In this episode, J. Chad Parker sits down with Jacksonville, Texas rapper Cico P for a raw, unfiltered conversation about where he came from, what shaped him, and how he turned a childhood surrounded by public housing, limited opportunities, and generational struggle into a breakout rap career. Cico talks about growing up in the “bricks” and “the park,” watching his family make music, learning from uncles and cousins who rapped before him, and discovering early on that lyrics were a way to tell the truth about the life he knew. He reflects on the realities of small-town poverty, the lack of economic mobility, the way people lose hope—or get too comfortable—and the mindset shift it took to believe he could be something more.

Chad guides the conversation through Cico’s early hustle, working long shifts at Trane while secretly writing music on the line, recording with local producers out of home studios, and teaching himself the industry beat by beat. Cico breaks down the making of “Tampa,” the song that changed everything, from buying the original beat online to laying down the track in a small Tyler studio. He opens up about signing with APG, what he learned from that deal, why mastering and owning your masters actually matters, and the behind-the-scenes path he’s taken toward full independence. They dive into the difference between creativity and clarity, the role of sobriety in writing, and why he believes he does his best work with a clear mind even if the culture around him glamorizes otherwise.

The episode also digs into the meaning behind his lyrics, his strategy of naming songs after cities, the Houston rap scene’s unity, and the personal evolution that led him to leave Jacksonville and start over in Dallas to escape destructive patterns. Cico shares stories about loyalty, losing friends when the fame cooled down, building his own entertainment brand Dog Ties, and the new music he’s crafted with more intention, more maturity, and better production than anything he’s released before. It’s an honest look at ambition, environment, talent, and the relentless grind of an artist determined to defy expectations and write his own story. Subscribe and turn on notifications for more conversations like this.

In this episode, J. Chad Parker sits down with lifelong friend Stephen “Smitty” Smith for a wide-open conversation that stretches from their childhood in Tyler to Smitty’s three-decade journey through the Western apparel industry. Smitty talks about stumbling into the business in the late 80s through Cavender’s, learning retail from the back room forward, and eventually becoming a rep traveling across the country and even into China and Mexico to work with leather manufacturers. He shares the funny, strange, and unforgettable experiences from those early years—including time spent in Huntsville stores surrounded by prison-made leather goods, the small-town web of relationships in the Western wear world, and the way the industry has exploded thanks to trends like Yellowstone, social media, and the nationwide rise of the cowboy aesthetic.

The conversation goes deeper as Smitty walks Chad through the personal side of his story. He left his long time employer after 22 years, facing depression for the first time, reworking his life with the help of friends and a therapist, and eventually returning to Cinch with a new sense of focus and clarity. He talks openly about raising his daughters, navigating life after divorce, aging, loneliness, and the strange, vulnerable process of starting over in your 50s. Smitty shares the highs and lows of traveling for work, setting up for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, and the moment a health scare during NFR led to a hospital stay where world-famous bull rider Tuff Hedeman refused to leave his side. It’s equal parts emotional, hilarious, and human.

Chad and Smitty also dive into the music world Smitty accidentally became part of—helping launch Southern Thread, outfitting artists before social media existed, and building friendships with names like Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Whiskey Myers, and others who grew out of the Texas and Red Dirt scenes. Smitty shares behind-the-scenes stories from Steamboat, Gruene Hall, Bootlegger’s, and the early days of countless bands before they blew up. It’s an unfiltered, nostalgic, and surprisingly inspiring look at friendship, music, mental health, and the unpredictable roads life takes when you say yes, show up, and treat people right. Subscribe and turn on notifications for more conversations like this.

In this episode, J. Chad Parker sits down with legendary former Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith. J.B.’s life story spans poverty in rural Arkansas, the dangers of naval service, and 36 unforgettable years as one of the most visible public figures in East Texas. J.B. takes us through his childhood marked by deep poverty, an abusive home, and the early instinct that he needed to escape. He talks about enlisting in the Navy at 17, serving on an aircraft carrier during Vietnam, and discovering structure and purpose for the first time. It’s a rare and candid look at the resilience that shaped him long before anyone in Texas knew his name.

J.B. shares how he arrived in Tyler by chance, joined the police department, and eventually won the sheriff’s race as the first Republican candidate since Reconstruction—running a grassroots campaign that redefined local politics. He opens up about the turbulence of the Smith County Justice era, false accusations, political enemies, and the intense pressure that came with being targeted by the Tyler Morning Telegraph and others. He talks about the investigations he endured, the lessons he learned, and how Judge William Wayne Justice reinstated him after a malicious prosecution.

The conversation also explores the lighter, unexpected chapters of J.B.’s life: his speaking career, his humor, his years doing forensic hypnosis, auctioneering, and the countless stories from decades in law enforcement—from undercover raids to nightclub inspections to the changing culture of policing over generations. As he reflects on legacy, family, faith, and the portrait now hanging in the sheriff’s office, J.B. offers a rare, unfiltered account of a life lived in public, a career built on instinct and grit, and a perspective shaped by hardship, humility, and an undiminished love for people. It’s an honest, wide-ranging conversation with one of Smith County’s most enduring figures. Subscribe and turn on notifications for more conversations like this.