Sounds from the Underground is a podcast from the Hip Hop veterans at Insomniac Magazine that delves into music, culture and marketing. Producer and host Iz-Real's time in media spans over two decades. Of Puerto Rican descent, he was born and raised in New York City's borough of The Bronx. His foray into the industry began as an inner-city youth during the golden era of the Hip Hop culture when he signed his first record deal at a teenager. Although the record deal turned out to be uneventful, it helped him refocused his efforts behind the scenes. In 1993, after a few years of moving to central Florida, he started one of the first all Hip Hop radio shows in the area. For nearly a decade, he produced a program that focused on both helping to break new artists in the market (many of whom would become iconic figures) and sharing insight into the culture of Hip Hop. During this time, he also began writing about music for various publications, including serving as a Hip Hop columnist for (at the time) the country's oldest urban music industry magazine Jack The Rapper. In 1996, he launched Insomniac Magazine, which enjoyed nearly a decade in print and continues its legacy of covering new Hip Hop online after 23 years.
As a journalist and radio host, he's covered many prominent entertainment and media industry professionals, including multi-platinum artists, executives and icons. He has interviewed a variety of intriguing figures, from marketing guru Seth Godin to cult film director Lloyd Kaufman. However, his biggest focus has been in the realm of music industry interviews. From classic groups such as Slayer and Run DMC; to new millennium multi-Platinum heavyweights such Lil Wayne, Cash Money Records' founders, and Nelly; from Julian Lennon to gangster rapper turned Hollywood mogul Ice Cube, he's interviewed a true "who's who" in the business. He's also conducted in-depth discussions with execs from various record labels and tech entities, including Pandora, SoundCloud, TuneCore, ReverbNation, Napster, and others. He has produced releases featuring multiple artists, including Hip Hop legend Kool Keith. His projects have been featured in Rolling Stone, Spin, Remix, AP, Vibe, and other major magazines. He's directed two music documentaries and has appeared in music business books published by Billboard Books, entitled "Start and Run Your Own Record Label" and "I Don't Need a Record Deal!." He has appeared as an on-air guest on terrestrial radio stations around the country and on satellite radio.