Dad Bod Rap Pod

T3 and Young RJ of Slum Village join us this week to talk about their new album F.U.N, their extensive history, their Detroit MC Mount Rushmore, and much more. Along the way we dive into the mythology of them rhyming to a click track early in their career, the musical fullness of the new record, and modern day roller skating jams.

In the banter segments, we talk about the new LL Cool J song produced by Q-Tip, which winds into a long digression about Tip's musical legacy and who may be hip-hop's version of Stevie Wonder, should such such a thing exist. We also get into the ideal grown man short length, beach activities, and the first of what is sure to be many breakdancing competitions at the Olympics. We also spend some time talking about dreadlock etiquette, cooking shows, and of course plug our Patreon, which you can find at www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod

DBRP is mixed by Taylor Weng. Theme song by Cutso & DEM ONE. Produced by Demone Carter. Brought to you by Stony Island Audio.

*Note: This episode originally dropped on June 18th, 2020*

This week we have a rangy interview with billy woods and Elucid, the members of group Armand Hammer, whose new record Shrines is among the year's best. They provide insight into the album's origins, artwork, and their trusted circle of collaborators among many other topics. In the second segment the fellas discuss the best rap records of the year so far, a check-in on the state of the art as we reach the halfway point of this chaotic but increasingly inspiring year. Beats for this week's show were submitted by Controller 7 and we thank him for the contributions. Our theme song is composed by DJ Albert Jenkins.

It's a tale of two halves on Dad Bod Rap Pod this week. In the intro segment we take a look back at The Fugees' first album Blunted on Reality, released 30 years ago in the thick of one of hip-hop's best overall years, 1994. For now, let's charitably call it an uneven debut from a group still finding its voice. Please click play on the episode to hear a lot more of our thoughts. This album is full of baffling decisions, yelling, and very few cool moments. After the break, hosts Nate LeBlanc, Demone Carter and David Ma turn our frowns upside down and discuss some of our favorite underground hip-hop releases of 2024 thus far, kind of a halfway through the year check in. We have nuanced takes on and praise for Heems' album LAFANDAR, Mach-Hommy's brilliant RICHAXXHATIAN, and Schoolboy Q's occasionally floaty Blue Lips.

If you're reading this please consider supporting DBRP by joining our Patreon, where for a few dollars a month you get exclusive access to a steady stream of bonus audio segments, eclectic and well-researched playlists, as well as tons of music recommendations from us as well as our community of homies.

www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod

DBRP is mixed by Taylor Weng, produced by Demone Carter, explained via theme song by Cutso and DEM ONE, has art by Dewey Saunders, is booked by David Ma, contains the high pitched and extra loud laughter of Nate LeBlanc, and is heard via the mighty Stony Island Audio podcast network.

You wanna see a dead body? All you need to do is listen to this week's guest, one of hip-hop's most unique MCs, Brotha Lynch Hung. Hailing from the under-discussed rap bastion of Sacramento, California, Lynch is the creator of his own unique brand of horror-centric rap music, which he calls Ripgut. Lynch's music is extremely popular in the Bay Area where we grew up, and while we may not be everyday listeners to the music, we certainly respect his consistency, hustle, and vivid writing style. For those unfamiliar with Lynch's output, be warned, it can be extremely graphic and maybe even a somewhat disturbing for the uninitiated. That said, we respect the fact that BLH has created his own musical universe, self-producing and releasing many of his landmark albums. This is one of our most unique interviews to date, and a must-hear for fans of Lynch's horror movie-inspired art.

Speaking of horror films, that is the topic for this week's intro segment, as DBRP hosts Demone Carter, Nate LeBlanc and David Ma discuss their takes on the ubiquitous genre, from formative experiences as kids, to a predilection for psychological thrillers nowadays. In the outro, we dig deeper into the so-called "horrorcore" hip-hop subgenre, a style that is often discussed but one that no prominent artists seem to self-apply to their music. Along the way we touch on such artists as Viper, ICP, Esham, and a few others you may not be expecting us old head classical rap fans to mention.

DBRP is mixed by Taylor Weng. Theme song by Cutso and DEM ONE. Brought to you by the letter 'S' which stands for Stony Island Audio, a gut-rippingly good podcast network.

There are few people who have contributed as much to hip-hop culture and received as little recognition as our guest this week, Breakbeat Lou. He was born in the Bronx, steeped in hip-hop culture from the moment it was created, and eventually went on to develop a record series called Octopus Breaks. That series morphed into the mighty Ultimate Breaks & Beats, a hugely formative series for DJs, Producers, and listeners to familiarize themselves with the canonical breaks, or open drum parts, on which hip-hop is built. Lou has some great memories to share, including stories about the legend Scott La Roc, Afrika Islam's role in break record history, and more recent tales about touring with Sous of Mischief. For true fans of hip-hop culture, this interview is not to be missed.

In the intro segment, DBRP hosts Demone Carter and Nate LeBlanc (David Ma is on assignment this week) discuss breakbeats and break culture. As an MC, Demone has been tracking down and trying to unlock the secrets of the breaks for decades. LeBlanc has an extensive record collection that includes some of the holy grail break records, though he is conflicted about hoarding them when perhaps they could be better used by someone who actually, you know, makes beats.

DBRP is mixed by Taylor Weng. DBRP has a theme song produced by Cutso and rapped by our very own DEM ONE. DBRP guests are booked by David Ma. DBRP is produced by Demone Carter. Most if not all of the puns on the show are provided by Nate LeBlanc. We are down with Stony Island Audio, the finest hip-hop podcast network in all the land.

This week we are going to the movies... actually we're discussing rap portrayals in the movies, a somewhat fraught subject. We were inspired to think about rap on the silver screen by our guest, Marv Won. Among other accolades, Marv was famously part of the movie 8 Mile. We enjoyed our conversation with this Detroit battle rap mainstay who recently signed with Mello Music Group and has a new album entitled "I'm Fine, Thanks For Asking. " One of the highlights of our chat was Mar's lightning-quick assembly of his all-time Detroit MC Mount Rushmore. In the intro segment, DBRP hosts David Ma, Demone Carter and Nate LeBlanc riff about rap movies, verisimilitude, decrepit warehouses, strange bedfellows, and much much more.

Big thanks to our theme song composer Cutso.

DBRP is mixed by Taylor Weng.

Dad Bod Rap Pod is probably the 4th or 5th most popular podcast on the Stony Island Audio network.

"you can tell that the East Bay was his home." 

Spice One doesn't have the wealth and accolades that some of his West Coast contemporaries like E-40, Too Short, and Snoop have, but he has maintained every bit of his respect in the rap game for over 30 years. The Hayward, California rapper came to prominence in the early nineties, pioneering a dark new gangster arch type that is still mimicked today. Tune in to hear him talk about rolling with Tupac, almost being cast in a major motion picture, and why he is still going so hard in 2024. 

The Dad Bod Rap Pod is a production of the Stony Island Audio Podcast Network. Shout out to the honorable Open Mike Eagle. The theme song was created by DEM ONE and DJ CUTSO. Taylor Weng is on the mix (c'mon, kick it!) 

