Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Last week I told you about Rippin Rich — the $50 a night gig, The Underground Productions, Miami, and the Lizard Lounge.
Here's what happened next.
Back in Houston I reunited with Bobby Stark and Dave Townsend at their new club — Paragon. That's where I met Paul Cubby Bryant who was doing live remote broadcasts for KRBE.
Cubby got me into KRBE in 1993. Tom Poleman was already Program Director — he had transformed the station into the hottest Top 40 in Houston. He gave me a four hour prerecorded mixshow called The Beat on Saturday nights.
But Tom also changed my name. Rippin Rich was too 80s sounding. He renamed me DJ Rich.
DJ Rich followed me from Houston to Tommy Boy Records in 1995. Then to New York. Six months after joining Tommy Boy I got a call from Cubby — Tom and Cubby had left KRBE to program Z100 in New York. The biggest radio station in America.
They put me on Z100's mixshow — Planet Z. I was on the biggest radio station in America.
Then in 2000 the Clear Channel and Evergreen merger moved me from Z100 to 103.5 KTU — The Beat of New York.
Program Director Frankie Blue and APD Jeff Z called me into the office.
Jeff Z had actually come up with the name. But Frankie was the one who said it out loud and made it real.
"DJ Rich is too plain for New York City and New York radio. I'm going to make you The Riddler. And you are going to be a star."
I didn't choose the name. Someone else saw something in me and named it before I did.
When they put me on the air at KTU — DJ Riddler was born.
25 years later that name is still with me.
Three names. Three chapters. Same DJ.
I just had to keep showing up long enough for someone to see it.
Miss Part 1? Watch it here: [link to Part 1 YouTube video]
Subscribe for more music industry stories and live entertainment insights from DJ Riddler — Director of Entertainment at Warehouse Live Midtown Houston.
#djriddler #houston #newyork #z100 #ktu #krbe #tommyboy #djlife #musicindustry #howibecameadj #djriddlerborn #frankieblue #riddlersrevolution #djcareer #houstonentertainment #Shorts
Last week I told you about Rippin Rich — the $50 a night gig, The Underground Productions, Miami, and the Lizard Lounge.
Here's what happened next.
Back in Houston I reunited with Bobby Stark and Dave Townsend at their new club — Paragon. That's where I met Paul Cubby Bryant who was doing live remote broadcasts for KRBE.
Cubby got me into KRBE in 1993. Tom Poleman was already Program Director — he had transformed the station into the hottest Top 40 in Houston. He gave me a four hour prerecorded mixshow called The Beat on Saturday nights.
But Tom also changed my name. Rippin Rich was too 80s sounding. He renamed me DJ Rich.
DJ Rich followed me from Houston to Tommy Boy Records in 1995. Then to New York. Six months after joining Tommy Boy I got a call from Cubby — Tom and Cubby had left KRBE to program Z100 in New York. The biggest radio station in America.
They put me on Z100's mixshow — Planet Z. I was on the biggest radio station in America.
Then in 2000 the Clear Channel and Evergreen merger moved me from Z100 to 103.5 KTU — The Beat of New York.
Program Director Frankie Blue and APD Jeff Z called me into the office.
Jeff Z had actually come up with the name. But Frankie was the one who said it out loud and made it real.
"DJ Rich is too plain for New York City and New York radio. I'm going to make you The Riddler. And you are going to be a star."
I didn't choose the name. Someone else saw something in me and named it before I did.
When they put me on the air at KTU — DJ Riddler was born.
25 years later that name is still with me.
Three names. Three chapters. Same DJ.
I just had to keep showing up long enough for someone to see it.
Miss Part 1? Watch it here: [link to Part 1 YouTube video]
Subscribe for more music industry stories and live entertainment insights from DJ Riddler — Director of Entertainment at Warehouse Live Midtown Houston.
#djriddler #houston #newyork #z100 #ktu #krbe #tommyboy #djlife #musicindustry #howibecameadj #djriddlerborn #frankieblue #riddlersrevolution #djcareer #houstonentertainment #Shorts
