Emilio Sparks - The Charlie Rose of Hip Hop

(co-written and copyedited by Vin Forte)

I believe there is a huge freedom in what we (college or independent) radio figures do. I do believe that we are in an environment, where hippies talk about the good ole days in the music industry.

Except hippies suck (we’re much more ahead of the curve than those lazy bohemian fucks).

I love the type of radio I do. Granted in the word of radio that you collect a paycheck from, my form of radio does not really exist. For now, I call the shots. It’s freeing; There is an audience that I am giving a service to. I might not be a record breaker, but I have played records from starving artists who might have this one opportunity to get their message heard.

Lets use B.O.B. as an example. I was dropping other B.O.B gems, along with his popular song, before it exploded in to a platinum single. Were you into what he was doing before or after “Nothing On You” took off? Were you quick to judge his other rhymes or direction with the music?

Here’s the brass tacks of it all: College radio serves as much purpose as the DJ wishes to put on it, as well just as much depending on what the program director will allow. With the state of radio, and the media at large, the importance has gone from the system back down to the individual. While this means less big breaks for innovation and creativity proper at the hands of the powers that be, it also means that what you reap is what you sow.

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