'There's still more to do': Soulection's Joe Kay reflects on 15 years ahead of L.A. show

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred In 2011, Joe Kay debuted Soulection as a college radio show at Cal State Long Beach, spinning rare B-sides, progressive beats, inventive flips of classic records and soulful underground tracks.Fifteen years later, the niche local broadcast on K-Beach Radio has ballooned into a cultural movement that extends far behind his alma mater’s campus.

Beyond its flagship on Apple Music with nearly 750 episodes (Grammy-winning producer Swizz Beatz was a recent guest DJ), Soulection is also an independent record label, live event and clothing brand.Operating under the banner “the Sound of Tomorrow,” the collective championed artists like Kaytranada, Brent Faiyaz, Bryson Tiller and Snoh Aalegra before they were household names.

Still, Kay remains hungry for more.“There’s so much more to do,” says Kay, who released his first project “If Not Now, Then When?” last year.

Music Chris Manak, who founded the label Stones Throw, influenced Ye and Tyler, the Creator and owns Highland Park’s popular Gold Line Bar, looks back on 30 years of the tumultuous world of indie hip-hop: ‘I’m like the cat that lands on its feet.’“We’re at this breaking point of not just being underground,” he adds.“It’s like we’ve been D-1.

We’ve been to the playoffs.Now we’re like how do we get to the championship and not just show up to the championship, how do we win?” On Saturday, Kay and his tight-knit crew are celebrating Soulection’s 15th anniversary with a festival at Reframe Studios Outdoors in Atwater Village.

The lineup includes DJ sets from Kay, Grammy-winning producer and artist Kaytranada, Sango, Esta, DJ Miss Milan (who DJs for Doechii), Ayanna Heaven and surprise guests.(Kay doesn’t even know who all will show up.) Ahead of the hallmark event, Kay spoke about how he continues to find emer...