I honestly couldn't tell you how I discovered Madlib, Dilla, or the Stones Throw crew... As far as I can remember, they've kind of just always been there. Madlib in particular has embedded himself as a consistent staple in my day-to-day listening for the better part of 10 years, and yet, he remains a genuinely mysterious force of music. Last week I hopped on the phone with Egon, a Stones Throw pioneer and now business partner with Madlib, to get an extremely rare peek into the world of the Beat Konducta.

Before there was Lettermans, there was The Brilliance! – A blog started by Benjamin Edgar and Chuck Anderson, who were later joined by Virgil Abloh in 2006. Together, they informed the entire concept of Lettermans, so it’s only right that I pay homage. Last Sunday I hopped on the phone with Edgar, and we talked pretty much everything ranging from architecture, to skateboarding and programming. Without further ado, enjoy “!!1”

The definition of a dream come true... I walked around Oakland, CA with Brandon McCartney for 2.5 hours. We talked Hunchback of BasedGod, what it means to be based, and the complex relationship between music and geography. The experience was – as Clams Casino once put it – both super natural and supernatural.