So it's come to this... A Dad Bod Rap Pod mailbag episode. We are celebrating our 300th episode by fielding questions from some people we respect. Show hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc are extremely grateful to have met and interacted with so many talented and cool people over the past few years and we reached out to a few of them to send in some open-ended questions about hip-hop music and culture. Underground rap luminaries such as rappers Open Mike Eagle, Illogic, Rob Sonic, and Fat Tony, as well as producers Blockhead, Roper Williams, Cutso, and Maker, as well as comedian and top tier podcast guest across genres Josh Gondelman provided some funny, insightful and in some cases rather odd opportunities for us to bring you the nuanced rap discussion we have been working on for the last few hundred recording sessions. For this special episode we are also layering in some extremely humbling voice messages from a colorful cast of characters who were kind enough to call in and tell us what they like about the show. We were blown away to receive entries from such great artists as Daedelus, Prem Rock, SKECH185, and Tajai from Souls of Mischief, among others.

We would like to thank everyone who has ever listened to this program, everyone who's ever told a friend about us, everyone that's ever written us a check, all of the folks behind the scenes who help us out every week, all of the people who gave us advice over the years, especially in the beginning, and all of our past contributors, whether they were interview subjects, contributed music, or just interacted with us online. This has been one hell of a ride and we are very grateful to hip-hop itself, especially the underground scene that birthed us and has taught us so much about life and provided us with so many great opportunities. We love making this show and contributing in a small way to the culture that we have been obsessed with our entire lives. It's an honor and a privilege to get these takes off and to examine this amazing music, and while we're not planning on stopping anytime soon, we are in a reflective mood since we reached a round number in the episode run.

Huge shouts out to Cutso and DEM ONE for our theme song, Taylor Weng for the audio adjustments, OME and the entire Stony Island massive for providing us a home. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.

If you like what you hear and would like to support the show directly please visit patreon.com/dadbodrappod for hundreds of hours of exclusive podcasts, playlists, discussion, and more.

Chuck Strangers has been making noise from the Pro Era to the current era. Originally known primarily as a producer, Chuck is also nice on the mic and has released several acclaimed solo albums. Today he joins Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc to discuss his most recent album, A Forsaken Lover's Plea. It's more fun than it sounds. We discuss his Brooklyn rap Mt. Rushmore, the absurdity of modern vinyl culture, his friendship with underground man of mystery Ka, and the importance of honesty in writing and delivering raps. In the intro segment, your hosts roll up for a magical mystery tour. That's right, we spend the segment talking about hip-hop's undisputed drug of choice, the mostly legal but slightly controversial marijuana. We often ask our guests whether they prefer indica or sativa, and we begin there before talking about the haphazard nature of national legalization, and how music and weed have intertwined in our lives.

Our theme song is spoken in a syncopated rhythmic manner by DEM ONE and the sounds were arranged in a slightly different rhythmic grid by our dear friend Cutso.

The podcast itself was mixed by Taylor Weng.

The podcast is available everywhere through access provided by Stony Island Audio, a super dope group of independent hip-hop commentators and practitioners to be associated with.

Who does't like a good spin-off?

Last season we piloted a first of its kind (we think) podcast that deals with the precarious intersection between Rap music and sex/relationships.It's called Talk Like Sex. This week DBRP host DEM ONE and full time producer part time sex therapist Blockhead have a wide ranging conversation about music and the age old question "To Eat Or Not To Eat" They answer questions from fans and relate about their own experiences as men of a certain age. Special guest contributor Steph Roars also gets on the mic to give a female perspective.

I guess we should mention this isn't safe for work but what good podcast is? anyway....enjoy responsibly and JOIN OUR PATREON.....Patreon.com/dadbodrappod

This week we are taking our talents into the sporting realm. DBRP hosts Nate LeBlanc, Demone Carter and David Ma are joined for an interesting conversation with DJ D-Sharp, a Bay Area stalwart who has new music out now. However, he also has a "day job" as the in-arena DJ for the Golden State Warriors, the best basketball team in the world. We discuss his history as an in-demand tour DJ for many prominent acts including a long stint with one of our favorites, Blackalicious. We enjoyed chatting with D about his prominent DJ gigs, including playing for President Obama multiple times, as well as his front row seat to history as the man behind the wheels for so many major sports moments. Our hosts discuss "jock jams" aka the music that is played in arenas and stadiums all over the world, as well as some takes on what has been an odd Warriors season so far.

Our theme song is produced by Cutso and rapped by DEM ONE.

DBRP is mixed by Taylor Weng.

Stony Island Audio is the home for hip-hop storytelling, please make sure to check out the other shows on the network.

Cavalier is a little bit of a mysterious figure in the modern rap ecosystem. He was raised in Brooklyn, now located in New Orleans, with significant time spent in Oakland along the way. He has worked extensively with DBRP fave Quelle Chris, collaborating on 2023's excellent Black Cottonwood album. We have been wanting to speak to Cav since 2018's Private Stock was released, which we consider to be one of the strongest albums of the modern era. He will have the chance to top that shortly, when his next opus, Different Type Time is released on the mighty Backwoodz Studioz. We spoke to Cavalier about his life and music, his innate sense of style, and his collaborators in a lively and interesting conversation. DBRP hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc also take some time to debate the best albums of the year so far, with special attention paid to Schoolboy Q's divisive Blue Lips and Roc Marciano's exciting return to form Marciology among others.

Theme song production and moral support by Cutso.

Mixing (turning down the laughing) by Taylor Weng.

Podcast infrastructure provided by Stony Island Audio.

Now that we've been around for a number of years, we've had the chance to interact with rappers and producers at various stages of their careers. Sometimes we catch people on the ascent, still forging their legacy, and sometimes we speak to legends whose time influencing the culture is likely behind them. And sometimes, we engage with early-career artists right as they begin to level up and make a name for themselves to a wider audience. We have seen this happen with friends of the program like Defcee and Fatboi Sharif, and this week we have a conversation with rapper NAHreally and producer The Expert, who feel like they are on the verge of a similar breakthrough. They are promoting their new collaborative album Blip! out now on Rucksack Records. For NAH, this is his first release on vinyl, his first foray into securing features from other indie artists he admires, and just a lot of firsts in general. For producer The Expert, this is the latest in a line of collab albums, including recent tomes with Stik Figa and Jermicide, where he has consistently displayed a knack for psych-tinged knocking beats. In the bookending segments, DBRP hosts David Ma and Nate LeBlanc (Demone Carter is on assignment his week) discuss new music, an upcoming book project they are both working on, and the concept of "Regular Guy Rap" and what makes an artist relatable in the modern world of hip-hop.

This episode was mixed by Taylor Weng.

Theme song by Cutso and DEM ONE. Announcements by Don Newkirk.

Dad Bod Rap Pod is brought to you by Stony Island Audio. Any rebroadcast, retransmission, or account of this podcast, without the express written consent of Open Mike Eagle, is prohibited.

Dad Bod Rap Pod is experiencing a little bit of redemption this week. A few years ago, right around the time we were starting to interview guests on the show, we had scheduled a chat with a newcomer to the underground rap scene, a cat who rapped equally well in English and Spanish, with an impressive vocabulary and a deft hand with storytelling raps. That dude was Crimeapple, and we were huge fans of his Perfect EP series. We got on the line, but only for a few minutes, when his phone died and we couldn't re-connect. That attempt at an interview has loomed large in our internal mythology as "one that got away." Well, we're happy to say that circumstances have brought us back together, as Crime joins us for a full length chat alongside returning guest Preservation to discuss their first (but likely not last!) collaborative album El Leon. We dig into the album's inception, dissect a few tracks, and discuss the potential pitfalls of traveling in Crime's ancestral home of Colombia. Pres drops knowledge on sampling sounds from the Latin diaspora and a few moments of serendipity that emerged in the making of this special project. DBRP hosts David Ma, Demone Carter and Nate LeBlanc spend the intro segment discussing the state of the recording industry, asking ourselves if it matters whether or not MCs record in the same physical space with their producers.

