point in life and stay sharp with it.
Lore’l: I would say my ability to make things happen no matter what. My drive, loyalty, and relationships - I feel like those things keep me going and keep me relevant in any situation. At one point in time, I was on reality TV. I feel like I made a mistake out of that, and I ended up having to start over. I was also an artist and thought that making music was the only thing I wanted to do; but then I had to start over again and ended up in podcasting and radio. Now, I’m in one of the highest points ever in my career. Some people see being down as being out, and I see it as more motivation to push me to go harder. I also think the fact that I'm always able to bounce back from anything is something I'm most proud of. And my sunglass collection, I'm also very proud of that. We wake up early in the morning, so I need them.
Angie Ange: I'm most proud of all the young people that I've inspired to go to college. I think that's probably my most proud accomplishment. I started a nonprofit called "College Is Cool" within the first year of my career, and I was very hands-on with young people. I began by sharing why I thought college was so cool and how much fun I had because they were not exposed to it. What was interesting to me is, I went to Howard University, which is in DC, and in the DMV area, you've got tons of colleges, but I would go to schools where kids had never even visited a campus, and the campus is down the street. I like being a part of changing that culture, and still to this day, people will write letters or tell me, "I went to college because of you,” or “I finished college because of you." I also created a Battle of the Bands. Exposing families to the collegiate experience allowed them to network directly with colleges and recruiters; that's probably something I'm proud of to this day. I think at this point in my life, I'm also most proud of my resilience. Going from Howard University to being an intern to doing evenings for seven years, afternoons for four years, and then my morning show, to now a nationally syndicated morning show, you go through a lot. Especially when you're fighting as a woman, that takes a lot of resilience because you have to fight a lot of battles.
7. Who have been some of your influencers and mentors and what have you learned from them?
HeadKrack: I've never really had any mentors. I was more of a person who just studied people doing dope things and even studied people doing bad things to exemplify what not to do. It's not one of the situations where I feel like people could never tell me anything, but on the flipside, no one ever said, “Let me take you under my wing.” Anything I've ever done; I went in running at full speed. So, people were asking me to mentor them. Meanwhile, I'm looking at people who are higher than me, like, “Damn, how they get to this position in life?” When you look at OG's in the game, like Ed Lover and Doctor Dre when they were on in New York, Starbuck and Buckwild, Miss Jones, and even the recipe of Tom Joyner when he was playing Hip Hop, these people figured out the pattern to lead and stay in the game. I studied these things and tried to apply that science. So that's what I do, and so far, it has been working because, like Angie, where she's been on several dayparts, and now on a bigger platform, you have to figure out how you could make those things work for you and extend their shelf life. Observe greatness!
Lore’l: I've never really been interested in having a mentor. However, I've had people that I look to for advice. I wouldn't say one person, but I was blessed to have many friends around me in this industry. For instance, I was first signed to DJ Envy when I was in college, and obviously, we know he's on a competing network, right? I have a history with members of that entire show, and although we compete, those are three people that I can always count on to tell me something about radio. I was blessed to work with Angie Ange. I sat in on her show, and she's always helping me learn everything from a stop set to a break. Because when I first sat in that chair, I didn't know any of that stuff. I still don't know what some of that stuff is, and I'll be embarrassed a little bit. But I'll call her in the end and say, “I have no idea what the hell that means” and she’ll help me out. People that are patient with you are going to teach you some things. Colby Colb and Kashon Powell, I can call them up at any given time, and they will provide me with advice. I'm blessed to have them as bosses. Knowing that I came from a different side of the game, and I'm just getting started. Nobody laughs or looks at me crazy when I call and ask them a question, and I appreciate that. The last two people that I looked to for advice are Plies, when it comes to music, he gives me a lot of good tips and Karen Civil when it comes to the marketing side of things. I could call her up any day or night, and she'll stay on the phone for five hours to help me figure stuff out.
Angie Ange: For me, the people who influenced me became my mentors, and that's a considerable accomplishment. The people I grew up listening to, I have their number in my phone, and they respect me enough to say, “ you can call anytime.” They have become my mentors. I don't think you can make it without mentorship, leadership, and guidance. I believe heavily in mentors and always looked for mentorship. It started for me with DJ Flexx, Rayne in DC. (I started as an intern), and DJ Flexx especially took me under his wing and taught me industry politics. He taught me about the business that I was in, and he told me I had to toughen up. He always said, "You too soft. You have to get a thick skin in this business." I'd be crying in a bathroom stall because management killed my dreams. I also had Reggie Rouse; though he was tough, he helped me toughen up and understand the politics. Adimu taught me about patience and professionalism. He was the ultimate professional, and he was so calm and smooth with it, and he taught me that directly. When I came to WKYS, Olivia Foxx was there in my corner the whole time; she watched everything unfold, and for a woman to approach you and say, "You can do this, stay in the game," was very important. Russ Parr has been an incredible mentor. I never thought I'd be able to talk to Russ Parr, you know? Now I can call Russ Parr. We have conversations regularly even though he's a little delusional because he's rich and old, but he still has valuable lessons. Donnie Simpson is another big name that I've been able to sit with and talk to and get his advice. EZ Street is another one I grew up listening to and was very good at teaching me the importance of discipline. These are all local people out of DC that have changed my life.
