Marcus Chapman audio interview with HipHopRuckus.Com

Dangervision interviews Marcus Chapman (Author of ‘Sex,Time & Radio) [Audio] HipHopRuckus.Com

"History, Jealousy, Hook-Ups & Celebrity" a Talk with Controversial "Sex Time And Radio" author Marcus Chapman

This interview was conducted in April 2011 for the website aBlog4Guys.com:

Q: Hey Marcus, thanks so much for doing this interview with me, I just finished reading your book, and I enjoyed it immensely. After years of being on the radio, what made you want to sit down, write this book, and give your fans an inside look at your life?

A: Well first off, I wouldn’t use the term “fans” at all.  To me, that’s for singers, rappers, bands, actors & other people on the higher end of the entertainment industry, not radio people.  Anybody in radio who looks at listeners as fans is fooling themselves because even if they like you, your “fans” will be checking out the next person if you leave the station, so you can’t get caught up in the hype. Now in my case, the next person probably ain’t nowhere near as good as me, but that’s another story! (laughing)  

   As far as the book goes, I wrote it because I wanted to document not only my own life, but also what took place in the radio industry during the ‘90s & early 2000s. I wanted to show what it was like to really be that person who was working behind the microphone, and everything that went along with living that lifestyle.  That meant the music, the clubs, the concerts, the meetings, the women, the stress, the disappointments, and all the changes that happened leading up to today’s environment. It was actually supposed to be a movie script, not a book.  But now that the book’s been written, it’s one step closer to becoming a film.

Q: Sex Time And Radio, or STAR, is quite a title, when it was first emailed to me, the title immediately grabbed my attention.  How did you first come up with that title?

A: I came up with the title back around 2002, but I really don’t remember how or where I got it from. I think certain things in life just don’t have any explanation; they just are.  I can explain the significance of the title.  How I came up with it is a different story. I knew it was hot though, and that the “S.T.A.R.” acronym would give me a good marketing angle too.

Q: When you were a young child, was it always your dream to one day be on the radio and to be an entertainer, or did you dream of pursuing a totally different career path?

A: No, radio was never a “dream” of mine, but writing the book gave me a chance to look back and figure out how and why I got into it.  That’s what Part 1 of the book is about. It’s called “Blueprint of a Radio Star”.  The idea was to explore what kind of real life experiences a person could have that would lead them down that path.  I used my own life to show what those experiences might be, but anyone who’s gone into radio had to have something that led them in that direction.  What makes it good though is that I wasn’t just exploring what would make a radio personality; I was exploring what makes a radio star, and that’s a whole other level.  Like its one thing to be a basketball player, it’s another thing to be on the level of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant; people who are not only talented, but have the drive to be the best and be champions.  That was always my attitude towards what I was doing, but I wanted to dig deeper into what made that attitude in the first place. Plus you can’t be a personality without being a person, and those early life experiences were crucial in creating that attitude.

Q: Who were some of your early radio/entertainer idols?  Did you look up to any personality?

A: I didn’t look up to anybody on the radio, but I was definitely influenced by certain shows I heard.  I grew up in Chicago during the House Music era of the ‘80s, so I listened to a lot of mixes that aired on the different stations.  My favorite was a show called “Disco Madness” on WHPK with a DJ named Lee Collins.  That was back in like ’85-’86, but to this day it’s still my favorite radio show of all-time; musically speaking. I was also into the rap shows on WHPK that I started checking out in ’86. I documented the whole Chicago House scene in a chapter called “House Party”, and the hip-hop scene of the time in a chapter called “The Cool Scholar of New York”.  I don’t think anyone has ever written a better piece about growing up during that era of hip-hop, and I know nobody’s written a better one about the house scene.  The first-hand knowledge of the music & culture from those two chapters alone make the book worth owning.

Q: What was the feeling you got when you landed the job at Chicago's number one radio station and being the youngest employee there at the time?

