ThePhillyBlunt

Ursula Rucker: Philly’s Reigning Queen of Poetry

April 29, 2019 Artist, Entertainment, Music 40:19

She’s performed with The Roots. She has recorded five albums. She’s a 2018 Pew Fellowship Award-winner. She’s Philly’s Queen of Poetry and don’t dare call her a “Spoken Word Artist”. She is Ursula Rucker.

Ursula Rucker was born and raised in Philly by parents she referred to as “Nicetown Gangster meets South Philly girl” in the 1950’s. She has lived in Germantown, Mt. Airy, Northern Liberties, West Philly and possesses a deep love for Philly and is not ashamed to show it.

Ursula was a pivotal player in the early 1990’s Philly music scene. Silk City was the hub for this burgeoning scene that included Rich Medina, King Britt, and The Roots. Her career-changing moment came when The Roots asked Ursula for a last-minute poem called The Unlocking, about a woman coming out on the other side of a gang-bang victoriously. She shares the impact this poem had on her poetry and the freedom she found from censoring herself going forward.

Ursula shared the struggles her parents faced being a mixed-race couple in 1950’s Philadelphia, her writing process, the beauty of Germantown, her fears of offending her family through her work, and her fear of crowd-surfing. She also speaks passionately about the work she is doing in Kensington to help people heal through art and open mic nights.

She also gave us one of the ultimate Philly Blunt segments where she slams a quote by Robert Frost after Johnny asked her what he admitted was an “impossible question to answer.”

We recorded this episode at Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books in Germantown, which is owned by Marc Lamont Hill. Uncle Bobbie’s also serves as a community hub designed for sharing, building, learning, laughing, debating, and eating. 

Links:

Ursula Rucker: www/FB/Twitter/Instagram

Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books: www/FB/Twitter/Instagram

Craig LaBan: Philly’s Food Authority & Inquirer Restaurant Critic

April 15, 2019 Entertainment 00:47:54

In this episode of The Philly Blunt, we sit down with the elusive Philadelphia Inquirer Food critic, Craig LaBan. Craig is probably the most powerful person in the Philly food scene as his reviews can often make or break a restaurant.  

Craig is a true Philly man of mystery. His identity remain unknown, although restaurants around town claim to have photos of him in the kitchen so they notice him when he walks in. Few folks have had the opportunity to sit face-to-face with Craig for an interview. Why he agreed to meet with us, we have no idea, but we are grateful nonetheless. As far as we know, this is the first in-person podcast he’s ever done with complete strangers.

After intense negotiations over a few weeks, he agreed to meet with us in person, at a secret Chinatown location that opened the doors only for us (links below), and only if the use of phones was prohibited.

Born in Detroit, tells us a little about his background and life as a food critic in a city with a world-class food scene. His schedule and the amount of food he eats in a year is unbelievable. You have to hear it to believe it.

Craig offers insight into who he is as person, what he’s looking for in a restaurant, his process for reviews, his take on the current Philly food scene, his uses of disguises, as well as dropping nugget after nugget of valuable information for dining around Philly. This is a must listen for anyone who enjoys dining out in the city or those who work in the food industry around town.

And…he survived a round of The Philly Blunt…barely.

We didn’t get a photo of Craig, but below is a photo of us immediately after and one of the few instances where peopls had their photo taken in Hop Sing and did not end up on the banned list. Don’t not attempt this on your own or you will be banned.

Don’t forget to review, rate, and subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you consume your podcasts. Also, follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all as The Philly Blunt.

Links:
Craig LaBan: column/twitter/Instagram
Hop Sing Laundromat: url/twitter/Facebook

Han Chiang: Philly’s Most Outrageous Restaurant Owner Talks Being Bullied, Mob Boss Ambitions, and Going to Strip Clubs with the Wu-Tang.

April 1, 2019 Food & Drink, Inspiration 40:02

He may be Philadelphia’s most notorious chef. Legend has it that he’s yelled at customers for ordering dishes such as Sweet and Sour Chicken, and even kicked out diners. He came to the US from Taiwan at the age of 13. As the only Asian in his school, he was often bullied. He’s lived in his restaurants, gone three years without a day off, and somehow became friends with the Wu Tang Clan. He’s got restaurants in Philly and New York, has aspirations to open 100 restaurants and to be a mob boss. He is Han Chiang. 

