Champions on the Court, Fighters at the Polls: Michael Blake vs. Richie Torres | Nayma Silver-Matos Uptown

From the Corner to the Counter: Vladimir Bautista on Building Happy Munkey, Legalizing the Legacy Market & Keeping Dyckman Real

What does it take to go from selling weed on the corner of 139th and Broadway — dodging arrests, feeding your family, and building a street-level business empire — to running what Forbes called 'the Studio 54 of Cannabis' and opening a legal dispensary on Dyckman Street in the exact location where Dyckman Electronics stood for forty years? For Vladimir Bautista, co-founder of Happy Munkey, the answer is equal parts hustle, healing, heart, and community — and in this episode, he holds nothing back. Led Black and Octavio Blanco sit down with Vladimir for an hour-long conversation that takes us from the Dominican Bronx of the 1980s to the Forbes pages to the Dyckman Projects senior center, where Vlad once gave a presentation in Spanish on CBD to an audience of elders who used to think cannabis was the devil. The story of Happy Munkey — from a monthly gathering at 38th Street, to a seven-days-a-week cultural institution, to the Van Gogh Immersive Experience, to the Museum of Sex on Fifth Avenue, to two dispensaries in Dyckman and Brooklyn — is the story of what happens when legacy market expertise, deep community roots, and sheer refusal to quit come together at exactly the right historical moment. Vladimir speaks with rare candor about imposter syndrome in the legal market, the $35,000-a-month green tax on his Dyckman lease, driving cash to the IRS, competing with unregulated corner spots, going personally to every informal weed operator in the neighborhood before opening and asking for their blessing — and getting it. He talks about speaking at Yale, Columbia, and the biggest cannabis conference in Las Vegas, standing next to corporate executives on stage with a GED, and representing not just himself but the 40,000 people still sitting in federal prison for cannabis while companies go public on the NYSE. He also gets personal — about his single mother, growing up in one of the most cocaine-saturated blocks in Harlem, finding his lane at 16 years old, and the healing work he's doing now as an 'urban hippie' who hugs trees and goes grounding in the park as his therapy. This episode is a love letter to Uptown, to the legacy market, to everyone who got arrested for a dime bag, and to the next generation of Vladimir Ramones already in the wings. And it ends with three words that should be the Uptown motto: Choose. Happy. 00:00  Cold Open  —  Vladimir on overcoming imposter syndrome and owning who you are — we're the experts 01:19  Welcome + Subscribe Call to Action  —  Led and Octavio open the show, Knicks energy, and the importance of amplifying Uptown voices 02:09  OG Ananobi Day is Official  —  Led announces it's officially OG Ananobi Day, declared by the Borough President — not making it up 02:39  Introducing Vladimir Bautista / Happy Munkey  —  Led on Happy Munkey's decade-long impact on the cannabis landscape of New York City 03:04  Vladimir on the Energy of This Summer  —  Knicks comeback, Uptown energy, and why you can never count this city out 03:39  10 Years of Happy Munkey  —  The origin story — from a gathering at 38th Street in 2017 to two dispensaries approaching the ten-year mark 05:06  Why This Matters More Than Money  —  Vladimir on what keeps him going: changing hearts and minds, employing people who look like him, inspiring the guy on the corner 07:04  The Dyckman Electronics Legacy  —  How Happy Munkey took over the exact location of the longest-standing electronics store in northern Manhattan — and kept the plaque 09:21  Vladimir's Origin Story — 139th and Broadway  —  Growing up in the Bronx with a single mother on welfare, finding his lane at 16, and why cannabis became his path away from worse things 12:04  Octavio Meets Vladimir  —  First impressions, stereotypes, and why Vlad's corazon — his heart for the community — was always present even on the corner 12:59  The Dominican Bronx of the 80s and 90s  —  A neighborhood he describes as the Dominican Bronx Tale — cocaine, circumstance, and 22 