CallyCast: Recent Episodes
David Callaghan
CallyCast will be discussing everything as wide ranging from music, football, culture, lifestyle, fashion, to lockdowns galore, mental and physical health, and how we all aim to try and navigate through this thing we call life.
A great chat with New York Times best selling author, and creator of Vibe Magazine with Quincy Jones, @robertjkenner, on his book 'The Marathon Don't Stop - The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle. Rob had more than a few stories to tell about his encounters with Nipsey, and I couldn't wait to hear about every one of them.
Imagine me as a journalist. Well yes, it happened. Now a few years removed from it, I was intrigued to get the perspective of a journalist who had gown down the broadcast route. So I spoke to Sarah Kilburn-Wilson, a broadcast journalist for ITV Central. But she veered off subject and started talking about men's legs, dodgy accents, and her love for Birmingham.
It was hard work getting her back on track, but we got there in the end.
What a whirlwind few days. The true colours of the sharks and snakes of football have well and truly been shown; only to backtrack and pretend to care about us fans when the backlash became too big.
We've all got our opinions on football and what's gone on, rightly or wrongly. But the one thing we're all in unison of: no-one ever wants to see the acronym 'ESL' ever again.
Me and my Liverpudlian born and raised pal, Karam Kalirai, discuss what's happened, and what the future of this 'game' might look like.
Jamie Drew (JD Shot You) has (photographically) shot a huge number of musicians and artists the Midlands and international stage over the last couple of years.
Drake? Light work. Travis Scott? No problem. J Cole? Give JD his lights, please.
I wanted to know all about how Jamie got into the photography game, the connections he's made to get there (DJ Semtex being a frequent collaborator, no doubt), what he enjoys so much about it, and what the world holds for him in this day and age of the music and photography industries.
Really enjoyed this one. Steven Sulley didn't have the most usual of routes into the art world. But founding Woodbury House in 2014, a private gallery and specialist contemporary art investment consultancy, he found his calling. He tells his story of the motivation and mindset to get to where he's got to, and why school life and the plumbing trade were not exactly for him. It's a good one.
I like to believe we all love music, in some shape, form or fashion. So what it's like to work within the music industry, and have the experience of being involved with a major music record label, as well as an independent one?
Sunjay Kohli's had the best of both worlds. Nearly a decade in the music writing and content world, he has experience beyond his years, and now heads up the YouTube department at BMG, one of the largest independent labels in the music industry. He talks through his time co-founding content collective, The NUBI Group, being part of A Nation of Billions, Warner Music Group, and his Puff Daddy plans to take over the music industry not too far into the future.
Rappers who can actually rap will always be up there for me. It's a lost art these days. So to say Grip is capable of lyrical warfare would be a slight understatement.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Grip's leading the new rappers of the old school sound. With his career just taking off, he's your favourite rapper's favourite rapper, and one of the best MC's you've never heard. We discuss his career to date, what this year has in store, and what's needed for him to take over the game.
It was an absolute honour to speak with former LAPD officer, Greg Kading, who lead the Biggie Smalls murder case from 2006 to 2009, before retiring.
We really could have spoken all day, as there were so many questions to ask. Discussing everything from the alleged murderers - Orlando Anderson, Duane 'Keefe D' Davis, and Wardell 'Poochie' Fouse - to Greg's relationship with Voletta Wallace, Biggie's mother, his career history working gang cases in LA, and how, with the help of his team, he is more certain than ever, over ten years after working the case, of who killed Biggie and Tupac.
Of course, there's a number of names checks along the way: Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Puff Daddy, Suge Knight, Tupac's bodyguard, Frank Alexander, Amir Muhammad, Russell Poole. The list is as long you can imagine.
As far as Greg Kading's concerned, the cases are solved. But what do you think?
Being able to 'write' and report on your favourite football club sounds like the absolute dream job.
But of course, to sing when you're winning, you need to be putting the shift in behind the scenes and hitting those deadlines, connecting with your contacts and travelling to the games hundreds of miles away, only to be doing it all over again the next week.
Ashley Preece, Birmingham Mail and club writer reporter for Aston Villa, gives an insight in what his day-to-day looks like, how his career in journalism has led him to here, and why John Gregory is still fuming about Dwight Yorke's move to Man Utd.
There's nothing like having your head split open by Emile Heskey, or being on the same football pitch as Gazza, to know you're alive.
I spoke with Torquay United club captain Asa Hall on his career, life in and out of football and what are the challenges, as well as successes, he's had, what his plans are when the legs eventually do give way, and his hopes for Torquay's current title chasing season.
I love Digbeth. I love food. And I love talking to people. So why wouldn't I get chatting away to one of Digbeth Dining Club's founders, Jack Brabant? Is it a surprise the whole idea was started from a drunken conversation? Probably not. And even less of a shock that a 'fake it until you make it' business plan was adopted. Well, I think they're doing alright, aren't they?
Long live Hip Hop. It's not just music, it's a way of life: it's in how you dress, walk, talk, and a movement that's very much here to stay. With so many rappers to choose from, across years of evolution, how can you possibly pick just ten? Well between me and my pal Jason, we managed just that. But there was only rapper that made both of our lists. And no, it wasn't Chingy.
Streetwear for life. Tell me something better? I’ll be wearing it until I’m old and balder. I caught up with Hemal Chauhan, bossman of leading Birmingham streetwear brand, Bene Culture, on how they’ve been getting on during the obvious, their journey from the start to now, and why they want to be known as more than just a clothing store in the second city.
So back when I first met Dann Matheson in my very first job as a young and innocent 17 year old Sixth Former bussing tables at Frankie & Benny's in the delights of Merry Hill, no, I did not think we would be doing a podcast some 15 years later.
But oh how times change, and whilst I've stepped away from the hospitality world, Dann, with his business partner, Jack Richards, have gone to create their own pizza venture, Peacer, based in Moseley, which opened in 2019. A New York 'pizza by the slice' shop.
How had they been doing? Why Peacer? Were they Hipster enough for Moseley? Is Dann still the scoundrel he once was back in the day being the starboy waiter and tight with his tips for us mere bussers? I had a lot of questions, and Dann answered all of them.
Check it out now and find out more about the latest addition to Birmingham's ridiculously vibrant independent food scene.
I've known Jason a good few years now, and wanted to find out more about how he's got on this year with his fitness business, the story behind it, and when exactly he's going to turn me into the elite athlete I've been aspiring to be for the last 31 years.
The second podcast in quick succession! I had a great conversation with my good friend from Uni and travel pal Darren Malcolm, where we discussed the importance of looking after your mental health, regardless of being in a pandemic or not, giving yourself a break by taking things day by day, and why Daz is attempting to bring back sovereign rings as we head into 2021. No, I'm not sure they'll make a comeback either...
I thought there's only way to start this podcast malarky, and that's to have a conversation with my wife, Kelly Cally.
It might be surprising to some, but I can't always be a delight 24/7. Me and Kel discuss the last year, how we've got through it, adapted and adopted our ways, and as always, tried to keep smiling throughout. Have a listen and see if you can relate!