About this episode
In this episode we invite Richard Grabel to reminisce about his long career as a journalist and music-biz lawyer. We hear how Richard had his mind blown by an early CBGB double-bill of Television and the three-piece Talking Heads — and about his first reviewing efforts as a student at the University of Pennsylvania. He describes how he got his foot in the door at New York Rocker – reviewing one of Lowell George's last shows for editor Andy Schwartz — and then at the NME on a 1978 visit to London. Richard's classic reports on NYC's early rap scene provide a perfect opportunity for us to ask him about his visits to the South Bronx and his interviews with Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash . He's also namechecked in a clip from Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton's 1998 audio interview with Brit rap promoter Kool Lady Blue , whose legendary nights at the Roxy club in Chelsea he discusses with his hosts. After reflecting on the rise of the Beastie Boys and the story of how rap's "flash-in-the-pan" novelty status led to the genre's global domination, Richard explains how he became a high-profile lawyer for such alt-rock bands as Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. After Mark quotes from interviews with Betty Davis , Jackson Browne and George Michael , Jasper concludes the episode with remarks about pieces on Smash Mouth , *NYSNC and the 16-year-old Lorde . Many thanks to special guest Richard Grabel . Pieces discussed: Kurtis Blow , The Funky Four + 1 , Grandmaster Flash , Kool Lady Blue , Run-DMC , Beastie Boys , Beastier Boys , Beastiest Boys , Jackson Browne , Ray Parker Jr. , Betty Davis , George Michael , Smash Mouth , Blue-eyed soul and Lorde .