Meet Joe Cornejo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Cornejo.

Hi Joe, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It all started with my love for Hip-hop and the culture it’s created throughout the years. It was the first thing I remember having a passion for as a kid because it felt like it represented me, my story, and how I felt. My parents were young when they had me, so I grew up hearing Hip-Hop early on in my childhood. The first song I ever remember learning the lyrics for was, “I Got 5 On It” as a 4-year-old.

My parents always made sure to surround me with good music, but once the internet became more accessible and began to expand what it can offer, I used it as a tool to surround and fill my mind up with any and everything Hip-hop. I really became a nerd when it came to the music and the stories behind them because I looked at rappers as superheroes because the art they made was so powerful and impactful to me and my life, it didn’t seem normal to me that people could put words together with the way they could and spark a certain emotion or feeling like they could.

As I grew older, my passion and love for Hip-hop only grew with me. I always wanted to be a part of the culture and make an impact in it, but never knew exactly how. It wasn’t until the summer of 2013 that I finally figured it out. I always loved watching my favorite artists’ interviews to learn more about them and the music they make. I remember that summer watching Sway interview one of my favorite rappers ever, Ma$e, and thinking to myself, “man, it’d be so dope to talk to Ma$e about his music” and realized that’s how I’m gonna make an impact in Hip-Hop, by becoming a radio personality.

So before my sophomore year of college, I changed my major from Accounting to Broadcasting to begin my journey to become a radio personality. It wasn’t until 2015 when I got my first big opportunity in radio to really carve my name and lane out in this business. I got an opportunity to intern at KPRS-Hot 103 Jamz and my job was to work with the morning show Monday-Friday, which at the time was a one-man show. So my job was to help him find stories to talk about and post on the social media pages.

I spent that entire summer waking up at 4:30 AM every morning to get to the station by 6 AM for the morning show. I knew this was a big opportunity for me so I made sure to make the most out of it any way I could and make my presence felt in the building by showing them I was hungry for any and every opportunity available. It was an unforgettable summer for me because that was the first time I got to meet some artists I really respected and admired. I met Big Sean a week into my internship and got the opportunity to film his interview for the station.

I also met Tyler, The Creator that summer as well and that was a big turning point in my life because Tyler is someone I look up to creatively. I even got to write up some questions for Playmaker to ask Tyler during their interview, so I knew I was on the right path. I even made an appearance in the trailer for his, “Cherry Bomb” documentary.

When I went back to school that next semester, I was sending weekly airchecks to the Program Director of Hot 103 Jamz to show him how I was sounding on-air. During the winter of 2015, the Program Director for Hot 103 Jamz reached out to me and told me to come by the station when I came back to KC for winter break so we could talk. Once we met, he offered me a part-time on-air position for the Night Jam show.

The summer of 2016 hit and I was officially an on-air radio personality for KPRS-Hot 103 Jamz after only doing it for 2 years. It was my first radio job ever and at the highest level you can get in Kansas City, so I was nervous but knew I was up for the challenge. All I ever needed was one opportunity to prove myself and this was that.

After spending the summer of 2016 on-air, I told them I had to go back to Maryville to finish my last year of school and to their surprise, they thought I already graduated upon hiring me. So we set up a deal to have me come back to KC every weekend to work Friday-Sunday, as long as my grades stayed on point.

I spent my entire last year of school traveling back and forth from Maryville to KC to work. I’d leave for KC after class on Friday and leave for Maryville after my Sunday shift at Hot 103 Jamz. It was taxing at times, but also extremely dope because, during the week, people on campus would tell me they heard me on the radio this past weekend. I graduated from college in 2017 and continued my work as a radio personality at KPRS-Hot 103 Jamz and got the chance to interview artists such as Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Dom Kennedy, Denzel Curry Rich Homie Quan, and CyHi The Prynce to name a few.

Around 2018, I realized I wanted to do a bit more and use the platform that the station has given me to help my friends who are artists themselves. So I reached out to my brother, Black Hyphy (Alexander Harris), and asked if he wanted to start a music podcast, which he was and that was when we decided to create, The Yadda Yadda Podcast.

We use the platform to bring on local artists from Kansas City and Kansas to help expand their audience and get folks from the city more familiar with them and their stories.

In 2019, I wanted to expand and do more with the brand and what we offer, so we put together our first live show, The Yadda Yadda Showcase. We held it at the RecordBar and managed to bring out 90 people to see artists like Kye Colors, A’Sean, Jooby Truth, Sleepwvlker, Lymerrick, and OnlyWav perform. It was a huge success for us and something we wanted to do again.

