Juan Epstein, My Favorite Jewish Puerto Rican
I saw the title of the latest Juan Epstein Podcast pop up on the Iphone app and right there that “say it ain’t so” thought creeped in my head. The title was “Good Evening and Good Night:the future of Juan Epstein. Then One half of the dynamic duo that is Juan Epstein, Peter Rosenberg started posting on Instagram some nostalgic video of himself and the Juan, Cypha Sounds. The nail in the coffin was when Rosenberg posted a copy of a post by the great ?uestlove on Juan Epstein’s impact on the culture and himself. It is the end of an era. This podcast was not just a Hip Hop podcast it was THE Hip Hop podcast. It gave an outlet to the 90’s kids that “didn’t listen to that commercial shit on the radio”, the back packers, the fatbeats heads. So we, I mean “they” missed out on great interviews and Hip Hop moments with Angie Martinez, Ed Lover, and countless other great radio dj’s. but Juan Ep created the long-form-let-me-explain-my-life interview. Juan Epstein was ours at first. It was niche (seems like everything is niche nowadays). The dynamic of Cypha Sounds and at times over anxious Peter Rosenberg created a diamond in the rough that industry heads and purists loved alike.
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I will never forget the time I met Peter Rosenberg and I treated him like a Beetle. Like he was McCartney or Lennon. It was at SOB’s for Reakwon’s album release party for “Only Built For Cuban Linx Part 2”. Rosenberg was hosting and I told myself I have to introduce myself. My late friend Kareem used to always talk me up on getting through crowds so I was ready. Rosenberg walked off stage and let Rea do his thing. Eventually I got to Rosenberg, shared a blunt with him and then he got lost in the shuffle and continued to host the show. Wow, what memories. I told him how much of a fan I was of Juan Epstein and I remember thanking him. Other memories from that night include me offering Reakwon the Chef a McChicken from the McDonalds across the street after the show. He declined and I heard something about Reakwon being a pescetarian. Anyway, Peter Rosenberg was one of my favorite people in hip hop at the time because he was a backpacker (admit it) but still kept his ear to the mainstream stuff for his job (Morning show at the famous hot 97).
Cypha Don’t get Gassed!!!! I grew up on that shit. Cypha Sounds used to replay that Funk Master Flex drop over a song 4 thousand times (just like Flex used to replay the Letterman monologue joke “hard to get a ticket to Funk Master Flex Night” over and over). Cypha was on hot 97 for as long as I can remember and I was a fan because I thought when I was a kid he was somehow connected to Biggie. when I grew up a little and I found out that he was Lil Kims Dj on tour, it all made sense. I never met him but he was also a great dj that always made me turn up hot 97.
What set me over the edge was when I heard Rosenberg on ESPN radio with Michael Kay and when I saw Cyph DJing on the Chappelle Show. both those moments made me feel that anything either one of these guys touches will turn into gold. but sadly where they began is but a relic in their busy lives. I have not heard the latest podcast yet and i’m hoping they are taking some time off but I do understand if it is over. In a way, you guys changed my life. you guys changed all of our Hip Hop lives. Juan Epstein allowed us to laugh and get drunk with Drink Champs as much as they allowed us to get nerdy with Rap Radar. They are the originators and they should be treated and respected as such. From it’s inception, I was so proud to be an avid listener of classic Hip Hop stories that have become classics themselves. Juan Epstein is a covenant of the best Hip Hop has conceived. Thank you Cypha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg, if you ever read this, for allowing ME to listen to such incredible jewels that no publication, podcast or any other medium can recreate ever.
