In this SoundCentric episode, Adam and Trent Josiah dive into the nuts and bolts of booking shows—from organic connections and managers to why timing and having your “ducks in a row” matters—then geek out on live performance, swapping best-ever concert memories (J. Cole, Kendrick, Little Brother) and why leaving everything on stage beats being too cool to perform; they also debate the greatest rap voices (ODB, 2Pac, Chance, JAY-Z, J. Cole), celebrate the comeback of freestyles (On The Radar, Hot 97, Funk Flex moments), and unpack the power of tight artist-producer chemistry in building a signature sound.

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Podcast: https://www.soundcentricmusic.com

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:30 - How do rising artists actually get shows booked

00:02:45 - Making connections with other artists

00:04:30 - How Trent found his manager and built his team

00:06:30 - Making the decision to move from North Carolina to LA for music

00:12:30 - What is the LA scene actually like

00:15:45 - the important of concerts, live events, and making a community

00:18:30 - Our favorite concerts ever

00:23:20 - Why Outkast means more to people in the south

00:27:00 - The greatest rap voices ever

00:30:50 - The resurgence of freestyles in hip-hop with Kai x OTR

00:33:40 - Best freestyles of all time

00:37:00 - the benefit of linking up with one producer

In this episode of the SoundCentric Podcast, Adam sits down with Hadji Gaviota for a deep dive into the realities of touring as an independent artist. Fresh off his cross-country run on “The Blind Tour” with Damag3 and Rob Apollo, Hadji breaks down the grind behind the scenes — from sleeping on couches and eating gas-station meals to discovering how to actually make money on the road. The two unpack the economics of merch, the creative strategies behind tour budgeting, and the lessons learned from performing 13 shows in three weeks. Beyond the financials, Hadji reflects on the emotional highs of meeting fans in person and the importance of building an authentic live presence. This conversation paints a full picture of the unglamorous but rewarding hustle of modern touring — a must-listen for any rising artist trying to hit the road the right way.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/soundcentricmus

Instagram:https://https://www.instagram.com/soundcentricmusic/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soundcentricmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundCentricmusic

Website: https://soundcentricmusic.com

Podcast: https://www.soundcentricmusic.com

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:30 - What it’s actually ike to be an opener on a nation wide tour

00:06:00 - How artists make money on touring and the importance of having good merch

00:12:00 - A quick Kanye tangent and the importance of humor in hip-hop

00:17:15 - The reality of touring

00:20:30 - Hadji’s pre-show ritual

00:25:15 - Our favorite openers of all time and what makes a great opener

00:29:30 - The issue with artists who don’t have easy to search names

00:37:00 - What its like rapping on On the Radar and how artists can standout in their marketing

00:43:15 - How Hadji formed Elmjack and why they decided to have their dads act as the lead artists

00:51:00 - Closing thoughts

In this episode, I hosted my very first live SoundCentric podcast out of a secret New York City location with none other than Baton Rouge’s own Quadry. We dove deep into his project Ask A Magnolia and the new “Complete Series” expansion, unpacking how the leftover tracks still help tell the full story. We talked about album length, cover art, and what it means to compete for people’s attention in today’s music landscape.

From there, the conversation expanded into creativity and taste—why confidence and quick decision-making separate great artists, how interpolation pays homage to hip-hop’s roots, and the responsibility of passing down culture to the next generation. Quadry also broke down his use of symbolism, like painting the American flag on his face, and shared his perspective on making political statements through art.

We explored everything from fan bases and industry narratives, to J. Cole vs. Kendrick debates, to whether rappers should need a “license” to make music. Quadry even told a wild story about meeting Frank Ocean and the advice he got on performing. Toward the end, we swapped our personal “Mount Rushmore” of first-listen album experiences, celebrated the humor that makes the best MCs stand out, and teased what’s next from Quadry as he gears up for season two of his series.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/soundcentricmus

Instagram:https://https://www.instagram.com/soundcentricmusic/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soundcentricmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundCentricmusic

Website: https://soundcentricmusic.com

Podcast: https://www.soundcentricmusic.com

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:00 - The release of new tape “A Magnolia: The Complete Series” and inspiration to drop unreleased music from “Ask A Magnolia”

00:04:00 - Competing for attention on social media timelines and our ideal album run times

00:06:00 - The importance of artists being confident in their taste

00:08:40 - The importance of sampling and interpolating in hip-hop and how it educates the youth

00:15:00 - Quadry’s use of the American flag throughout his visuals and lyrics

00:18:50 - Artists who have mastered songs that have deeper meanings that are catchy

00:20:20 - The difference between surface level artists and one’s with a real point of view

00:21:50 - Quadry’s love for storytelling in rap

00:24:40 - Artitsts who are mad about who their fanbases are

00:30:00 - Excitement that the Drake and Kendrick beef actually happened

00:31:20 - What it means to really love hip-hop

00:36:50 - Quadry’s story of meeting Frank Ocean and getting performance advice

00:42:20 - Our favorite first listening experiences ever?

00:46:00 - Closing thoughts

00:47:30 - Why the best rappers are funny