Angie Martinez Talks ‘Iconic Records’ Podcast, Radio & Celebrating Hip-Hop’s 50th Birthday

“I’ve pivoted in my career. At this point, I want to do things that I’m truly passionate about … things that I want to leave on the table.”

One of those “things” for Radio Hall of Famer Angie Martinez, aka “The Voice of New York,” happens Saturday with the April 29 premiere of Iconic Records. Spotlighting iconic albums in pop culture, the new visual podcast series kicks off its debut season with a look back at The Notorious B.I.G.’s esteemed final studio album, the 11x platinum Life After Death. Martinez doubles as host and an executive producer of the eight-episode series from WMX, Warner Music Group’s next-generation artist services, media and creative content division. Viewers can watch the show on the WMX Hip-Hop channel on The Roku Channel (Ch. 1137; 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

“Celebrating B.I.G. and 25 years of this album in a different way was exciting,” says Martinez of being approached by WMX about the project’s inaugural season, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. “That’s because some of the people we talked to weren’t the traditional people we see or hear from and who had different types of viewpoints on him.”

The ever-busy multimedia personality also talked about a few other things she’s leaving on the table. Those include her podcast In Real Life With Angie Martinez, nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the arts and entertainment category this year, and still holding court in the afternoons on her eponymous radio show on iHeartMedia’s Power 105.1 in New York. She also shared reflections on hip-hop’s momentous birthday.

As the Iconic Records promotional trailer notes, you spoke to “25 people over five nights.” What was that like?

It was fast. [Laughs] When you do something in five days, you’re, like, immersed in it. But we didn’t want to drag it out; we wanted it to feel fresh. It was cool because the interviews would overlap. Somebody would be walking out, somebody would be walking in and it would create this storytelling energy, even off camera. [Among the guests sitting down with Martinez were Lil Cease, Fat Joe, Pusha T, Rick Ross and Too $hort.] It was this community of people reminiscing about B.I.G. and the album; personal stories that I’d never heard before. And you could feel his spirit. It was also exciting to talk to some of the producers and the people who worked at Bad Boy. There were so many who had been around for a long time and had so much impact in so many areas that I’d never had a chance to talk with before. Like, I’d never interviewed [producer/DJ] Clark Kent, who’s a friend of mine and a beacon in the culture. So to have that moment with him was great.

The first anniversary of In Real Life is in August. Why did you decide to do a podcast?

I’ve been really lucky in my career. I love what I do, always have. The reason I still love what I do is because I’m always trying to challenge myself and grow. It’s not even about reinventing. It’s about making sure my career is aligned with where I am in my life. And that was how IRL opened up. I’ve had a lot of real-life lessons: success, trauma, heartbreak, disappointment. I don’t want to say it was a calling, but I just felt compelled that this was something that I had to offer; I wanted to have this conversation about life. So I kind of jumped out the window with it, calling Lauren London and asking if she’s talk with me. She said yes. [Martinez’s guests since then include Kelly Clarkson, Mary J. Blige and Mike Tyson.]

Everything is so calculated and metrics-driven in our business now that you lose the heart of what just feels right. Honestly, the beauty of creating your own content, owning your own company and being in a position where you can operate from your gut is so freeing and rewarding. I’ve been leaning into that. Sometimes I don’t know who’s going to be the next guest. But somebody will call and say they want to talk. It’s been so natural. Even the audience community that we’re building is organic as I really haven’t done any major promotion yet. It’s been an independent effort, which I’m so proud of. Because now we have the roots that come from an honest, authentic place. And watching that grow is going to be fun for me over the next few years. I also have other ideas about doing live events and creating content for other people. So it’s going interesting as well to see where this evolving road takes me.

Why is radio still important?

Over at least the last decade, I’ve been hearing people say, “You better start figuring something out. Streaming platforms are coming and your job isn’t going to exist anymore.” [Laughs] I still love being on the radio, talking about music and with new artists. At the end of the day, it’s about connection. There are people who feel connected to their favorite radio station or personality. Radio is free, it’s local, it’s comfortable. It’s going to be there although it may shift in terms of how it operates or what the verticals need to be. But radio is just a staple.

What does hip-hop reaching such a momentous birthday mean to you?

It’s a beautiful time to reflect on its history and evolution. It’s come so far that it’s very easy to forget the history. And attention spans are so short that sometimes people skip over details. So this is a great opportunity for us to lift up hip-hop’s history and make sure people are aware of the founders, the ups and downs while celebrating the evolution. There are a lot of people doing cool stuff, which I salute and respect. Like Nas, a pillar of the culture, and what he’s doing with Mass Appeal. But then I also see people just trying to jump on the bandwagon and throwing up hashtags without offering any thoughtful or caring input on the culture. I don’t love to see that. Let’s make this anniversary important; let’s make it matter.