00:00
Intro
Off the Record is a show from 88.1 WKNC in which DJs talk with artists about everything from their music to upcoming tours to former bandmates birthdays. Make sure to follow WKNC on SoundCloud and Tumblr so you never miss a beat. Enjoy.
00:15
DJ Beowulf
This is DJ Beowulf in studio at WKNC with M8alla, our Double Barrel Benefit artist for night two.
00:23
M8alla
Well, hello.
00:24
DJ Beowulf
Thank you for being here.
00:26
M8alla
No problem. Thanks for having me.
00:27
DJ Beowulf
Absolutely. Have you ever been affiliated with WKNC in the past?
00:32
M8alla
In the past. I feel like one of the stations tweeted at me one time. Sweet. And was like, oh, now playing M8alla, I can't even remember what song it was. And I was like, oh, this is cool. Like, but I've come up to WKNC probably, I would say maybe once or twice. I know that I came up one time. I was managing a hip hop duo like two, three years ago. So they came up here for an interview.
00:57
DJ Beowulf
Are they still active?
00:58
M8alla
They. Well, they broke up and it became one artist, Danny Blaze, who now is like a solo artist. So he.
01:04
DJ Beowulf
Are you still his manager?
01:06
M8alla
I was for a little bit, and now he just kind of does his own thing. I think once my career kind of started picking up, it was hard for me to balance both. So. Yeah.
01:16
DJ Beowulf
Well, I guess. Speaking of management, are you managing yourself as well?
01:20
M8alla
Yeah, I don't have a manager or anything. I don't have a team. Like, all of this just comes together with me. I mean, every so often, of course, I have some, like, good friends who are great with video and, you know, friends who, like, do photography and stuff like that. But in terms of just like booking my shows and stuff, that's. That's all me.
01:38
DJ Beowulf
Very, very cool. I know that Raleigh and the Triangle are kind of hot spots for DIY musicians, and so I think it's really cool that you're still following that grassroots approach.
01:48
M8alla
Thank you.
01:49
DJ Beowulf
Absolutely. However, I know you're not native to the area. Yes. Do you want to give the listeners a little insight as to who you are?
01:58
M8alla
Yeah. This is usually like a super daunting question for me because I'm like, oh, my goodness, I have to say all these things, but I was born in Paris, France, and I grew up in Washington, D.C. because my dad was ambassador of Cameroon. So Cameroon is a country in Central Africa. So my family is from Central Africa. But by way of his job, there was just a lot of traveling. So we lived in D.C. for quite a while. And then, I mean, I kind of skipped a couple countries, but I was literally there for like a couple months, so it doesn't really matter. And then I came to North Carolina because I went to UNC Chapel Hill, which I'm proud of. No, it's okay.
02:37
DJ Beowulf
You know what? We are Wolf Pack fans here at WKNC, but we have no hate towards the Rams State, so we are all good.
02:45
M8alla
Cool.
02:47
DJ Beowulf
Do you like North Carolina so far? Do you feel that it's been a good place to develop your music?
02:51
M8alla
I think absolutely. Just. I think the scene was just has been super duper supportive, you know, and it just creates. There's a lot of room in the scene for you to kind of find yourself, you know, and there's no pressure on that front. You know, places that kind of have their established sound, you kind of are. You know, a lot of people end up having to sound like they're from there. You know, like if I was in New York, you know, there's like a typical, you know, boom bap type situation. And then Atlanta has a super duper trappy style. And so I had the opportunity being here to just kind of figure out who me is and just kind of go with that lane.
03:32
DJ Beowulf
Well, I'm very excited to explore who you are, who me is in this article or this interview. So you call yourself Tribal Trap and you were just mentioning how different areas of the country have different sounds. Doesn't seem like Tribal trap is a moniker adopted by any specific region. How did you fall into that?
03:52
M8alla
It just came up after I was recording the first single off this project, which is illegal and. Cause I was listening to a lot of trap, but I really wanted to be myself on it. And it wasn't. I mean, typically trap. Yes. Now there's like a sound, but trap music is like, you know, typical, like Atlanta based. Not necessarily even Atlanta, but it has usually to do with like selling drugs, which I don't do that, you know, I don't. Didn't grow up in a trap. Never really experienced it, but definitely adopted the sound that comes from that. Cause I was just doing a lot of trap listening, you know, so. And me being from Cameroon, I was just like, all right, well, I'm really kind of being myself on these trap drums. So what is the name for that? I don't know.