Big shouts to the homie Cutso for producing our theme song (rapped by Demone) and for being the Plug 4 of the DBRP Cinematic Universe.

This episode was mixed by Taylor Weng and we appreciate her helping us sound a lot better.

DBRP is a rap music podcast that focuses on nuanced conversation, and as such it has a home on Open Mike Eagle's Stony Island Audio podcast network. Anything else would be uncivilized.

We here at Dad Bod Rap Pod like nothing more than when an established artist takes a big swing, and makes an ambitious record outside of their comfort zone. That is certainly the circumstance that our guests this week find themselves in. For their first collaborative project, entitled Temple Needs Water Village Needs Peace, Memphis rapper Lukah and LA-based producer Real Bad Man have cooked up a compelling exploration of history and myth. The album, out March 29th, with some exclusive snippets debuting here, exists in its own unique sonic landscape, and Lukah brings his storytelling prowess to the forefront. We're excited about this swerve in direction from two artists we have interviewed before and whose work we admire. We also spend a few minutes with RBM breaking down last year's Serpent album with Kool Keith, an unexpected late-career triumph for the artist formerly known as Rhythm X. In the intro segment, hosts Nate LeBlanc, David Ma and Demone Carter name some of their favorite one MC + one producer albums and after the interview, we get into some of our least favorite of those kind of projects, something we talk about about often but don't usually record.

Our theme song was produced by the homie Cutso and rapped by DEM ONE.

This episode was mixed by Taylor Weng.

DBRP is a palm tree on Stony Island, the single best hip-hop related audio platform to ever exist.

This week's Dad Bod Rap Pod episode revolves around the under-discussed golden era rap group X Clan and contains an insightful interview with the group's leader, Brother J. The Grand Verbalizer is a contemporary of groups like The Jungle Brothers but has had a different career path, as he has balanced music-making with deeply involved community work for decades. In the intro segment DBRP hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc reflect on their fandom of X Clan and Brother J's later project Dark Sun Riders. Next up we have a slightly-longer-than usual interview where Brother J gives us a Funkin' Lesson on his approach, his rhyme style, his time providing security for public speakers, and what he has been up to lately.

Our theme song is rapped by DEM ONE over a beat by friend of the program Cutso.

This episode was edited by Taylor Weng and we appreciate her assistance.

DBRP is brought to you by Open Mike Eagle's podcast network, Stony island Audio.

Many times we have had guests that we consider to be proverbial brothers, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time we have interviewed literal siblings. Of course we're referring to Brooklyn's finest, the production duo of DJ Evil Dee and Mr. Walt, collectively known as Da Beatminerz. This was a great conversation, as the hilarious, gregarious brothers have been involved in so many classic hip-hop moments and releases. We get deep on Soundbombing, Smif N Wessun, the division of labor among the crew, and much much more.

DBRP hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc list their favorite Beatminerz beats (kind of a tough choice when there are so many great ones to choose from) and discuss various other hip-hop sibling groups and family bands.

This podcast is only one of the fine programs available due to the largess of the Stony Island Audio network.

It's quite rare for us to be able to talk to a true pioneer in the rap game, especially one so vital and engaged as the legendary Schoolly D. We were able to get some time with the literal father of gangster rap to talk about his self-drawn album art, his influence on the genre, his work in TV, his diet, and so much more. DBRP hosts David Ma, Nate LeBlanc and Demone Carter have been longtime fans of Schoolly's work and have referenced his seminal tracks (and the Edan song "Schoolly D Knew The Time") many times throughout our few hundred episodes, so it was surreal to actually speak with him. He was full of energy, unsurprisingly ribald, and a deep well of knowledge on the fundamentals of rap. Overall, a great interview.

In the intro segment we discuss tattoo etiquette, commitment phobia, the infantilization of NBA coaches, and the terror of the wrestling unit in middle school P.E. class.

Our theme song was produced by Cutso and rapped by DEM ONE (Demone's rap guise)

Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio network

Dad Bod Rap Pod is back after our brief winter break. This week we have a great interview with returning guest Bruiser Wolf. Since bursting onto the scene as part of Danny Brown's Bruiser Brigade a few years ago, Wolf has carved out a unique lane for himself with a lilting, melodic flow comprised of off kilter couplets and observational wordplay that can skew either funny, enlightening, or devastating. His last record, Dope Game Stupid, is a cult classic and a favorite of ours, something we often find ourselves re-listening to. Now Bruiser is back, stepping his game up with the new LP My Story Got Stories. Featuring production from Raphy, Harry Fraud and others, this outing sees Wolf expanding his sonic palette while doubling down on his storytelling chops, his delightfully off the wall rhyme schemes, and his relatable tales of Detroit street life. This is a really fun episode, as DBRP hosts Demone Carter, Nate LeBlanc and David Ma share a palpable excitement to be back recording together. We catch up on what we have been up to since we last spoke, as well as the non sequitur pop culture breakdowns you have come to expect. Big shouts as always to Stony Island Audio, the hip-hop podcast network with shows you can actually listen to.

It's not the heat its the dust....

This is it y'all. Part 2 of the DBRP 50 year-end extravagangsta. The last episode of 2023! This week the bros dissect the Top 25 songs that make up the whole DBRP vibe. Thanks to all those who rocked with us this year. The three bad brothers you know so well are gonna take a break and return February 2024.Cheers!

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

With this being the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and all the bros figured it was time to put together a Top 50 list of some sort. In lieu of talking about the same amazing but over-discussed rap songs/albums they thought it would be cool to list the top 50 songs that make up the DBRP aesthetic. Because 6th years in Dad Bod Rap Pod has become a staple podcast with fans of a certain age and sensibility. This part one of two part jammy jam. Happy 50th to Hip Hop and long live Dad Bod Rap Pod!

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

but when it come to nights like this....

To conclude the 93' Retro series the bros talk about arguably the most perfect rap album of all-time A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders. Coming off the commercial and artistic triumph that was Low End Theory many wondered if Tribe could raise the bar yet again. Nate, Dave, and DEM talk about their favorite joints from this nocturnal masterpiece. In a year where rap music delivered several classic album Midnight Marauders still stands alone.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

This is a dedication to you wack emcees......

Del's second album, No Need For Alarm, was a departure of sorts from his debut LP, I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Eschewing the Ice Cube/George Clinton funk aesthetic, Del went deep into his backpack and pulled a record for the ages. The head of the Hiero Voltron launched a full-scale attack on inferior rappers over raw no-nonsense beats. This week, the bros reflect fondly on an album that lives in their collective DNA. 

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

As you reflect on gratitude, colonialism, and cranberry sauce enjoy this Patreon Freeview of Nate Le Blanc's radio show Fly Sporadic. Our Patreon subscribers know that Nate drops these themed (or non themed) music mixes every so often. Just one the perks of membership when you join the Dad Bod Rap Pod Patreon. You can get Fly Sporadic, Demone's playlist series DEM'S GEM's, special podcast segments (like our Wu Tang post game), and much, much, much.

Patreon.com/dadbodrappod ($5 a month is nothing to a boss)

We are thankful for YALL!