arrests later 16:00  22 Arrests and the War on Drugs  —  How a cannabis record blocked access to universities and jobs — and why the first people in the legal industry had to be the people who suffered 18:00  Building the Happy Munkey Movement  —  From monthly gatherings to seven days a week, Forbes naming it the Studio 54 of Cannabis, advocacy, Albany bus trips, COVID, and back again 24:00  The Van Gogh Experience + Museum of Sex  —  How Happy Munkey brought their energy into the biggest cultural institutions — and sold them out 27:00  The Decision to Go to Dyckman  —  Everyone said they were bugging — Dominicans don't have money, it's too dangerous, there are too many weed spots. They went anyway 35:08  Breaking the Stigma with Older Dominicans  —  The senior center presentation at the Dyckman Projects, the community board presentation, and the moment an older Dominican woman said 'Yo quiero la crema esa' 40:00  The Man on the Bike — 'Eso es del Diablo'  —  Vladimir's street-corner theology debate in Spanish — and why that dialogue is more important than the algorithm 41:36  The Brutal Realities of Legal Cannabis  —  1,000-foot rules, green tax, $35,000 a month rent, no write-offs, paying the IRS in vans full of cash, and competing with unregulated spots 46:51  Respect from the Street — Getting the Block's Blessing  —  How Vlad and Ramon personally visited every informal operator on Dyckman before opening and asked for their blessing — and got it 50:53  New York Has More Minority-Owned Dispensaries Than Every Other State Combined  —  Why New York's legal cannabis market — despite its flaws — is the best in the country for Black and brown entrepreneurs 53:05  40,000 People in Federal Prison for Weed — While Companies Go Public  —  The stat that left Octavio speechless 53:52  Speaking at Yale, Columbia and Vegas — Without a High School Diploma  —  What it means to stand on the biggest cannabis stages in the world as a subject matter expert who was never supposed to be there 55:47  Two Years on Dyckman: Key Business Takeaways  —  Watch your overhead, run lean, and — above all else — community beats SEO every single time 1:00:00  What's Next for Happy Munkey  —  Events coming to both Dyckman and Brooklyn: Lightfoot dancers, drummers, and bringing the 38th Street energy to the dispensaries 1:03:00  The Final Message: Men Lie, Women Lie, Energy Never Lies  —  Vladimir on his inner compass, the people places and things fra...

Champions on the Court, Fighters at the Polls: Michael Blake vs. Richie Torres | Nayma Silver-Matos Uptown

It's a new day in New York City — and Uptown Voices is here for all of it. The episode opens with hosts Led Black and Octavio Blanco still riding the high of the New York Knicks' first NBA championship in decades. From the celebrations at 181st and Cabrini to Dyckman Street to the packed subway cars after the final buzzer, they share the kind of community joy that only Uptown can deliver — and draw a straight line from Jalen Brunson's leadership on the court to the political leadership the Bronx and upper Manhattan need right now. Then: two candidates who want to bring that same energy to government. First up is Nayma Silver-Matos, a Dyckman native, youth development veteran, and caretaker who is running to represent District 31 in the New York State Senate against longtime incumbent Robert Jackson. She speaks candidly about the drug injection site debate on 190th Street, the unmet needs of working-class families in upper Manhattan, ACS oversight, and why her fifteen years on the front lines of civic life have prepared her to go to Albany and fight. Then Michael Blake — Bronx-born, Obama White House veteran, former State Assemblymember, and ordained reverend — makes his case for why he's the right person to unseat Richie Torres in NY-15, one of the poorest congressional districts in the country. Blake breaks down his platform on immigration, housing, Medicare for All, and the genocide in Gaza, and explains why he has 32 endorsements and seven labor union backers against a two-million-dollar APAC-funded incumbent. The episode closes with Led and Octavio in a wide-ranging post-interview conversation about the state of the