Hard Knock Radio – July 21, 2025
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.
Hard Knock Radio
4:00 PM PACIFIC TIME: MONDAYS - FRIDAYS
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting. Hosts Davey D and Anita Johnson give voice to issues ignored by the mainstream while planting seeds for social change.
Rhythm, Roots, and Resilience: Hi-Five and The Phoenix Fridas
In this episode, we kick things off with Treston Irby and Billy Covington of the iconic platinum-selling R&B group Hi-Five. They reflect on the group’s legacy, share behind-the-scenes stories from their chart-topping days, and talk about keeping the soulful sound of the ’90s alive for new generations. Later, we turn our attention to one of … Continued
On this powerful edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with educator, musician, and cultural worker Dani Cornejo of the group Debajito to unpack the urgency of resistance, the attack on Ethnic Studies, and the healing role of rhythm. With war, genocide, and repression defining the global moment, Cornejo delivers a timely call to action from … Continued
Divine and Kamel Bell on Hip Hop, AI, and Building Power from the Ground Up
Hard Knock Radio previews the SF Hip Hop Summit with a conversation on Notes, culture, and the tech frontier On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with Notes co-founder Divine and Ankh Marketing’s Kamel Jacot-Bell to preview the San Francisco Hip Hop Summit and discuss the bold new intersections between culture, artificial intelligence, and … Continued
On today’s episode of Hard Knock Radio, we bring you two powerful segments rooted in resistance, liberation, and visionary organizing. We begin with Part 2 of Build and Fight Formula – Episode 5, hosted by Cooperation Jackson’s Kali Akuno and journalist Thandisizwe Chimurenga. They continue their deep-dive conversation with Blair Evans of Insight Focus, exploring how digital fabrication tools—like 3D printers and … Continued
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon amd Build and Fight #5
On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for a timely and urgent conversation about the devastating implications of the recently passed federal spending bill”dubbed by critics as the Big Ugly Bill. Representing Californias newly redrawn 12th Congressional District, Simon pulls no punches in breaking down what … Continued
On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with author, artist, and anthropologist Dr. Umi Vaughan to discuss his new book Silencing the Drum: Religious Racism and Afro-Brazilian Sacred Music, co-authored with historian Dr. Danielle Boaz. The conversation delves deep into the persecution of Afro-Brazilian religious practices and the ongoing war … Continued
On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D checks back in with journalist James Farr on the six-month anniversary of the devastating Eaton Fire that ravaged Altadena, California. The conversation opens with sharp criticism of the Biden administration’s militarized show of force at MacArthur Park—a move seen by many as a cruel distraction … Continued
On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with Dr. Noha Aboelata, founder and CEO of Roots Community Health Center, to unpack the devastating impact of a new federal law—ironically dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill”—signed on July 4. The legislation, which slashes Medicaid funding and imposes work requirements on recipients, represents … Continued
On this July 8th edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D speaks with veteran anti-fascist organizer Daryle Lamont Jenkins of One People’s Project about the dangerous political landscape unfolding in the U.S. The conversation centers on the passage of the “big ugly bill,” a federal spending package that gives more funding to ICE than … Continued