Grab your headphones, Kansas City — this episode is a wild ride from the Northeast side all the way to Hollywood. Mindy sits down with Courtney "Big Court" Richardson II, a Kansas City, Missouri native who went from mailing handwritten demo tapes to record labels in the '90s to landing a record deal with Master P's No Limit Records, becoming the first Kansas City rapper to bring home a gold plaque, and building one of the most respected podcasts in the game, Holdin' Court, with Revolt TV. Big Court opens up about his childhood on the Kansas City streets, his journey to LA, his 30-year friendship with Master P, and how a phone call to Ice-T turned into The OG Network — a fast-growing streaming platform built to champion independent creators the way big platforms never did.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
Growing up in Kansas City's Northeast neighborhood and catching his big break with No Limit Records in 1995
What it was really like coming up alongside Kansas City hip hop names like Tech N9ne, Vel Bacardi, and Rich DeFactor
The origin story of Holding Court Podcast and how a pandemic phone call with a friend turned into a media career
Launching The OG Network with Ice-T — now streaming in 186 countries with a brand-new production studio right here in Missouri, in St. Louis
Real talk on relationships, reputation, purpose over paychasing, and what it means to live your bucket list before you turn 50
What Kansas City looks like today through the eyes of someone who left, and why he still calls it home
Whether you're into Kansas City hip hop history, entrepreneurship, streaming media, or just love a great local-boy-does-big story, this conversation has something for you.
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Thank you to our podcast host, sponsor and media partner, Real Media! Visit RealMediaKC.com to learn more about their full service audio and video services!
Chapters
0:00 – Intro
0:30 – Growing up in Kansas City & catching the hip hop bug
0:52 – Getting signed: the Master P and No Limit Records story
9:02 – Kansas City's early rap scene, Tech N9ne, and the hometown hustle
13:07 – The real origin story of Holding Court Podcast
17:55 – The power of relationships, integrity, and building a brand from nothing
33:44 – What's next for Holdin' Court — taking it live
34:45 – Launching The OG Network with Ice-T
41:16 – Why Ice-T (and not Master P) became his business partner
45:36 – How The OG Network picks content, and the Tubi problem it was built to solve
50:48 – Authentic storytelling and cultural accountability
53:37 – Expanding to Missouri: the new OG Network Studios in St. Louis
56:46 – New projects, verticals, and Ice-T's upcoming album drop
1:01:59 – Behind-the-scenes stories with Master P and Ice-T
1:05:04 – Working with his daughter Rachel Renee
1:06:30 – Dream podcast guests: Mike Tyson, Magic Johnson, Obama, and more
1:08:03 – Favorite memories of growing up in Kansas City
1:12:34 – His mom's influence and becoming a father himself
1:17:57 – Kansas City today: growth, gentrification, and what still needs work
1:22:41 – KC go-to spots and favorite restaurants
1:23:36 – Living his bucket list and advice on never being "too old to pivot"
1:26:55 – Closing thoughts & where to find The OG Network
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