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.
On this Hard Knock Radio episode, host Davey D speaks with G1 (Gonzalo) of Rebel Diaz about Chicago’s escalating ICE raids and the broader drift toward authoritarianism. G1 describes the city as “under siege,” arguing that far-right and white-nationalist elements have been actively recruited into ICE and CBP. He details raids where families are zip-tied, … Continued
On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with award-winning tech journalist Karen Hao to unpack her book Empires of AI—a sweeping critique of how today’s AI boom concentrates power while eroding public agency. Hao traces OpenAI’s arc from a purportedly altruistic nonprofit to a profit-driven juggernaut shaped by the egos and ambitions of its founders. She … Continued
Davey D opens by clocking a surge of disinformation that treats facts and political education as disposable—amplified by anonymous influencers and even AI personas attacking iconic figures like Assata Shakur and the Panthers. Akuno traces this back to well-funded, right-wing astroturfing that targeted Black and Latino audiences—citing ADOS/FBA as examples—and leveraged platform algorithms that trap … Continued
On Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with award-winning tech journalist Karen Hao to unpack her book Empires of AI—a sweeping critique of how today’s AI boom concentrates power while eroding public agency. Hao traces OpenAI’s arc from a purportedly altruistic nonprofit to a profit-driven juggernaut shaped by the egos and ambitions of its … Continued
On this Hard Knock Radio episode, Davey D opens with “Ancestors” by guest Miko Marks, framing her long road to wider recognition as audiences rediscover Southern Soul, Americana, and country through mainstream moments—from Beyoncé’s country pivot to Ryan Coogler’s recent work. Marks traces her journey from a 2005 traditional country debut to an expansive roots … Continued
Today on Hard Knock Radio, we’re reflecting on that legacy and the new book The Memoirs of Robert and Mabel Williams: African American Freedom, Armed Resistance, and International Solidarity. This collection is not just history — it’s a blueprint, urgent and relevant in today’s political climate. And to help us bring this story to life, … Continued
Jeff Chang joins Hard Knock Radio to break down his new book, Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America. We start with a truth many of us in Black and Hip-Hop communities feel instinctively: Bruce isn’t just “an Asian hero,” he’s a global underdog icon—postered up next to Ali and Marley, sampled and name-checked … Continued
Leonard Peltier joins Hard Knock Radio from house arrest on Turtle Mountain, grateful to be home yet blunt about the political moment. He warns of rising fascism, culture-war censorship, and the real danger of global conflict, arguing that only broad, cross-racial unity can blunt the slide. While skeptical of both parties, he urges strategic voting … Continued
When the streets of Portland lit up between 2016 and 2020, the world saw nightly battles between protesters, far-right groups, and federal officers. But for longtime organizer and writer Luis Enrique Marquez, those years were less about spectacle and more about community defense. His new book, Anti-Fascist: A Memoir of the Portland Uprising, documents the lessons, contradictions, and … Continued
