A Blessing in Disguise
It was on January 20, 2024, when journalist Carrie “Noni Juice” Mahone and media personality Benjamin “Ben Jammin” Hooks first hit Milwaukee airwaves with their show Jammin With Juice, from noon to 1 p.m. on 101.7 The Truth. By May of this year, the segment was moved to a morning slot and increased to two hours from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Together, Mahone and Hooks have achieved great heights, including interviewing Vice President Kamala Harris and regularly earning the #1 or #2 spot on the station. Hooks said their segment also brought in the most advertisement dollars. The two discussed pop culture, trending topics, and local news, all while putting a light-hearted comedic spin on it.
Even with great accomplishments, Jammin With Juice was taken off the air for reasons not publicly known. Some would see this as the end of something great, but Mahone and Hooks decided to take things into their own hands. It should be noted that both Mahone and Hooks are grateful for their time at The Truth.
After being off air for three months, Jammin With Juice is back and is independently owned by Mahone and Hooks. The first episode under their full leadership took place on November 10, 2025.
“You have to believe in yourself…we might try to talk ourselves out of it…but you truly have to believe in yourself like nobody will,” said Mahone.
It took them just two weeks to decide that they weren’t giving up. From there, they put a plan together on what it would take to keep Jammin With Juice alive. At the time, they hadn’t realized just yet how much community they had. Collectively, their village showed up from Mahone’s aunt providing a space, to family laying floors and painting, to fans supporting them as they embark on their independent journey as new business owners.
“I’m seeing how much further we can go with our show,” said Hooks.
Jammin With Juice is livestreamed on YouTube Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. CST.
Friends and Co-Hosts
Not all co-hosts are actually friends in real life, but Mahone and Hooks are. Before working together, the two first crossed paths around 2018 or 2019, when Mahone frequently visited the local radio station V100.7 to help local celebrity radio personality Reggie Brown. Hooks was working for the radio station at that time, and Mahone laughingly admits she didn’t like Hooks at first. She couldn’t figure out why he was so loud and didn’t necessarily care for the things he posted online. As the two separately continued to build their careers in media, their paths would cross again on January 18, 2021.
It was both of their first day as producers for The Truth. From then on, their relationship as coworkers and friends has grown into a strong bond. They even created a team mantra: “Hired together. Fired together. Jammin With Juice for life.”
“But me and Juice…we don’t just work together, we’re legitimately friends,” said Hooks. “I think that makes everything that much easier.”
Jammin With Juice is still in its early stages, and Mahone said this is when the real work begins.
Nyesha Stone founded Carvd N Stone in 2017 to cover positive news while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Stone has a B.A. in Journalism. She has raised over $30,000 to award grants and scholarships. She has also been featured in ESSENCE and worked with the American Black Film Festival.
