What does it take to go from Sprouts Farmers Market to Warner Records without losing your West Coast soul?

On this week's The Flava In Ya Ear — one of the 4 Pillars of Poise at The Hall Pass: Model Behavior — host Steven Hall breaks down AZ Chike's No Rest For The Wicked [Sept 18, 2026] track-by-track.

This isn't just an album review. It's a blueprint.

We trace Damaria Kayshawn Walker from South Central, saving up for his own rig in 2015, to "Burn Rubber Again" doing 25M on SoundCloud, to Rolling Loud, to Shoreline Mafia tours, to THAT verse on Kendrick's " Peekaboo." We unpack why Shazam compares him to 21 Savage, but fans coined a better term: BTA Rap / Belt-To-Ass Rap.

Inside the episode:

The History Lesson: Why we start with Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear" — Bad Boy's first Platinum hit, #9 Hot 100, and the 4th greatest hip-hop beat of all time per Rock The Bells. If you want a Hall Pass, be a student of the game.

The Movie Method: Steven watches albums like films. No Rest For The Wicked is a melting pot — part lyrical flex, part victory lap, part prayer. 14 scenes, 3 features [2x Tyler, The Creator + JMSN], one story: Grateful, grimy, and unforgivingly real.

Track-by-Track Gems You'll Hear:

• Mercy - A declaration before you leave the house over Psalm 91:7
• Lamb Truck Keys - Batman & Robin moves over Aniceto Molina's Cumbia Sampuesana
• Sky Rockets - Boom Bap drums, a 12-year-old with tattoos, and a mom who tackled her son while 8 months pregnant to save him from gunfire
• God's Favorite & Negative - The Keak Da Sneak flip and why "the phone work both ways"
• Need Your Love ft. JMSN & Look Like My Mama ft. Tyler - No hook, all Hip-Hop — the jovial flex of looking like your mama
• Packed Up [Steven's Fav] - "Niggas getting away with disrespect, calling it content"
• Uncomfortable Conversations & Rock Bottom - From giving mom 30K to hitting rock bottom watching Spy Kids with the lights off. Real come-up music.

Steven scores it an 8.5/10 for realism, lyricism, storytelling, and relatability — and connects it to his own come-up from odd jobs and restaurants to building his LLCs.

Whether you're a Model, DJ, Actor, or Entrepreneur — there's art to what you do. This episode gives you the language to talk about it.

Tap in & answer: What's your favorite track on No Rest For The Wicked? Did this project deliver how you expected? What can you learn from it?

New episodes every Wednesday.

Got an album you want reviewed next month? Want to share knowledge on The Hall Pass? Email: stevenm.hall@aol.com

#TheHallPass #ModelBehavior #AZChike #NoRestForTheWicked #TylerTheCreator #WestCoastHipHop #DMV #HipHopPodcast #AlbumReview #BTARap #HamptonUniversity

This is your honest monthly check-in. Not motivation fluff — a real audit.

INSIDE THIS EPISODE:

Health: I didn't touch the gym this month and I'm telling you straight up. I stayed on a light diet / intermittent fasting — fruit for breakfast, Drizzilicious or whatever the office had for lunch, and literal whatever for dinner. But work WAS the workout: 1,841 to 14,197 steps on weekdays, 2,858 to 14,426 on weekends. I'm breaking down how I'm moving from $129/mo F45 to $99/mo ClassPass for HIIT, Pilates, Yoga, and recovery, plus the 2 water habits my dentist actually shamed me into starting.

Discipline & Mindset: Discipline isn't punishment — it's games you design to win. I give you 2 of my water challenges: the Gallon Canteen boss battle vs. the 2-bottles-per-meal system. And I get real about mindset — talking with my best friend Susie about feeling like I do "the most" vs. not doing enough, why you HAVE to be delusional about your dream, and why you can't dialogue with everybody.

Money Moves: Quick visual check — I'm dropping an illustration for Prime Day, Black Friday, and Christmas gift prep. Q4 is already here. Are you shopping or are you planning?

[10-MINUTE DJ BREAK] — Mid-episode, I battle myself. A mock DJ Battle rendition you can only get here. If you want the full mixes, tap my Mixcloud for exclusives.

Relationships: What makes a real friendship? If you do something and it doesn't make your parents' face twist from cringe, are y'all really friends? Let's talk about Susie and the circle you keep.

Career Pivots & Unlearning: How do you pivot without starting over? This month alone: a wedding, Fashion Week rehearsal, Hampton Homecoming with a DJ opportunity, performing at Fredericksburg Fashion Week in a baseball stadium, a Halloween trip to see Susie, and my first festival/rave in Orlando with friends. Plus, unlearning — letting go of the trip-prep, insurance, and decision-making rules our parents instilled in us.

Spiritual Check: I'm on Day 119 of 180 of reading the Whole Bible in 6 Months on the Bible app — currently in Esther, Psalms, and Romans. Second time reading it cover to cover. Link in the bio/description if you want to join The Odyssey and add me as a friend.

Question for you: How are you auditing your physical, mental, and spiritual health — and are you auditing the health of the people around you?

Drop a comment, I will chop it up with you. Got a story, tip, or trick? If you're a model, DJ, actor, or entrepreneur with game to share, email me: stevenm.hall@aol.com

Join me on the Bible App - https://www.bible.com/users/stevenmhall904

Patreon for Q&A and community, Mixcloud for exclusive mixes. New episodes every Wednesday.

You earned your Hall Pass for this week. Be on your way — but no running in the Halls.

This week on The Hall Pass: Model Behavior - it's a VIBE CHECK.

It's the 5th week of the month, so we're breaking the syllabus. No interview. No panel. Just pure sound, image, and culture — live.

Your host Steven Hall — Hampton University '20, B.S. Music Recording Technology & Voice, Chesapeake Beach x Jacksonville — is putting the 4 Pillars of Poise to the test: The Odyssey, The Flava In Ya Ear, The Culture, and The Circle.

If you understand those four, you get your Hall Pass for the industry. If you don't, this episode will put you on game.

IN THIS WEDNESDAY DROP:

I'm performing 6 original cuts back-to-back from my artist catalog scUba — the same records you can spin right now on Apple Music, Spotify, and all platforms:

Gideon / No Games / Pretty Little Savage / Write U A Song / B.A.M. / Ratchet Thomas

Then we keep it moving with a 10-minute DJ Break to let you sit in the sound, study the texture, and decide — what kind of vibe are YOU rocking with today?

This is for the DMV. For the 18-34 creatives who know that being a Model, DJ, Actor, or Entrepreneur IS artistry. We talk about how culture and image drive sound, and how sound drives culture and image right back. Educational, not gatekeep-y.

You'll learn:

• How to use The 4 Pillars of Poise to move from talented to booked
• How live performance is styling — from vocal tone to fit to presence
• Why your sound needs an image and your image needs a sound to survive in Hip-Hop/R&B right now

If this is your first time running the halls — welcome. We drop every Wednesday. If you want to be spotlighted, share knowledge, tips, and tricks for the next generation of style-driven artists, send flowers while you can: stevenm.hall@aol.com

Tap in, take notes, and let's get lit. Class is in session.