04:40
M8alla
I didn't know. And I just kept saying things and Tribal trap just kind of came to me.
04:45
DJ Beowulf
It has a ring to it.
04:46
M8alla
It has a ring to it. And it's hard because I'm not always on trap beats. So it's like, oh, I really have to kind of. I don't want to force myself to have to fit into that box. But it works for a lot of the songs that I've done and works for just the energy. It's just this very. Sometimes I do a lot of. I would say Caribbean. Afro Caribbean, like intonation when I sing. So it kind of works for most songs.
05:13
DJ Beowulf
That actually leads pretty well into my next question. I was going to ask how your internationality has helped you develop your sound.
05:21
M8alla
Well, I would say that with my family being a family that traveled a lot, the one thing that they were always taking with them was the music, you know, because, I mean, you leave everything behind. You know, sometimes you leave the food behind, you leave some of the customs behind, etc, etc. But the things that I have three brothers and three older brothers and a sister that they would always bring was the music. So I was just exposed to all these different genres. So, so, so young. So I guess that became one of the reasons I started, you know, thinking of myself as a global citizen, really. And I. I went to an international high school in D.C. so people of just all nationalities.
06:03
M8alla
So in that respect, I think I come from a musical perspective where I'm just like, the lyrics are super important to me, but I want to make sure that the music is universal.
06:16
DJ Beowulf
Right. And I think you're definitely hitting on a market there with taking trap, but making it your own. So I definitely see an expansive future.
06:24
M8alla
For you, and I'm really glad that.
06:26
DJ Beowulf
You've been able to perform at Double Barrel benefit for us.
06:29
M8alla
Thank you guys for having me. It was such a surprise. I was so excited when you guys.
06:32
DJ Beowulf
No, we're trying to strike the iron while it's hot. That way when you're. When you're really big, you can be.
06:37
M8alla
Like, yeah, I played Double Barrel. It's where I started, definitely.
06:41
DJ Beowulf
But actually, you've probably done stuff that's bigger than Double Barrel already. I know that you performed at Hopscotch recently.
06:47
M8alla
Yeah, that was really cool. I opened for Miguel at Hopscotch and that was super unexpected too. I don't even know. It always comes. I mean, and I think that every creative can kind of relate, but, you know, you just. You do have those moments where you're like, oh, my gosh, am I done here? Like. Cause it's, you know, it's hard. It's hard to keep going. Not necessarily know whether or not people are connecting with you. And it was just in one of those moments where I was contemplating what the Next direction was going to be. I mean, I know that I'm never, ever gonna leave music. Cause I just. I just love it, you know? But I just was, like, trying to see what the angle was exactly, you know, where I was going with it, if I should take a break.
07:22
M8alla
And yeah, hopscotch hit me up and they asked me to do hopscotch. And I was like, all right, cool. That was a goal that I set. Yeah, that's a big festival. Yeah. And it's a goal that I had set. That was the thing that I knew I wanted to do in 2018, so.
07:36
DJ Beowulf
Well, congratulations on meeting your goal, by the way.
07:38
M8alla
Thank you. So that was cool. But then maybe a couple weeks later, I was starting to get into, okay, I need to. I need to promote. I need to start promoting. So I wanted more information. I just. I didn't know anything other than the fact that I was doing hopscotch. Right. So I hit them up and they were like. I was like, hey, you know, what time do I go on? That's all that I asked them. And they're like, well, right now we have you on a three person stage with Miguel and division. And I was like, what? That's crazy. It really didn't process. Like, I just read. And I was like, oh, wow, okay. I'm thinking maybe they're gonna add people and stuff. I was like, all right, well, when can I announce? And he was just like, just hold off.
08:15
M8alla
So I did for like an hour, but then I had my phone started going crazy, and there were people just like, oh, my God, like, you're opening for Miguel on the main stage. And I was just like, whoa, whoa. Like, I had no idea that it. That that's what it was gonna be.
08:30
DJ Beowulf
Yeah, they released the schedule pretty early this year.
08:32
M8alla
Yeah, I didn't know it was gonna be on the red hat stage. Like, I didn't have any. Any idea what was really going on. So that was just crazy.