Outkast is perhaps Hip Hop's closest corollary to the Beatles. Their musical journey, commercial success, and geographic origins (the south got something to say) make them a one-of-one rap group. On this week's episode the bros take a walk down memory lane and dissect Outkast's 25 year old classic album Aquemini. Joining the dad bods on the b side of the episode is Fat Tony who shares how this album was huge influence on his artistic development.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

It might blow up but it won't go 🎈

For this week's edition of the 1993 Retro Series the bros reflect fondly on De La Soul's 3rd album Buhloone Mindstate. By this point in time De La may have been at the height of their powers. They crafted a masterpiece and reinvented themselves yet again. Nate, Dave, and DEM revel in this classic album and as a special bonus Blockhead hops on to talk about what Buhloone means to him. Blockhead's new album "The Aux" drop November 17th via Backwoodz.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Time to Enter The 7th Chamber:

In last weeks episode the four man wrecking crew (Nate, Dave, DEM, and DJ Cutso) talked about when the Tao of the WU first found them and their favorite tracks off of this classic album. This week they delve into the best three song runs from the album and consider this blasphemous question: are their skippable tracks on the album?? Tune in for all the high jinx.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Wu Tang Aint Nuthin' to Fuck It!

Have a song ever had truer title!? 30 years after its release Wu Tang Clan's Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) remains a musical achievement without parallel. The 9 man rap cartel ripped a hole in the fabric of Hip Hop space-time and delivered a masterpiece. Eschewing the polished rap sound for something more guttural and dangerous. In this episode Nate, Dave, DEM, and special guest DJ Cutso talk about when they first heard the Wu Tang and their favorite jams off the album. Part 1 of a two part WU banger.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

If you weren't outside then, it's difficult to comprehend how highly anticipated Snoop Dog's first album was. In the era before the internet, the buzz surrounding Doggystyle could have powered a major metropolitan area. The Dr. Dre industrial complex had already delivered The Chronic a year earlier, so there was a notion that with rookie of the year from Long Beach in tow, Doggystyle would be one for the ages. Now, with 30 years of hindsight, we ask the following question: Is this a timeless record or a record of its time? 

Rather be co-dependent than co-defendants....

Armand Hammer's ascent to critical acclaim has neatly paralleled with the existence of this podcast. There is no causation of course but it has been fun to watch woods and E L U C I D's come up in real time. We have also had the privilege of talking to both artists during our 5+ year run. On this special mini-episode of DBRP the bros share their takes on Armand Hammer's new album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Don't front you know we got ya open!

Hopefully yall have been enjoying or 1993 retro series thus far. This week we examine Black Moon's album Enta Da Stage. Buckshot Shorty, 5 FT, and Evil Dee combined to create a dark and gritty album that spawned a visual aesthetic (two strap backpacks) and a sound that is still relevant today (lo-fi beats that you can study to) Was this a timeless album or an album of its time? The bros are joined by author Adam Mansbach and rapper Defcee to parse through this question and talk about their new record The Golem of Brooklyn Original Soundtracks (and the accompanying novel).

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

It starts as an Eastern European food guide and ends with a shocking prophecy!

It's episode 2 of Talk Like Sex. The podcast where two forty-something Hip Hop heads ponder horny questions and dispense advice on intimate relations. In this edition of TLS, DEM, and Blockhead reflect on the institution of marriage, the fool's errand that is double dating, and where sex rap will go next. As a special bonus, a snippet of the Blockhead joint "The Cella Dwellas Knew" featuring Quelle Chris is tucked in there.

Talk Like Sex ain't for everybody. Only the sexy people.

Freestyle Fellowship is not a rap group.

They are a cohort of rap gods who descended from the mountains so that we might know the electric potential of rhyme. Inner City Griots, FF's second album, is a complex and challenging record that did not easily fit in any of the sub-genre boxes of its day. With 30 years of hindsight the bros take a look back Griots and ask the questions of all questions: Is this a timeless album or an album of its time?

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

From 93 till, indeed.

Extra P said "don't say the years" but in 1993 Souls of Mischief called their own shot and proclaimed their 1993 debut album to be forever and thirty years later they still aint wrong. In this installment of the Dad Bod Rap Pod '93 Retro the bros dissect the album '93 Till Infinity and pose the question of all questions-Is this a timeless record or a record of its time?

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Return of The Boom Bap means just that....

By the time 1993 rolled around KRS One was already a Hip Hop elder statesman. On Return of The Boom Bap the Blastmaster looks back over his career, wages verbal war on police, and makes a case for still being #1. But how has this album aged? Is it a timeless classic or an album of its time? Nate and Demone debate all of the above on the newest installment of our 1993 retrospective series.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Released 30 years ago this August, The Alkaholics 21 and Over LP is a testament to dope beats, clever bars, and drunken debauchery. After a stand out cameo on King-Tees “I Got it Bad” Rappers J-Ro and Tash and producer E-Swift combined like a good mix drink on this debut album which features the singles Make Room and Likwit. Tash joins the bros to talk about how this record came into being and how he feels about the album 30 years later. Is this a timeless classic or a dope record of its time? Find out on the Dad Bod Rap Pod Retrospective:Tha Alkaholics-21 and Over.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

A cup of pie?

With a side of pickles?

We caught up with Open Mike Eagle as he bounces around the country on his tour with the band AJJ. He talked us about his new album Another Triumph of Ghetto Engineering, his favorite gas station foods, and where he ranks among the great Mike's in rap music history. Get the low down on this new masterpiece a day before it drops!

During the intro segment Dem plays a little hero ball and gives his takes on 6 albums from Q3 2023.

Tracks featured in this episode:

1. Love Infringement-Kool Keith
2. Everybody Good-Black Milk
3. 10 MAC 11's-TREE
4. Earvin Magic Johnson-Nas
5. Black People Always Pass The Vibe Check-Chris Crack
6. Therapy-Homeboy Sandman
7. BET's Rap City-Open Mike Eagle feat. Young Zee
8. I bled on stage at first ave-Open Mike Eagle

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

As I am sure you know Hip Hop mythical birthday was August 11th 2023 and we celebrated in grand style.

San Jose Jazzfest is San Jose's premier music happening and in commmeration of Hip Hop's 50th B-Day the good folks at SJZ curated a HIP HOP 50 stage featuring breakdancing, popping/locking, turf dancing, and a headline performance by MURS! The south bay media darlings otherwise known as the Dad Bod Rap Pod were tapped to interview the Living Legend MURS in advance of his set. The LA rapper was sharp as a tack and legit hilarious as he talked about retirement, why the government should be run like indie rap, and what Hip Hop means to him. Your humble hosts were outside for real podcasting from huge stage in the middle of the street on a beautiful San Jose evening.

Hope your Hip Hop birthday weekend was sufficiently lit!

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Happy Born Day Hip Hop!

How do we celebrate the culture that has given us so much over the past 50 years? By sharing two interview with true Hip Hop pioneers.

Over our 250+ episode run we have had the privilege of talking with many Hip Hop legends none more important than Roxanne Shante and Easy AD (of the Cold Crush Brothers). Despite being a global cultural and economic phenomenon, Hip Hop is still criminally under-documented (especially the era before people were making shit tons of money off rap music). That's why we are proud to present this week's episode which features excerpts from DBRP Classic interviews with two true Hip Hop pioneers.

