One of the greatest tragedies of a long-running cultural institution like WRFL is that so much of its history and culture lies solely within people. Their hearts, their minds, and especially their ears. People come and go. They graduate, they move away, or worse case scenario, they pass away. And if not properly documented, all the knowledge and passion that lived within them goes away with them.
When reading old editions of the RiFLe, trying to get an idea of what it was like to be a member of WRFL in its infancy, I saw so many awesome-looking shows on the program guide, and found myself a bit dismayed that there wasn’t any real documentation of what those shows sounded like, what they meant to the people that listened to them, who the DJs that ran those shows were in the first place. Which to me, feels like lost history. I think it’s impossible to understand the unit as a whole without understanding what it’s composed of. WRFL’s story is a great big puzzle, made up of the interconnecting stories of anyone and everyone who has ever volunteered or DJed with us.
The station’s system does have archives of the past fifteen-or-so years’ worth of broadcasts, sure, and you could always get some scraps from social media or the RiFLe, but (A.) there is hardly anything like that to be found for the older shows and (B.) I feel as if it does DJs of the past a great disservice if I were to try and tell their story based on little snippets of their world like that. It is always best to give people the opportunity to dictate how they want to be remembered.
All of that rambling is to say that when I was instructed to come up with a singular blog post for our website, I ended up coming up with an idea for a series of blog posts. I wanted to give our DJs, both active and retired, a chance to tell their stories, which hopefully by extension, can help tell WRFL’s story with just a little bit more detail. This is the first installment of that series of stories.
If you’ve been listening to WRFL for… well really, for any amount of time at all, you’re likely at least somewhat familiar with DJ Tommy Mizla and his show, Old School Hip-Hop. He’s been rocking out on WRFL since the 90’s, making him by far one of our most long-running block shows, and he’s definitely been the most consistent home for authentic, quality hip-hop that you could find within our broadcasting range (and, let’s be honest, probably the entire state). Every Monday night, from 10 p.m. to midnight, you can tune in to hear him bring you two hours of the best hip-hop deep cuts from the 80s and 90s (with occasional funk, soul, and reggae thrown in from time to time), played and scratched live on an elaborate turntable setup, all bundled up with an awesome on-air personality that’s just brimming with passion and infectious positivity. He’s one of my favorite DJs that we have here at the station, and he also happens to be a really great dude in general.
Hence why I decided to reach out and interview him! That, and today’s 52nd anniversary of hip-hop’s inception on August 11. Timing worked out pretty well on this one.
This interview took place over email in July of 2025 and has been slightly edited for purposes of brevity and clarity. My questions will be labeled as CJ, and Tommy’s answers will be labeled as TM. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you learn something from it! I know I definitely did!
CJ: Tell us a bit about yourself! Where are you from, what are your interests, what do you do for a living, etc.
TM: I spent my early childhood living in four different states over six years. And that came with going to four different elementary schools before the 4th grade. But I mainly grew up in L-E-X in the Buckhorn/Alumni neighborhood as it was being transformed from the original farmlands into sterile suburbia. It was depressing to watch ponds, creeks, forests, ancient treehouses, forts, old barns/houses, and bike trails get turned into concrete and roads.
Currently, my main interest is making music with turntables, synths, MPC2000XL (for sampling and building beats), GarageBand, and anything else I can use to make rhythms and cool sounds. I also do a lot of writing and mixing tracks on the turntables. I also occasionally skateboard if I’m inclined to drive to Berryhill. My daily routine includes 50 push-ups and 23,000 steps (walk/run/elliptical/biking) along with an organic nutrient-laced smoothie for breakfast and lunch (health is wealth).
My chosen career path is 8th grade language arts teacher and DJ. I was also a Parks and Recreation counselor/director for 23 years and must confess to missing daily dodgeball games.
I have a uniquely wonderful adult child who lives upstairs in my home.
CJ: As someone who is also super big into hip-hop, I know that everyone has their own special story of how they first encountered this beautiful subculture. What’s yours?