08:40
DJ Beowulf
You're making waves and they notice.
08:42
M8alla
Thank you.
08:43
DJ Beowulf
And Hopscotch does a pretty good job of trying to, like, stack all the venues with, like, cohesive sounds or like a lineup that people would go to see anyways. So I think putting you on with Miguel was not only like a big step for you, but like a good thing for them on that part.
08:58
M8alla
I think that's what they needed. They definitely needed like a, I guess a more R and B act, you know, and it just worked out for me, I think.
09:04
DJ Beowulf
Did you. Did you end up getting to meet Miguel at All.
09:07
M8alla
I met Miguel's brother. We actually got to hang out with Miguel's brother. Like, he had this $2,000 bottle of tequila, and he was just, like, sharing it with everyone backstage. Oh, my God. I feel like I waved. I didn't meet Miguel, but I met all of the people in his entourage just because I didn't want to be the person that was, like, super duper pressed. But I did meet Division that night, and Miguel. It started raining into my last song. It started raining, so we had to. He actually let use his van and just like, yeah, everyone that was there with me got to get in the van and just kind of chill in there until. Until the rain.
09:46
DJ Beowulf
That's pretty nice, actually.
09:47
M8alla
Yeah.
09:47
DJ Beowulf
And shout out to his brother with the $2,000 tequila bottle.
09:50
M8alla
We didn't even. I didn't even know it was his brother. Like, my friends were just. I was like, who is this guy? Like, what are y' all doing?
09:56
DJ Beowulf
I imagine he gets that a lot because it's like, oh, who are you? I'm Miguel's brother. Oh, you're Miguel's brother.
10:01
M8alla
Yeah. No, definitely. Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
10:04
DJ Beowulf
You know, that's actually gonna lead me into a pretty interesting question. So, hopscotch of putting you on the bill with Miguel, if you could design a bill with yourself on it and put any artists in history on it, let's do a three band bill. Let's say you open, and then two of your favorites afterwards. Who would you love to perform with?
10:24
M8alla
Well, okay. See, I think the management experience that I have is going to probably cause me to say something different than who I would love to perform with. You know, I think that, like, who would make sense? Like, what bill would I, you know, would make the most sense? I would give us two answers. Okay, cool. Okay. So the one that I feel like would make the most sense. I would probably say sza. And. I'll go with Rihanna because of the, like, Caribbean flair. Yeah, I feel like that would be. That would be one that makes the most sense. And then for who? I would just love to. I'm just. I just love Drake, so. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, I think that I just. I just really want to. I want to sit in on some Drake music sessions.
11:18
M8alla
Cause that's another artist that I admire for their ability to just be super, like, universal or just, you know, appeal to so many different markets. And the way that his music hits, it just like, it hits the same everywhere, you know?
11:31
DJ Beowulf
Right. Everyone. Everyone's in their feelings.
11:34
M8alla
Everyone's in their feel. Like it makes everybody kind of like. Everybody enjoys it the same. He's just a very good songwriter, so.
11:41
DJ Beowulf
Personal shout out to Drake. We are both Canadians, although I'm not from the six. I'm not far from Toronto, though. Where are you from? I'm from Ottawa, actually.
11:49
M8alla
Okay. One of my best friends in elementary school was from Ottawa.
11:53
DJ Beowulf
Oh, very cool.
11:54
M8alla
My. My sister lives in Montreal.
11:57
DJ Beowulf
My father's from Montreal.
11:58
M8alla
Yeah. My sister lives in Montreal. And then my. I have, like. Like a million cousins in Montreal, too, so it's a.
12:05
DJ Beowulf
It's a beautiful city because I. I really like it. Just a side note about Montreal, because it's got all of, like, the historic French development, but it's also one of, like, the larger cities in Canada, so you get, like, a mix of best of both worlds, and it's an oasis of culture that, you know, the rest of whitewashed Canada doesn't really get.
12:21
M8alla
Yeah, definitely.
12:23
DJ Beowulf
Although the French can be prudes at times. It's a beautiful place to be.
12:28
M8alla
Yeah. They always. People always look at me funny when I speak in Canada because obviously it's a different accent.
12:35
DJ Beowulf
Oh, Parisian French.
12:37
M8alla
Yeah. Well, is it. Is that what it is?
