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Yup. Forgive us if we're feeling ourself but the homie (and noted tastemaker) KCRW disc jock Anthony Valadez sits down with Okayplayer.com (that's us) in the latest episode of the In Conversation podcast featuring Kevin Liao - Okayplayer's own branding guru - dropping science on the past, present and future of this here site. Antvala talks about his love for OKP - particularly the message boards - and the role they played in dictating the flow of social media and fans' proximity to their favorite artists before Twitter and Facebook held the internet captive, relating firsthand how Okayplayer became a place beloved for everything from its content and featured artists to the heated discussions and hot topics that would explode on the message boards; people came for The Roots and stayed for the conversation. As longtime okayplayers know, the phenomenon became a point of contention for some artists who took issue with the strong criticisms they received from fans on the OKP boards, some even venting their frustrations in song. Kevin breaks down the importance of those times and his personal connection to the site before delving into his professional role as Okayplayer adjusts to the changing digital landscape and the growing pains of life as a major musical tastemaker working to align itself with global audiences and brands while remaining on the cutting edge of sound. Press play below to listen to the full interview on the evolution of Okayplayer with Anthony Valadez and Kevin Liao. Keep up with Anthony Valadez via SoundCloud and his regular broadcasts on the radio.