Democratic Party, the role of foreign policy money in local races, the misinformation campaigns targeting Uptown's Dominican community on social media, and why this moment — the Knicks, Mamdani, Blake, Silver-Matos — feels like a genuine turning point for New York. This is why Uptown Voices exists. Subscribe. Vote. Spread love — it's the Uptown way. 00:00  Cold Open   00:58  Welcome + Big Announcements   01:03  Knicks Champions! Led's Night in Uptown   01:53  Octavio's Night in Queens   04:56  Knicks Fan Interviews on Dyckman   05:26  Shoutout: Elizabeth Schwey / Gothamist Nutcracker Piece   06:13  Guest #1: Nayma Silver-Matos — NY State Senate, District 31   06:51  Nayma's Origin Story   10:18  From Youth Development to Albany   12:21  The Unmet Needs of District 31   15:41  The On Point Debate Continued   17:19  Nayma Returns + Closes   19:46  Nayma's Info + Handoff  20:10  Bridge: Early Voting + Eric Adams Postmortem   20:36  Guest #2: Michael Blake — NY-15, Bronx Congress   21:20  Why Congress, Why Now   22:32  The Case Against Richie Torres   23:28  Endorsements + Labor Support  26:28  Octavio Plays Devil's Advocate on Housing   28:35  Day One in Congress   31:37  How Blake Was Built for This Moment   32:55  On APAC, Faith, and Staying Strong   35:41  Blake's Info + Call to Action   36:56  Post-Interview: The Dam Is Breaking   42:43  Led Endorses Darializa Avila Chevalier   43:16  Octavio on Representation and Centering   46:02  Would We Have Ritchie Torres on Uptown Voices?   49:02  Dominican Social Media Misinformation   51:39  The Ugliness of This Campaign Season   57:29  Clean House: The Democratic Party Reckoning   59:37  Close: Go Vote, Subscribe, Spread Love   About Nayma Silver-Matos Nayma Silver-Matos is a community organizer, youth development professional, and caretaker running for New York State Senate District 31, which covers Washington Heights, Inwood, and parts of northern Manhattan. She is challenging incumbent Senator Robert Jackson, who has held various elected offices in the district for decades. Website: nayma2026.com | Instagram: @NaymaSilverMatos About Michael Blake Michael Blake is a Bronx native, ordained reverend, Obama White House veteran, and former New York State Assemblymember (District 79) who served six years in Albany. He is running for Congress in NY-15 to unseat incumbent Richie Torres, who has held the seat representing one of the poorest congressional districts in the country. Website: michaelblakeforcongress.com | Instagram: @michaelblakeforcongress X: @MikeBlake1922 & @MrMikeBlake | TikTok: Blake4TheBronx Election Information Early voting for the June 2026 NYC primary is open now.  Election Day is Tuesday, June 23, 2026. NY State Senate District 31 (Washington Heights / Inwood): Nayma Silver-Matos vs. Robert Jackson NY-13 Congressional (Uptown Manhattan): Darializa Avila Chevalier — Led Black endorses on air NY-15 Congressional (The Bronx): Michael Blake vs. Richie Torres Support Uptown Voices Support Hyperlocal Media: Uptown Voices is a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center. Support our mission here: https://bit.ly/4eddiWT

The Rhythm that Saves Lives: Ron Renaissance & Jody Music on Breaking the Matrix

Today, Uptown Voices steps inside a modern-day musical fairy tale born right on the pavements of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Hosts Octavio Blanco and Led Black roll out the red carpet for the powerhouse duo known as Uptown Royalty—composed of multi-instrumentalist/composer Ron Renaissance and elite vocalist Jodi Music. In an emotionally raw and deeply inspiring broadcast, the couple shares their decade-long journey of fusing 90s R&B vocals with authentic Afro-Cuban salsa rhythms to create a completely new genre: Electro Latin Soul. But past the explosive energy of their live 13-piece orchestra lies a profound narrative of resilience. From surviving the dangerous peak of the crack epidemic in Washington Heights to overcoming sudden open-heart surgery at age 38, and navigating childhood survival in the streets of the Bronx, Ron and Jodi reveal how public school music programs, dedicated mentors, and the primal power of rhythm literally saved their lives. ⏱️ Official Chapter Time Codes * 00:00 — Cold Open: The King and Queen of Uptown Jodi and Ron break down their foundational roots—the Boogie Down Bronx and Washington Heights—and their unified mandate to unapologetically represent their culture and people on the global stage. * 00:36 — Introduction: A Special Episode in Historic Times Hosts Octavio Blanco and Led Black welcome viewers. Led shares a brief reflection on the generational weight of watching the Knicks push for the finals, before introducing the afternoon's exceptional guests. * 02:23 — Locked in ABC Studios: The 2017 Origin Story Jodi recounts the fateful 15-hour marathon recording gig in Times Square where she first met Ron, leading to a first date of salsa dancing that permanently bound their personal and professional lives together. * 03:34 — Crafting the Sound: "Ain't Nobody" as Salsa Led Black praises the band's viral, show-stopping salsa reimagining of Chaka Khan's classic hit. Ron and Jodi share the delicate art of balancing a real-life romance with independent music production. * 05:53 — Why Salsa? The Technology of Primal Rhythms A deep dive into the longevity of salsa music. Ron traces his 30-year history back to iconic NYC venues like Gonzales & Gonzales and the Copacabana, revealing how the foundational, ancestral Afro-Cuban beats transcend language barriers worldwide. * 07:14 — A Product of District 6: The Savior of Public School Music Ron pays tribute to the public school music programs of Washington Heights and his legendary teachers, John Faddis and Wycliffe Gordon, explaining how early access to instruments completely transformed a generation of neighborhood kids. * 13:56 — Genre Defiance: Electro Latin Soul & "Butterfly Dream" The duo discusses their upcoming summer project, Volume 2, and previews an upcoming original R&B single, detailing how they record late at night in their home studio once their daughters fall asleep. * 18:58 — Breaking the Matrix: Independence vs. The Record Label Trap Octavio raises the evolution of the independent music industry. Ron quotes a famous Jadakiss line on how corporate labels keep artists in permanent debt, prompting a discussion on why true ownership of your master recordings is everything. * 25:03 — The Sponsored Phoenix: The Michael Rath Trombone Ron showcases his custom, blinged-out Michael Rath trombone featuring an engraved phoenix emblem, detailing what it means to be officially endorsed by one of England's premier instrument makers. * 26:33 — The Twilight Zone: A Shared Guardian Angel In an unbelievable twist of fate, Jodi reveals how her surrogate "grandparents"—an Irish art teacher from the Bronx who took her in as a homeless child—turned out to be the exact same educator who secured the funding for Ron’s instruments in Washington Heights decades prior. * 33:59 — Live at The Hudson: Upcoming Uptown Shows The band announces their upcoming summer schedule, including a massive performance with Inwood Arts at The Hudson (formerly La Marina) on June 8th, emphasizing why local neighborhood gigs remain their absolute favorite venues. * 35:19 — Hip-Hop, Social Engineering, and the Currency of Hype Led Black brings up a poignant critique regarding how late-90s commercial rap was structurally flipped to degrade communities. Jodi highlights why choosing a message of elegance, class, and raw vocal talent is an active, revolutionary choice. * 39:34 — Positivity as a Lifetime Choice: The Legacy of Celia Cruz Jodi speaks directly to the challenge of being a touring artist while raising small children, rejecting the disposable ageism of the American music industry in favor of the lifelong respect afforded to icons like Celia Cruz. * 43:17 — Backstage with an Icon: Touring with Lauryn Hill Ron recalls the high-intensity experience of being called to play in the horn section for the legendary Lauryn Hill at the Barclays Center, tracking his career from multi-passport international tours to corporate consulting in Cabo. * 51:38 — The Urgent Ticker: Surviving Open-Heart Surgery at 38 Ron opens up about a terrifying recent medical crisis requiring sudden open-heart surgery for two clogged arteries. He details how facing mortality gave him a relentless sense of urgency to leave no art left inside of him. * 54:23 — Saved by the Microphone: Surviving a Bronx Childhood Jodi delivers a deeply moving, transparent testimony about losing her father at age nine, navigating family instability, and literally singing on New York City subway trains for survival money before her teachers stepped in. * 57:40 — Outro & Supporting Tax-Deductible Hyperlocal News The guests share their official social handles and website, closing out with Led and Octavio's classic mantra: Spread love, it's the Uptown way. 