Working a lucrative but soul-sucking corporate job in Philadelphia in the mid-90s, Rich Medina knew he wanted more from his life. He had been moonlighting as a DJ, and decided to go all in. It was a risky proposition. But it was one that ultimately paid off, as 25 years later is one of the most beloved DJs on the planet, playing everywhere from Miami to Melbourne.Â
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In the late 1990s, Medina and Cosmo Baker started a regular party called The Remedy. In the early 2000s, Rich began hosting The Open in NYC with Q-Tip. He also began introducing audiences to Fela Kuti, the father of Afrobeat music. His Jump n Funk parties, starting in 2001, soon took him to Atlanta, LA, and San Francisco. Word of his skill and just as importantly the fun he brought to the dance floor spread, and he is now a true globetrotter, playing shows in cities like Tokyo, Amsterdam, and London.Â
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But he’s not limited to DJing. He also has begun work as a professor at Lincoln University, he’s on the advisory board to Cornell’s renowned hip-hop collection, and he’ll be teaching a class at the Barnes Foundation next spring. He’s also well respected as a spoken word artist and as a writer, having contributed articles to magazines such as the Fader and Complex Magazine.
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He talked to us about his early days in Philly in the corporate world (“A job with a Fortune 500 company was like handcuffs”), the motto for life he learned by playing basketball (“Put the rock in the hole or sit the fuck down. That’s everything.”) and his family heritage (“I’m mixed up with slave blood and native blood. I’m a real American.”)Â
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Not surprising when speaking to such a Renaissance Man, this is a varied and far reaching interview, from hoops to religion to race to politics. You’ll learn about Afrobeat, what it’s like to travel in Europe as an American in the Trump era, and whether he has to play different songs to get the crowd moving in Philly than he plays in Miami.Â
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