What happens when the thing you struggle with most becomes the very thing that saves you? In this encore episode, host Lynn Hoffman sits down with Riley Smithson — the LA-based electronic and hip-hop producer known as Shrimpnose — for a raw, unforgettable conversation about music as medicine, identity, and transformation.

This Music Saved Me episode is a testament to the healing power of music.

Riley Smithson grew up navigating the world with a stutter, a condition that shaped how he moved through life, how he connected with others, and ultimately, how he found his voice — not through words, but through sound. He opens up about the profound emotional weight of feeling unheard and how producing music became a form of self-expression that language alone couldn’t offer. What emerged from that struggle is a sonic identity that is entirely his own: innovative, genre-blending, and deeply human.

In this episode, Riley Smithson and Lynn Hoffman explore the moment music shifted from a passion to a lifeline, the creative process behind his distinctive style, and why the healing power of music is never really about perfection — it’s about release.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of Shrimpnose’s work or hearing his music saved me story for the first time, this conversation is a powerful reminder that our greatest challenges can become our most defining gifts.