TM: It took the right conditions and the right song to pull me into hip-hop. I had my first experience at Camp Kearney day camp when one of the counselors, a guy named Percy, brought in his tables and mixer (early/mid 80s). I heard Newcleus for the first time that day meshed with Micheal Jackson and some electrofunk. However, it all changed for the good one day in middle school—in Mr. Blanchet’s science class. Here’s a verse I wrote about it years ago:
“Remember vividly the day it all changed,
and my focus suddenly just- rearranged
A spell was cast on my hyper goofy ass
In junior high science class and forever it would last
The place to be most definitely
To hear Clark’s boombox bump “Hard Times” -Run-DMC
Sealed my fate when it penetrate
Made me feel so great, started fillin’ my very first crate
Before MTV let us see it and the web made it convenient
I always already fiendin’ it
Bought badly recorded mixes for early beat fixes
And found it most audibly delicious”
What happened was that the teacher bartered that we could play the boombox if we finished our work that day. I didn’t even care either way, but everyone wanted me to hurry and get it done. When he pushed play, chills shot down my spine. With it being the age of no Internet to search it or local radio stations playing it, every opportunity to hear it was crucial. I stumbled onto a station in Mount Sterling that played some hip-hop.
I would dub/tape the opening hour each week. The shows were Jo-Jo’s Jam Session (Monday-Thursday) and Jamming with LJ (Friday-Sunday). There was a quiet fuzz in the signal due to it being so far away. My dad’s antenna in his receiver was strong enough to pull it. This was my version of the internet, along with the late-night program Video Soul on BET. They played hip-hop videos after 11PM. The summer of ‘84 was also crucial because Breakin’ and Beat Street dropped in the theatres, and it gave everyone outside of NYC and LA a sense of what hip-hop culture was like. This obviously had an impact on my young soul. The K-Tel Breakdance cassette and (printed-out) instructions was my first attempt at bringing authentic non-bootlegged/taped hip-hop into my realm. I wore that tape out in my boombox learning to windmill on a flattened refrigerator box.
CJ: This is a pretty cliche question for rap fans, which means that I unfortunately do have to ask you this. If you had to pick your top 5 MCs of all time, dead or alive, who are you going with?
TM: Here’s a list favorite MCs in no particular order (I couldn’t drop only 5): Edan, Homeboy Sandman, Aceyalone, Roxanne Shante’, Pharoahe Monch, MCA (Beastie Boys), Gift of Gab, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Jean Grae, Kool Keith, EL-P/Killer Mike (RTJ), Black Thought, Q-Tip Immortal Technique, KRS-One, Ladybug Mecca, Open Mike Eagle, (MF DOOM is my GOAT)
CJ: I think you have an absolutely fantastic taste in music. Where and how do you personally discover new records? And by new, I don’t necessarily mean something that just came out, just something that you hadn’t been familiar with before.
TM: The easiest way for me to find new music, I’ll check online through certain labels (Stones Throw, Mello Music Group, etc.), and recommendations I get from websites like Bandcamp. However, I do prefer road trips to record shops, flea markets, and garage sales to find vinyl and cassette gems. But I don’t get out as much as I used to because (1) It’s expensive, and (2) I got a decent collection of vinyl and tapes already to inspire me. Don’t get me wrong, if something amazing drops, I will try and get a copy on record if it’s possible and reasonably priced. However, I am always looking for new material for the Old School Hip-Hop show anytime I go on a trip. I am a bit more picky about selection now.
CJ: You were a hip-hop fan during what was (in my opinion) an absolute golden age of innovation for the genre. Do you have any hip-hop legends that you can brag about seeing live during their heyday (and therefore making me extremely jealous)?
