Where Bars Become Proof: Inside Trust’s LivingProof Radio

Sam “Trust” McLendon

Sam “Trust” McLendon grew up between two cultures of sound: the DMV’s underground energy and the global wave of freestyle platforms he watched online. Out of that mix came LivingProof Radio — his cypher-driven series where local rappers step up, no autotune, no crowd noise, no safety net, just bars and a beat.

LivingProof Radio is where artists prove they’re living proof of their talent. If you say you’re nice, Trust wants you on the mic to back it up. The platform is built around in-store cyphers, with rappers trading verses over carefully selected instrumentals — a setup inspired by UK platforms like Victory Lap and Balamii Booth and the early, more organic days of On The Radar.

The spark to actually start it came in a single blunt conversation. At the U.K.-based clothing brand, Corteiz pop-up, Trust pitched the idea of branching of Victory Lap in the States. Clint, the founder of Corteiz, instead of co-signing, shot back, "Why don’t you do it yourself?" 

That line stuck. Back home in Washington D.C., Trust started emailing and DM’ing shops, getting ignored or slow-walked, until two doors finally cracked open: The People’s Place and Street Commerce D.C. Two streetwear/clothing shops. From there, LivingProof Radio had physical homes — racks of clothes behind the mic, concrete floors under New Balances, the DMV’s sound bouncing off shop walls.

But this isn’t just a free-for-all open mic for whoever shows up. Trust is curating. Before he invites an artist, he digs into their catalog to find out if they are really saying something or just stacking filler over drill beats.

He wants storytelling, substance, and intention. He’s scrapped episodes rather than let someone look unprepared on camera. In the group chats he creates for each session, he’s pushing artists to send beats ahead of time, rehearse verses, treat the cypher like a stage, not a casual hang.

What most people don’t see is that Trust is also DJing and editing everything himself. He’s blending beats live during performances, matching BPMs and moods as artists rap, turning one verse into a seamless run across two instrumentals. After that, he’s at home cutting clips, formatting for TikTok and Instagram, giving each artist the kind of visual they’d never get on their own.

Long-term, he sees LivingProof Radio as a bridge-builder and, eventually, a launchpad — a DMV-rooted platform that can travel worldwide, unify Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., and someday work directly with major labels to pipeline talent. 

For now, it’s simple: a DJ, a camera, a shop, and a mic — giving overlooked artists a real shot at being seen and heard.