I've had managers that have been incredible mentors to me. When I started radio, Michelle Williams and Kathy "KB" Brown had tough love. It was very, very tough love. Sometimes I wasn't sure if they even liked me, but they took me under their wing and were willing to school me. They took me to the next level in understanding what I'm chasing, don't chase the small dollar and lose the more significant dollar. Michelle Williams and I would talk investments. When I was twenty-two, she would take me to lunch, and we would talk about stocks and money, having managers that cared about your growth as a human being. All of them have been mentors and influences in my career.
8. How do you see your future evolving?
HeadKrack: I see The Morning Hustle becoming a bigger household name. Possibly a TV show. There are so many dope things happening in these four walls amongst the three of us, from everybody's side hustles to the things everybody is juggling. So as more and more people start to tap into the brand and get to know us, the sky is truly the limit because we all work so hard. There is purpose in our content and the show. As we get syndicated in more markets, I feel the energy is real when I'm walking around, even if it's not even a city that we are based in, like an affiliate market; they feel and connect with it. So that gives me so much more optimism and puts the battery in my back to keep chipping away and keep going. Outside of radio, I did turn up the volume on this music thing a lot more and started to get back out there. Now with the Delta variant, I don’t know what the hell I'm doing. I feel like I'm like Homer Simpson going back into the bushes a little bit, but because of the creativity behind it all, even if we go back virtual again, I'm going to figure out a way to continue to grow the brand. Get it going because I love the challenge. We might take the show to Mars.
Lore'l: I'm not getting on that (spaceship), but I could do the show remote while you’re up there. Now for me, I want to make sure that The Morning Hustle is the number one radio show in the damn world. So however hard we must go to make sure that happens, I want to make sure that it happens. I want to make sure that I'm going to be the most prominent woman next to Wendy Williams as far as radio goes. I want to be right there on the list, Oprah, Wendy, and Lore'l. I think that's a good lineup right there. I want to take it to TV and I want to have a late-night show. I also want to start producing shows. I have so many great ideas and things of that nature. I would love to host award shows one day, so Grammys when you’re ready, I'm here. Oh yeah and find me a husband. As far as music, I will say a big shout-out to Headkrack for pushing me to get back to the music side of things because that was something that I had walked away from and had no interest in doing it anymore. Every week when we do the 'Flo n' Go' and all the responses I've gotten back and people that are happy to see me back in the booth. I thank Headkrack because I didn't know if I would ever make music again, and then he also taught me how to record myself. So, during the pandemic, I was able to make a lot more music, so I've been getting a lot of people that's been reaching out to me to get something going. Stay tuned for that!
Angie Ange: I see this show evolving into really being the pulse of the people, the pulse of the listener. The Morning Hustle is going to be the show that touches the nerve of the people and a bridge that connects people. While driving to work and driving their kids to school, they're going to tune in because it's the go-to to find out what's happening and hear what people have to say. This show is exceptional and its ability to capture what's happening right now. I think it will continue to elevate in that manner because I feel everybody here, Lore'l, Headkrack, and I, are all on the pulse of what's happening in our respective spaces of interest. That's going to be huge down the line in terms of being able to wake up every morning and not just hear a bunch of canned pre-recorded things; instead you'll get to know and see how things are unfolding right now, and ask questions like “What do you guys think?” or “Here's what we believe.” People want that. As I continue to evolve, I also see myself creating a space for creatives that helps guide them and coach them.
I'm a coach. I'm a cheerleader, and I support people. I love helping people, so I feel like creating that platform for them, whether within the Reach Media umbrella or under Radio One. Reach Media must evolve if it's going to continue another 20-30+ years. Miss Hughes built an empire over the last few decades. Well, the next few decades will require new platforms for these young people. I want to be at the forefront of that. I'm already doing it via my media company, 38 Madison Media. That's how I see myself evolving, and I'll continue to do. As radio continues to go more syndicated, you're going to have to create new outlets so that these creators and talents can thrive.
9. What frustrates you most about the music and radio industry?
HeadKrack: Politics, egos, and limitations, and I think sometimes the business could be so formulaic; One-Two-Three, and they don't respect the Two, Four, Six. Sometimes, egos get in a way because, as you know, there will be situations where we may have the opportunity to talk to high-profile people, but we have to chill because of political nonsense. I understand that sometimes it's a game that we got to play to get the bag on the company end, but the listeners don't understand any of that at the end of the day. It's hard to try to super-serve when you know people are tying your shoes together before you try to take off and run with it. That part really frustrates me because it's so drastically different from how I got into the game, and I understand that everything changes, but sometimes it just feels a little cuffed. But we figure out ways to creatively slip out of the cuffs and still rock out. Do what we need to do.