12:40
DJ Beowulf
Are you speaking, like. Did you learn to speak French in France?
12:45
M8alla
Yeah, well, in Cameroon. But it's like. Like, I. I would say I. I have a Cameroonian slash Parisian accent when I speak French. Got it. Whereas, like, you know, Quebec. The Quebec accent is completely different.
13:00
DJ Beowulf
Absolutely. It's like a completely different dialect.
13:02
M8alla
Exactly. So I think that people think that you're kind of snobby when you don't speak it, but they also. I don't understand. Yeah, yeah.
13:11
DJ Beowulf
I remember my dad told me the story when were growing up, he went to France. He worked for a pharmaceutical sales company and just went around the world just like, you know, working with business people. And he was in France at one time, and they were speaking in French and just, like, making fun of Americans and assuming that he was an American. American, he chimed in French and goes, noah, like, I can hear you. I know what you're saying about me. And then they continued to mock him for having a bad accent.
13:35
M8alla
Yeah, no, Parisians are kind of known for being, you know, very. Yeah, I didn't say it.
13:42
DJ Beowulf
You said it. Hey, you know what? Paris is your home. You're allowed to say it if you want to.
13:47
M8alla
Yeah.
13:49
DJ Beowulf
Other than hopscotch, do you have a favorite show that you've done in the past or one that you just really enjoyed?
13:55
M8alla
Ooh, favorite show. I think that I I had my own show at Motorco in Durham that.
14:05
DJ Beowulf
Was really cool because, like, you were the headliner.
14:07
M8alla
Yeah, I was the headliner. I was. It was like a listening party for my project that I was gonna be releasing, Never Leave Quietly. And I really liked that one. Just. Cause I got to put a lot. I got to put a lot into it. So, you know, I was able to have my, like, my projector and, like, choose, you know, I was able to kind of design the set a. And I thought that was cool. And I think it was just a really good way for me to just get a feel for who my music is connecting with, like, who, you know, how far the brand has reached, et cetera, et cetera. So I enjoyed that.
14:39
DJ Beowulf
That's pretty fantastic. And the Motor Company is like a pretty large venue.
14:44
M8alla
Yeah.
14:45
DJ Beowulf
When Young Bull was in the studio the other day, they talked about how they had lined the Motor Company, but previously had been doing like a Young Bull Thanksgiving thing every year. And it used to be at the Pinhook, but they stepped it up and sold out the Motor Company. Super excited about that.
14:59
M8alla
Yeah. I mean, they're so good. They're super good.
15:01
DJ Beowulf
They are super talented. And I mean, so are you. And you're on playing the same bill the same night.
15:06
M8alla
Yeah.
15:07
DJ Beowulf
That's gonna be really exciting.
15:08
M8alla
Yeah, I mean, I've. I feel like. I feel like I've done a lot of shows with or next to Young Bull, and I've never really, like, talked to them.
15:18
DJ Beowulf
Well, from my limited interview that I had with them, and not even the full group. I only had three of the members. They were really cool, really receptive. Very, very talented guys.
15:28
M8alla
Yeah. I mean. And they did. They did Hopscotch too.
15:31
DJ Beowulf
Yes, they did. Yes, they did. Sadly, I did not get to see their set. I was. I don't remember where I was during their set that night, but I was all over the city for Hopscotch.
15:42
M8alla
Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure.
15:45
DJ Beowulf
I just lost my train of thought. But never leave quietly.
15:47
M8alla
Yes.
15:48
DJ Beowulf
You released it at Motorco. How long ago was that?
15:51
M8alla
So that was the listening party for it. And there was like, there were some hiccups in between the Listening Party and the release.
15:56
DJ Beowulf
It happens.
15:57
M8alla
But the. The Listening party was like, early last year, and I just officially released it a couple. I'm gonna say, like a week or two before Hopscotch. Cause I wanted it to be available for people who, you know, were hearing about me. Cause, I mean, Hopscotch was going crazy. Like, they were just, like, promoting like, crazy. So I wanted people to have access to this music just so they could come and, you know, enjoy it and stuff. So that was in August. I think I let it go in August. Yeah.
16:28
DJ Beowulf
What's your favorite song off of Never Leave Quietly?
16:30
M8alla
It changes. It changes so much right now. Yeah, right now. Right now.