In the first segment, we flash back to our Roxanne Shante interview from 2018 as she prepared for the release of her Netflix biopic. She described her incredible ascent to the top of the rap world and her struggles with misogyny in Hip Hop. Part two of this birthday bash features an excerpt from an interview we did with Cold Crush Brother Easy AD. He touches on the park jam era and whether the Cold Crush has been properly celebrated for their contributions to the culture. Hip Hop has been very very good to us. Here's to 50 more years!

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

What f*ck is this?

Fair question. Remember Season 3 of Atlanta when they started throwing in these curveball episodes that were completely off-plot (but still within the universe of the show)? Yeah, it's kind of like that. As I am want to do, I was lurking Blockhead's twitter feed. Watching a master work. The man who had the stones to challenge the existence of blue balls on twitter was enthralling and enraging followers with his takes on the "friend zone". I of course had to get my two cents in and and an off-hand joke about doing a hip hop version of the sex advice show Love Lines (iykyk) turned into the pilot episode you are about to hear.

Blockhead in addition to being a world renowned producer is a funny ass dude with IDEAS about how you should live your love life. For my part I'm a gen x divorcee podcaster guy. I'd like to think I have learned some things that could useful to others (probably not). So we sat down and spent roughly 50 minutes talking about the aforementioned "friend zone", relationship histories, and how to get your partner to listen to more Godfather Dom.

This was originally run as a segment on our patreon which you should most definitely join.

Another Stony Island Audio SURE SHOT!

-DEM

DEM Photo by L. Herrada-Rios

According to legendary A&R Dante Ross there are two kinds of Hip Hop nerds, cool ones like us and....actually I forgot what he said after that I was too busy patting myself on the back.

This was just one of the many gems dropped by Dante at his Son of The City book talk at Aemoba Records Berkeley on Saturday, July 8th. The former scrub/current author has been touring the country and chatting with hip hop luminaries like Just Blaze, B-Real, and Open Mike Eagle at each stop. How we got the call for the Bay Area leg of the tour I do not know but we definitely showed up and showed out.

The three bad brothers that you know so well gathered around a small table with Dante and special guest Del The Funkee Homosapien to talk about Dante's stellar career and the state of hip hop generally. It was super dope conversation and we got it all on tape. Enjoy!

ALSO BUY SON OF THE CITY IT IS AWESOME BOOK!

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

It's been a long time!

We back on our grind. This week we have a dope interview with the collaborative emcee/producer combo Video Dave and Controller 7. Folks who listen regularly know that Dave and C7 are among our favorite humans. That's why it was great to chat with them about their new album ArticulatedTextiles (out now on Fake Four).The record is a wonderful blend of heartfelt observations and clever beat-scapes evoking Native Tongues feels.

During the intro segment the bros talk about their unexpectedly cool summer.

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Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Author, funk drummer, and respected hip-hop figure J-Zone joined back in 2019 to drop knowledge about the rap industry and promote his new Red Bull Music Academy series Give The Drummer Some, where he interviews and plays with legendary drummers. We are really happy with how this one turned out.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

First the Fat Boys break up....

The Fat Boys are one of those rap groups from the 80's that sometimes get mistakenly branded as a novelty or gimmick act. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Fat Boys were among the first wave of stellar rap crews to barnstorm the nation and bring the street poetry of New York to middle America. Central to the Fat Boys success was rapper/producer Prince Markie Dee.

After the Fat Boys disbanded Markie Dee went on to have an incredible production career crafting hip hop flavored R&B joints for J-Lo, Mariah Carey, and Mary J. Blige (you have perhaps heard the song Real Love yeah?) He also had a couple of slept on solo projects in the 90s.

Back in 2018 he was kind enough to hop on the phone with the dad bods and talk about the wildness of the Freshfest Tours, having a 3 movie deal with Warner Bros, and being signed by industry titan Tommy Mottola. Prince Markie Dee tragically passed in 2021. We present this interview to honor his memory and musical legacy.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

What we're gonna do right here is go back....way back...back into time.

By now you have probably noticed we took a few unannounced weeks of summer vacation. Shout out to everyone who reached out to inquire what in the actual fuck. We good, just taking a summer breather after releasing 50+ episodes a year for 5+ years (yes I'm flexin). No worries, we'll be back in July with mo hot shit.

This week we wanted to bump this episode from the back end of our catalog. Episode 59 (and honestly it should have episode 69 considering the guest) our conversation with Akinyele. The Ak ha ha gave us a call from a Miami strip club and talked about Live at the BBQ, working with a young Nas, dealing with industry fuckery, and running for Mayor of Miami. With his seminal release Vagina Diner about to turn 30 we thought it was the perfect time to share this convo with one of raps raunchiest.

In the carbon dated intro a young(er) Nate, Dave, and Demone talk about De La Soul's skirmishes with Tommy Boy over streaming.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ CutsoIt's

Enjoy

Radio...suckas never play me.

If you weren't born in the 70s/80s I think it's hard to understand the importance radio stations once held. In a world before the internet radio was the primary way we learned about and consumed new music. In that paradigm the radio DJ held a sacred place. The old school disc jockey was curator, taste maker, and gatekeeper all rolled into one. Luckily the the Dad Bods came of age in a time and place where the benevolent radio DJ Chuy Gomez presided over Hip Hop radio. For more than 20 years Chuy was the voice that brought us Hip Hop over the airwaves. He also held it down (and continues to hold it down) on TV as well as the host the California Music Channel.

The bros were fortunate to get some of Chuy's time and nerd out about the bay area radio of yesteryear.

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Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso.

On this week's episode of Dad Bod Rap Pod your humble hosts talk to underground rap veteran Mr. Lif. This Boston bred emcee rose to prominence in the early 2000's and has worked with some of rap's most brilliant minds including El-P and Edan.

In this wide ranging interview Lif talks about his rap origin story, getting encouragement from guru, almost leaving the rap game, and his newest business venture. During the intro Demone talks about his recent trip to Brooklyn and ruminates with Nate about whether BK is the center of the indy rap universe.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso.

Joints used in this episode

1. Unbeautiful- Oh No
2. History- Thievery Corporation feat Mr. Lif
3. Luna Thee Impressionist- Mint Beats
4. Making Planets-Edan feat Mr. Lif

Return guest Kenny Segal, one of the most influential and prolific producers in underground hip-hop, joins Dave and Nate to break down his marvelous new album Maps, a collaboration with the best rapper in the world billy woods. Maps is the follow up to 2019's Hiding Places, an album we hold in the highest esteem, so it was great to be able to talk to Kenny about the differences between the two projects. He also enlightens us on the stories behind some of theguest appearances on Maps, including a Danny Brown verse that must be heard to be believed. Big thanks are due as always to the team at Stony Island Audio, the home for hip-hop storytelling.

Who doesn't love a good listicle?

The great Nate Le Blanc once said that arguing is the 6th element of Hip Hop and what generates more arguments than a Rolling Stone list of the top 100 West Coast rap songs. On this week's episode the three bad brothers you know so well audit the Rolling Stone list and break down the defining characteristics of West Coast rap.