We planned another one in 2020 with The Rino, but due to the pandemic, we had to postpone it and figure out another way to present it. That’s when we put together our first Yadda Yadda Production. Since everything was going virtual around that time, we decided to give it a try and it didn’t come without frustrations. Our first go-around experienced technical difficulties that resulted in us cutting the stream short.

After regrouping, we came back for part two and knocked it out of the park with an amazing show which consisted of, Love, Mae C, The Royal Chief, Chris Dom$, and Zeph France. Once we realized we can start doing productions with the team we have, I wanted to create an NPR Tiny Desk-esque production, but for Kansas City artists called, Yadda Yadda Live In-Studio. I wanted the platform to be a way for artists from the city to create intimate content for their fans as we continue to navigate in these times of uncertainty.

An awesome alternative-funk band I work with called Supermoto allowed us to make their debut as a band on the debut episode of the platform. It worked out perfectly for both of us because the episode was received with high praise and that let us know we have something special while also working with different genres of artists in Kansas City. Since the debut of the platform, we’ve had artists such as The Royal Chief, No$kope, Sleepwvlker, and A’Sean & Walt on with each episode having its own unique touch to suit the artists and their music.

In 2020, I had an idea for our most ambitious project yet, a Yadda Yadda album.

I’ve always tried to bring everyone in the city together for big moments, so each side of the music scene could shine like I know they can and this was another one of those moments. I wanted to bring all of my dope music homies together and create something special and timeless for Kansas City. Something that the city could be proud of.

We managed to build a great rapport with artists from Kansas City throughout the years and I felt it was strong enough for them to want to contribute to a Yadda Yadda Album if we put one together. Thankfully, I was correct and we spent the majority of 2021 putting together what is now known as, The Yadda Yadda Album, which dropped in October of 2021.

It’s an amazing body of music that shows you the versatility of the Kansas City music scene and my most proud accomplishment to date.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nah, it hasn’t been a smooth road by any means. Mainly because I’ve had to figure everything out on this path on my own. There wasn’t a blueprint laid out for me on how to get to the point I’m at in my life and career. I had to believe in myself and my abilities because I was all I got when times got tough. I had to prove to myself that I’m making the right decision with my life when I first embarked on this journey. I’m the first Cornejo to go to and graduate from college, so when I was in college, I had to deal with those struggles on my own.

My parents didn’t know someone in the radio business for me, I had to go out and make those connections myself and create those opportunities for myself. Before I got an opportunity to intern at Hot 103 Jamz, I was starting to get worried I wouldn’t get a job in radio because I had nothing going for me in regards to broadcasting up to that point and I was about to go into my senior year.

So when I got that internship, I made sure I gave that opportunity my all because it might’ve been the only one I got and it changed my life forever. Everything I’ve accomplished up to this point I really had to work for and even though it was exhausting at times, that’s the reason no one will ever be able to downplay what I’ve done and accomplished.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Mainly what I do is help others shine with their talent by putting them in a position to win whatever way I can with the platforms or resources that I have. If you look at my track record from The Yadda Yadda Podcast, to the showcases, the Live In-Studio’s to the album, or even my interviews, it’s all about the artists that are involved.

Black Hyphy and I may be the faces of The Yadda Yadda brand, but the artists we’ve had on make our platforms what they are. Our intentions when it comes to working with artists are always pure because we’re genuine fans of those that we work with and everyone that’s been around us understands that.

This is why we have such a strong rapport with those in the music scene in Kansas City and that’s what sets us apart from others. Our genuine energy. That’s how we were able to get artists to contribute to The Yadda Yadda Album and believe in what we’re doing, which is why that album is my most proud accomplishment. Just the fact that artists trust us and our vision enough to give us songs to work with spoke volumes to me about what we’re doing and building.

Plus, one of the things I loved doing as a kid was burning CDs and challenging myself to see how well I can curate them. So the fact I was able to do that with an actual album and have my name be labeled on it as an Executive Producer made the 8-year-old my smile and getting a feature from Sir Michael Rocks of “The Cool Kids” on the album made the 18-year-old me smile as well.

Also, getting a drop from Dom Kennedy, one of the most influential artists in my life, where he shouts out my name and brand is something I’ll always be extremely proud of.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Always believe in yourself and your vision because you’re all you got at the end of the day. No one can chase your dreams for you, only you can do that. So start running.

And remember, life’s too short to be an accounting major.

Contact Info:

• Email: jcornejo1016@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instragram.com/jmfcornejo
• Twitter: Twitter.com/JoeyLaFlare1016
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC78HgYsFDUXkzzoS3cFX9vQ

Image Credits
River Young, KennyDidThat, and Jay Brown