Lore’l: People and their laziness, the new age of inactivity, and people who think it's super easy to get into this and get going. That you just started overnight. Like Angie said earlier, many of us started as an intern. I interned at the labels for a couple of years before getting paid. I was an artist since I could start singing. You know, I was doing what I had to do, taking vocal lessons, and linking up with other artists, and building these relationships. I have been in the game for 20 years and am still going strong. People think that just because they might have just heard of you, that it happened overnight, but I put a lot of work into this, and that's something you have to do to be successful. Also, I want to cancel the new cancel culture; it is a big thing in the industry.
We all make mistakes, and there have been people that I'm like, he's canceled, and I know I'm probably going to listen to him again. But just not this week. We all have made mistakes. I think that's not fair. The last thing would be these artists who put all their business on social media and then they get offended when you ask them a question. You're here for an interview to be asked questions about what we see you put out on your life. So, I feel like it gets a little annoying when they are guarded, and I guess it's because of cancel culture that they keep their guard up high. But ultimately, we're fans of the artists we are inviting up here. We're only working off what they are putting out there.
Angie Ange: The most frustrating thing about music is watching plug-and-play formulas that have been created and continue to drive what gets played on the radio. Those formulas continue to drive the same type of artists that we see repeatedly. I believe that's where technology comes in, and I have so much hope because of that. Technology creates new opportunities for artists to build audiences and reach new people. We've had several times where we've watched artists get hot online, get lit on TV, and then boom made it to radio, and it explodes even further. But many times, those artists didn't even get the opportunity because they just didn't fit the industry standard's mold. It's frustrating to see this cookie-cutter concept when it comes to artists and just sticking with what works instead of pushing the limit and pushing the boundary. Technology is changing in terms of the radio industry seeing syndication and regionalization, which put so many people out of jobs and forced so many creators to other options and opportunities. Even though I wanted a syndicated morning show, before that, I was local for more than ten years, and I value the power of local radio. That power is that they hear somebody from where they are talking about what matters most to them every day. But there is hope. We see that Reach Media is starting to get into the podcasting space and other avenues. Hopefully, we continue to create new routes where if we can no longer have local talent on the air, where else can we put them? Or allow them to continue to shine?
10. What's the best advice you've ever come you've ever been given?
HeadKrack: I must give this one to Ricky Smiley, and it wasn't necessarily something that he said to me, but it was something that he would say a lot, and I put my spin on it, "It's not about you." People will make things about themselves or take everything personally, and it's not a personal thing, and honestly, it's not about you, but sometimes it is about you. Sometimes you have to celebrate yourself or stand up for what you believe in when somebody you know comes at you sideways. You don't have to take everything as a personal shot and spend more time listening, less time talking. Sometimes you might miss something in your initial reaction interpretation of what's going down, so you know the analysis process. It's not about you, unless it is.
Lore’l: Good advice that was given to me was to start a podcast because I feel like that is what elevated me to get to everything else that I'm doing right now, and at the time, I did feel like everybody had a podcast. You know how people think like that, but that was the popular opinion when I started my podcast. It was about 2 1/2 years ago, but I was working on Lip Service for the past five years and now the Undressing Room.
And with that, I'm going to give my advice and say, you know, don't always wait for opportunity. Sometimes just showing up and being there, you'll get the chance. When it came to Lip Service, I saw a lot there, but something was missing, and I came in and decided to give my time to produce it. And what I did by giving my time was I found guests for them. Whenever a write-up was needed, I did the write-up. Whenever one of the hosts didn't show up, I filled in for them, and eventually, it got to the point where people were asking for me. I became a part of the show, and just me showing up and being there also got me that, “just being at the right place at the right time.” I was doing other things, and I never waited for nobody to put me on or get me on, so I would say, show up then show out when it is time. The last advice would be when people would tell me I was “too real.” I took all my negative advice and turned it into a piece of positive guidance, and the realness is what the people love me for on the radio every morning; that's the one thing they say. I pride myself on being authentic. Sometimes people don't like me for it, but I'm OK with that.
Angie Ange: Don't come to the table with excuses and complaints if you don't have solutions. That's the best advice I've ever received, there's always going to be a problem, and there's always going to be a reason not to place blame on yourself or not take responsibility and accountability. If you are not showing up with solutions, you are part of the problem. Always be solution-based. In moving forward, it is essential that you don't get stuck. I think we get stuck because we're caught up in complaints and excuses and lack accountability. Most people I would look up to would often say, I hear your complaint, so what's the solution? That helped me always to be solution-based as much as possible. My advice to others would be if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. Always show up when no one else is showing up. Do what no one else is going to do within reason and morality. But if you look at all of us Headkrack, Lore'l, and I, at some point, we got an opportunity because no one else was there to step in. Whatever that opportunity was low level, high level, whatever it was, we were ready. So, prepare yourselves, meet people, ask questions, be on the scene, do whatever you have to do to stay ready because you never know when an opportunity will pop up for you.
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