AirGo

Naledge may be a student at Northwestern's School of Communications within the Media, Technology and Society Program, but he's a kid no more. One half of 2000's-era rap group Kidz in the Hall, who sold more than 100,000 records worldwide on both Duckdown Records and Rawkus Records, he is also the founder of the Brainiac Project, which provides safe spaces and professional training at a recording studio in Auburn Gresham. Recorded live 3/23/17 at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: The Willies - @djdouble-0 Me and My Old School - Naledge Good to You (Instrumental prod. Kanye West) - Talib Kweli Wheelz Fall Off ('06 Til) - Kidz in the Hall

As an antidote to all of the endless yammering we bring you week-in and week-out, this week AirGo presents music by all of the musical artists who have come on AirGo through the first 82 episodes. The mix is done by AirGo's own DJ Empathy (aka Daniel). Peep the tracklist below! Music on this week's show: Divine Love - @wowtashawow Untitled 04 (summertime) - @jhonmyquale Suitcase - @bellabahhs Blk Girl Soldier - @JamilaWoods West Side in the Rain - @MalcolmLondon Pressure - @Thatsjeandeaux Whippin' - @RicWilsonisme Liberation - @DavidEllis00 Summer Camp - @theMINDmusic Walk Away - @DramaDuo Promesa - @Lesterreymusic Symmetry - @SabaPIVOT Silk Pillows - @Sminoworld & @Akenya Spice - @Ravynlenae Bloom - @BLAckxpARty Noir - @Defcee Green Light Party - @Add2theMC Ham Sammiches - @averyryoung Love, Peace, and Happiness - @SamTrump Creflo (Almighty) Dollar - @SirtheBaptist No Service - @LaVanGogh Mariame Kaba - @SolPatches

Safia Elhillo is a badass and poet of Sudanese origin who manages the space between her words with fearless grace. She's in town for Halal if You Hear Me, a special event for Louder Than A Bomb that shares its name with the anthology of which she is co-editor with AirGo alum Fati Asghar. If you have any questions about Ja Rule and Ashanti, she is your go-to person. Her first book, The January Children, is available now. Recorded live 3/9/17 at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: If (Instrumental) - @Oddiseemusic

Charles Preston is an organizer and radical spacemaker. A central figure in CSU's fight for survival, which AirGo alum Dave Ellis broke down on Episode 73, Charles is also the creator of Church on the 9, a popup cypher and community-building event on 79th Street here in Chicago. He talks spacemaking, organizing, and mental/emotional health with the AirGo crew. Recorded live 3/2/17 at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: God Bless The Native Americans - @rich-daily Walk On By (feat. @kendricklamar) - Thundercat

In the frantic recallibration of what is, what isn't, and what might be since January 20th, our definitions of journalism, the press, media, and the truth are all in flux as real threats solidify and old tensions reemerge. How do we humanize our journalism and root it in the information different communities want and need? Ellen Mayer is the Engagement Consultant at Hearken, an "audience-driven tech platform and editorial framework that enables journalists to partner with the public throughout the reporting process," and a smart-ass person with a bunch of ideas about how we can engage with each other to report the information we need. Recorded live at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: Colors - @soundbyezra

Amika Tendaji is a mother, a longtime Chicago youth and community organizer, a co-founder of Ujimaa Medics (UMedics) a collective focused on health justice and self-determination for Black people and a lead organizer of BLMChicago. She is also a poet, photographer, artful dodger, orca lover, storyteller, base builder, amateur comedian and a flamethrower extraordinaire. Recorded live 2/16/17 at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: Confused - @deelilly Casket Pretty - @noname

bLAck pARty, also known off the mic and boards as Malik Flint, is an old friend and raw music-maker whose most recent project, Mango, is available everywhere now. A Little Rock native, he moved out to LA a couple years ago when he began to work with Wolf & Rothstein, Childish Gambino's management company. We break down some big ideas, how he got to this moment, and even a few UFO sightings. Recorded 2/5/17 in Los Angeles, CA Music from this week's show: Summerlove - @blackxparty Theory - @NWard3000 Bloom - @blackxparty

DJ Oreo is like the mayor of Chicago's cool kids, if the mayor was a backflipper who DJs around the world rather than a neoliberal despot intent on lining his buddies' pockets. The current DJ for beaded wonder Lil' Yachty, Oreo has been at the Chicago's hip hop and footworking scenes for years. He's the founder of Oreofest, an irregular and surreal pop-up hip hop festival in the city. Recorded live 2/3/17 at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: I Can Feel It - DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn DJ Rashad (Never Letting Go) - Roman Flowers

Xavier Ramey walks through the different worlds of Chicago with a grace, humor, and devotion rarely experienced. A North Lawndale native, he currently works at UChicago teaching students how to build organizations, structures, and companies that work to address harm and inequality. A Louder Than A Bomb kid turned commodities trader turned mentor and activist, Xavier is a core member of the #LetUsBreathe Collective and is a photographer. He also makes more corny jokes than Daniel does–it's documented. Recorded live 1/26/17 at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: Sirens - @AdrianYounge

Leor Galil's work is some of the most thoughtful and writing about the city's creative renaissance. The music writer for the Chicago Reader, Leor grounds his features in the stories, neighborhoods, and sounds of the city with an open ear and a dedication to honest relationship with his subject. He also hosts the new Red Bull Music Academy radio show The Deepest Dish, which has already featured quite a few AirGo alumni. Recorded live 1/19/2017 at WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago Music from this week's show: HiiiPower - @kendricklamar Evening's Kiss - @willisearlbeal