▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁or ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁to ▁Edward ▁We iden feld , ▁a ▁Washington ▁DC ▁lawyer , ▁and ▁She ila ▁R abb ▁We iden feld , ▁former ▁press ▁secretary ▁to ▁First ▁Lady ▁Betty ▁Ford . ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Ge or get own ▁and ▁attended ▁Ge or get own ▁Day ▁School . ▁While ▁there , ▁he ▁par lay ed ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁rap ▁into ▁assign ments ▁writing ▁up ▁inter views ▁for ▁little - known ▁popular ▁culture ▁mag az ines ▁and ▁websites . ▁He ▁started ▁the ▁alternative ▁magazine ▁While ▁You ▁W ere ▁S leep ing ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁and ▁review ed ▁music ▁for ▁mag az ines ▁Se vent een ▁and ▁Te en ▁Vog ue . ▁At ▁Columbia ▁University , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁liberal ▁arts ▁major . ▁He ▁intern ed ▁at ▁the ▁Pent agon . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁he ▁arranged ▁to ▁interview ▁Mike ▁L azzo , ▁a ▁senior ▁executive ▁at ▁Atlanta ' s ▁Cart oon ▁Network ▁for ▁an ▁in - depth ▁piece ▁( int ended ▁for ▁Es quire ▁magazine , ▁but ▁never ▁published ) ▁about ▁the ▁network ' s ▁Ad ult ▁Sw im ▁block ▁of ▁programming . ▁The ▁two ▁got ▁along ▁well . ▁L azzo ▁wasn ' t ▁familiar ▁with ▁We iden feld ' s ▁sat ir ical ▁While ▁You ▁W ere ▁S leep ing , ▁but ▁his ▁staff ▁was . ▁Part ly ▁on ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁that , ▁L azzo ▁offered ▁him ▁a ▁job ▁as ▁director ▁of