Artist

Streets Dept’s CONRAD BENNER: Blogger, Podcaster, Activist

April 12, 2021 Activist, Artist, Politics, Writers 1:02:50

Conrad Benner is the person and energy behind Streets Dept. Streets Dept is a “Best of” Philly podcast as well as widely popular street-art blog. The blog is celebrating its 10th year in existence in 2021. 

Born and raised in Fishtown, Conrad has always had an interest in the arts. We talked about the early days of Streets Dept and his decision to leave a stable job in marketing and pursue his blog full-time.

Conrad is the expert in Philly street art. He discusses Philly’s current art scene, the repurposing of classic Philly buildings, and how his blog has developed over the years. Conrad discusses the influence his parents have had on him as well as their support in his  coming out as a gay man. 

Conrad also has smart, progressive views on how this city can improve and he’s not shy about his disappointment in Mayor Jim Kenney. Will he eventually run for office in Philly? 

Benner is regularly listed as one of Philadelphia’s most influential people and it’s well-deserved recognition. We think you’ll enjoy this interview with one of Philly’s more interesting and passionate residents.

LINKS:
www/twitter/facebook/instagram

Jeffrey McNeill – Merging the Worlds of Hip-Hop and Classical Music

November 30, 2020 Artist, Entertainment, Music 00:45:18

Jeffrey McNeill, or as he’s better known Thee Phantom, is a Philly native who is the leader of the Illharmonic Orchestra, where he combines the world of hip-hop and classical music.

McNeill started on his journey at the age of eight when he mashed up the Beastie Boys with Beethoven. McNeill has traveled the world introducing hip-hop fans to classical music and vice versa.

He played with a 50 person orchestra in Seattle. He sold out the Kimmel Center and  played Carnegie Hall.

McNeill joins the Blunt for this episode to talk out his early experimental days, how people in the classical world weren’t always receptive to playing hip-hop, his business acumen, and his plans for the Illharmonic Orchestra.

LINKS
Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra: Facebook, www

Antonio “Tone” Johnson: Inside the World of Black Barbershops

October 9, 2020 Artist, Authors 42:52

Antonio “Tone” Johnson is a photographer who grew up in the West Philly and Overbrook sections of Philly. He’s got a new book out called “You Next: Reflections in Black Barbershops and he’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.

Johnson’s most recent project, You Next, focuses on barber shops as sites for the cultivation of black male identity and wellness. He’s interested in capturing how those spaces and the communities within them are constructed and maintained.

Tone shares his childhood experiences in barbershops with his father and uncle and how a trip to Havana gave him the idea for the You Next project. He ran a successful kickstarter campaign behind the idea. Soon after, he was traveling the country documenting Black barbershops.

We talked with Tone about the importance of the barbershop in the Black community, what makes a barbershop special, and the importance of the vibe of the shop. He also documented haircut day at Fulton County Jail and shares the impact that day had on him.

During the Blunt segment, Tone confesses to his wildest haircut, best Halloween costume and his go to steak shop in town. We also vented about folks in the suburbs claiming they’re from Philly.

The You Next project is an important one and we think you’ll find his inspiration and process for shooting the book an interesting listen.

LINKS:
Antonio Johnson: www/Twitter/Instagram

BAMM ROSE – Fighting for Sex-Workers’ Rights and More

August 23, 2020 Activist, Artist, Entertainment 00:32:28

BAMM ROSE, a retired stripper, is the founder and CEO of Stilettos, Inc, a non-profit that works for improved and safer working conditions for strippers and sex workers in the Philly area. She has also organizes the Philly Stripper Strike to bring awareness to the racism and colorism in gentlemen’s clubs and to the harassment that sex workers endure on a daily basis.

Rose also organizes “dog walks,” which are protests were women dog-walk consenting white people to signify an end to white supremacy and a future that is more inclusive of women and people of color. So far, the dog walks have taken place down South Street and in Rittenhouse Square.

Bamm joined us for this episode to  discuss her activist work, her experiences as a sex worker and what brought her to the place she is now, and how she is looking to improve the sex work industry and the world around her.

Shout out to our sponsors. Shibe Vintage Sports where you can score all your Philly team gear as well as shirts about Philly’s cultural history. Local owners. Local artists. Shibe Vintage Sports where every stitch tells a story.

And Jawnville.com for the rants, ramblings, and observations of a born-and-raised Philly bloke.

LINKS:
BAMM ROSE
Stilettos, Inc.

FEMINISTA JONES RETURNS

June 17, 2020 Activist, Artist, Authors, Politics, Writers 1:13:35

Feminista Jones is one of the most unapologetically brilliant people in Philadelphia and we guarantee that you will leave this interview with a different perspective on the world than you went into it with. Hear her message to people who have just joined the movement, her thoughts on black gun ownership, and what her thoughts are on Dave Chappelle, Shaun King, and Candace Owens. And be sure to pick up her new book, Reclaiming Our Space…as soon as it’s back in stock. It’s currently sold out on Amazon. This is so good, y’all. For real. If you enjoy it, please share. A lot of things in here that people need to hear.