💸 Defend Hyperlocal Journalism: Support Uptown Voices Uptown Voices is entirely viewer-supported and operates as a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center. Your contributions are 100% tax-deductible and ensure our independent newsroom can continue bringing you uncovered, high-stakes local arts and political coverage free from corporate compromise. * Support Our Mission (Donate Safely Here): Support Uptown Voices via Maysles Center [https://bit.ly/4eddiWT] * Subscribe to the Channel: Head over to the Uptown Collective YouTube Channel [https://www.youtube.com/@uptowncollective] and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode. * Follow Us Everywhere Else We Stream: * Instagram: @uptownvoicespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/uptownvoicespodcast/] Facebook: Uptown Voices Page [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578547261344]

"If I Trusted That My Congressman Was Fighting, We Wouldn't Be Talking" | Darializa Avila Chevalier

The race for New York's 13th Congressional District is no longer a foregone conclusion. 🗳️  Darializa Avila Chevalier — Afro-Latina, daughter of Dominican immigrants, longtime Washington Heights organizer, and the only woman in the country to outraise an incumbent congressional challenger in the first quarter — sits down with Led Black and Octavio Blanco for one of the most substantive conversations of this campaign. The Mamdani endorsement has changed the race. June 23rd is approaching. Nothing is off the table. 🎙️  🏠 HOUSING — 88% of District 13 residents are renters. Apartments average $4,000/month. Rents climbed 23% in a year. Her plan: a Green New Deal for NYCHA, federally protected tenant organizing rights, and expanded community land trusts to create pathways to homeownership. 🏗️ NYCHA — The district holds the highest concentration of public housing in the country. Her plan: fully fund and decarbonize NYCHA, create union jobs for residents, and eliminate the equivalent of 400,000 cars in emissions.  🛂 IMMIGRATION — Her friend Mahm Khalid was kidnapped by ICE off the streets of District 13. The congressman's office turned his family away. No corporate PACs. No AIPAC. No special interest money.  💰 CAMPAIGN FINANCE — Average donation: $55. She outraised the incumbent — the only woman in the country to do so. Her argument: organized people beat organized money. Mamdani won District 13 by 19 points. 🕊️ FOREIGN POLICY — On Gaza: "It is absolutely a genocide." On the war in Iran: sign the Block the Bombs Act day one. Her framework: babies not bombs. A billion dollars a day funds this war. That billion could fund universal childcare in New York City for a year.  💉 THE DRUG CRISIS — Safe injection sites save lives — but concentrating the only two in the country in one district is redlining. The solution: distribute them across the city and address root causes through housing, jobs, and healthcare.  📌 darielizaforcongress.com | @darielisaforny  ⏱️ CHAPTERS  00:01 Welcome & the Mamdani Endorsement Game Changer  02:21 Outsider or Organizer? 