The guest for episode 267 is producer Jel from Anticon. Jel talks to Nate, Dave, and Demone about the Anitcon origin story, how he got started as a producer, and the slew of new projects he is set to release.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Joints used in this episode

1. Zen Approach (Remix Instrumental)-Jel
2. God Thinks Funny Haha-Jel
3. Know You Don't-Jel
4. Mixtapes (81st Street Subliminal Remix)

Naw, you aint trippin'

We do have an abiding curiosity about all things Chicago rap. It is for these reasons we were geeked to have the multi-faceted Alexander Fruchter (like hookter) join us for a proper nerd out. Alexander has moved deftly between the roles of DJ, writer, and label head for many yes. His Closed Sessions imprint is the artistic home for several aritsts we dig (Defcee, Kipp Stone, Boathouse). In this interview Alexander talks about the origin of Closed Sessions, meeting Defcee, and his new dinner/conversation series Legends.

During the into Nate and Demone wax nostalgic about the best albums of the pandemic (cause that's over now right?).

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Joints used in this episode

1.Poppy Seed Buns-DJ Rude One feat Wiki

2.Norville Rodgers-Conducter Williams

3.Popovich Offense-Defcee feat Mick Jenkins

It's like quibble jam but not quite....

This year is flying by! Can y'all believe we are already at the quarter poll of 2023. The pandemic is over (supposedly) but the rap virus continues to spread. There were so many releases no sane person could keep up with them all. But no worries, the dad bods are not regular. They listened to a ton of rap releases in the first months of the year and they gather this week to share their findings.

What were the stand out releases, biggest surprises, and bitter disappointments? Tune in to find out.

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Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso.

Interstitial beats for this episode were produced by Deep Search Collective

Joints used in this episode

1. Noise Pollution-Taumie
2. Loading-Conductor Williams
3. She Could-Phiik & Lungs/Lonesword

Shingo2 is a Japanese born, American bred rapper, producer, and DJ. After moving from Yokohama, Japan to Northern Cali Shingo2 cut his teeth in the vibrant hip hop coalescing around UC Berkeley in 1993.

Shingo2 was a member of the experimental Hip Hop group Terracotta Troupe and has collaborated with several prominent producers including Nujabes, Fat Jon, and Substantial. Shingo2's music has also been featured in several popular anime series, including "Samurai Champloo" and "The Eccentric Family."

Nate, Dave, and Demone talk to Shingo2 about his humble beginnings, rapping in two languages, and helping to bring west coast underground rap to Japan.

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Joints used in this episode

1. Luv (Sic) rmx-Nujabees feat Nujabees
2. Ecydsis-Terracota Troupe

It's simple mathematics!

We all know that Wu-Tang Clan aint nuthin to fuck with but in 2023 its important to note that the Wu-Tang Brand is also unfuckwittable. The "W" logo has become almost ubiquitous, there is a Wu TV show, and, Method Man seems poised to become a full blown acting sex symbol. But all this greatness had to start somewhere right? On this week's episode of Dad Bod Rap Pod your humble hosts David Ma, Nate Le Blanc, and Demone Carter talk to DJ Mathematics, who in addition to producing and DJing for the Clan was also the person who designed the iconic Wu logo. In this interview you will hear the story behind the logos' creation and what Mathematics has learned from his friend and mentor the RZA.

During the funky intro, the bros talk about their all-time favorite Wu Tang beats (spoiler alert: there is a good deal of overlap). Listen all the way to the end of the episode to hear what novels the dad bods are currently reading.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Joints used in this episode

Side A

1. Maxine (RMX)-Ghostface Killah featuring Raekwon
2. Mighty Healthy-Ghostface Killah

Side B

1. Wu Banga (RMX)-GZA, Ghostface Killah, Cappadona, Masta Killa
2. King Toast Queen-U God, Cappadona, Buddha Bless

Meaty Ogre is a self-described "midwestern" guy. The Rockford, IL born and Chicago-based producer made a name producing for underground cult heroes like Galapagos 4. His style is precise as it is dusty with samples being chopped and flipped in innovative ways. On this weeks episode Meaty Ogre talks to your humble hosts about his new project Escape From Grenades, coming up in Rockford, and his work as head of the eclectic indy label Potions.

On the intro segment Nate, Dave, and Demone talk about two new releases-Kool Keith's Serpent and Navy Blue's Ways of Knowing. During the outro the dad bods talk about their weekend hanging with the legendary Prince Paul!

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Joints used in this episode

1. Waiting For Itzuri-Meaty Ogre
2. Teach Em-Meaty Ogre -
3. Simply Red- Meaty Ogre
4. Glass Ceiling-Meaty Ogre

Kid Koala is a Canadian turntablist, DJ, producer, and graphic novelist. He has released hella solo albums, collaborated with artists such as Deltron 3030 and Dan The Automator and some group called Gorillaz. He is renowned for his other worldly turntable techniques, blending diverse musical genres and creating surreal soundscapes. His latest project Creatures of The Late Afternoon is a multimedia adventure that comes with its own board game. 

On this week’s episode Nate, Dave, Demone talk to Koala about the origin of his name, touring with Hip Hop legends, and how his music ended up on the big screen. On the B-Side of the interview Nate and Demone talk about the interesting sub-genres lurking at the intersection of rap and electronic music. 

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

Joints used in this episode

Side A

1. Kid Koala - Once Upon a Time in the Northeast
2. Kid Koala - Skanky Panky

Side B

1. Kid Koala - Basin Street Blues

2.Kid Koala - Emperors Main Course

Few groups have combined lyrical prowess and hit making abilities like Naughty By Nature. They had a string of genre defining hits over the course of the 1990's including joints like Uptown Anthem, Hip Hop Hooray, and Feel Me Flow. Selling an ridiculous amount of records did not water down their approach to music though. Vinny and Treach took rapid fire deliver to high levels of rap music inspiring a generation of rappers including this kid from Detroit name Eminem.

Nate and Dave had the opportunity to check in with New Jersey rap royalty Vin Rock, who recounted the groups humble beginnings, there connection to Queen Latifah, and what's next for the rap dynasty that ruled the 90s.

On the A-side your hosts put their best foot forward as they discuss the intricacies of male grooming. On the B-side learn more about some upcoming live events featuring the Dad Bod conglomerate.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Theme song was produced by the homie DJ Cutso

His life is like a folklore legend.

MF DOOM was both man and myth. In era where we know way too much about the rappers we love Daniel Dumile was able to stay shrouded in mystery up until the very end of his life. So how do you tell the story of one of Hip Hop's most enigmatic artists and his masterwork Madvilliany? Writer Will Hagle was grappling with this question as he sought to write a book about the project for the vaunted 33 1/3 series. His approach to breaking down Madvillnay may take some by surprise. The three bad brothers you know so well Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate Le Blanc talk to Will about his approach to writing this book and all the mysteries that unraveled and re-ravaled along the way.

Of course the Dad Bods take time to luxuriate in the genius of Madvilliany as an album as well. On the B-side of this weeks episode your humble hosts take a little more time to reflect on De La Soul's return to streaming platforms and make a big announcement about an upcoming live event with one De La's key collaborators.

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It's difficult to overstate the impact De La Soul has had on this podcast. Simply stated De Le raised us. The three brothers from Long Island and their left of center aesthetic helped shaped who we are as rap fans and human beings. Our original artwork was a homage to their second album De La Soul is Dead. We got the late great Don Newkirk, who voiced the skits on 3ft High and Rising, to be a part of our intro. Our first guest on the podcast was legendary producer Prince Paul who played a huge role in the first three De La Soul albums. All of this to say De La is a part of us. So of course we were devastated to hear Trugoy's recent passing. Dave's death coming right as De La's music comes to streaming feel particularly cruel.

