The moment I sat down with Cal and Ben, the hosts of the popular radio show Beat$ on Georgetown Radio, I could sense the energy in the room. Calzone and Benny Drama, as they’re known on the show, were extremely friendly, and after talking with them for a mere fifteen minutes I felt like I’d known them for years. These guys have an obvious passion for music and their unique style and creativity is admirable. Check out their Facebook page and make sure to tune in to their show on Saturdays at 1 p.m.!
Where are you guys from and what schools are you in?
Ben: Boise, Idaho (COL ’16)
Cal: Bloomfield, New Jersey (COL’ 16)
You both host Beat$. Why do you find radio interesting?
Ben: Well it all started when I saw an email about applying for a radio show. I like electric and rap music, and thought it would be cool to start up, so I brought the idea up to Cal.
Cal: I never would’ve gotten into it alone, but I wanted to do something and Ben introduced me to it. It’s great though: something to look forward to, forces us to stay up on music. It’s dope.
Ben: It’s like fun homework.
What type of music do you play on Beat$?
Ben: Electronic and hip-hop music. We like songs that fuse the two genres, and we always love a good remix. A lot of hip-hop songs use samples of electric songs, so we like to focus on those.
Cal: Yeah, the hip-hop songs that sample electric beats win both audiences, the audience that loves electric and the hip-hop audience. That’s what our show’s about also, trying to win both audiences over.
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Who are your favorite artists right now?
Ben: I’m loving Zedd right now and I’ve always liked Calvin Harris. We both love Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky.
Cal: Lupe Fiasco, definitely. We play a lot of Lupe. He has his political outbursts, but his lyrical content is unlike anything else.
Ben: We’re obsessed with Kanye too. We always have trouble choosing the first song because we always start with Kanye.
Cal: Started it off with “All of the Lights” the other day, it was great.
Ben: Also, slap a little Ri-Ri (Rihanna) on any beat and it’s good to go.
What about Jay-Z?
Ben: We like Jay; we play a lot of Watch the Throne.
Cal: Jay holds the crown, [but] we have to give others some time to shine on the show.
What inspired you guys to get involved in radio?
Ben: It all just kind of fell into place. I was interested in it and mentioned it to Cal, not thinking anything of it, and he jumped on board. We’ve been having a good time with the promotional photos and creating a distinct style for Beat$.
Cal: I was drawn to radio because it’s a media that collects all of our interests. Obviously the music, but the style and artistic side of it as well.
Ben: Our interests are based on hip-hop and electronic music, but we wanted to give it our own creative spin, something loud and different.
You guys have very unique and outgoing personalities. How do you feed off of each other?
Ben: In a way we’ve created our own brand through Beat$.
Cal: A lot of people have radio shows here, but you never hear about them. We wanted to spread the word about our show and decided spreading the news through promotional photos and videos that show off our creative side was the best way to do that.
Ben: We do the show not only for us, but because we want to share our music and style with others.
Cal: People from other schools have tuned in as well, which is crazy.
Ben: We’ve gotten pretty good feedback. When I think of people listening to our show, I picture about 10,000 people listening, even though it’s probably like 50.
Cal: But the first time I met Ben was at Convocation through friends, and over time we’ve connected in the right way, through music, views on social justice, and we just feed off each other’s energy. We share the same values: Ben started a non-profit organization to help homeless students in Idaho called Oaths, and that’s the type of stuff I admire about him.
Ben: It’s hard to describe because we just work so well together. In our minds we’re both aware of what our jobs are for the show without even telling each other. It’s just understood what we’re supposed to do, and I think that’s what makes it work.
Cal: I’m not the most creative person, but if you give me a task I’ll take it and run with it. Ben is the creative genius that guides me and sparks my creativity, and that’s a team.
Ben: Guess we’ve got a little bromance going on.
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Could you see yourselves pursuing a career in radio or the music industry in the future?
Ben: I love music, so I’ll never rule that out. I’ve never really thought about radio as a professional move, but who knows. Anything in the entertainment industry involving music, I’d be happy with.
Cal: You come into school with one idea of what you want to do, and then can feel out other options and activities, and who knows? Maybe it will lead to something in the music industry.
Lightning Round
Last Movie You Saw:
Ben: Skyfall
Cal: Silver Linings Playlist
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Ben: Mint chocolate chip
Cal: Cookies ‘n’ cream
Dream Concert:
Ben: Kanye West (maybe with a little Zedd, an appearance by Lana del Rey and Calvin Harris rising up from the floor at one point)
Cal: Michael Jackson with J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco and Wale