Welcome to FFNY's podcast, where we celebrate the trailblazers shaping NYC's culture—past, present, and future. We're diving into the stories of those creating the city's pulse, reflecting on the iconic '90s era we were lucky to witness, and exploring how New York remains the epicenter of inspiration for the next generation of creatives, night-lifers, and dreamers.
Friends From New York
Claim This Podcastby Friends From New York
5.0(2 reviews)
9 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Welcome to FFNY's podcast, where we celebrate the trailblazers shaping NYC's culture—past, present, and future. We're diving into the stories of those creating the city's pulse, reflecting on the iconic '90s era we were lucky to witness, and exploring how New York remains the epicenter of inspiration for the next generation of creatives, night-lifers, and dreamers.
Language
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Publishing Since
10/31/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 16, 2026
Scram Jones: From a Fisher-Price Turntable to Hot 97
<p>DJ and producer Scram Jones sits down with Heidi Hartwig of Friends From New York to trace his journey from break-dancing at a Pepsi picnic as a six-year-old to becoming one of New York's most respected selectors and beatmakers.Scram breaks down how he went from a Fisher Price turntable to spinning vinyl at Lower East Side open mics every Sunday, building his craft one basement cipher at a time. He talks about the moment he knew he was truly in the game — working with Havoc from Mobb Deep, landing a beat for Harlem battle rapper J Mills that got Flex dropping bombs on Hot 97, and nearly signing to EPMD's Death Squad straight out of college.Beyond the career highlights, this conversation gets real about burnout, what happens to creative output when your personal life gets toxic, and why relationships are the real currency in New York's music scene. Scram also shares his thoughts on where DJing is heading, his complicated feelings about AI in music production, and the experimental non-hip-hop music sitting on his hard drive waiting to be released.If you love authentic New York hip-hop history, honest conversations about the creative grind, and the culture that built the music we all love — this one is for you.</p>
June 1, 2026
DJ Evil Dee: Black Moon, Hot 97, and the NYC Mixtape Hustle
<p>DJ Evil Dee — founding member of Black Moon and one half of legendary production duo The Beatminerz — sits down with Heidi Hartwig to trace his journey from the block parties of Bushwick, Brooklyn to the airwaves of Hot 97 and beyond.</p><p><br></p><p>Evil Dee breaks down how he learned to DJ by sneaking into his older brother Mr. Walt's room, how a neighborhood joke became his iconic "Evil Dee is on the mix, come on kick it" drop, and how he built a underground mixtape empire — pressing hundreds of cassettes a night and placing them in every cab company in Bushwick before the internet existed.</p><p><br></p><p>He shares the full story of how Black Moon came together, how house music legend Gladys Pizarro helped them land their deal at Nervous Records, and how performing at the very first Hot 97 Summer Jam earned him a Monday night radio residency from 1994 to 1997. Plus, the moment Brandy walked into the wrong studio session and he broke her debut single on air.</p><p><br></p><p>Evil Dee also gets real about the state of New York nightlife today — why DJs need to actually DJ, why crowds need to get off their phones and back on the dance floor, and why his Saturday Night Dance Party on Twitch has become a club for people who gave up on clubs.</p>
May 18, 2026
Christina Visca: Sound Factory, Paradise Garage & Building NYC Nightlife's Golden Era
<p>Nightlife legend Christina Visca sits down with Heidi Hartwig to tell the full, unfiltered story of how a girl from White Plains became one of the most important figures in New York City club history. If you've ever wondered what it actually felt like to live through the golden age of NYC nightlife — from Studio 54 to the garage to Sound Factory — this is the episode.</p><p>In this episode we cover:</p><ul><li>Growing up around the fashion world and gay culture — and what that shaped in her</li><li> Her first experiences at gay clubs in Baltimore and Washington DC in high school</li><li>Nights at Studio 54, Xenon, Danceteria, and the FIT college scene in the early 80s</li><li>Being discovered by Peter Gatien and throwing her first professional parties at Limelight</li><li>Working the door at Palladium, 1018, and what it means to truly curate a room</li><li>The final years of Paradise Garage and the Saint, and the hole they left behind</li><li>How she handed flyers out at the last Garage party and launched her own clubs</li><li>Co-founding Baseline and then Sound Factory with Junior Vasquez and Phil Smith</li><li>The after-hours police cat-and-mouse game at Sound Factory and why it was worth it</li><li>Why Sound Factory was the most diverse nightclub in NYC history</li><li>What's missing from nightlife today: community, membership culture, and dressing up</li><li>Her vision for what a perfect modern club would look like</li><li>The future of NYC nightlife, 24-hour districts, and the end of bottle service culture</li></ul><p>Christina's story is ultimately about community — the sense of belonging she found on a dance floor as a teenager and has been building for everyone else ever since. This is essential listening for anyone who loves New York, dance music, or the culture that shaped a generation.</p>
9 total episodes available
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- What is Friends From New York?
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This podcast updates daily.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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