Music, Making Beats and Raising Ohana - The Life Story of Jim Hurdle | EP047

A producer with Southern bounce, a dad with Hawaiʻi roots, and a pipefitter who’s found purpose—Jim Hurtle shows up with the full arc. This episode is a reunion more than a formal interview: Tai and Kenji sit down with Jim to talk story about seasons—good and bad—and how the grind reshaped into a life that actually fits. We start with gratitude and the hard truth about missed time with his daughters. Jim owns it, then shows the path he’s walking now: memories over gear, trips over toys, presence over potential.

You’ll hear the Tiara Whack linkup (yes, the IG repost and the Republic show where she pulled the kids to the front), and how a moment like that becomes family lore. Jim traces the blueprint he learned from his mom—single parent, three jobs, 3 a.m. lunch breaks, Texas years, and a house that was “everybody’s house.” That’s why, even now, he makes sure the schedule lines up: pack lunches together, finish work by 3:30, dinner, stories, bed, weekends at hula and volleyball.

Then the left turn: HPD testing… and an unexpected letter inviting him into the Board of Water Supply pipefitter apprenticeship. He took the shot, ate the schooling (HCC + in-house), earned journeyman, and discovered the best perk wasn’t benefits—it was rhythm. Same hours as the family. Time, on purpose. And yes, there’s pride in work with stakes: everyone needs clean water. You only notice it when it’s gone during a main break—then it’s obvious how essential it is.

Musically, we trip back to the cyphers, the K Patch days, Big Mocks, Tropics, Don Ho’s—where confidence got forged and the catalog started. Jim breaks down why his beats hit: layered drums, purposeful sound selection, big bounce, big melody, everything meshing like it was meant to live together. We get the “Rolling Stoned” origin with Ke Aloha and the Ryan Miyamoto crew—the long-simmering guitar-lick beat, the hook that fell out of the air, the premiere, the scene flipping.

There’s a late-episode live breakdown too: drum layers, cadence first, then “the extras.” Tay and Jim freestyle over just the drums to prove the point. It’s not theory—it’s muscle memory and feel.

If you’re a parent, you’ll hear a mirror. If you’re an artist, you’ll hear your own tug-of-war between time and ambition. And if you’re just trying to pivot without losing yourself, Jim’s map is right here: gratitude, accountability, and a schedule that loves your people back.

TIMESTAMPS -
00:00:00 — Reunion energy & intro to Jim
00:01:58 — Ohana, music, and the grind
00:03:14 — Gratitude for the hard seasons
00:04:38 — Bad seasons, shared struggles
00:06:01 — Childhood pain & acceptance
00:07:56 — Regrets: missing early years
00:09:48 — Reframing: presence now
00:10:56 — Memories over gear
00:12:16 — Partnership: big ups to Kes
00:13:22 — Tiara Whack story
00:15:00 — Why sound hits the soul
00:19:36 — Mom’s blueprint & Texas years
00:24:14 — Giving even when broke
00:26:15 — Board of Water path
00:29:02 — Apprenticeship to journeyman
00:31:37 — Purpose: clean water matters
00:33:12 — Origin story: ciphers to DAWs
00:41:50 — “Rolling Stoned” backstory

Mahalo to Kula Gaughen from me and Kenji (@100badvideos) for coming on the podcast and blessing us with his energy and wisdom.

This is Episode 47 of The BrotherLee Time Podcast. Subscribe and share for more.

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