Weds August 12th, 2026 @ 8:00PM CT: Purple Bee is honored to host SiriusXM’s Shade45, alongside CHHK, for a live broadcast of The Punchline Academy — a night of raw talent from Austin’s hip-hop community, live on the air at 8PM. This show carries extra weight: it exists because our brother Big Mic — Mike Pereida — spent months pushing to make it happen, and it’s now become his tribute.

Big Mic has been part of the Purple Bee family since the earliest days. One of our very first events was an all-night jam and campout in his hometown of Goliad, TX — the night we first watched him step up and start flexing his lyrical skills, finding his voice as an artist. In the years since, he became one of our most frequent collaborators, on stage and off, repping CHHK — College of Hip Hop Knowledge, his own crew — every step of the way. His warm-hearted spirit and no-nonsense hustle set an example a lot of us are still trying to live up to. His fearlessness on the mic was the stuff of legend, and the humility he carried through the rest of his life was something beautiful to witness. The way he loved his friends and his family will always be an inspiration to this crew.

Mike passed away suddenly on August 10, at home during the night. The timing is almost unbearable: he was in the middle of building something special, a real platform for the Austin hip-hop scene he loved so much. So this show goes on, in his honor, because lifting up his homies and creating opportunity for this community was always his legacy.

From 8 to 10PM, tune in to SiriusXM Shade45 (channel 45 — on satellite, the SiriusXM app, or siriusxm.com) for The Punchline Academy: interview segments that break open into freestyles, Austin emcees taking their turns, plus a few special guest appearances.

Then, starting at 10PM, switch over to Purple Bee’s YouTube for the afterparty — co-presented by Purple Bee, CHHK, and Shade45 — a live memorial cypher and celebration for Big Mic, in the spirit of everything he stood for.

“I smile because I know I’m Blessed with favor & grace to live a meaningful life to enlighten others.” — Big Mic (Mike Pereida)

Join us in celebrating his life the way he’d have wanted: through music, community, and the Austin hip-hop scene he worked so hard to lift up.

How to watch:

8–10PM — SiriusXM Shade45, channel 45 (satellite radio, SiriusXM app, or siriusxm.com)
10–11:30PM — Switch to Purple Bee’s YouTube (primary) or Twitch for the afterparty & memorial