iI strive to produce the best of the east and west in my beats to give us that funk but also that grime when needed. Groups like Wu tang, Tribe Called Quest, ASAP, G Unit have all ways been a huge influence to me. A part of living on the west coast in 2011- and on, most def blended in my music and I would say TDE and snoop dog have been a huge influence from the west coast.
To me there’s nothing really new under the sun , but adaptation and new approaches on Sonics. I strive to be an artist that can cultivate sounds and produce sounds where people can look back on and contemplate to themselves, man who made this record ? Big or small achievements I’m here to put the essence of my soul into my craft , pain pleasure , happiness and grief. All human emotions I never back down from when making music. I’m proud I can share my craft with my brothers in BLACKWHÜL , and to every listener that comes across my Sonics. We can’t change the world unless you change yourself. So watch me continuously change my frequencies. As we go through the high and low vibrations
- Drade Santiago
Music Spotlight :Threading the underground w/
Film Talk: The Sound Beyond Tradition
Feature : The Sound Beyond Tradition Pg.16-17 2. 3.
Sneaker Signal: Undefeated IV Pg.10-11
Q&A : Sean Talks Legacy, Lows, and
Artist Spotlight: Soft Shock Molly with Charles Rede
7.
Music Spotlight :Threading the underground w/ Blvk Whul
by
ARRUN PALACIO
BLACK WHÜL is more than just music, it’s a brotherhood, a lifestyle, a collection of modern misfits and individuality; the “black sheep.”
BLACK WHÜL comprised of a couple of East Coast natives, Easychild, Drade and BLK (the frontmen) each bringing their own unique styles and sounds together with more members behind the scenes. BLACK WHÜL is a community, it’s a movement, it’s something for the disenfranchised to believe in.
- Blk
Black WHÜL is a three headed monster. Each head can hold its own. But when they’re all in together its undeniable presence evokes a realization that there’s a necessary yearn for something fresh.
- Easy Child
Sneaker Signal: Undefeated IV
by ARRUN PALACIO
The return of the legendary UNDEFEATED x Air Jordan 4 is shaping up to be the hottest drop of August 2025. Set to release on August 28, the pair celebrates its 20th anniversary with two distinct versions: one with classic “Nike Air” branding and a more limited “Jumpman” heel option Crafted from premium deep-green suede with black midsoles and vibrant Clementine orange accents, these sneakers faithfully echo the 2005 OG
while injecting fresh energy into the silhouette.
The attention to detail given, A Velcro tongue patch, silver-coiled anniversary box, and bold insole branding demonstrate a commitment to both nostalgia and quality.
Yet, despite how stunning these look, it’s hard to ignore how Nike’s relentless release schedule has diluted some of the excitement around Jordans. Weekly drops and endless collabs have flooded the market, sometimes turning once-special sneakers into mere commodities. Even a revered pair like this risks being lost in the shuffle or flipped for profit rather than worn and appreciated.
At a retail price of around $225, it’s a rare blend of heritage, exclusivity, and wearable design.
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Film Talk: The Sound Beyond Tradition
by ARRUN PALACIO
As the producer and director of The Roonie Roon Show, I knew Episode 5, ‘The Sound Beyond Tradition,’ had to be more than just an artist profile—it needed to feel like music itself.
From the start, I felt it was crucial to let Drade narrate his own story in his voice. Early drafts of the episode were heavier on host narration. I chose to pivot because I enjoyed Drade’s way of speaking about his art and his neighborhood. It has a raw honesty that you just can’t script. His reflections about family, cultural roots, and city life brought an authenticity we wanted to preserve. Overall, I was pleased with that decision.
We also incorporated real urban sounds, from honking cars to birds chirping at dawn, blending them into the soundtrack. These weren’t just background noises, it’s what I hear on my commute to work in the standstill traffic of Los Angeles. They’re part of my life. Ultimately, it represents how the urban environment becomes both inspiration and instrument for those who call it home.
Urban Music: The Sound Beyond Tradition
by ARRUN PALACIO
Honking cars. Screeching tires. Bustling Engines. Chirping Birds. Listen closer– the deep lagoon of hip-hop drums booms beneath the earth, and strings of Latin guitars strum out. The very horns from honking cars turn into a lively jazz trumpet. These sounds fill our Urban Soundscape, offering you momentary relief as your bus rushes past on a morning commute. This urban music is the story of city life, a never-ending chaos always evolving. Balancing old and new—tradition and innovation. I ask: how does a musical innovator honor their roots while forging something entirely new?
