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PODCAST

Mixed and Mastered

Mixed and Mastered is where the music industry tells the stories you never hear.Hosted by Jeffrey Sledge, veteran music executive and former VP of A&R at Atlantic Records and Jive Records, the podcast goes behind the scenes of the people shaping today’s sound. Not the headlines—the real journeys, hard lessons, and pivotal moments that define careers.From executives and producers to artists, songwriters, and managers, Mixed and Mastered centers the voices that actually build the culture. These

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All Episodes

62:11

Steve Rifkind on Inventing the Street Team, Signing...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/10/21

Steve Rifkind invented the modern street team, built Loud Records into the home of Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, and Big Pun, then broke Akon at SRC. He tells Jeffrey Sledge how his dad strong-armed him into starting a label, why he signed Pun without hearing a bar, the Sony deal he'd take back, and the day Heavy D pulled him out of bed.This is Mixed and Mastered Steve RifkindMixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by SAVAGE. Catch all our episodes at

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69:07

Jonathan Shecter on The Source, Street Beat, and...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/10/14

Jonathan Shecter cofounded The Source out of a Harvard dorm room with a mailing list and about $200. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk growing up on Philly radio, borrowing Lady B's station drops to launch Street Beat, the covers and ratings that made The Source hip hop's bible, his years at the poker table, and how he went from booking DJs in Las Vegas to programming the music inside Wynn with Playback Prodigy.This is Mixed and Mastered with Jonathan Shecter.Mixed and Mastered is hosted by

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65:05

Bryan-Michael Cox on Jermaine Dupri, Usher's...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/10/07

Bryan-Michael Cox wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Jagged Edge, Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk about cutting his first demos on Beyoncé, getting put on by Jermaine Dupri, the leak that changed Usher's Confessions, and how a frustrated phone call from Jimmy Iovine turned into Be Without You. Bun B pulls up to close it out on why the club tells the truth that streams won't.This is Mixed and Mastered with Bryan-Michael Cox.Mixed and Mastered is hosted

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80:04

Tracey Waples on Def Jam, Discovering Wu-Tang, and...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/09/30

Tracey Waples heard Wu-Tang on a tour bus and was in RZA's basement the same day. The Def Jam A&R who signed Method Man sits down with Jeffrey Sledge to talk Andre Harrell driving her home at 15, Russell Simmons telling her "you have a job, go to work," working Redman, LL Cool J and Mariah Carey, and why the studio will always be a buried treasure cave. This is Mixed and Mastered with Tracey Waples.Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by

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53:10

Chris Atlas: The Executive Who Went From Tommy Boy...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/09/24

Chris Atlas has worked every side of the record. Promotion, A&R, marketing, distribution. Tommy Boy, Cornerstone, Def Jam, Warner, and now Fat Beats. He sits down with his friend of thirty years, Jeffrey Sledge, to talk Kanye before the world heard him, the L.A. Reid meeting that was just the movie Gladiator, and why anyone saying hip hop is dead is telling "the biggest lie." This is Mixed and Mastered with Chris Atlas.Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and

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81:36

Mike Ross on Wild Thing, Bust a Move, and Dilla

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/09/17

Mike Ross co-founded Delicious Vinyl with a business card from a sandwich shop and found his first artist by cold calling a stranger's cousin. That cousin was Tone Loc. Wild Thing went to the top of the country off a video that cost $500. On this episode of Mixed and Mastered, Mike tells Jeffrey Sledge how two white DJs in a Black record pool in LA built a label that put out Tone Loc, Young MC, Def Jeff, Mellow Man Ace, the Brand New Heavies and the Pharcyde. He explains how Q-Tip passed him a

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65:24

Matty C on The Source, Discovering Biggie, and the...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/07/01

Matty C put Biggie, DMX, Mobb Deep, and Common in The Source's Unsigned Hype column before the world caught on, then ran A&R at Loud Records. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk discovering a generation, the real Wu-Tang chronology, the Purple Tape sessions, and the finance pivot nobody saw coming.This is Mixed and Mastered with Matty C. Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. Catch all our episodes at

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59:32

Fuzzy West on Compton, Power 106, and the New Death Row

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/06/25

Jeffrey Sledge sits down with William "Fuzzy" West, the West Coast connector who went from Compton sound booths to Power 106 mornings to the front office at the new Death Row. Snoop, Big Boy, Dr. Dre, and the day he sat with Michael Jackson in Vegas. This is Mixed and Mastered with Fuzzy West. Unglossy is hosted by Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank. The show is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. See all of our our episodes at https://www.wearemerrickstudios.com/unglossy-pod. For early

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66:33

Adrian Miller on the Rap Chart, Wu-Tang, and Anderson...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/06/05

Music executive Adrian Miller takes us from St. Louis's Pruitt-Igoe to Tulsa radio, building the rap chart at Hits, Wu-Tang's first 12-inch at SRC, the Immortal run with Cypress Hill, working with Prince at Warner, and building Anderson .Paak's independent career. A behind-the-scenes strategist who's spent his life positioning people and protecting the art.This is Mixed and Mastered with Adrian Miller. Mixed and Mastered is hosted by Jeffrey Sledge and produced and distributed by Merrick Studios

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55:00

Jacob York on Lil' Kim's Real Beef, Gucci Mane's...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/05/22

Part 2 of 2. Jacob York returns to break down the real story behind Lil' Kim's verse on Biggie's "Another," discovering Gucci Mane at Strokers, the Deb Antney and Jimmy Henchman power play that nearly cost him Big Cat Records, and his work with Buju Banton. Jacob also pulls back the curtain on how he invented the influencer business years before Instagram and OnlyFans through Buffy the Body, Digital Dolls, and developing talents like Karrueche, Ruby Rose, and India Love. Plus, the origin of Electric

