A name that has many hats. By hats, yes, we do mean crafts. The man who is responsible for some of the most prominent and landscape altering things the underground has seen. PlayMade Records/Creations CEO, Fat Daddy J, has a go-getter work ethic, and when he sets his mind to something he achieves. PlayMade Radio, with L1FEL1NE, as DJ is one prime example of how he implemented an idea and saw success. Carrie Nives and many more can attest to the success and organic gains an artist garners from his playlists. Looking for placements on Spotify, simply click the playlist button on our home page. However, what is the newest thing this creative is focusing on? We know he will appear on SupportArt's third collective album 'The Purple Tape 3', but what is he putting that unstoppable passion towards now? It is being a podcast host. We got a chance to ask some questions about his latest push and some in depth questions about this medium we have not covered much before. Enjoy the interview and then content directly below.
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Q: What has always drawn you to podcasts, and what podcasts are you currently a part of? What topics or themes do they cover?
A: "I didn't always enjoy podcasts until around the time Dan Bongino was covering the presidential election back when Trump was running for his second term. I would say that is what got me into listening to podcasts altogether. I currently take part in or host two podcasts, The Beat with my brother Gordy and the Playmade Podcast. The Beat is about comedy and literally everything outside the music world. We just let conversation take us to outrageous places. With the Playmade Podcast, our aim is to do interviews with artists and showcase music at no cost to the artists. Everyone gains and it is free.99."
Q: What do you think artists gain from the Playmade Podcast interviews and why do you feel so many artists don't see the benefits of it when there are clearly so many?
A: "I would like to believe that the Playmade Podcast has a goal of giving artists a way to push themselves and their respective brands. It gives them more exposure as well as a new way to let everyone know who they are and what type of content they or their brand offers. As for why they don't see the benefits when we are simply giving back, I truly do not know and I am still trying to figure that our myself. Free exposure for them and their music seems like a win to me. I am still trying to figure out how this newer generations thought process works. Maybe they are even more self centered than my generation and don't believe the saying teamwork makes the dream work?"
Q: How hard was it to get The Beat going, and how hard was it to generate traction for that podcast?
A: "I don't think it was very hard at all. With the other host being my brother we have a natural chemistry already. We grew up together and one thing we talk about a lot is our upbringings as well as funny stuff we did as kids. Somehow, our father seems to come up a lot in the episodes which makes it even funnier as we talk about his reactions to us and the dumb things from the past. It all just feels natural and unforced. As for traction, we really just started pushing it on Twitter and social media platforms to close friends and close connects, and it kind of grew fast from there luckily. Of course, we are still trying to build a bigger following so follow us if you haven't! (CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE BEAT) I do believe that catchy titles for your episodes play a big role in how many people actually tune in and interact with a podcast so I think that has helped us. You have to know your audience and appeal to them every step of the way."
Q: What are you personal favorite podcasts outside of your own and why?
A: "I would say the number one podcast for me outside of my own is Stiff Socks. For the most part, they are pretty funny and the main topic as one would guess is sex. What makes it great is their reactions to the outlandish topics. Again, you hear that natural chemistry and genuine interaction."
Q: Do you see more expansion to come within the podcast realm for you and your brands?
A: "I think we have a lot of work to do yet, but in due time I do believe we will expand more. We aren't going to settle with where the platform is at now. As for brands... any brand could always use more growth! That's the sole purpose of the Playmade Podcast."
Q: How much do you incorporate yourself as a musician into this venture or has podcasting become priority number one in this moment? A: "At this moment, podcasting has sucked me in. It is less stressful at times, but I do plan on pushing my music as well. I'm currently sitting on some releases that need to drop asap. I have already held onto them way past the timeframe I wanted to, but I also see it as a way to implement some marketing for my music. The more people hear that Fat Daddy J is a host and an artist, the more likely they are to go search my name to find my music (people coming from the podcast fanbase) to get an idea of who I truly am."
Q: What makes an interview with an artist really pop? Is it energy, that natural vibe, or something completely different in your opinion?
A: "If you come on the podcast, either of them, and just act like yourself and don't focus on how nervous you may be, it just flows. If you have positive energy that also will help it seeem more fluent and less forced which equals a good time. So, it's a combination of all the things that were aforementioned. Be yourself, relax, and just talk. Simple."
Q: Does hosting podcasts make you feel limited in any way or do you feel that you have more free range in a creative compacity now?
A: "I don't feel limited at all. I think the sky is the limit and I feel that way about anything anyone pursues. Podcasts are the new thing because there really is no structure or limit about what we can and cannot talk about. We decide all of that. You really just talk about whatever you want and roll with it. If anyone is offended by what you are talking about then I guess you just lose that listener, but we won't get into how I feel about those types of listeners. Some just don't have a sense of humor and feel targeted by everything, and that is where I will leave that."
Q: How often do your podcasts drop new episodes?
A: "We try for at least once a week on The Beat. As for the Playmade Podcast, it does not drop as frequently because we need more artists that actually want to be interviewed. Even when I go out of my way to line them up, something always seems to come up. It's a small amount of work for a new form of exposure, and as of now nobody is capitalizing on it."
Q: Anything you would like to say to fans, and is there any advice you have for people new to the podcast world or still deciding if they want to jump in?
A: "I'd like to say thank you for all the support over the years. I appreciate that more than anything as I do it all for the fans and listeners. Advice wise, I'd say if you looking to start a podcast and find yourself second guessing it, don't. Why one might ask? You have nothing to lose if you don't take a shot. You never know what can come to be until you put the effort forth. That's been the motto with all of Playmade's endeavors and the same with the team we have here at SupportArt."
Listen To The Latest Episode of The Beat below as well as a few of our favorite Playmade Podcast interviews. After that, you can also stream music from Fat Daddy J all directly from this article!