TM: Here’s a rough list of hip-hop acts that I saw live during the golden era (1988-2000):
- KRS-One, 1993 (UK Ballroom)
- De La Soul, 1993 (Frankfort) and 1996 (House of Hersey, Lexington)
- A Tribe Called Quest, 1993 (Frankfort) and 1996 (Cincinnati)
- Camp Lo, 1996 (House of Hersey, Lexington)
- Fugees, 1996 (Cincinnati)
- Outkast, 1996 (UK Ballroom) and also in 1996 (Cincinnati)
- Busta Rhymes, 1996 (Cincinnati)
- Cypress Hill, 1995, 1995, 1996 (all in Cincinnati)
- Kool Keith, 1999 (Cincinnati)
- Digable Planets, 1995 (UK Ballroom)
- KMD (AKA—the group MF DOOM rapped in pre-secret identity), 1991 (Cincinnati)
- 3rd Bass, 1991 (Cincinnati)
- DJ Shadow, 1997 (Cincinnati)
- Latyrx, 1997 (Cincinnati)
- Jeru da Damaja, 1997 (Cincinnati)
- The Roots, 1995 (Atlanta) and 1997 (Cincinnati)
- Beastie Boys, 1994 (Cincinnati) and 1995 (Atlanta)
CJ: While you mostly focus on older rap acts on your show, you sometimes end up cycling some younger folks in from time to time. Who are some of your favorite newish hip-hop artists (within the last 10-15 years or so)?
TM: My favorite newish hip-hop artists (10-15 years) are Run the Jewels, Jean Grae (recently retired), Black Thought (he’s still dropping dope content), Quelle Chris (Jean’s husband—who happens to be dope AF), and Open Mike Eagle. Interesting fact: Many of the legendary artists that get airplay in the show are still actively touring and making content!
CJ: Most people tend to associate DJs’ entire musical taste with what they play on their show, but I know for a lot of DJs that isn’t always the case! Are there any musicians or types of music you’re a big fan of, for example, that don’t exactly fit into Old School Hip-Hop?
TM: I’m a big fan of funk, dub reggae, afro-funk, underground rock, and old school soul. Many of my samples and ideas for my own music come from these other genres.
CJ: How did you first find WRFL, and what has kept you attached to the community for so long? What is it, in your opinion, that makes WRFL as an institution so damn special? Do you have any stand-out memories or funny stories from your tenure as a DJ?
TM: I found WRFL in high school and started listening to the Fresh Test with Rob Olson every Tuesday night, 11-2 AM. My brother and I used to make mixtapes of the shows to play in the car and at home. WRFL really opened my mind to the meaning of non-commercial/underground music. My avoidance of mainstream/celebrity culture began with my understanding that there was a whole counterculture alternative world existing in my locality (Lexington). My original show for my first few years was general format, and that challenged me to find new/exciting sounds that were beyond my comfort zone. Joe Turner (RIP) used to come on after my Thursday 6-8AM show, and he would help educate me on artists and genre rabbit holes to dive down. WRFL was my internet before the internet. I am grateful for the music and DJing opportunity WRFL gives me but also the wonderful community the station brought me into and still provides to this day.
CJ: You’ve been at WRFL for an insanely long time; you’re one of the longest-running DJs still on the schedule! How has your show, and WRFL as a whole, evolved since you first started?
TM: I answered some of this in the previous answer. I’ll say that my show, Old School Hip-Hop, was encouraged to fruition by Ross Compton (founder of OTS—a dedicated series of local jazz concerts) back in 1997 (ancient times). It was on Friday afternoons from 1-2 PM and then 4-5 PM when I moved my timeslot due to student teaching in my senior year. As I graduated and began teaching middle school, the show moved to Monday nights where it is now. I’ve never taught a year where I had more than 6 hours sleep Monday night. I wouldn’t know what that was like on a regular basis. I don’t want to. I love WRFL, and I love bringing the community the Old School show.
CJ: If you had to pitch your show to someone who’s never listened to either of your programming before, what would you say? What makes it stand out from WRFL’s other programs?
TM: Old School Hip-Hop provides an edu-taining set of the music in the way it was meant to be heard: live in the mix on two turntables (actually it’s four)! The show is still download/MP3 free. Tune in for a set of songs you will not hear in any other platform or DJ set. It’s live so pardon the miscues (AKA—the character marks).
CJ: Your show focuses on playing a lot of old-school hip-hop, obviously, but a lot of it seems to be tracks that were coming out when you were first getting started as a DJ. Time is so weird. How has “old school” changed for you over the years, and how have you reflected that in your show’s programming, if that makes sense?
TM: I try to keep the rotation fresh by making the songs at least a decade old and also having themed shows. Some ideas for themes include: holidays, anniversaries of songs/albums, birthdays, honoring those who have passed, and frequently sampled songs. Rotating the artists and songs each week also keeps it FRESH!!!!!
