Below Tha Surface

Below the Surface Podcast

The Blueprint of Midwest Culture, Undiluted and Underground.

Before the algorithms and the streaming platforms, there was public access. Below the Surface Podcast is the direct evolution of The 411: Your Underground Connection, which originally hit the airwaves on Public Access Channel 16 in East Chicago, Indiana. Born from the raw, community-driven era of cable access television, the platform has spent decades documenting the architects of Midwest street and electronic music culture.

Now operating as a fully independent media network and LLC, Below the Surface continues its original mission: digging beneath the mainstream noise to preserve the true history of regional hip-hop, house music, and DJ culture. Through deep-dive artist interviews, vinyl archaeology, and unfiltered commentary, the podcast serves as a living archive for the innovators, the record collectors, and the independent collectives who built the Midwest sound from the ground up.

From Channel 16 to the digital landscape, we don't just cover the culture—we are a part of its lineage.

Episodes

From the Archives: Ric Jilla Live on Weed FM 90.5

Take a trip back into the vault of Northwest Indiana’s underground hip-hop history. This is the raw, unedited interview with Hammond’s own Ric Jilla, recorded live on East Chicago’s legendary pirate station, Weed FM 90.5.Be...

June 27, 2026 • Season 8 • Episode 7 • 1:19:58

DJ Javi Jav is a member, producer, and arranger for the Midwest hip-hop/breakbeat group 4-X-Sample

He was responsible for writing, producing, and arranging several of the group's classic 12" vinyl releases on Livin Large Records: "Time Bomb" (1990): Arranged by DJ Javi Jav, featuring production by Kaoss-1. ...

June 27, 2026 • Season 8 • Episode 6 • 58:52

From the Streets to the Strains with Ponyboy of Los Marijuanos & Flavor Chasers

This week, DJ Rick Rock goes completely below tha surface with the godfather of Midwest Spanglish cannabis culture, Ponyboy of the legendary Los Marijuanos. We’re breaking down the history from the 312 to the West Coast, surviving the indepe...

June 22, 2026 • Season 8 • Episode 5 • 36:48