At age 26, Han Chiang had nothing going for him; he was a college dropout with no steady job or job prospects, and he was spending most days getting high on his mom’s couch. At a friend’s wedding, he realized that if he wanted to have a decent life, he needed to go all in on something. Problem was, he didn’t know much. But he felt like the Philly Chinese restaurants were serving the same boring stuff on repeat, and he thought that a restaurant that served authentic Chinese dishes could succeed. He borrowed some money and opened Han Dynasty in Exton, and after that one found some success he moved on to Royersford, Philadelphia, and eventually New York City. We talked to him about the difference between diners in the city and the suburbs (“The suburbs locations are generally less spicy than the city”), about what drives him (“I’m not in the business to make money. Not really.”), and his favorite Wu Tang Clan memory. (“When Raekwon took me to a strip club for my birthday.”) It’s a remarkable story that’s both universal and uniquely Philadelphian. 

Han Dynasty/Facebook

CHIP CHANTRY: He’s Philly’s Funniest Man and has an iTunes #1 Comedy Album to Prove It.

March 19, 2019 Comedy, Entertainment 38:35

Helium Comedy Club named him Philly’s Phunniest comedian and he recently had the #1 album on the iTunes Comedy Charts. He just returned to Philly from working as a writer on a new Howie Mandel television project. He is Philly’s own Chip Chantry.

Chip, a former elementary school teacher, now works full-time as a comedian. Starting as a warm up act for his brother’s band at Fergie’s, Chip Chantry has gone on to work with the biggest names in comedy.

We sat down with Chip at Sassafrass to talk to him about breaking into comedy, how political correctness has changed the profession, what 80s show he wants rebooted so he can play the star role, and the difference between telling jokes in Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon. Chip also talked about the role he played in helping the comedy revival in Philadelphia, and he and Johnny reminisced about the greatest heckle they ever saw. 

The episode was recorded at Sassafras somewhat randomly, but it worked out well. Greg and JGT are friends with Carl, who bartends there, and makes a hell of an Old Fashioned. There was also live jazz for the first half of our show. One of the most underrated bars in the city (at least Sunday-Thursday. We all know what happens to Old City on the weekends.) 

Hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do, we’d consider it a personal favor if you ranked us, subscribed, and left a review on itunes. Thanks!

LINKS:

CHIP CHANTRY: .com/Instagram/Twitter
SASSAFRAS: .com//Facebook/Twitter

Lillian DiPiazza: Inside the Grueling World of a Pennsylvania Ballet Dancer

March 4, 2019 Artist, Entertainment 31:29

Ballerinas, according to the NY Times, may be the hardest working people in show business. In an effort to gain insight into the intimidating and grueling world of ballet, The Philly Blunt sat down Lillian DiPiazza, a world-class ballerina and a Principal dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet, located here in center city.

Lillian, or Lilly as she prefers, has been with the Pennsylvania Ballet since 2008. She was born in Silver Springs, MD and trained with the Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the School of American Ballet. In 2008, she auditioned for the Pennsylvania Ballet with almost 200 other dancers. She was the only one offered a position. 

Lilly spoke candidly about the physical and emotional toll the training dancing takes on the body. Much like professional athletes, the conditioning and recovery is vitally important.

Lilly shared a story of a dancing with a bleeding partner, studying Urban Studies at Penn, and how Clorox Handi Wipes are her choice of padding for the uncomfortable pointe shoes. 

We also asked her a handful of user submitted questions and, of course, The Philly Blunt segment.

Lilly met with us at Grace Tavern, where she’ll sometimes grab a burger and beer after a late performance. 