On this week's episode we do our best to honor the legacy of Plug 2 and give new listeners a guide to De La Soul's first four albums. How do the Dad Bods rate each of these masterworks? How have the albums aged? These questions and many more will be answered during this special episode. That in an of itself would be one hell of an episode but we were also fortunate to get De La Soul's first A&R Dante Ross to join us and talk about the early days of the group and who Dove was as a person.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

p.s. shout out to the DJ Cutso for producing a new beefier theme song!

RIP TRUGOY

RIP DON NEWKIRK

Rap contains multitudes.

There about as many flows as there are variations of the human voice. Skech 185 comes from the ruff, rugged, and raw end of the vocal spectrum. His flow is ferocious, off-kilter, and densely packed with metaphors and meaning. Skech's latest release on Backwoodz, He Left Nothing For The Swim Back, is as frenzied and manic as the album title suggests. Dave and Demone talk to the Chicago native about his origin story, evolution of his craft, and his windy city rap Mount Rushmore. During the intro segment your host talk about hanging at with Open Mike Eagle and Video Dave during their recent SF tour stop.

On the B-side the three bad brothers that you know so well talk about their favorite non-Armand Hammer Backwoodz Releases. It's a barrel of laughs in a tank of hot takes floating down a river of lava. It's the Dad Bod Rap Pod!

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joint used in this episode

Side A

1. He Left Nothing For The Swim Back-Skech 185
2. Eastside Summer-Skech 185

Side B

1. Jay Street-Skech 185
2. Western Automatic Music-Skech 185

The glory days of this podcast have coincided with a global pandemic and as such recording the show via zoom has become the order of the day, It's a great way to connect with interesting people across town and across the globe for sure. All that said there is nothing like face to face interaction. This week we got a live in-real-life interview with one of our favorite humans, Nappy Nina. This is her third apperance on the pod and we definitely consider ourselves boosters of everything she does.

Nate and Demone gathered in Dem's living room to talk to Nina about her new album Mourning Due, potential retirement, and being buried alive in the Sahara (true story). Good times were had by all! This interview is not to be missed.

During the Side A intro segment we mourn the sudden and tragic passing of Dave aka Plug 2 aka Trugoy from De La Soul. Given what De La means to us this passing was absolutely devastating. We do our best to process grief and uplift Dave's legacy.

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Side A

1. Trying People-De La Soul.
2. Scuffle-Nappy Nina

Side B

1. Tucked In-Nappy Nina
2. Itzsiweezee-De La Soul

The modern indy rap hustle is about quantity as much quality. This week's guest AJ Suede has mastered the art of being prolific without comprising the integrity of his product. Since 2015 the Suede God has put out over 30 projects and has shown no signs of slowing down. Nate and Demone had the opportunity to chop it up with the Seattle by way of East Harlem rapper about his creative process, growing up in a hip hop household and the Star Wars prequels.

On Side A of this weeks episode Nate and Demone ruminate on the NBA All-Star weekend, trade deadline, and the endearing mania of Draymond Green. On Side B your two Scorpio host get mad astrological. Break out your birth charts and your ball shorts! Dad Bod Rap Pod action its fantastic!

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints used in this episode

Side A

1. DBRP Theme (Midnight Run RMX)-DJ Cutso
2. Black Mesa Incident-AJ Suede
3. Vox Machina-AJ Suede

Side B

1. 5 x 10-AJ Suede
2. Mount Saint Helen-AJ Suede

Armageddon been in effect go get a late pass!

In orders of sonic magnitude there is no bigger rap album than Public Enemy's 1988 masterpiece It Takes A Nation Of Millions. This genre shattering classic is about to turn 35 (holy shit!). In celebration of this milestone Nate Le Blanc, David Ma, Demone Carter, and guest Jason Woodbury (of the Aquarium Drunkard podcast) come together to dissect what makes It Take A Nation so brilliant.

That would be robust episode in and of itself but wait there's more?!? Nate and Demone had the privilege of talking to Public Enemy co-founder, producer, and Bomb Squad detonation specialist Hank Shocklee. He was part of huge sea change in rap production and has went on to have an impressive career scoring and doing sound design for many films you know and love.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

More game than parker brothers.....

Sean Kantrowitz is a man of many talents. He is a whole ass musician who has worked with some of the most ginormous names in the music industry (DR.DRE??). He is super tight with Questlove and has even provided input for some of the music intros on the Jimmy Fallon Show. But his most recent project has put him in the interesting position of being hip hop's preeminent quizmaster. After piloting a Hip Hop trivia night (which evolved into a online show) called The Questions with his cousin DJ Steve 1nder, Sean has reached uncharted heights for a real hip hop head, his trivia game has just hit the streets thanks to Penguin Random house publishing. Sean was kind enough to join Nate and Demone for a conversation about gamifying hip hop and much more.

During the funky intro Nate and Demone talk about the board games they played growing up. On the B-side Nate attempts to stump Demone with trivia queries from the Questions Hip Hop Trivia game.

"Dodododo it's the audio daily double!"

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Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joint used in this episode

Side A

1. Game Recognize Game-JT The Bigga Figga
2. The Questions-Common feat Mos Def

Side B

1. Game Theory-The Roots
2. This Is How We Do-The Game feat 50 Cent

DJ is loaded term these days. The advent of new technology has allowed a broader array of people to claim the title DJ when in actuality many are just AI assisted music curators. DJ, producer, and scratch samurai D-Styles is cut from a different cloth.

After honing his craft in the fertile crescent that was the Bay Area DJ scene of the 90's D-Styles has perfected and innovated the art of scratching. He has won international DJ competitions with the Invisibl Skratch Piklz and the Word Famous Beat Junkies but he is more musician than anything. Over the past 20+ years he has quietly amassed a healthy production catalogue including everything from ground breaking works of turntablism (peep 2002's Phantazmagorea album) to making beats for undergrounds stalwarts like Jihad The Roughneck and ascendant vangaurd-ian R.A.P. Ferreira. His immense talent is juxtaposed by his intense humility and everyday vibes.

On the A side of the episode your humble host Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate Leblanc talk about their bachelor pad horror stories and there favorite scratch choruses. On side B there is robust discussion about struggle meals and proper bachelor pad etiquette. This episode is a must listen for all DJ's and the people who love them.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team, please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints featured in this episode

Side A:

1. DBRP Theme- DJ Cutso feat. DEM ONE
2. John Wayne On Acid- D-Styles
3. Rhymes Like A Scientist-Third Sight

Side B:

1. In My Own World (Check The Method)-Common
2. D-Styles IDA 2018 Showcase (clip)

It's been a long time....

Two and a half weeks to be exact, but we are back! Hope y'all had a safe and pleasant holiday break. Your favorite rap nerds have reconvened for Season 6 of the Dad Bod Rap Pod and we are starting on a good note with episode 251. Side A of this episode starts with the original kings of content David Ma, Demone Carter, and Nate Le Blanc talking about their New Year's Eve debauchery/resolutions. Then, the bros welcome Brooklyn-bred rapper AKAI SOLO to the program. Spirit Roaming, AKAI's latest release on the venerable Backwoodz Studioz label was described by Pitchfork as "impassioned soliloquies and elaborate sample arrangements, rendered with impressive precision."

In this interview, AKAI breaks down how Spirit Roaming came into to being and the guidance he received from billy woods during the process. He also talks about his approach to rap, friendships, and life generally. Disclaimer: the zoom was glitching in spots during this interview, but it's still really good.