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57:14

Jacob York on the Streaming Coup, NYC Nightlife, and...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/05/20

Part 1 of 2. Jacob York, Founder of Electric Republic, joins Jeffrey Sledge to break down his journey from Bushwick to becoming one of the music industry's most influential dealmakers. Jacob shares stories from his unconventional Brooklyn upbringing, the legendary NYC nightlife era with Jessica Rosenblum, and the inside truth of the Undeas years—signing Cam'ron, the making of Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Conspiracy, and the real story behind Lil' Kim's Hardcore. Plus, his unfiltered take on streaming, the

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47:03

Denise J. Brown on Buffalo, Big Deals, and Black Music

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/05/15

Dr. Denise J. Brown joins Jeffrey Sledge on Mixed and Mastered to share her journey from classically trained pianist in Buffalo to entertainment attorney and dealmaker. Denise reflects on working alongside Reginald Lewis on Wall Street, being mentored by Kendall Minter, running the Black Music division at Warner Bros., and a memorable night riding through London with Prince. She also opens up about her path to becoming an ordained minister and Dr. of Biblical Studies, and her work teaching the next

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79:43

Scoop Jackson on Chicago Roots, Slam Magazine, and...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/05/08

Today's guest is Scoop Jackson — writer, cultural critic, and one of the most distinctive voices at the intersection of hip-hop, basketball, and Black identity.From the South Side of Chicago to Howard University, Scoop turned his academic study of hip-hop into a career that reshaped sports and culture journalism — as a founding voice at Slam Magazine, a key architect of XXL, and a national columnist at ESPN. Now he's telling the origin story of hip-hop itself, co-writing the Grandmaster Flash

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80:26

Mike B. on Bad Boy, The Jersey Era, and The Birth of...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/05/01

Today’s guest is Mike B — a stylist, designer, and cultural force who helped define the look of one of hip-hop’s most iconic eras.From Westchester to Bad Boy Entertainment, Mike B was in the room as the culture evolved—working alongside Groovy Lou and Puff to shape the style of artists like Biggie, Faith Evans, Mase, and Black Rob. From standout moments like “Special Delivery” to influencing the jersey era, his work helped turn fashion into a language that matched the music. Now, through his brand

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73:34

Byron Kirkland on Building Artists, Breaking Culture,...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/04/14

Today on Mixed and Mastered, we sit down with Byron Kirkland — entrepreneur, marketer, and founder of Stealth Worldwide Group, a force behind some of the biggest names in music.From growing up in Brooklyn to landing a high school internship at Arista and Uptown Records, Byron learned early how to turn access into opportunity. That mindset carried him through fashion at Sean John, into artist management with Machine Gun Kelly, YBN Nahmir, and Cordae, and now into building his own brand in golf and

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64:25

Julia Beverly on Before the South Won, Ozone, and Pimp C

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/04/02

Before the South ran hip-hop, Julia Beverly was documenting it. In this episode of Mixed and Mastered, Julia Beverly, founder of Ozone Magazine, shares how she helped amplify a region the industry once overlooked. From building Ozone into the definitive voice of Southern rap to breaking artists before the mainstream caught on, Julia played a key role in shifting the culture’s center of gravity.She talks about turning a photography hustle into a media platform, navigating a New York-dominated

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66:12

Wendy Day on Ownership, Leverage & Building Empires

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/03/26

This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with Wendy Day — a legendary music industry advocate, dealmaker, and founder of the Rap Coalition who helped shape the blueprint for independent success in hip-hop. From pulling artists out of bad contracts to helping structure groundbreaking deals for Cash Money, No Limit, and more, Wendy has spent decades fighting for artist ownership, leverage, and long-term wealth.In this conversation, Wendy shares the real stories behind some of the

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77:43

Rodney Shealey on Tour Life, Def Jam Era, and Record...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/03/20

This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with veteran music executive Rodney Shealey — a Brooklyn-born industry leader whose career spans the rise of modern hip-hop and R&B and includes shaping records for some of the biggest artists in the world.From growing up in East Flatbush and getting his start on the road during hip-hop’s earliest touring era, to rising through the ranks at Virgin, Epic, Island, and Def Jam, Rodney walks us through a journey built on proximity,

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49:57

Max Gousse on Building Artists, Breaking Records, and...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/03/12

This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with Grammy-winning music executive, producer, and A&R Max Gousse — a Brooklyn-born music industry powerhouse whose career runs through some of the biggest moments in modern R&B and hip-hop.From learning the business at The Box in Miami to being mentored by legends like Cassandra Mills, Sylvia Rhone, David Renzer, and L.A. Reid, Max walks us through a career that includes working on Adina Howard, B2K, Dreamgirls, B’Day, I Am… Sasha

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69:26

Ian Burke on Mount Vernon Roots, The Dungeon Era, and...

Mixed and Mastered ·

2026/02/18

Ian Burke — known throughout hip-hop and R&B as the DreamWeaver — is one of the quiet architects behind Atlanta’s rise as a global music capital.Born in Mount Vernon, New York and “made” in Atlanta, Ian’s 30+ year journey runs through the rooms where culture actually gets built — from loading equipment as a roadie to living inside The Dungeon during the Organized Noize era, to shaping early development moments around TLC and Xscape, and witnessing the 60-second decision that led to signing

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65 results

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