THE CITY AS SOUNDTRACK
Music is a foundational pillar of any culture. Culture can be defined as the sharing of lived experiences from one generation to the next. Searching the urban soundscape, I found rap artist Drade Santiago and his music collective BLACK WHUL primed to discuss their cultural roots and what they uniquely bring to music. Drade named Howard Lamont Washington III, is from Jersey City, NJ, a city where energy and survival instinct are often the same. He describes living in Jersey as “Like, you had to be tough over there. Like, you couldn’t be the small fry. You couldn’t be the one getting pushed around. Like, you had to throw hands.” Drade describes listening to rap making him feel “like, all right, yo, somebody comes around, man. I’m going to have to knock a nigga out type shit.” The aggressive nature and harsh environment of Drade’s hometown, Jersey City, was reflected in Aggressive East Coast Rap, a sound that made him feel safe. Living in these areas plagued with high crime or violence can create a constant sense of fear or vigilance. Accompanied
by constant Stimulation, rapid Pace, and a competitive environment, these characteristics contributed to Drade finding refuge in an aggressive, hyper-vigilant state.
Drade describes himself as an Alternative Hip Hop artist who blends Hip Hop, Jazz, Punk, techno-pop, and underground grunge–reimagined through a moody lo-fi pop production, layering soft keys, analog textures, and subtle crackles to create his eclectic musical style. The foundation of his eclectic sound was laid in the neighborhoods he grew up in. His upbringing was marked by the movement between good and bad neighborhoods, a single mother, and the pulse of the streets. “I lived in Minnesota in high school. Back to Jersey, PA, actually. Then back to Jersey, then college. I went over here to SF. went to the Academy of Art. “So I’ve been in Cali for like 10 years.” Drade’s early life was filled with frequent moves, jostling his realities, both geographically and emotionally.
FEATURE
A NAME THAT CARRIES LEGACY
“My mom, you know, is a single mom. Me and my little brother… I lived in good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods. “You know, lights turned off, lights turned back on type shit.” The swings between comfort and struggle left an imprint. Not just on how he traversed the world, but also on the sounds and frequency he heard, and how he constructed music. Music was a constant in his household. “My mom, she played a lot of Carlos Santana… Lauryn Hill… Bobby Caldwell… Whitney Houston.” “My grandparents, especially my grandpa, he was a big record head… all 80s, 70s, pop, R&B, soul.” His Musical roots are embedded in the timeless sounds of soul, R&B, and Latin rock. His name, Drade Santiago, is rooted in his ethnic heritage. Sharing that on his mother’s side, they’re Puerto Rican, so their last name is Andrade. Taking the A and N off, and instead of Andrade, he went by Drade.
The name is more than a stage persona — it’s a tribute. He told his uncle before he died. “I told him, I was like, yo, you know, I’m gonna do it for the fam, man… family is the only true thing you got here, so that’s what I kind of carry on me.” Santiago, he adds, “just sounds smooth, and I’m a smooth dude, you feel me?” These impressions progressed into hip hop when Drade discovered Bow Wow, 50 Cent, and Eminem. Artists whose grit and edge matched the emotional soundwave of his environment.
Building on his musical foundation of Soul, Jazz, and R&B, he raps over jazz horns-filled with boom-bap beats layered with distorted piano keys. Drade tracks are laid-back but head-nodding has a hypnotic quality to them. Using off-key melodies, and absurd and abrasive vocal snippets that nod to 2000s pop culture, his lyrics take listeners on an emotional journey, weaving quirky, self-contained stories that unfold through vivid narrative interludes. On his track “All Eyez”, his lyrics discuss locking eyes with a young lady. “Shawty gives all eyes, Shawty gives all vibes,” unable to keep his eyes off her, asking “Baby, is this all right”. Following up with Shawty, you don’t know how to act, suggesting the attraction to one another is reciprocated. The song continues, detailing his excursions to hidden hills with the young women and the bravado and confidence he feels from his adventure. Reimagining hip-hop’s long-standing themes of ego, materialism, and machismo through a more vulnerable lens, brings a refreshing sound to hip-hop.
