MNN Diaries: Jason Gomez

Today we’re thrilled to introduce our new monthly blog series, “MNN Diaries,” a collection of written-form Q&As with an assortment of talented producers and hosts. The deal: We give each subject the same five questions; they answer them—in writing—however they please. We’re aiming for personal, thoughtful and introspective, so expect tales of triumph, stories of woe, jokes, gripes and more. Altogether, you’ll get the story of MNN: the lives that shape our programming, the lives affected by it.

First up, Jason Gomez, producer and host of "Freak It Wit Da Fellaz," a popular weekly talk show about music and sports. One of MNN’s longest-running shows, “Freak It” debuted in 1995, when Jason was only 15 years old. The show went from being just a fun project for Jason and some high school buddies to a major presence in the music world, scoring interviews with big names like Alicia Keys, Diddy and Nelly. Transformative, to say the least (Jason is now a recording artist himself!).

Here’s Jason:

What led you to MNN?

In ’93, my mom & I had moved to a bigger place on the Upper West Side. The biggest perk for me is that I finally got my own room, and because my mom did not want me messing with her programs, I was able to get my own TV as well. This was a huge deal for me, and clearly I didn’t know how to act because I would be up super late channel-surfing, regardless of how ridiculous the show. One night I stumbled upon MNN and was instantly fascinated. I saw regular people, of all ages and races, displaying their half-hour creations in New York City. NEW YORK CITY! That’s still mind-blowing. Being the overly confident teenager I was at the time, I figured I could do this. I got some of my high school friends together (I was only a freshman at the time), pitched the proposal to them (as if we had anything else better to do) and shot our first show. I use the term “show” loosely, as it involved us sitting on my couch for 30 minutes straight, no edits or different angles, talking about sports and music. But what evolved from it ended up changing my life.

What have you learned—about the craft, about yourself—while creating a TV show at MNN?

I used to watch TV one-dimensionally. The show would start, it would end, and that’s that. It didn’t take me long after completing my own show to appreciate all the hard work that goes into these programs. The shooting, the acting, the editing… it’s an intricate and sometimes grueling process. In terms of myself, I learned about hard work and discipline when it comes to running a successful show. As soon as class ended, I was running from record label to record label picking up videos so I could be the first one to break them, then jetting to MNN for post-production. I didn’t mind it at all, though. In fact, I loved it. And the feedback I would get some the audience made it all worth it.

How would you like your show to impact your audience?

I always viewed my show as an escape. People work or go to school, many deal with long days and commutes, and the stress from those daily events doesn’t even add up to tragedies that we deal with sometimes on a national, international and personal level. At the end of the day, all I really wanted to do was entertain people. If my show ended and people felt better than they did half-hour ago, then my mission was accomplished. Since my show focused on music, mostly hip-hop, I also took great pride in breaking artists and exposing them to my viewers. I wanted to give my audience an alternative to MTV and BET. My show represented something more uncut, more raw. I’ve had artists come on that you would never see on those stations, and in many cases, some that didn’t appear on those stations until after they appeared on local shows like mine. That’s major.

How has MNN changed your life, present and future?

I never take for granted the role that MNN has played in my life. I was only 15 years old when my first show aired. The show went from me & my boys sitting on my couch talking nonsense to interviewing stars like Alicia Keys & Lil Wayne. I was able to meet Biggie and attend his “Life After Death” advance listening session a month before he passed. I was able to interview Shaquille O’Neal as a high school senior and have him sign my yearbook. I was able to meet an up and coming Puerto Rican MC that few people had heard about named Big Pun before he dropped his debut classic and becoming one of the best to ever do it. These are some of the best memories of my life. I was so addicted to the show that even though I went to school upstate in Syracuse, I still managed to come down to the city once a month so I could edit some new shows. To this day, I still get stopped in the street by viewers who want to show me love. I am still able to have this amazing platform where, for half an hour, I am able to reach people in the best city in the world. None of this happens without MNN.

On a more personal note, when I wanted to learn to edit, I registered for a class at MNN and was taught by Celeste Victoria, who was a staff member at the time. For some reason, the other people in the class had flaked so it was literally just me and her. She was confident she could teach me this class in half the time and she did. Her motivation and belief in me was a big part of what pushed me to keep the show going and making it as big as I could. Out of all the great memories I’ve been able to have through my show, meeting Celeste is tops on the list. Unfortunately, Celeste passed on 9/11. I hope that I am doing a good job in honoring her in every episode that I do.

In three words, why do you love the work you do at MNN?

It represents me.

Catch “Freak It Wit Da Fellaz” Fridays at 11pm on MNN4 and MNN.org. Follow Jason on Twitter and YouTube, check out his music on MySpace and take a look at his blog, "Que York City."