LINKS:

Pennsylvania Ballet: www/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram
Lillian DiPiazza: Instagram
Grace Tavern: www/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram

Maleek Jackson: An extraordinary Tale of Incarceration to Inspiration

February 20, 2019 Authors, Business, Inspiration 46:19

The 5th of 13 kids in a family that had no adult guidance, Maleek Jackson found himself in trouble early and often. Drug dealing, burglary, B&E, as he says, “I did it all except rape and murder.” At age 16, he was tried as an adult and sent to prison on an 8 to 16 year sentence. Inspired by a friend in prison who kept asking him, “What’s your plan when you get out?”, Maleek started to think more and more about that plan. He decided to get his GED, then started boxing and leading workouts for fellow prisoners.

Released after 10 years, he had an encounter with Bernard Hopkins, who hired a trainer to work with him. When Maleek’s trainer, boxing manager Danny Davis, had to leave the city for bouts, he left Maleek in charge of the gym. Gaining confidence through experience, Maleek discovered that he had a knack for personal training. He began to pick up his own clients, and within a few years, he decided to strike out on his own.

You can find Maleek now at Maleek Jackson Gym in Northern Liberties, where he trains people such as rapper Meek Mill, chef Mike Solomonov (Zahav, Federal Donuts), and NFL quarterback Joe Flacco. As remarkable of a personal narrative as you will ever hear, this is the most inspiring interview we’ve done yet.

Thanks to El Camino Real for being a most gracious host.

If you enjoy it, do us a solid and give us a 5 star review and even better, a short review. Thanks for listening! 

LINKS:
Maleek Jackson: Instagram/Twitter/Gym

El Camino Real: Instagram/Twitter/Facebook

Danya Henninger: Billy Penn, Beers, and the Future of the Press

February 4, 2019 Authors, Food & Drink 34:27

Danya Henninger is a rarity. She’s from NYC, but considers herself a Philadelphian. She dropped out of an Ivy League university. And, more importantly, she holds a position that few women in the news industry attain—Editor-in-Chief. Danya is the Editor-in-Chief of the Philly news site BillyPenn.com.

Billy Penn is unique in the way it delivers news. They have a staff of full-time reporters that work on original and fascinating news stories affecting all regions of Philly, but they also curate and share stories from social media and other news outlets that they believe are important for their readers. This novel approach to presenting news to readers and Danya’s extensive history of writing about Philly made her an obvious choice for an episode of The Philly Blunt.

Danya arrived in Philadelphia in 2008 and has taken the city by storm. She started out doing food and drink writing. She went on to win a Pen & Pencil local news award for her freelance reporting. She then became culture editor at Billy Penn before becoming the Editor-in-Chief.

We sat with Danya at Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street. She told us about her beginnings in New York City, her short-lived time at Brown University, and how she considers herself a true Philadelphian. Danya is also working with a coalition of Philly news agencies to put forth a more collaborative effort in investigating stories pertinent to Philly and in delivering these stories to all segments of Philadelphia’s population.

Our interview with Danya also contains one of the better Philly Blunt segments to date. For her last meal, she picks a Philly Pizza joint. Which one? You’ll have to listen to find out.

LINKS:
Danya Henninger: Twitter/Instagram
Billy Penn (Twitter/Facebook/Instagram)
Brauhaus Schmitz: Twitter/Facebook/Instagram

Larry Lavin: Philly’s Former Cocaine King Tells All.

January 21, 2019 Crime 44:19

In the mid-1970s, Larry Lavin started attending dental school at Penn. As he says in the podcast, “Things were so different back then.” Drugs flowed freely and casually. In his sophomore year, he joined a fraternity, where one of the brothers sold pot. Larry took his minor operation and expanded it. Soon he was BMOC, the biggest pot dealer at Penn. He wasn’t making a fortune, but the dental student, who had grown up poor, was enjoying the spending cash. 

But in the late 1970s, there was a national crackdown on pot. And as the orders got larger, it became harder to get the smelly and bulky substance distributed safely. Enter cocaine. As Larry said, “Why carry an elephant on your back when you can carry an elephant in your pocket?” Lighter, much easier to transport…and addictive. Larry would study all day, then get to work at night, running his rapidly expanding empire. 

