With the world in its current state, it’s hard to remain positive. But to survive, we have to continue to find the beauty however we can and be inspired by the good. Our guest today, Dan Ubick, is not only an extraordinarily talented musician, but he is also a shining light in these dark times. As a producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Dan grew up with music. His father was a jazz bassist, and his mom listened to the Beatles and classical music while designing jewelry. Dan’s sister introduced him to hip hop, and the rest is history. With an impressive discography, Dan has worked with everyone from De La Soul to Big Daddy Kane to Method Man. In this episode, we talk about Dan’s incredible musical journey.

As someone who values friendships and connections, they have always opened up great opportunities for him. We also do a deep dive into the world of hip hop, and Dan and host Sourdough share their experiences of discovering the genre and the impact that it had on them. Listening to hip hop was a formative experience for both of them. They learned about new worlds and issues they'd not been exposed to before. They also discuss how the foundation of hip hop is being diluted, which they attribute to the kind of capitalist society we live in. It has become about growing wealth at whatever cost, rather than remaining true to a message. Dan and Sourdough extend this discussion by touching on politics and the harsh capitalist message being spread today. The world is growing increasingly unkind to many, while a select few benefit disproportionately. Along with this, we also talk about the importance of acknowledging those who came before you, why creating with integrity is more important than being famous, and the many activities that Dan is up to. We loved having Dan on the show, and we already can’t wait to have him back. Be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Man One and Sourdough are holding up during coronavirus.
• Find out what Dan’s typical week looks like as a multi-talented musician.
• Dan’s upbringing and his early formative musical influences from his dad and sister.
• The power of connection: How Dan got his musical start through friendships.
• Where Dan draws his inspiration from and why he gravitates to the music he does.
• How the music industry has changed and the difficulties musicians face making a living.
• Learn how often Dan looks for records and some of the DJ gigs he plays around LA.
• What Sourdough and Dan listen to on Apple Music and what they’re most excited about.
• Insights into Sourdough’s musical journey and how he discovered hip hop.
• Some of Dan’s earliest hip hop influences and how it opened up his musical world.
• The tension between influence and inspiration and outright stealing.
• Early hip hop’s influence on culture has been unprecedented.
• Why Dan feels like the message and purpose of hip hop is continually being diluted.
• It's so important to learn from those who came before you and understand history.
• Dan’s vision for 2020 and how he always remains as positive as he is.
• What Dan and Sourdough feel about Trump and the message that he’s propagating.
• The engine of capitalism is corrupting society at large as well as art.
• Even if you’re not feeling inspired, create anyway and something will still come of it.
• Why Dan likes to collaborate with others when creating music.