16:40
DJ Beowulf
If you can't think of one, my follow up question would be which one do you think has been received the best?
16:45
M8alla
Well, I think that Illegal has been received the best just because I did. That's the one song that has a video right now. It has a video and it has a message. It was just. And it was super personal. And the timing of when I released it was also super, like, it was just a very timely record and it was a new introduction to my sound. I had done, you know, I'd really speak.
17:09
DJ Beowulf
Did you be comfortable talking about the message that you put out in that video?
17:12
M8alla
Yeah, well, it's a song that I wrote at a time where I was undocumented. I was an undocumented immigrant for a while, a couple years. And I just kind of felt like I was in a tough spot, you know, I was in a tough spot because this was also. I'm not gonna say. I usually say, like, the height of, like, just a very politically charged time. I mean, it was.
17:43
DJ Beowulf
There's been a lot of xenophobia in the media recently.
17:46
M8alla
Yeah. And I think it was just like another time in which were really starting to face the, you know, the concept of police brutality. Yeah. In. I think it was like 2017, so. And that was really. I mean, it was really impacting me. And at the same time, I felt like I couldn't. I was this woman of color who was affected by the situation, but also I was undocumented. So I felt like I didn't have the right to say anything.
18:12
DJ Beowulf
A lot of intersectional struggles right there that.
18:15
M8alla
That you needed to highlight. I just felt like I was very. The stakes were really high for me. Of course, you know, if I had to. If I were to comment. And I just felt like this was the easiest way for me to give myself a voice and to give women who were in the same predicament as me a voice, you know, so all of the lyrics kind of came from me. I remember I canceled my session to record the. The first version of Illegal to go to. I guess they're now calling it the Charlotte Uprisings. But this was after the riots.
18:52
DJ Beowulf
I was living in Charlotte at time. At the time of the initial shooting. And then the subsequent Riots. Some of my, like old high school, like teachers were there.
19:02
M8alla
Huh. So yeah, and I went there for that.
19:06
DJ Beowulf
And I remember my family prevented me from going because they were worried it was gonna get too dangerous.
19:12
M8alla
And I don't even mean to get extra, but I mean, it did. It got dangerous, but from what I saw, I mean, it got dangerous once the riot squad came. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.
19:26
DJ Beowulf
They just come in tense and ready for a fight. It's almost priming it to happen, you know, a self fulfilling prophecy.
19:33
M8alla
Yeah, it was just super antagonizing and just kind of like, all right, so that's kind of when it went left. And. And I mean, what I saw that night, I just was super moved. And yeah, I felt like that was the only outlet for me. I mean, I was just in a super tight spot. I had quit my job, so I couldn't go find another one. I couldn't. I had broken my lease. So I was just kind of like crashing at a friend's house and I was like, oh my gosh, I just have so much to say right now. Where am I gonna put it? And.
20:05
DJ Beowulf
And you made some pretty banging music with it.
20:07
M8alla
Yeah, I'm really proud of that.
20:09
DJ Beowulf
Not to downplay your struggles by talking about how great your music is. I think it's the low points that really just. How do I say this? It stands out and it really shows in the final production that you've put out how much emotion and power you felt going into this and how powerless you felt.
20:29
M8alla
Yeah, no, I mean, and that was kind of the first time I was able to do that. So it was a very. It was rewarding for me. And then to be able to put the video together and work with predominantly women, I would say it was probably like 90% women cast in crew, et cetera. So that was really cool. It was directed by women. All of the, you know, the women, the people in the shoot were women. Like, it was just. It was perfect. It was everything I wanted it to be.
20:59
DJ Beowulf
That is fantastic. And tying it into my own life. I actually tweeted the other day and it's kind of. I'm not gonna say it's blowing up, but like, it's been getting a little bit of attention because I'm a social work major and I was just gushing on the Internet about how almost all of my social work classes have predominantly female students, predominantly female professors. And. And it just, it was really supportive for me to be in a chosen major surrounded by people like me of like different backgrounds. And creeds and colors. But, like, we're all. We are the empathetic sex. I will say on record, we are the better sex.
21:37
M8alla
I'm with you on that.
21:39
DJ Beowulf
Girl power. So leading into that. Speaking of women, powerful women, and then yourself, where do you see yourself going as an artist in the future?