A: Well I didn’t really “land the job” so to speak.  There was a whole series of events that took place during the summer of ’95 that eventually led to me working at the station. Matter of fact, I wasn’t even an actual employee of the station when I first worked there, and before that I was just showing up every night as if I was employed when I really wasn’t.  The whole process of how I made the transition from college graduate to working at a major station is covered in a chapter called “The 20 Dollar Challenge”.  It’s the first one in Part 3 of the book, which is called “The Cult of Personality”.  Actually there was so much happening at the same time in that last half of 1995 and early ’96 that it took several chapters to cover the era properly.  “Telephone Luv”, “The Name Game”, “Meet You at the Party”; all of those are about different aspects of that era, and all of the events were happening at the exact same time.  Before I started writing I had to really figure out what was going to go in what chapter so the story would flow well without jumping all over the place.  It was a pretty exciting time with a lot of exciting people to say the least.      

Q: Were all of your friends jealous that you got such a cool job at a radio station?

A: Good question; and that’s actually dealt with in the chapter I just mentioned; “Meet You at the Party”.  Most people who knew me at the time were pretty excited by the idea of knowing somebody at the station; even though I was only being heard in the background from time to time.  But for some people it was difficult to deal with because I was taking the attention away from them, without even trying to do so.  It all revolved around women, or the perception that I was gonna get more women than they were.  The reactions I got from others, and the results of how I chose to deal with it, make that a pivotal part in the whole Sex Time And Radio story.

Q: Did any of your friends/family members expect you to give them free CDs or concert tickets since you worked at the radio station?

A: If they did it was never brought to my attention.  The whole thing with that is I never tried to win people over by posing as “the hook up man”.  Some people think you automatically have access to free stuff when you work in radio, but a lot of times it’s not all that easy just to get things for yourself, let alone trying to get stuff for other people.  The promotions department handles all the prizes, not the people who work in the studio, and getting stuff from promotions can sometimes be a challenge.  CDs were a little easier because we could get them from the music director, but concert tickets?  Man, please! They had forms you had to fill out and limits to how many requests you could put in over a certain time period.  I wasn’t about to do all that shit just to be “hooking people up”.  Besides, I didn’t go into radio to give my friends & family freebies.  I wasn’t even thinking like that because that wasn’t the point of me being there.

Q: When you were out in the clubs, it must have been a pretty good pick up line to tell the girls that you worked at Chicago's number one radio station?  Did it get you laid a lot?

A: Pick up line? Man I would’ve NEVER said that to a woman. That’s lame as hell! (laughing)  First off, I was getting laid before I worked in Chicago radio, so I had already developed communication skills to get me there with girls.  Working at the station gave me the opportunity to get in more places, which led to me getting more chances to meet more girls.  My serious clubbing days started right around that same time, and the techniques I developed to meet women at parties is documented in that same chapter I spoke about earlier; “Meet You at the Party”.  It was really interesting to think back to that era, and all the different things I did & didn’t do at the clubs I went to.  Working at the station was certainly a plus, but I didn’t, and couldn’t, lean on that anyway because nobody knew who I was at the time.  Once my name started to get out there more, I still didn’t walk up to women telling them where I worked or who I was.  I’d ask them for their name and then tell them mine, but I let them figure out I was the guy from the radio station.  By doing it that way I didn’t come off like I was trying to be noticed, which is a turn off to a lot of women.  I was way smarter than that. Being too obvious makes you look like a corny lame.

Q: Please describe the feeling on your first day as an on-air personality?  Were you nervous?

A: Ha! That’s the great thing about this book.  I knew these were the types of things a lot of people wanted to know, so I wrote about them. The exact feelings I went through and thoughts I had during that first show are documented in the book too.  That’s covered in a chapter called “A Shot at the Title”.  I take you through the whole process of how the night unfolded, and it has an interesting plot twist to it.  Without giving it away, I’ll just say that Michael Jordan and the 1996 Chicago Bulls played a big role in what happened.  Matter of fact, you can actually hear the show I did that night on the audio page of my website, http://mcmarcuschapman.com  or  http://sextimeandradio.com  You can listen or download the audio for free.

Q: Were you able to sleep the night before?

A: Yeah.  I didn’t even know I was going on the air that night until a few hours earlier, so sleep wasn’t a factor.  Exactly why I didn’t know is another plot twist in the story.

Q: What was your favorite moment as a radio personality?

