Stony Island Audio: reinventing hip hop media coverage

Generally, for an album to be considered a classic, it must sell millions of copies and be appreciated by the masses. However, with underground hip hop, that is not necessarily the case. For an underground hip-hop record to be considered a classic, it simply needs to be great, influential, and stand the test of time among the genre’s niche and dedicated fan base. This has resulted in many amazing classic underground hip hop albums that an average rap fan may have never even heard of. For instance, Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein, although may be considered a bonified classic in the genre, never gained enough buzz in the mainstream to obtain the type of coverage that, let’s say, 50 cent would have. In the past, this unwillingness among major media outlets to cover this more unique and unconventional side of hip hop has resulted in many artists’ stories and experiences never seeing the light of day – at least outside of their lyrics.

Recently, Open Mike Eagle; one of today’s most creative and forward-thinking hip hop artists, recognized this drought of genuine stories surrounding the creation of some of underground hip hop’s most celebrated classics and saw it as an opportunity to build a platform for these important stories to be told. Mike, who is already known for his do-it-yourself mentality, releasing his latest record without a label, continued his streak of inspired independence by creating his own podcast network called Stony Island Audio. This network is a breath of fresh air for the hip hop heads who are tired of reading about who’s “beefing” who, and instead, want a raw and unfiltered look into the music industry.

I initially heard about the network through Mike’s own podcast “What Had Happened Was” where he interviews key figures who are responsible for some of hip hop’s most influential records. The first season featured interviews from the legendary DJ Prince Paul and the new one, famed producer and emcee, El-P. For me, as a long time hip hop fan, listening to these was a dream come true. Reading up on my favourite records is cool and all but to hear about their creation process directly from the source is truly special. 

​Creating this podcast network, not only gave Mike the freedom to produce the kind of content he feels is lacking in the mainstream but also serves as an example of how artists who can no longer perform due to the pandemic can create additional revenue sources. So if you are an underground hip hop fan like me or simply want to learn more about the genre, definitely listen to these podcasts as they provide priceless insights into an ever-changing industry!