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Cut & Paste: Famous St. Louis father and daughter beatboxers swap sounds and stories

Father-daughter beatboxers Nicole Paris and Ed Cage have fun posing for this photo on November 5, 2016.
Carolina Hidalgo | St. Louis Public Radio
Father-daughter beatboxers Nicole Paris and Ed Cage have fun posing for this photo.

Millions have marveled at the beatboxing contests between father-daughter duo Ed Cage and Nicole Paris. They’ve battled it out in numerous YouTube videos and TV appearances including “The Late Late Show” and “Steve Harvey Show.”

But did you know they live in St. Louis? And that their beatboxing (percussion sounds produced mainly by mouth)  is more often collaborative than competitive?

In our latest Cut & Paste podcast,  we talk with Cage and Paris — and pull in Paris’ mom for good measure — and listen as they burst into spontaneous acts of beatboxing.

Cut & Paste

Here’s some of what you’ll hear in the podcast:

  • Nicole Paris on her father questioning her unconventional beatboxing style: “It kind of threw me off because I’m like, ‘Daddy, you’re the one who told me that hip-hop is freedom of expression.’”
  • Ed Cage on how viewers are calling his daughter the winner in their YouTube matches: “I was hoping she’d surpass me. That’s the whole point.”
  • Theresa Cage on how her husband’s long working hours actually led to this father-daughter enterprise: “He had to find a way to connect with each one of our children. So, beatboxing happened to be for Nicole.”

Look for new Cut & Paste (#cutpastestl) podcasts every few weeks on our website. You can also view all previous podcasts focusing on a diverse collection of visual and performing artists, and subscribe to Cut & Paste through this link.

Follow Willis and Nancy on Twitter: @WillisRArnold and @NancyFowlerSTL

Please help St. Louis Public Radio find artists to feature on Cut & Paste. Tell us which artists and cultural themes deserve a closer look.

Nancy is a veteran journalist whose career spans television, radio, print and online media. Her passions include the arts and social justice, and she particularly delights in the stories of people living and working in that intersection.