Who is Chuckie Online?
Chuckie Online (also known as Chuckie Lothian) is a DJ, podcaster and presenter from West London. He is known for co-founding HC Pod (formerly Halfcast Podcast) with Poet, presenting a number of YouTube shows for JD, Vice and for DJing – particularly as part of his R&B & Slow Jamz with Tazer Black and as host of the BBC 1Xtra R&B Show since February 2024.
Chuckie Online’s Media Career
HC Pod
Chuckie Online launched the Halfcast Podcast (later renamed HC Pod) in April 2015 with Poet. The podcast is seen as the impetus for a number of other fronted by Black British Londoners (especially ones adjacent to the music industry).
HC Pod episodes include discussions about current affairs in popular music, romantic relationships, wellness, politics, personal finance, coping with grief, intimacy and a range of other topics.
Each podcast episode is an informal chat with Chuckie (often also with Poet and later Savage Dan) along with a mix of common recurring guests and special appearances. Significant recordings include appearances from Ed Sheeran, Giggs and Wretch 32.
HC Pod is released in visual form on YouTube and is available on audio-focused platforms.
Chuckie Online’s Presenting Roles
Chuckie Online is known for presenting a number of shows that concern music in the UK and also elsewhere in the world. He has had one feature on TV while the rest are all found on a variety of YouTube channels. These productions include the following.
Gangsta Rap International
Since December 2019 Chuckie Online (credited as Chuckie Lothian) has hosted Gangsta Rap International, a show in which he travels the world to showcase ‘gangsta’ Rap talent in locations not typically known to American audiences for their Rap music. The series is featured on Vice TV and on the Noisey YouTube channel.
In the Duffle Bag
Chuckie Online is the host of JD’s In the Duffle Bag podcast, in which he interviews popular British musicians, prominent sporting personalities and well-known presenters. The series is featured on JD’s YouTube channel and launched in October 2019. He has interviewed Dizzee Rascal, Mo Gilligan and Usain Bolt on the show.
Champions League of Everything
Champions League of Everything is a show in which Chuckie chairs debates between Tazer Black, Margs, Lippy and Mimi the Music Blogger to rate and rank UK Rap music. The series is also featured on JD’s YouTube channel and has run since 2019.
Cheque Up
Chuckie hosts informal conversations with musicians about their lives and careers on Cheque Up. This series is featured on Chuckie’s own YouTube channel and has featured Aitch, Knucks and Hardy Caprio since its launch in April 2020.
Additional Roles
In addition to his more established shows, Chuckie has also served as presenter to some short-lived projects on prominent YouTube channels.
Jump Off TV Debates
In 2011 Chuckie served as a core panel member in the Jump Off TV debates, which discussed trending topics within the entertainment industry. Other panel members included Poet (who he met through the show), Jade Avia, DJ Snips, TeeF and LaLa. He remained a member of the core team until early 2015.
Real Talk with Chuckie Online
In January 2015, GRM Daily launched Real Talk with Chuckie show in which he spoke at length with Stormzy. A follow-uip was made with Jme in April. No follow up-s were recorded.
#BreakfastWithChuckie
In April 2016 Link Up TV revived a format they originally did with Julie Adenuga in 2014 and launched #BreakfastWithChuckie. The series only consisted with two episodes, in which Chuckie had informal, longform conversations with Jme and then Krept in the second episode.
Elephant in the Room
Elephant in the Room is a panel discussion show on Wall of Entertainment. Chuckie served as host for the show’s two episodes in December 2020 and January 2021.
Chuckie Online Meets…
In February 2021 Chuckie Online recorded a one-off Chuckie Online Meets… episode for Ellesse’s YouTube channel with Alfie Hewett.
Overtime
In November 2021 Mixtape Madness teamed up with NFL UK to launch an interview series featuring former NFL players Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell with Chuckie Online as its host. The series featured Miss LaFamilia, M1llionz, Krept & Konan, Rimzee, Hardy Caprio and Ghetts.
Chuckie Online’s Music Career
MC Chucky
As a teenager Chuckie was a part of a collective called Fatal Attraction as MC Chucky, alongside MC Carty and MC Cheeky. He had radio shows on Life FM, Flex FM, followed by Freeze FM in the early 2000s. Chucky’s Freeze FM show also featured fellow West London MC Nasty Jack (then known as NJ Fever) who went on to join N.A.S.T.Y. Crew years later.
As a Garage MC, Chucky performed at under 18s events in London before he was given the opportunity to perform at Garage Fever in 2001, where he MCed alongside Wiley (then part of Pay As You Go Cartel).
Chucky transitioned from Garage MC to focus on DJing as the Grime style became more prominent in the capital’s underground Black music scene in 2003, while he was pursuing a career within the music industry.
DJ Chuckie Online
Chuckie Online is an R&B specialist DJ and is known to incorporate Rap, Dancehall and a range of Black British music into his sets. He has been booked for shows around the UK, Europe and the Middle East. At one point he had a residency at NikeTown on Oxford Street, London in Central London.
Chuckie started DJing Dancehall music, before moving to Jungle and ultimately settling with R&B in the early 2000, where he used to play R&B on radio before Garage sets.
Between 2011 and 2014, Chuckie Online hosted a Power Hours show on BANG Radio, where he often conducted interviews with musicians such as Megaman, Manga, Cashtastic, Loick Essien and Bashy.
Chuckie Online was Angel’s tour DJ during the West London R&B artist’s rise to prominence and first album. In 2012, he DJed for Angel at the MOBO Awards.
In 2013 Chuckie was given the opportunity to record a pilot for Choice FM (when it was about to rebrand to Capital Xtra) but chose not to pursue the opportunity. Chuckie has appeared on BBC Radio 1Xtra multiple times and has had mixes featured on shows with Tim Westwood, DJ Target in 2013 and Mistajam in 2015.
In 2017 Chuckie and his long-time associate Benny Scars hosted the short-lived weekly Neighbourhood show on Radar Radio in which they interviewed music industry. Professionals including Fraser T. Smith, Darcus Beese and Glyn Aikins.
Chuckie Online’s Media Appearances
Chuckie Online has featured on a range of platforms. As well as YouTube, in 2017, Chuckie was invited to discuss the shift in UK music with Ralph Hardy on Twin B’s 1Xtra show. In December 2018, Chuckie was invited as a guest on The Receipts on 1Xtra to discuss relationships.
- TBC Podcast (2017)
- TimeLin3 (2018)
- Oré Olukoga (2018)
- Alex Manzi (2018)
- Talk Over Podcast (2019)
- Double Down Podcast (2020)
- DJ Dubl (2020)
- Off the Cuff (2021)
- 90s Baby Show (2021)
- RTM Podcast (2021)
- Citizen Game (2022)
- 90s Baby Show (2022)
Chuckie Online’s Personal Life
Chuckie Online is of Jamaican heritage and grew up the Shepard’s Bush area of west London. Chuckie’s father was a DJ and was a part of a prominent London soundsystem.
Chuckie has a younger brother who is more than 20 years younger than him.
On HC Pod and in interviews on other platforms Chuckie has implied that he briefly sold drugs for a period of time when he was out of work and striving towards a career in the music industry.
Chuckie’s stepdad Peter passed away in 2021 following chronic illness.