CJ: In an era of digital streaming and playlists, your amazingly impressive methods for DJing (live scratching on turntables) may prove a bit inconvenient/outdated to some. What makes the way you do it special to you? Where and how did you learn how to do it? And why do you think it’s important that we keep that technique alive?
TM: I played with turntables as a kid, but I learned to DJ (scratch/mix) in college. When I went back to school, I decided I could no longer just spectate in the realm of hip-hop. I was already DJing on-air at WRFL and I got a couple used turntables and a mixer and started practicing. I spent a great deal of time learning about turntablism and DJ crews. I DJed my first party in the late 90s for a friend. This opened the door for an open mic/hip-hop event in Lexington in April 1999 at a restaurant called Yats (later to be called Gumbo ya-ya) I helped run with three other talented DJs (Ross Compton’s inspiration once again). Later that year I began DJing with a live band (Club Dub). I did that for 15+ years. I also began mixing/cutting with a reggae/funk band for many years.
As a lover of hip-hop culture, I understand the importance of the turntable to hip-hop. It takes a lot of skill and practice to master, and true, there is technology that makes certain parts of DJing easier (cheat codes). The best DJs aren’t in a hurry to be in front of a crowd, like anything it’s a craft that requires learning. Just pushing play or turning a couple buttons isn’t DJing, it’s just playing music. Anyone can do that. I can’t tell people what to do, but I am grateful I learned all the techniques, skills, sample sources, beat-matching without technology or AI involved.
The longer learning curve feels more authentic. I do use a modern mixer and Serato when I spin out at gigs. It’s wild what a few button pushes can do for a mix. So, when I speak of technology being a cheat code, it’s experience talking. Anyway. . .
CJ: Some may not know this, but you actually produce and self-release your own hip-hop music through Bandcamp. A rap megafan becoming a rapper is always something I love to see, especially when it happens in our very own backyard! How exactly did your musical career get started? Turntabling and sample-based record production definitely have some historical connections, but I wonder when and how (and why) exactly that you learned how to make beats?
TM: I started freestyling at shows and parties in the 90s (400 + on-stage/event freestyles last time I counted), but I didn’t start writing song/verses until the early 2000’s. I had a friend and rhyme-partner encourage me to do it, so in 2013 I flew to New York to record some songs. They went on to become part of a project I was involved in known as the Pretty Goslings. This led to me learning to record and build tracks on my own. I enjoy recording my own sounds (Bass/ Synths/ Scratches/ percussion, etc.) to loop and layer with samples curated from vinyl and other places found organically in my consumption of culture and life. It takes time to do all the writing, cutting, beat-making, and producing yourself, but the finished product is truly part of who I am.
CJ: Your last project, the Mizzlemixx Mindfunk Mix Vol. 2, came out in October of 2024. Is there anything more on the horizon that fans of your music can be looking forward to?
TM: Thanks for mentioning that project. (It’s a free download on Bandcamp : Tommy Mizla) That whole tape was created from verses I wrote that I was holding onto for no apparent reason. I went in and found some samples and added some instrumentation to create launching pads for the poetry/verses to fly into the ether. Not really full songs, just 1 or 2 verses (1-2 minutes max) and onto the next. A true mixtape. The tape and the album (Mantras and Metaphors) are focused on inner work we all must do to be happier and more aligned with who we are. In this way, the music is timeless, as we all need to recharge and realign every so often.
Currently working on the next project. I got actual complete songs with multiple verses and choruses for this next one. Stay tuned.
CJ: Do you think being a DJ has taught you anything about being a musician? And vice versa, has being a musician taught you anything new about being a DJ?
TM: Being a DJ helped me see the world as a community of unique diverse cultures where music is the heart that keeps the beat in rhythm. The right sounds bring hope in the current moment while also acting as a time machine to transform you to important moments in life. Music is culture’s soundtrack. My full understanding of music theory and structure came from wanting to learn what and how audio could conjure so much power in its nature. BPMs got me in the door and once I was in, I had to explore. My understanding of music structure/origins was built backwards. I learned music theory as I was composing and the origins of funk, reggae, rock and other genres of music from the samples in hip-hop. It was a perfect post-modern storm.
