Fresh off an invigorating Coachella set featuring guest appearances from Piya Malik, and Freddie Gibbs — Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) stops by KCRW to sling some tunes. The lowkey mogul behind Big Crown Records, producer for artists like Lady Wray, and crafter of his own layered soul compositions, opens up about the songs that have shaped his tastes over the years. From the Sister Nancy classic “Bam Bam” that debuted the year he was born, to one of his faves from “the homies” Brainstory (mainstays of the Big Crown stable of artists).
The rest of the set is similarly El Michels Affair informed — cuts from his collab with Dan Auerbach, The Arcs, his new album with Black Thought, Glorious Game, and even deeper catalog work from Menahan Street Band are all in play. Plus, we connect the dots with a couple of tracks sampling Lou Reed’s legendary “Walk On The Wild Side.”