10 Questions with ... Madd Hatta

1. Why did you decide to go into radio?

I was curious why radio stations only played certain music. When I was growing up in my neighborhood, we played different music than they did at the radio station. I wanted to know what was up with that.

2. Who would be your dream interview and what would you discuss?

These are the kinds of questions that people want you to say to someone awe inspiring but I have nothing….wait, I’d like to ask my father some questions and share some funny tidbits with him. When I look back, I can see how interesting a person he was. He passed away some years ago.

3. How did attending a HBCU help you grow as an air personality?

I think it was the ultimate experience. Shout out to Yvonne Anderson from WNAA - 90.1 FM in Greensboro, NC. She’s the person responsible for me having the long career I had. I had one million questions when I came to the college radio station. She must’ve seen something in an inquisitive kid. She said I should be “The Madd Hatta” because my RUN-DMC knock off hat. The experience and Ms. Anderson-- gave me the ability to figure out who I was on the air. She gave guidance and then pushed us out the plane. You either pull the string of the parachute or you know what happens if you don’t pull the string. It got to the point that other students would come and watch me….like I was a pro or something. Ultimately, she gave me an ultimatum…LEAVE. There was no “or else.” She was clear that there was nothing else for me to achieve at the University station. I always appreciated that. Thank you, Ms. Anderson.

4. What are you up to these days?

So, December 2019, the company I worked for gave me an offer that I could not refuse after doing the morning show for 20 years. In a nutshell, I declined. It’s a little more involved than that but that’s kind of it in a nutshell. Deliriously, I refused. I was planning on working my own digital and social real estate (from online radio stations to podcast) but my current Program Director over KTSU - 90.9 The Choice, Donna Franklin, encouraged me to run a new online digital station that the CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting) was kicking off. A string of Urban Alternative stations and she thought I’d be the perfect fit since I’d decided to pull back from the on-air broadcasting side. The General Manager, Ernest Walker, had an idea of allowing some broadcasting time to the digital station of the KTSU frequency and I thought it was an interesting concept. Let me explain the concept.

KTSU has block programming for the most part. public affair shows, a current morning show that mixes gospel and R&B, a hefty dose of jazz and old school R&B along with blues, and some Zydeco. The Vibe is totally Urban Alternative (UA) leaning millennial and Gen Z. And if it has a cool “Vibe,” I program it with a heavy rotation of local artists (R&B/Hip-Hop). We do what we coined, “A Split Broadcast.” The Vibe is a digital/internet/streaming radio station 24/7-365 but every evening we broadcast THE VIBE on the KTSU - 90.9 signal except Sundays. They station plays gospel on Sundays and it’s very popular in the city.

5. What’s the most challenging part of programming an Urban Alternative station?

I believe it’s being taken less seriously by many of the industry counterparts. Internet radio doesn’t sound sexy to most and coming from college radio, I know it usually wasn’t taken too seriously but I’ve seen over the years the impact these kinds of stations can have in their community’s exposing music and talent that would otherwise be left by the wayside. But also, the impact of bringing important information and assistance to many in the community we serve with programs we run and participate in.

6. What are you most proud of?

Radio wise, I had a pretty long stable career. I don’t know many that have lasted as long in one place as my crew did. I think I was able to round up a pretty tight knit group of people that I had the opportunity to select. I really believe I have a good eye for talent. A morning show is truly about chemistry, and we had it. I’d say to a fault

7. Who have been some of your influencers and mentors?

My favorite jock of all time is Rick Party. He’s probably the second person I’d have to thank for just taking the time and talking to me and writing to an up-and-coming wanna be jock. He wrote , “You got it, You’ll make it…Stay Humble!” I still have that letter to this day. I’ve talked to him three times maybe four times max in my thirty-year career but he’s the reason I got the Houston gig. Somehow on one of the rare moments of me feeling myself as a young jock, I reached out to him and said I was ready for the Top 10 markets. I wanted to go to Dallas, and he told me not to shoot for Dallas. He told me that there was an opportunity to work at Majic 102 in Houston under GM, Ernie Jackson and PD Ron Atkins. His advice paid off. Thanks Mr. Party.

Larry Davis, he’s a voice talent for big commercials on movies and television but back in the days he was known as, The Jammer. He could do voices for days and was extremely talented. He was the first person that said, “I sucked,” which could’ve resulted in fisticuffs in my younger days, but he said he would teach me and show me the way. He’s the other reason why I had the career I had. Jammer introduced me to the real world of being a jock --air-check tapes of jocks around the planet, video air-checks where I would see Rick Party (he became my fav jock), books about broadcasting, and not some technical book from some institutions. He was giving me books from actual jocks doing it. In fact, I don’t remember the name of the book, but it gave you specifics about how to make it to the top ten. EVERY SINGLE THING IN THAT BOOK--WORKED! Years later, I would get job offers from all the top ten markets but after ten years in of doing the morning show, I guess people figured I wasn’t leaving Houston.

While I was answering this, I texted Jammer the name of the book, “Making It To The Majors” by David Kidd Kraddick. R.I.P. I owe him also. I photocopied Jammer’s book. I never had a real copy. But it worked.

There have been others that have been instrumental to the growth and development of my career in positive and negative ways. So, I will just stop and say thanks to everyone along my journey that helped me in one way or another

8. How do you see your future evolving?

I’m really trying to figure out what in the world is going on. The industry of broadcasting has changed and is evolving with social medial, digital platforms, NFT’s, Metaverse, etc. I’m really just getting my foot in the door with all the excitement of these new things while still working the traditional route with my syndicated two-hour mix show and possibly a non-traditional weekday show that could be in any day part. I’ve also got an idea for a weekend count-down show, growing my digital and social platform, and really helping the Texas Southern nail down our digital music channel to help it reach its fullest potential.

9. Would you share one of your funnier moments in radio?

Well, one that sticks out happed at the Toyota Center. It was a huge One Africa Music Fest. I was introducing one of our Houston rap Icons, Lil Keke on stage and I tripped over a speaker. I didn’t even sweat it. I busted my tail. I Got up and left the stage and the crowd cheered me on like it was part of the show or they were laughing--you decide. I didn’t realize I had fallen so hard that the keys to my car popped out my pocket. After Lil Keke’s performance-- backstage he said, “Hey man, ya dropped ya keys!” He didn’t even laugh. He said it matter of factly and kept on moving. True story.

10. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

I don’t know if it was the best, but my mom said, “You just gotta do what you gotta do, till you ain’t gotta do it no more.”

What’s a typical workday like for you?

I would bore you to death…but I’m very ritualistic and I follow my daily protocol until all tasks are complete. Truly, the details would be boring but it’s usual Programming things (music, jocks, etc.).

What did and do you like about being on the air?

I love being in the community. Helping kids, helping the homeless, and being in the mix with whatever political issues we were having in the community. I loved engaging with the listeners and honestly, I really like the people I worked with. We had a fully engaged group in the morning show and I found them to be just as interesting and entertaining as our listeners and the entertainers that would be on the show.