21:50
M8alla
I am super duper interested in going the publishing route. I think that having done this for a long time, I think I am. The parts that I love are the studio parts. Like, I love to be in the studio. I love writing music. I think the part that I love but is more stressful for me is definitely, like, the performance side. And I don't know if that has to do with the fact that I don't have a team and I don't have management. So it's just, like, me doing a lot of logistics that I'm just like, oh, I wish I could kind of pass this off to somebody. But. So in the future, I definitely see myself writing songs for other artists, you know, and being able to tell other people's stories. Yeah.
22:38
DJ Beowulf
Do you have any connections to the music industry that could get your. Your foot in the door with, I guess, helping other artists out like that?
22:45
M8alla
I do, actually. I do, and I just haven't really pulled the trigger yet.
22:50
DJ Beowulf
Okay, well, we'll definitely have to keep an eye and ear on you in the future to see how that comes out. But in regards to your personal project, do you have anything that might be released sometime soon?
23:03
M8alla
I'm actually shooting a video right now for a song called Jeweler, and it's featuring my bestie, Danny Blaze. And so I'm doing that video with.
23:16
DJ Beowulf
He was the guy that you managed that we mentioned earlier?
23:19
M8alla
Yes, yes. I managed him for a while, and then I'm shooting that with Torch House Media. So they actually do some videos for Young Bull. I mean, he does some videos for Young Bull. So we just kind of got together for the first time on a music video, and that should be really cool. So I'm excited to finish that up and share that with everybody.
23:40
DJ Beowulf
And what can we expect from your Double Barrel benefit set? Is it going to be all music that's been already released? Anything new that we might hear? And. Ooh, how are you as a performer?
23:51
M8alla
I get super duper nervous. Like, really bad, I think. Well, I come with some, you know, some dancers and kind of, like, spice it up, I think. I would say just expect a lot of sauce, A lot of sassiness, a lot of sauce. Rip too hard. Okay, Exactly.
24:12
DJ Beowulf
I am definitely looking forward to it. I will be there probably both nights.
24:15
M8alla
Okay, cool.
24:17
DJ Beowulf
No, definitely both nights. I don't like. I'm interviewing all these artists. I want to see all of them. I'm gonna have to. But just for the audience before we sign off, you want to give any final comments, you know, come out to Double Barrel benefit, what night you're playing,
24:30
M8alla
What time you're playing. Absolutely. Come out to the Double Barrel benefit, February 2nd. I'm going on right before Youngblow. I don't know what time yet, but you should come for the entire show. Yes. And follow me on Instagram. FirstNameM8alla. So that's F I, R, S, T N A M E. You know how to spell that? And Mballa is M, B, A L, L, A. And that's across the board. Twitter, Instagram, all that stuff.
24:56
DJ Beowulf
And where can they find your music if they wanted to check you out before the set?
24:59
M8alla
If you want to check me out before the set, definitely. Spotify, Tidal, iTunes. Don't discriminate. Whatever you gotta do, I'm on there. EzM8alla M8A L, L, A.
25:11
DJ Beowulf
So you switch the B for an A?
25:13
M8alla
Yeah, that came kind of last minute because it's kind of cool. Yeah, it was after illegal, and I was like, ooh. Like, this is. It was illegal. And then another song on there called Fickle, and it was just like, okay, this is kind of, like, aggressive, but a lot of this is super duper vulnerable. And so I'm. I'm still being, like, feminine on here. So the eight was like. Like the shape of a woman's body. Kind of symbolic of that. But then an M8 is an assault rifle, so. Okay.
25:39
DJ Beowulf
Yeah, that was very cool. Lots of layers to that.
25:43
M8alla
And I felt like it just kind of captured the essence of my music all together. You'll get a lot of both. It'll be super aggressive in some parts, and then in other parts, it'll be, like I said, super vulnerable and kind of sweet and etc.
25:57
DJ Beowulf
Well, you really are an artist that does it all. You manage, you produce your own music, you do your own shows. You're from all over the world. What is not to like? So, February 2, M8alla, right before young Bull come out to King's Raleigh Double Barrel benefit night two for WKNC. Thank you very much for being here.
26:14
M8alla
Thank you for having me. This is so much fun.
26:16
DJ Beowulf
You welcome. All right. This has been the local beat with WKNC DJ Beowulf out.