By the early 1980s, the one time frat pot dealer was a multimillionaire, and looking for ways to diversify (as JGT said in the podcast, “Larry was Stringer Bell.”) Enter Mark Stewart, who encouraged him to pour his money and resources into the music business. Soon they had an artist, Frankie Smith, with a big hit, the Double Dutch Bus. Larry was greasing palms in the music business, trying to make the song a hit. Little did he know that the songs success would actually bring down his drug and music empire. Find out how in the latest installment of the Philly Blunt! 

Links:
Johnny Brenda’s: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Reef the Lost Cauze: Honesty, Empathy & Aging in Hip-Hop

January 7, 2019 Entertainment, Music 38:02

Reef the Lost Cauze has been a force in the Philly and national underground rap since for almost two decades, regularly touring the East Coast and Europe. He’s been a mentor to countless up-and-coming artists and brings a unique blend of passion, empathy and raw emotional honesty to a genre of music where toughness is the norm. 

Reef sat down with us in Fishtown at Johnny Brenda’s for episode 10. Reef, also a co-host of the Philly Blunt, released his latest album, The Majestic, on December 29, 2018.

We find out how Reef’s musical career came to fruition. Oddly, a punishment that his mother regularly administered sparked Reef’s interest in the arts. Reef discusses growing up in West Philly during Philly’s violent 1990’s and the help he regularly received from older friends and family to keep him on the right path.

As a college drop-out, Reef talks about the importance that elder members of the local rap scene played in getting his career started.

We explore how Reef’s music and view of the world has changed as he’s grown older and wiser, as well as the impact of having a child diagnosed with autism.

Reef survived the Philly Blunt segment like a seasoned veteran. Among the things we learned about Reef during the Philly Blunt is his favorite character on HBO’s Girls and the four MC’s on his Mt. Rushmore. He also educates Greg on Trap Music.

Reef chose Johnny Brenda’s in Fishtown for this episode. Johnny Brenda’s spurred the Fishtown revival and remains one of the better venues in the city for live music. They also make a hell of an old fashioned for only $9

LINKS:
Johnny Brenda’s: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Reef the Lost Cauze: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bandcamp, Spotify

The Legendary Wid: Comedy, Collecting, and Culture

December 11, 2018 Artist, Entertainment 37:24

He played with Robin Williams, worked with Jonathan Winters, and got high with rock legend Donovan. He’s the The Wid and he just may be the most legendary and widely-respected comedian to have ever called Philadelphia home. 

He’s not the wealthiest and he can’t pack Lincoln Financial field, but he’s helped pave the way for countless aspiring Philadelphia comedians. He also happens to be addicted to flea markets and has amassed a collection of items that is housed in multiple storage containers around town, most of which end up in his show at some point. 

The Wid is a master of prop comedy. While prop comedy was once revered during the Vaudeville days, the likes of Carrot Top and Gallagher have cheapened the art form to the point that most consider this form of comedy the bottom of the comedic hierarchy.

The Legendary Wid, however, is one glaring exception.

The Wid is respected nationwide among comic circles. He’s performed with
some of the greatest comedic minds over the past 35 years. More importantly,
Wid has been giving back to the Philly comedic community for the past thirty
years running amateur/open mic nights, teaching classes, and individually
helping aspiring comics hone their craft.

Wid sat down with us at Milkboy South Street for Episode 09 of The Philly
Blunt podcast. We talked about his early days as a diorama artist with pieces
in museums and how hitchhiking across town ended up giving him his Wid moniker?

He’s a collector of all things. Every Wid performance leaves the stage
covered with hundreds of items many would consider junk or trash. Not Wid. He
can make a pun for almost any item and he may owe it all to a high school
teacher that hit him with a pun that got the Wid hooked immediately.

We discuss that moment, the difficulty of being a comedian in today’s ultra
PC culture, Jay Leno being a dick, getting Donovan high, the heartbeat of
Philadelphia, and if he thinks about how life may have been different had he
gotten the big Hollywood break.

The Legendary Wid is a Philly treasure, a brilliant comedian, and a great
interview.

LINKS:

The Legendary Wid: Facebook

Milkboy: url/Facebook/Twitter