A: It’s hard to pick one moment, but I’d say the combination of hosting a hot show on the air then going to host the hottest club in the city every Saturday night in 1999 was easily the most fun I ever had; especially when I was on stage.  There were four personalities from the station hosting the same party, and at times all four of us were on stage together.  I was watching a lot of old concert footage of different bands from the ‘70s then, and hosting the club was like my version of being in a rock band. I was like the black David Lee Roth or Robert Plant!  Sometimes I was on stage by myself hyping the crowd up on the mic, and sneaking off with chicks to other parts of the club people didn’t even know existed! All that stuff is covered in the chapter “Livin’ Like a Rock Star (And the Legend of the 3^rd Floor)” and another one called “Balance”.  I take you right there with me through all those adventures so you can feel what it was like to be there.  That’s also where the best stories came from that sparked the whole Sex Time And Radio concept.  Broadcasting live from the “Up in Smoke Tour” that Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Cube, and a bunch of other West Coast rap stars did in 2000 was a huge highlight too.  I also hosted the after party for it.  I was in Indianapolis by then.  That’s in the book too.   

Q: What was the worst moment as a radio personality?

A: Well again, it’s hard to pick out one.  I wish one was all I had (laughing).  Trust me, there were a lot of them that could qualify for “worst moment”, but that’s a big part of the whole Sex Time And Radio experience; and the experience of being in radio period.  People think it’s just a bunch of fun & games & glamour, but radio has crushed a lot of spirits man; A LOT of ‘em.  By the time you finish reading the book you’ll feel how much of a rollercoaster ride it can be and how easy it is to fall off and break your neck at full speed if you’re not careful; or get pushed off by the industry.

Q: Do you have any regrets?

A: That I was never heard consistently during the week in Chicago.  I was on everyday in Indianapolis & Dallas, and I was kicking ass.  There’s a certain rhythm you get into when you’re on the radio everyday.  When I got in my rhythm I was steamrolling cats like Jordan in his prime; nobody on the air could touch me.  Unfortunately listeners in my hometown never got to hear me on that kind of a roll because I was just doing weekends and “guest starring” for other people on their shows.  The whole city would’ve been much better off if I’d been on everyday.  Not just me, not just the station, but the whole city because I would’ve used my position to have a positive impact beyond just being the shit on the air or hosting parties.    

Q: Who is the worst person that you've ever interviewed?  Why?

A: I get asked that a lot, and the answer is nobody.  Interviews were never the focus of my shows, but when I had them the artists were usually courteous and happy to be on.  Some were better than others, but none of them were bad.  I did have a couple of not-so-great run-ins with artists, but they weren’t during interviews, and they were from some pretty surprising sources.  Those stories are documented in the book too.

Q: What was the number one perk about working at Chicago's number one radio station?

A: In the ‘90s I guess it was getting into clubs for free or occasionally getting free music; which would’ve been the same for the other cities I worked in.  But I hate the word “perk” because it makes it seem like those things were automatic because of the job, and trust me, that was not the case.  A lot of that stuff had to be earned, and it changed during the 2000s anyway.  It’s to a point now where I see cats complaining on Twitter about being shut out of clubs even though they’re on the radio.  I went through it too sometimes, and I wrote about it too.  The respect level just isn’t the same as it once was in a lot of cities, so the so-called “perks” can be hit or miss depending on the situation.     

Q: After getting your on-air position, it must have been fun to walk around the streets of Chicago as a quote unquote celebrity?

A: Man, please. That wasn’t automatic either, and I never really had that attitude.  Being on the radio is being in the spotlight, but it isn’t on the level of being in movies, on TV, or a pro athlete.  You can only be a celebrity to people who see you that way, so even if you’re doing really well, you can’t assume folks know who you are or will treat you like a star.  I wasn’t even on during primetime hours when I first got on, so most of the city didn’t know me at first.  There were some who saw me as a star because they listened to my show and actually heard how entertaining I was; then there were others who had never heard of me and could care less.  There were times when I got dissed out in public simply because of the time I was on.  Then once I got real good and got on in primetime I got treated a lot better.  I’ve experienced both ends of it, so I know the ups & downs.

Q: Do you have any favorite female listener moments?