CJ: You’ve mastered 2/4 of the traditional core hip-hop skills, that being DJing and rapping. Any plans to pursue graffiti art or breakdancing anytime soon?
TM: I used to dance (b-boy) before age caught up to me. I ran a b-boy/girl dance instruction club at the middle school I teach in for about 12 years. We danced in talent shows as well as at halftime of basketball games. While this occurred, I was DJ with a band (Club Dub shoutout), and we spun at a local pizza place. My students showed up to dance and we were in the local paper.
As far as graffiti, I am not the best at it, but I practice it by tagging the date with dry erase markers on the board in my classroom. I change the tag monthly (daily changing day numbers). Been doing this for over two decades and I still have minimal skills. I can’t do it well at all. (Shoutout to all graf writers holding it down in LEX. I see what you do and snap pics of it every time.)
CJ: I’ve seen footage of you performing from Fatman Studios on YouTube, and you are a fantastic performer! How do you manage to focus on rapping and the turntables at the same time? You have also done a lot of live DJ work for local businesses and organizations, like for WRFL’s Slimestone event in the past or for the Fishtank. What do you think is the difference between DJing at a venue and DJing by yourself in an enclosed space like the station? Does it take a different set of skills?
TM: The station and the show require solitude so the audience is the main focus of the mix. I never sit down when I’m on-air in the studio. Standing and moving keep me in the flow.
When you spin out at an event/club, though, it’s a whole different vibe. People will stand right in front of the turntables filming, spilling a beverage, or trying to yell out requests while you’re live in the mix. Nowadays, other DJs don’t even acknowledge you, but they’ll show up and use their phones to Shazam your set list to use in their own sets (such a weak move).
Honestly though, most of the time the audience is the whole reason and energy that feeds the performance/set. When they dance/groove it’s a mirror of inspiration. It’s taken years of playing around in the groove to learn to mix, scratch, rap in real time. It’s always fun though to have the opportunity to drop a set or perform original material for any audience that appreciates it. I did four different gigs this past summer at the Fishtank and had a blast. People love to see Technic 12000s spinning live.
CJ: How has being involved with WRFL shaped both your professional/personal skills and ambitions for life? Do you feel like it’s changed you significantly as a person? Did you make any life-long connections?
TM: To have the opportunity to DJ on the airwaves of 88.1 WRFL is such an incredible honor and privilege. I’ve literally grown up while staying a part of the greatest station on Earth. My avoidance and detest for mainstream/popular/celebrity/commercial culture directly stems from my experience with 88.1. My understanding of mainstream rap and underground hip-hop was planted before I ever walked through the doors to train by The Fresh Test. It’s like WRFL is the guy (played by Roddy Piper) handing out true vision sunglasses in the movie They Live. I’m never taking my glasses off.
CJ: If you wanted fellow music lovers and DJs in the distant future to remember a few things about you and your show, what would it be?
TM: I’d like the world to remember there is more out there than what you see in mainstream culture. It’s just the tip of the iceberg. Old School Hip-Hop is a sound journey into the past that changes and evolves every week; a sonic time machine meshing sounds and artists you know with unique unearthed audio jewels. In short, I want people to remember that my show was a show that dug deep and did not accept the same lame repeated songs.
CJ: Your show pays tribute to the foundations of alternative hip-hop culture, which still stands out to me as one of the most authentic human cultural creations at its core. With things like streaming services, artificial intelligence, and social media, everything around feels like it continues to just get more and more corporate and soulless. To me, shows like yours are beacons of hope in times like this. What do you see for the future of alternative broadcasting and DIY-culture and your place in it, if that makes sense?
TM: This is a question I wrestle with constantly. Five years ago, I thought DJ gigs would go mainly to streaming live online as the main venue, and stations with live-feed video studios would be the new wave. I don’t know now. Part of me still hopes that our culture will see the benefits of human interpretation once it’s nearly gone and the pendulum will swing heavily back to art made and presented by actual people. It’s an honor to be that ‘beacon of hope’, but it’d be nice to have more allies in the field of actual disc-jockey DJing. As long as there’s an open ear to hear real hip-hop on vinyl you can’t hear anywhere else spinning live in the mix, I am here to push it forward to the next-next!