MSSL CMMND

Definitely one of  (if not the) most amazing venues I’ve had the opportunity to play.

Nothing helped shape my undergrad experience at The University of Maryland quite like my time at WMUC — the school’s student-run non-commercial freeform radio station. For four straight years, along with my roommate Jake, I lugged crates of records up the stairs to the top to the South Campus Dining Hall to play three hours of independent label music. Our show — “Independent Thought” — began on Sunday nights/Monday mornings, occupying the hellish shift of 3-6am, until we were eventually moved to a much more doable Friday 9p-12a slot.

Recently taking inventory of my days at WMUC, I thought I would take a moment and spotlight some of the amazing station alumni who both preceded and shared time with me at the College Park radio fixture. 

Aaron McGruder, creator of The Boondocks

Although I never had the opportunity to work with Aaron, he was a WMUC-er who helped out with The Soul Controllers Mix Show, a legendary program that paved the way for generations of dc-area hip-hop fans and artists. The Boondocks ran as a comic strip from 1996-2006, and just wrapped up it’s third season as an animated show on the the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.

Bonnie Bernstein, sportscaster for ESPN and CBS sports.

I honestly didn’t know that Bonnie worked at WMUC until I looked up the station on Wikipedia. I never met her and have no connection to her whatsoever, but I guess that’s pretty cool.

Connie Chung, television anchor and reporter

Connie also went to my high school, Montgomery Blair, and was a classmate of my father’s. He’s notified me at least 700 times that once she took a photo of him for the school newspaper. My father also assured me that if he saw Connie today, he is positive she would remember him.

Dave Nada, DJ/Producer, 1/2 of Nadastrom and creator of moombahton

I first met Dave at WMUC when he was hosting his own program, “Monster Radio.” Over the years we would become close friends, even hosting an ill-fated party in Adams Morgan at Cheif Ike’s Mambo Room together (probably the worst night there was being when dead rats were decaying inside the walls of the club, creating the absolute worst stench I have ever had to the displeasure of smelling).

Dave would swiftly move up the ranks of the DC and Baltimore DJ circuit, and eventually begin touring the globe as a solo artist and as half of the duo Nadastrom, along with producer/DJ Matt Nordstrom. But perhaps Dave’s greatest stroke of genius was when he accidentally created one of the most exciting sub-genres of dance music to come along in years, moombahton.

Peter Rosenberg, host “The Cipha Sounds and Rosenberg Show” on Hot 97

Before gracing the airwaves of the world’s most famous hip-hop radio station, Peter Rosenberg was known as “PMD” (Peter from Maryland), and hosted the show immediately before mine and Jake’s, from 6-9pm on Fridays. He wouldn’t shut the hell up then and he still hasn’t.

After bouncing around on local radio stations (WPGC) and satellite radio (as well as a job djing at McDonald’s on Friday nights, no lie), Peter eventually made this little video:

And the rest, shall we say, is history.

Peter can be heard on Hot 97 weekday mornings from 5-10am.

And finally, we can’t forget about the one and only D. Ellis of TRS radio — whose show inherited Independent Thought’s slot after we graduated. Dave was one of the nicest, most enthusiastic people I’ve ever met — and his life was tragically cut short before he was able to share his talents with the world. R.I.P.

N*E*R*D returns with “Nothing”, the band’s first album since 2008’s “Seeing Sounds.” Commonwealth in Norfolk, VA was kind enough to host a listening party to celebrate the release of the hometown heroes fourth LP, with Chad Hugo, Kid Icarus, and myself on deck.

This week also marked the debut of the “Hypnotize U” video, the Daft Punk-helmed second single off of the album.

Some early reviews of “Nothing”:

Entertainment Weekly

Los Angeles Times

The Independent