LINKS:
Feminista Jones: www/Instagram/Facebook/Twitter

Kate Nyx – Musician & Wrestling Costume Maker

May 25, 2020 Artist, Entertainment, Music 51:54

Kate Nyx is a folk-rock musician in Philly as well as a nationally recognized costume and luchador mask creator. She is our guest for BLUNTCAST #14. These Bluntcasts air live on Friday nights on our Facebook page. 

Kate creates honest, grass-roots folks rock that has been garnering local and national attention. From originals to covers, her music is raw and honest.

Kate is also a wrestling costume creator. She works with independent wrestlers as well as creating designs for the WWE. She may be best known for her luchador mask creations, which you can purchase from her website.

LINKS:
KATE NYX: www/facebook/twitter/bandcamp

Philly Detective, Rapper, Actor, Comedian Lawrence Arnell

May 2, 2020 Artist, Crime, Music 00:49:52

For Quarantine BLUNTCAST #7 we talked with Philadelphia Police Detective, MC, Comedian, podcast host Lawrence Arnell.

This originally aired as part of our LIVE BLUNTCASTS series via Zoom every Friday night on The Philly Blunt Facebook Live page.

Lawrence Arnell was born and raised in North Philly. Music was always important to him and he secured a record deal with Tommy Boy Records early in his life and then experience soured him on record labels and the corporate world of the music business. That experience motivated him to find other ways to support himself. Lawrence talked about what motivates him to pursue so many diverse careers and how COVID-19 has affected Philly police work. He talks about being shot at as a police officer and keeping his cool while under fire by cracking jokes. 

Lawrence also gave a candid and insightful discussion of Philly race relations with regards to law enforcement and his personal experiences being African American police officer in Philadelphia. 

LINK:
Lawrence Arnell

Photographer Kyle Cassidy

May 2, 2020 Artist, Authors, Writers 00:48:36

West-Philly photographer Kyle Cassidy, who is currently working on photo-documenting essential workers and first responders during COVID-19, joins us for a LIVE BLUNTCAST. Our live Bluntcasts air regularly on Friday evenings via our Facebook page.

Kyle has authored numerous photo books and photo essays documenting the lives of roller derby players, gun owners, librarians, those will military tattoos, Occupy Wall St. protesters, and now the essential workers of Philadelphia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current project has him photographing folks like Philly sanitation workers, doctors, and nurses.

He joins us to talk about what motivates him, how he came to his latest project, and his thoughts about a post COVID-19 world. 

Kyle’s work has been featured in national publications and sites such as the New York Times, Barron’s, Slate.com and HuffPost. He has photographed countless artists, actors, and musical acts. He also collaborated with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer on the book Who Killed Amanda Palmer.

LINK: 
kylecassidy.com

George Martorano – The Longest-Serving First-Time Non-Violent Offender in Federal History

March 8, 2020 Activist, Artist, Crime 57:06

George Martorana is our guest for this episode of the Philly Blunt. In the 1970’s and early 1980’s George was selling marijuana in the Philly area. Some reports say that he was moving upwards of $75 million dollars a year of the stuff. He caught the attention of the FBI and they ended up busting a truckload of marijuana that they tied back to Martorano. In 1984, following the advice of his attorney, he pleaded guilty to multiple drug charges, under the impression that he’d be expected to serve 40-50 months, as the prosecution recommended.

George, as a first-time non-violent offender, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The only way he was to leave prison was in a body bag. At the time, it was the longest prison term ever to be imposed on a first time non-violent offender in American history.

While in prison, George was subjected to five years of underground solitary confinement and sentenced to Marion, the worst of the federal prisons.

George served 32 years as a model prisoner and is only a free man due to the President Obama’s prison reform plan for drug offenders who had received harsh sentences.

While in prison George became a prolific writer, having authored over 31 books. He became a teacher while behind bars and worked to take inmates out of gangs and into the classroom. As a teacher, he helped over 8,000 inmates earn their GED. He traded peanut butter for a man’s life. He also is credited with preventing a hijacking of a Con-Air aircraft by prisoners while flying from Philadelphia to Oklahoma for an appeal.

George is now an inspirational speaker and an advocate for cannabis reform. He is also the owner of Hip Hemp Cafe, Philadelphia’s first CBD lounge, on 7th Street just south of South Street.

It’s a fascinating discussion that we hope you enjoy.

LINKS:
HIP HEMP CAFE: www/Instagram/Facebook

Cornbread the Legend – The World’s First Tagger

February 21, 2020 Artist, History 0:36:50

Philadelphia is a city of firsts. The first public library. The first Fire Department. And, the first person anywhere to graffiti or tag their own name—not a gang name. That person is Darryl McCray, better known as Cornbread and he’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.

Cornbread sat with us at new Loco Pez at 20th & Bainbridge. He talked about his time in juvenile detention, how he got his Cornbread nickname, and how he came to tag that name everywhere including animals at the zoo and jets. He’s candid about his struggles with addiction and turning his life around to where he now works as a youth advocate and with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.

The Philly Blunt round was a little challenging but that’s probably because we made Cornbread wait like an hour before he could his burrito and I think the Yacht Rock music in the background threw him a little off his game a bit.

Whether you love graffiti or hate it, it’s quite possible that it would not exist as we know it without Cornbread.

LINKS:

Cornbread – Instagram

Loco Pez 20th Street