THE GOSPEL OF JET SET RADIO
When asked what pushes him toward unconventional sounds such as techno-pop, punk, hip-hop, and more, he recounts memories of a video game, Jet Set Radio, developed by Smilebit. Jet Set Radio took SEGA’s underdog perspective to heart by envisioning
A bright and vibrant story about getting a crew together, blasting banned music, and tagging the walls of cartoon Tokyo; not stopping even when the police tanks roll in. The videogame included emceeing, dancing, tagging, and DJing, all four elements of hip-hop. Emphasizing the importance of free speech and self-expression,“That game had music. I didn’t know what the f*** I was listening to. There was some punk…
There was an underground grunge... There’s, like, techno-pop.” And that’s the type of shit I want to f****** flip. Drade’s deep knowledge is what allows him to blend the many genres of music, the blend of influences is more than just sampling sonic frequencies it’s sampling community and expression.
Exploring what’s beyond Drade pushes classic sounds forward. Building on his musical foundation of Soul, Jazz, and R&B, blending these sampled genres with lo-fi pop textures brings a softness to his tracks. Contrasted by off-key melodies and absurd, abrasive vocal snippets that nod to 2000s pop culture, he reimagines hip-hop’s long-standing themes of ego, materialism, and machismo through a more vulnerable lens. Bringing a refreshing sound to hip-hop. His lyrics take listeners on an emotional journey, weaving quirky, self-contained stories that unfold through vivid narrative interludes.
The exploration of Drade’s musical craft and personal stories leads me to suggest culture is a continuous dialogue between past and present. Both a foundation and a living, evolving force/ sound. Through constant dialogue with his musical foundation, Drade evolves the sounds of hiphop, fusing contrasting genres through sampling and flipping tracks which resonate with his grit and edge.
Q&A:Brooks on Building Sound from Scrap and Soul
by ARRUN PALACIO
Q&A
THE ROONIE ROON SHOW: Welcome to The Roonie Roon Show. Today we’re joined by a member of the rap collective Blvk Whul, pronounced Black Wool. Introduce yourself for the people.
BROOKS: What’s up, man? My name is Brooks, but you can call me Easy Child. I’m a dancer, rapper, actor from Brooklyn, New York. And I rep Blvk Whul, a creative collective that’s just brash with its creativity—full of raw force and integrity. We’re like a three-headed monster that tears shit up in our own way. When we come together, it’s an atrocity—in the best way possible.
Q: When people listen to your music, what should they expect from Brooks?
Brooks: A Brooklyn accent for sure [laughs] Emotion. Movement. Texture. I bring a kinetic kind of poetry to the crew. Whether I’m dancing, spitting, or performing—I’m moving the moment. That’s my role. but more than that, they’re gonna hear someone in the process of becoming. It’s a metamorphosis. A transformation.
Q:Where does that strong sense of self come from?
Brooks: My family, especially my grandparents from Guyana. I grew up in New York, and the Caribbean culture was all around me. The way we eat, speak, move, treat others—it all gave me meaning. That gave me a sense of self-worth and purpose to carry through life.
Q: Do you feel like you’re carrying a torch for your culture?
Brooks: Absolutely. Especially coming from a Caribbean background—third world pride. It’s deep. That pride gives you identity. And when I create, I can’t fake it. My identity comes through naturally. I don’t even have to try.
Q: If someone’s just now discovering Brooks, what should they know?
Brooks: Know that I’m a work in progress. I’m not trying to be anyone else. I’m a reflection of where I come from—Guyana, Brooklyn, the street, the studio—and ever
Q: So if Blvk Whul is a three-headed monster—what’s your head responsible for?
Brooks: Movement? That was always my outlet. Then the lyrics came. Then the performance side. It’s like all those elements were always around me, and I just started threading them together.
Q&A : Sean Talks Legacy, Lows, and Lyrical Healing
by ARRUN PALACIO
THE ROONIE ROON SHOW: We’re back with another voice pushing culture forward. Today we’re joined by one-third of the experimental rap trio Blvk Whul. Tell us who you are and what you bring to the collective.
SEAN: What’s up. I’m Sean, born and raised in New York. I go by a few names—you might hear me called Jreddy Mercury, sometimes Black Galifianakis. But for this? Just call me Black. That’s enough.