14 Years in Washington Heights  03:45 The Incumbent's Absent Office — Nine Years, No Response  05:25 Housing Crisis: $4,000 Rents & the 88% Renter District 06:00 NYCHA: Green New Deal for Public Housing  09:52 Forcing HUD's Hand on the Repair Backlog  12:43 Protecting Immigrant Small Business Owners & SBA Reform  16:15 Safe Injection Sites, Harm Reduction & the Fentanyl Crisis  21:00 Led's Personal Experience: Crack Era Deja Vu  24:58 Social Safety Nets & Fighting Republican Erosion 26:13 Why Democrats Are Failing — And What Different Looks Like  27:55 Outraising the Incumbent on $55 Average Donations  29:07 Organized People vs. Organized Money — The Mamdani Model  30:44 Dark Money, Super PACs & Citizens United  33:55 Democratic Socialism: What It Actually Means  37:42 War Powers, Gaza & the Block the Bombs Act  39:05 Babies Not Bombs: A Politics of Life  40:50 "Is This a Genocide?" — She Answers Directly  42:49 The Mamdani Endorsement & the Smear Campaign  46:08 Closing: Why a Progressive Shift Is Necessary  47:49 How to Canvass, Donate & Get Involved  48:28 Dominican Mother's Day & Uptown Art Stroll June 1st  54:04 Knicks Conference Finals: Brunson, Wemby & Led's Tears  56:40 One Year of Uptown Voices  59:23 Closing: Subscribe, Donate & Spread Love  🎙️ The Uptown Collective is committed to documenting the stories, voices, and ideas that shape Northern Manhattan — with the rigor and independence this community deserves. ▶️ SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/@uptowncollective?si=68xPv3IIxHrhJ2BQ  🔔 Subscribe. Like. Share. Independent community journalism depends on it.  ❤️ SUPPORT UPTOWN VOICES — TAX DEDUCTIBLE The Uptown Collective Podcast is a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center. Your contribution supports independent local journalism and is 100% tax-deductible. 👉 Donate: https://bit.ly/4eddiWT  📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBmbtE4yILFqSWCJtf2Day6NBwHp2FYkU  Spread love — it's the Uptown way. 💙

The Incumbent’s Crucible: Congressman Adriano Espaillat on Rents, AIPAC Cash, and the War in Iran

Today, in the Black and Blanco edition of Uptown Voices we present a definitive, wide-ranging interview with New York’s 13th Congressional District Representative, Adriano Espaillat. From a childhood overstaying a tourist visa to ascending to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Espaillat’s 40-year climb up the political ladder is a cornerstone of Upper Manhattan's modern history. But in 2026, the neighborhood faces an acute economic squeeze, shifting voting demographics, and immense global pressure. Hosts Octavio Blanco and Led Black push past the regular talking points, pressing the Congressman on the issues hitting the community hardest: $4,000 average rents, localized safe-injection site saturation, campaign contributions from AIPAC, and the unfolding military escalation abroad. It is a raw, essential conversation tracing the fault lines between the old guard and a fierce new generation of uptown voters. ⏱️ Official Chapter Time Codes 00:00 — Cold Open: The War in Iran & "Block the Bombs" 00:49 — Introduction: The Voice of Uptown 02:33 — Forty Years on the Frontlines: The Crack Epidemic 04:10 — Going Viral & Disrupting the DNC Establishment 06:06 — Grassroots Ties: The Battle of Cooper Street 11:37 — The Power of the Purse: Inside the House Appropriations Committee 15:18 — Legacy Wins: In-State Tuition for Undocumented Youth 17:13 — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus & Pushing Back on Trump 20:18 — The Rent Crisis: Real Estate Donors and Affordability 24:40 — Safe Injection Sites and the "Redlining" of Washington Heights 30:23 — Protecting the Undocumented & The Push to Abolish ICE 32:38 — Gaza, Apartheid, and the Fight for a Two-State Solution 35:53 — Campaign Finance: AIPAC Money and Dark Slush Funds 39:03 — Personal History: The Vietnam Draft and Anti-Interventionism 41:52 — Caribbean Sovereignty: The Cuban Embargo & Arms Sales 43:54 — Closing Argument: A Message to the 22-Year-Old Voter 47:21 — Unfinished Business: Preventing the Third Wave of Gentrification 48:30 — Outro & Supporting Hyperlocal Media 💸 Defend Hyperlocal Journalism: Support Uptown Voices Uptown Voices is entirely viewer-supported and operates as a fiscally sponsored project of the Maysles Documentary Center. Your contributions are 100% tax-deductible and ensure our independent newsroom can continue bringing you uncovered, high-stakes local political coverage. Support Our Mission (Donate Safely Here): https://bit.ly/4eddiWT Subscribe to the Channel: Head over to the Uptown Collective YouTube Channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode. Follow Us Everywhere Else We Stream: Instagram: @uptowncollectiv Facebook: Uptown Collective Page