The First Radio Interview

The morning show at Hot 97 was already in full swing when Marcus arrived at the studio. DJ Funk Master Flex's voice boomed through the waiting area, the familiar cadence sending a wave of déjà vu through Marcus. He'd done hundreds of radio interviews in his previous timeline, but never here, never at this legendary station during hip-hop's golden era.

"Yo, we got the young prodigy in the building!" Flex announced as Marcus entered the studio. "Sixteen years old, already got the streets talking. They calling him The Prophet – Marcus Johnson, ladies and gentlemen!"

Marcus settled into the chair, adjusting the headphones with practiced ease that belied his supposed inexperience. Rico stood behind the glass, giving him a thumbs up. They'd prepared for this – Marcus's first major radio appearance needed to make an impact without revealing too much.

"So, Prophet, people been saying you're bringing something different to the game. That battle last week? Man, I ain't seen nothing like that since Big L was coming up. Tell us about your style."

Marcus leaned into the mic, careful to maintain his teenage enthusiasm while tempering it with the wisdom he'd carried back. "It's about evolution, Flex. Hip-hop's always changing, and I'm just trying to push it forward while respecting what came before."

"Word? Let's hear something then. Drop a sixteen for the people."

The beat dropped – Pete Rock's "T.R.O.Y." instrumental – and Marcus felt time blur. He'd studied this era's flow patterns obsessively in both timelines, and now he could blend them with future techniques that wouldn't exist for years. He closed his eyes and let the rhythm take him:

*"Through the lens of time, I see what's coming next

Breaking through the ceiling while they stuck on what's present

Every bar I spit got two decades behind it

Future in my vision, but the past helped define it

They say I'm too young to have this knowledge in my brain

But every verse I write is like a prophet making rain

Standing on the shoulders of the giants before me

While painting pictures of a future they ain't ready to see"*

He transitioned seamlessly into a flow pattern that would become popular in the 2010s, but grounded it in current aesthetics:

*"Got that old school in my blood, new school in my mind

Cross-pollinating flows that they ain't gonna find

For another decade, watch me accelerate

The evolution of the art while they speculate

How a kid from the Bronx got this much to say

Truth is I'm just living life in a different way

Every bar I write got a dual perspective

Past and future merging, making now perfective"*

The studio fell silent for a moment after he finished. Flex leaned back, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "Yo, you ain't write that before you came in?"

"Just feeling the beat," Marcus said, knowing his future knowledge of music theory and rhythm patterns had allowed him to construct something that sounded both familiar and revolutionary.

"That's that next level right there," Flex nodded, genuinely impressed. "Now, I heard you been working with some interesting producers. Tell me about this new track you got coming."

Marcus smiled, thinking about the session he'd just finished. He'd taken a melody that wouldn't be written for another fifteen years and reconstructed it using current production techniques. "It's something different. Wanted to bridge that gap between what's happening in the streets and where music's heading."

"Can we premiere it?"

Rico gave an enthusiastic nod from behind the glass. This was the moment they'd planned for – dropping a track that would sound just progressive enough to stand out without seeming impossible for 2003.

As the opening beats filled the studio, Marcus watched Flex's reaction. The production was deliberately crafted to hint at future trends while remaining grounded in current sounds. The hook sampled Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" – a sample that would become popular years later – but flipped in a way that felt fresh for 2003.

When his verses kicked in, Marcus delivered them with the perfect balance of raw talent and polished technique. He quoted a line from Nas's "The World Is Yours" – *"I'm out for presidents to represent me"* – before weaving it into his own narrative about future ambitions and present struggles.

The phones lit up immediately after the song finished. Flex, who had been nodding his head throughout the track, turned to Marcus with newfound respect. "You produced this too?"

"Co-produced with Rico," Marcus acknowledged. "We wanted to create something that honors the foundation while building something new."

The interview continued for another thirty minutes, with Marcus carefully walking the line between showing his knowledge and maintaining his cover. He discussed influences, dropping names like Big Daddy Kane and Rakim while subtly incorporating perspectives that came from years of studying how hip-hop would evolve.

As they wrapped up, Flex made an announcement that sent a chill down Marcus's spine: "Y'all heard it here first. Remember this day. The Prophet – Marcus Johnson – just changed the game. This track's gonna be on rotation every hour, no question."

Walking out of Hot 97, Marcus felt the weight of the moment. He'd just accelerated his timeline significantly, but he knew the risks involved. Success would bring scrutiny, and scrutiny meant more chances for his unique situation to be exposed. But as he watched Rico fielding calls from labels already reaching out, he knew there was no turning back.

His mother would hear this interview. She'd hear her son's voice on New York's biggest radio station, hear the hosts treating him with respect, hear the phones lighting up with listeners wanting to know more. It wasn't just about the music anymore – it was about making sure this timeline gave everyone he loved a better future than the last one.

Walking down the street, Marcus heard his song playing from a parked car, the driver already nodding along to something that, in another timeline, wouldn't exist for years to come. He smiled, knowing that every step forward now was creating ripples that would change not just his future, but the future of hip-hop itself.