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 today’s show, we turn our attention to Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels. The United Nations has declared a stage 5 famine, and leading human rights organizations, along with genocide scholars, have nearly unanimously recognized Israel’s assault on Palestinians as genocide. Here in California, state lawmakers are advancing AB 715 — … Continued
On this edition ofHard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down withKamauFranklin”organizer, lawyer, and co-editor ofNo Cop City, No Cop World: Lessons from the Movement”for a deep and revealing conversation about the grassroots struggle in Atlanta and what it means for movements across the country. Franklin lays out the origins of the Stop Cop City … Continued
On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, Kalonji Changa speaks with veteran Black Panther and longtime New York politician Charles Barron. The conversation digs deep into the failures of the Black political establishment, the dangers of transactional politics, and the need for progressive candidates to engage meaningfully with Black communities. With more than two decades … Continued
Remembering the Unofficial Mayor of Oakland In a heartfelt tribute, Hard Knock Radio host Davey D sat down with renowned producer and former Tony! Toni! Ton! band member Mike D to honor the late Dwayne Wiggins”musician, mentor, and cultural anchor. Described as the unofficial mayor of Oakland, Wiggins left a deep imprint on the local … Continued
Wu-Tang’s Mathematics Breaks It Down: From DJing to Drum Patterns to the Black Mind Unchained In this lively and in-depth Hard Knock Radio conversation, host Davey D sits down with DJ and producer Allah Mathematics of the Wu-Tang Clan to discuss legacy, innovation, and the discipline behind his latest solo album Black Sampson and the Bastard Swordsman. From Southside Queens to Wu-Tang Lore Mathematics traces … Continued
Fighting Back Against Censorship On this episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with Emerson Sykes, senior staff attorney at the ACLU, to unpack the growing wave of book bans and attacks on free speech sweeping across the U.S. The conversation spotlights the federal governments removal of nearly 600 books”includingCant Stop Wont … Continued
On this Composer, pianist, and vocalist Samora Pinderhughes tells us about The Healing Project. The Healing Project, a fundamentally abolitionist project, explores the structures of systemic racism and the prison industrial complex. The Healing Project takes action towards abolition with forms such as musical songs, films, an exhibition, community gatherings, live performances, and a digital … Continued
On a recent episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with longtime political and revolutionary organizer Kalonji Changa for a powerful conversation on the meaning and purpose of Black August. Changa made it clear from the outset: Black August is not a time for celebration. It is a time for deep reflection, resistance, and … Continued
On a recent episode of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sat down with Ryan Nicole—a Grammy-nominated musician, educator, playwright, and community advocate—whose work seamlessly blends art and activism. The wide-ranging conversation delved into Oakland’s housing crisis, media narratives targeting Black and Brown cities, and her groundbreaking creative projects, including her new EP Yours Truly and the acclaimed … Continued
In a powerful and far-ranging conversation on Hard Knock Radio, we caught up with educator, activist, and emcee Ras Ceylon to reflect on the deep meaning of Black August, the cultural resistance embedded in his new album Jacket Full of Medals, and the global fight for liberation. Black August Is Not a Party—It’s a Practice Opening the segment with “Go … Continued