Q: Let’s talk Blvk Whul. What is it?
SEAN: Blvk Whul is a collective of creatives who don’t fit the mold. We’re the black sheep— the outsiders who are trying to gather all the people who never felt seen and bring them into something real. Our sound is what’s been lost... and we’re here to find it. We represent the unrepresented. That’s what we do.
Q&A
Q: I feel that. I think The Roonie Roon Show lives in that same space—eccentric, unconventional. What would you say your personal sound is?
SEAN: It’s alternative hip-hop, but not in the box-checking kind of way. Think Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino, a bit of Kendrick, and definitely echoes of Andre 3000, Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang. That’s my DNA.
Q: How does Blvk Whul’s identity—being for the outsiders, the black sheep— show up in your music?
SEAN: It’s in the textures, man. We don’t chase what’s popular. Our sounds are unusual, sometimes even disorienting, because they’re not built for quick listening. We bring in reverse sounds, we bend tones, we take risks sonically. Most people aren’t going to hear our
music and go “Oh yeah, that’s radio.” They’re going to say, “What is this?” And that’s the point. We’re building a lane for people who don’t have one.
Artist Spotlight: Soft Shock Molly with Charles Redefines R&B Intimacy
by ARRUN PALACIO
NOT YOUR AVERAGE R&B GROUP
Molly with Charles isn’t your average R&B group. Founded in 2016 by vocalist Molly Arizona and Charles Nutivore, the ensemble has evolved into a collective of seasoned musicians: Oliver Cooper, Dirty Dave, Stari, King Oliver Trumpet, Madd Matt, Daniel Erik, and Shell Puppy. Together, they craft a warm, textured sound rooted in R&B tradition, layered with trumpet, guitar, piano, and bass.
ROOTED IN SOUL, BUILT ON TRUST
What sets this group apart isn’t just their sound, it’s their commitment to the live experience. In a digital era where loops and plug-ins dominate, Molly with Charles leans into the honesty of real-time performance. Their live studio sessions feel more like intimate jam sessions—honest, and full of soul. These aren’t just rehearsals; they’re rituals. Showcasing the beauty that emerges when talented artists trust each other and the mome
THE RITUAL OF LIVE RECORDING
The live recording of Ownership, their studio album, is a testament to that trust. Rather than hiding behind studio polish, they invite listeners into the room with them—flaws, laughter, silence, and all. The result is deeply human.
-Molly with Charles
That said, one critique stands: for all their talent and authenticity, the group needs to do more to make themselves available to the media—whether small or large. I reached out to lead vocalist Molly Arizona for an interview. She responded with interest, but despite our best efforts, the conversation never went further. It’s understandable—life happens. Still, in a world where discovery often hinges on accessibility, “Molly with Charles” would benefit from opening their doors a little wider. The world is listening. They just need more chances to hear.
SCAN TO LISTEN
-Molly with Charles
Special Report
by ARRUN PALACIO
BROOKLYN, NY — Jumaane
Wright, 28, brother of alternative hiphop artist Drade Santiago, was fatally shot by an NYPD officer on April 29, 2025, following a police incident involving an alleged stolen vehicle in East New York.
According to investigators, Wright was driving the alleged stolen Porsche near Bay Eighth Street and the Belt Parkway shortly after 8 p.m., as reported by ABC7NY. Police ran the license plates, which came back as stolen, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
Investigators report Wright fled eastbound on the Belt Parkway. Officers strategically set up a roadblock several exits away instead of pursuing. When Wright veered onto a service road and allegedly drove toward the roadblock, nearly striking an officer, one officer fired a single shot, striking Wright.
The family states this is out of character for Jumaane. Recalling memory’s of how he was an indivual that kept out of trouble and was centered around his family. It was shocking for the family hearing jumaane was involved in a police chase and had been fatally shot. The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation has since opened an independent investigation into the shooting, as required by New York state law.
Awaiting the results of the inquiry, Drade Santiago, whose music blends hip-hop, jazz, punk, techno-pop, and grunge, publicly expressed profound grief and a sense of purpose born from this loss. “I’m gonna keep doing what the fuck I love… for my little brother,” he stated, reflecting the bond he shared with Jumaane.
