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He’s built for the stage, obsessed with style, and still chasing that feeling hip hop gave him the first time he saw Run DMC. We sit down with Sunny Black, a Paterson, New Jersey rapper now active in the Virginia hip hop scene, and get the kind of story you only hear from someone who’s lived multiple eras of the culture. From cardboard breakdancing at home to sharpening his pen around the golden era sound, Sonny explains how the roots shaped his voice, presence, and the way he moves through music.

We get into the artists and mentors that set the bar, including KRS-One, plus the legends he’s shared stages with. Sunny also breaks down the origin of his name, why he values craft over clout, and how he stays independent by doing the footwork himself. If you care about lyrical hip hop, performance mindset, and what it takes to build a real local following, there’s a lot here to steal for your own path.

Then we zoom out to the modern rap game: why change is inevitable, what worries him about violence-as-content, and how AI in music could reshape everything from production to creativity. He also shares why he keeps his music clean while still delivering hardcore energy, which lets him perform anywhere and turn every set into a show, roses included.

Tap in, stream Sunny Black’s music, and let us know what you think about where hip hop is headed. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the conversation.

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What if the rhythm that shaped your childhood could also guide your future? We sit down with Miami-born, Cuban American artist and photographer Ashie Kaon to trace a bold journey from Little Havana to Virginia Beach—through Chicago snow, COVID pivots, and a creative awakening that turned fear into fuel. Ashie brings the sound of la clave, the stories of exile, and a grounded philosophy of faith and balance to a conversation about identity, trauma, and the power of local art communities.

Ashie opens up about growing up in Miami’s saturated color and music, where Celia Cruz and Willie Chirino score family histories marked by loss and grit. She unpacks how generational trauma shapes political stances in Latino communities, why labels like socialist and communist often blur under fear, and how stepping back from the outrage cycle helped her find clarity in spirituality. Influenced by Catholic roots and Yoruba traditions, and sparked by Alan Watts’ ideas on duality, she reframed belief through the lens of photography: there’s no image without light.

We also dig into her creative evolution—darkroom beginnings, graphic design studies, and the moment art became a voice after a rough childhood. In Virginia Beach, Ashie envisions murals beyond a single district, a city where artists, teachers, and photographers lift each other and color every block. She shares how strategic networking led to roles with the Virginia Beach Public Arts Committee and the MoCA advisory group, and why telling fuller histories—including the often-overlooked support from the Ladies of Havana—matters. Grounded in service, she champions veteran support and honest talk about PTSD, connecting healing at home with healing in the arts.

This is a story about rhythm, resilience, and community. Hit play to explore Cuban heritage, diaspora music, philosophy, and the blueprint for growing an inclusive arts scene in Hampton Roads. If the conversation moves you, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend who loves art with heart.

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Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely

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Fascia tells the truth your words skip. We sit down with SB Cuts—fasciologist, integrative wellness coach, and founder of Fascia Fusion Wellness—to map how trauma, surgery, and everyday stress shape the body’s connective web and how hands-on work can help you rewrite that story. From 18 years of gymnastics to 27 surgeries and a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, SB brings rare clarity to hypermobility, scar tissue, and why pain so often echoes through old injuries.

We unpack fascia in plain language and then go deeper: neurosomatics to move fear through the nervous system, fascia remodeling to give the body a new baseline, and her Nine Realms of Wellness to replace quick fixes with whole-human change. SB shares how becoming a mother sparked a shift toward conscious parenting—trading dominance for safety, teaching kids to name feelings, and inviting men to show softness without losing strength. If you’ve ever wondered why your back hurts when your heart is heavy, or why patterns repeat even after talk therapy, this conversation brings the missing links.

Beyond the clinic, we challenge the culture that profits from fear and desensitization. SB makes a case for inputs as nutrition—media, food, relationships—and for using technology, including AI, to scale empathy instead of greed. You’ll also hear about the Fulcrum alliance: monthly cross-disciplinary panels on chronic pain and trauma, a Trauma Anonymous hotline that connects people to vetted healers, and retreats designed to settle the nervous system. Practical takeaways span infant massage for colic and cranial nerve activation, hydration and stretching for healthier fascia, and a step-by-step path to set goals across physical, emotional, financial, and environmental wellness.

If the body keeps the score, this episode hands you the playbook to change it—gently, honestly, and together. Subscribe now, share this with someone who needs a safer way to heal, and leave a review to help more people find whole-body, whole-heart care.

Support the show

Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely

Reach out to us on our socials and hit us up with any questions!

Email: Info@listenup.biz
Instagram: ListenUp4U
Facebook: Let's Talk About It - Listen Up
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Website: listenup.biz

YouTube: Listen Up with Host Al Neely