A: Oh hell yeah.  There are several I can think of that happened in 1999 because those women & those events were so memorable, but really they’re throughout various points in the book.  Read it yourself and see if you can pick one! (laughing)  I’m thankful I met all of those women.  I’m still friends with some of them and would enjoy talking to the ones I lost contact with.  It would be cool to see how they’re doing now.

Q: What's the craziest/most shocking thing a listener has ever said to you?

A: Oh that’s easy.  A chick in Dallas called and said she masturbated while listening to me every night.  That’s in the “Subliminal Sedu’sa” chapter.  You want crazy, shocking sex stories?  That’s the chapter right there; or at least one of them.

Q: Was writing Sex Time And Radio one of the hardest projects you've ever undertaken?

A: It was THE hardest project because it was like re-living everything again, but it’s also the most gratifying because of the results.

Q: The book is divided into five different parts, what made you decide to structure the book in this fashion?

A: It’s structured that way due to the events and changes that took place.  Part 1 “Blueprint of a Radio Star” is the path that led to being in radio; as well as the path to being “that dude” sexually.  Part 2 “Rebel Music of a Sex Machine” deals with getting into college radio and the music & events that shaped my attitude.  Part 3 “The Cult of Personality” takes you inside life at Chicago’s top station in the ‘90s.  Part 4 “Road Warrior on the Industry Map” shows you what it’s like to work in professional radio away from your hometown; which is the scenario for many air personalities.  The 5^th and final part “Communication Breakdown” takes you through the decline of the radio industry in the first decade of the 2000s.  

Q: What was your favorite part in the book to write?  Why?

A: Part 3.  The fun to drama ratio was much better during those years.  I grew from being an assistant working the phones to the hottest air talent in town.  That 1995-1999 period means as much to me as college does for a lot of people.

Q: Do you regret writing about any of the topics in your book?

A: No I don’t. The experiences are authentic and they achieve the goal I was going for, which is for the reader to feel what it’s like to live that lifestyle.  I do feel a little awkward telling older people about it due to some of the topics and language, but it’s no different from listening to Richard Pryor & Rudy Ray Moore in the ‘70s, and the whole thing serves a good purpose overall.

Q: Has there been any backlash from any person about some of the candid material in your book?

A: Not yet, but I’m sure some will be coming sooner or later (laughing). The feedback from readers has been good overall because it’s a damn good book! The customer ratings on Amazon prove that.  I’ll put it up against anything else that’s out there competing for your entertainment dollar.

Q: What do you want your readers to come away with after reading your book, Sex Time And Radio?

A: There are a lot of things people will come away with after reading it.  I present solutions and different ways of thinking about the HIV & AIDS situation; better understandings of how music is chosen & programmed on radio stations; insight into the mind & soul of a man in the spotlight dealing with women; the roots of the male sex drive; all kinds of stuff.  Music history, radio, sex, different aspects of Sex Time And Radio will appeal to different people depending on what they find the most interesting.  

Q: What are some of your upcoming/future projects?

A: The #1 project right now is the re-release of Sex Time And Radio as a series of books instead of just one.  The ebook version has done very well; in fact, we hit #1 in the soul music category on Amazon.com twice during the month of March.  Re-releasing it as a series through a different company will give us better distribution for the paperback edition.  It’ll be easier and more cost effective for stores to order it, which in turn will lead to more readers and me doing book signing events. We’ll also have S.T.A.R. merchandise for purchase at those events, so it’s all about to get a lot bigger.

Q: And finally, where can my readers follow you and your new ventures?

A: I’m not hard to find at all.  I’m on both Facebook and Twitter @mcmarcuschapman.  I’m on facebook a little more because I have way more people on my page there, but I try to do some tweeting too.  I can also be reached through my site, http://mcmarcuschapman.com or http://sextimeandradio.com  The site has the audio page, which is like the soundtrack to the book.  It includes clips from various shows I did over the years, as well as interviews with people like Keyshia Cole, Rick Ross, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, Ice Cube, Nas, and other folks.  There’s a video page that has footage from inside the studio, links to nearly 1,000 great pics that relate to the contents of the book, and a page with other interviews I did to promote Sex Time And Radio.

Thanks, Marcus, so much for doing this interview with me for my site aBlog4Guys.com, I'm sure my readers will love this interview and your book.

Thank you too for having me on your site.