Tuesday, November 25, 2025
This week on the R.O.A.D. Podcast, the crew sits down with Knowpa Slaps — Bay Area DJ and the creator of RNB & Ribs, one of the most impactful R&B party brands in the scene today. Knowpa talks about the early spark that inspired the party and how he keeps each set feeling new while balancing the dual roles of DJ and promoter (06:15).
The conversation digs into the rise of R&B day parties and how oversaturation has made it tougher for events to truly stand out (08:03). Knowpa explains why intention is everything — from choosing the right cities to honoring local culture — and how he proved RNB & Ribs could thrive far beyond the Bay Area, expanding to markets like Austin and even Japan (12:49).
He shares what songs hit overseas (14:20), why he books lineups based on respect over follower counts (19:14), and how DJs chasing viral clips often miss the real moments that make a party special (26:55). The crew also gets into how the current economy is affecting nightlife (39:01), the rise of DJ “de-influencers” and online haters (49:30), and why attention to detail matters even when thousands are in attendance (52:05).
Knowpa opens up about separating his personal identity from the brand (1:01:01), pushing the genre in new directions to keep crowds locked in (1:01:08), and what’s coming in 2026 — including RNB & Ribs London, a Super Bowl block party in San Francisco with T-Pain, and some of his favorite stops of the year: Las Vegas, Honolulu, and Los Angeles (1:05:01).
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