On Side B, the Dad Bods discuss their favorite hangover cures which run the gamut from weed to egg Mcmufins. A good time was had by all. Hope you enjoy. If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team, please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints featured in this episode

Side A:

1. Jyu Viole Grace (instrumental)-AKAI SOLO
2. Marine Snow-AKAI SOLO
3. Fresh Squeezed-Squires

Side B:

1. Fire In The Hole-Earl Sweatshirt
2. Quick Realignment-Jeff Markey
3. Thunderball-Lungs/Lonesword feat. Phiik

You ever meet a person for the first time and they seem like one of the homies?

We had a chance to virtually chill with author and Bay Area Hip Hop head Hua Hsu. His bylines include The Atlantic, Slate, The Wire and The New Yorker. His new book Stay True: A Memoir, is out now via Doubleday Publishing. We talked to him about his writing career and what is was like when he was was cutting his teeth in Berkley's hip hop scene of the mid nineties. Given Hua is from our neck of the universe we spent some time talking about our mutual stomping grounds as well. Episode 250! A cherry on top of season 5.

Suge LeBlanc is giving us a couple of weeks off so have a happy and safe holiday. We will be back with new episodes mid January.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joint used in this episode

1. Range Day-Sleep Sinatra & Ohbliv featuring Obijuan
2. Trippin Instrumental-Zion I
3. Passion Fruit-Illogic

DOUBLE QUIBBLE!

In part two of Quibble Jam your humble host Nate LeBlanc, David Ma, and Demone Carter talk about the best rap records of 2022. The imaginary awards dispensed in this episode include Best album, Best song, rookie of the year and much more!

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints used in this episode

1. Fire Sky-Preservation
2. Iron Horse-Rob Cave & Dallas Penn (prod by Small Professor)
3. Come My Way-Saba featuring Krayzie Bone
4. Death of a Constable-Brian Ennals and Infinity Knives
5. Hunger Games-YL
6. Wharves-billy woods
7. Sometimes-Black Thought & Dangermouse
8. Ours-R.A.P Ferreira
9. Rossi-Defcee featuring Armand Hammer

LETS GET READY TO QUIBBLE!

I think it was the great Nate Le Blanc who once said arguing is the 6th element of Hip Hop. It's in this spirit that we present Quibble Jam 2022 our annual breakdown of the year in rap. On part one of the Quibs Nate, Dave, and Demone vigorously debate about the best instrumental albums, best album cover, best non rap album and more!

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints featured in this episode

1. Singing Engine-Preservation
2. Glory-SAULT
3. Gotham-Ace Cannons feat Josiah The Gift
4. The Ski Mask Aint for COVID-Ghais Guevara
5. Quantum Leap-Roc Marciano + Alchemist
6. I'll Fight You-Open Mike Eagle
7. @ My Leisure-J Scienide

Daddy Kev is multi-hyphenate mastermind who's has put to together an astonishing body or work across several artistic disciplines. He is a dope ass producer, DJ, sound engineer, party promoter, label head, and now author. His new book Audio Dynamics: Compression Techniques for Modern Mixing and Mastering is a distillation of his vast knowledge of mixing and mastering. Oh and also he was recently nominated for a Grammy for his mastering work on Freestyle Fellowship's To Whom It May Concern re-release. He talks about all that and more in this insightful interview.

During the intro segment Nate and Demone talk about the art of mixing and mastering.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints used in this episode

1. Ascension-Daddy Kev
2. I am amazing-NAH Really
3. Rhythm-Awol One & Daddy Kev

RIP DON NEWKIRK WE ARE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS PROGRAM

Dyed in the wool backpackers will remember the pitched battle between the keep it realists and the shiny suit mafia that took place in the mid/late-nineties. At that time there was a tangible sense that the ethos of "real" Hip Hop was being subsumed by corporatist tendencies (we weren’t entirely wrong about that). Many emcees stepped forward to defend the art form we all know and love, few the zealotry of Cap D of the Chicago based rap dou All Natural. Together with producer Tone B Nimble, Cap D put out several solid releases during the last throes of the backpack era.

All Natural’s discography alone would have made for an interesting interview but Cap D's second act is almost as interesting as his first. Currently Cap D (government name David Kelly) is Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel for the (WORLD CHAMPION) Golden State Warriors. Even though he has the perhaps the coolest gig in the world he is still a rapper at heart. In this interview Cap talks about his All Natural days, making the transition from the booth to the courtroom, and his upcoming album with Chicago legend Juice produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow.

During the intro segment Nate, Dave, and Demone talk crypto crashes, the legacy of All Natural, and why the Warriors have gotten of to a slow start this season. 

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints featured in this episode

1. Elements of Style-All Natural 
2. Godspeed-All Natural 
3. Renaissance-All Natural 
4. Crawlspace Instrumental-Kenny Segal  

Real weirdos are hard to find.

Sure there are rappers who attempt to project strangeness but the vast majority come across inauthentic or unlistenable (or both). Every so often a true eccentric grabs the mic and reorients our ideas about how wavy this art form can be. Fatboi Sharif is one such artist. Verbose, macabre, and enigmatic the New Jersey rapper has amassed a devoted following over the past couple years by releasing a string of authentically weird joints with producers like Roper Williams and Lungs/Lonesword.

His latest offering Preaching in Havana is a collaboration with producer Noface. The duo have crafted a project that is eerie and unsettling in all the right ways. Hosts Nate Le Blanc and David Ma talk to Sharif and Noface about how Havana came into being and the mystique they have both cultivated.

During the into segment Demone and Nate talk about Eminem's Rock and Rock Hall of Fame Induction and the tragic passings of Tame One and Hurricane G.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

DISCLAIMER: We had some technical difficulties during the interview so you will hear a couple of rough cuts in the conversation.

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints featured in this episode

1. Fly Pelican Fly-Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams feat YL
2. 1999 Hacker Worldwide-Fatboi Sharif & Noface
3. Static Vision-Fatboi Sharif & Noface

What's in a name?

Producers are hella cool because often times you know their name long before seeing thier face (or in some cases faces). This allows for the imagination to run and conjure up images who (or what) made this dope ass beat. In the run up to this interview your humble hosts were a bit confused about who is (or isn't) Child Actor and why did the name start popping up in the production credits on all our favorite rap records.

Max from Child Actor (yes its a group) came on the pod to break down the science behind Child Actor, his beatmaking process and how he became cool with some of the dopest rappers in the world.

During the intro segment hosts Nate Le Blanc and David Ma talk about Doomsday, Halloween, and Westside Gunn's new album 10

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints featured in this episode

1.Sheppard’s Tone-billy woods 

2.Spelling-E L U C I D

3.Sit Down Servant-The Staple Singers

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FRIENDS!

How many of us have them? In this era of collaboration via internet the magic of actual freinds making music together is criminally underrated. Producer L'Orange and emcee Solemn Brigham have a 15+ year friendship that has served as fertile soil for the creation of the Marlowe song collection. The third installment entitled Marlowe 3 drops October 28th via Melo Music Group. L and Solemn talk with host Nate Le Blanc about their friendship, respective creative processes, getting their music in commercials, and the afore mentioned new album.

During the into segment hosts Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate Le Blanc ruminate on why they stan certain producers. Small Professors name comes up a lot.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

Joints featured in this episode

1.

2.

3.

4.

Not to get all ageist in here but one of the unique joys of being a Gen X'er is knowing what the world was like before the internet. Back in the halcyon days of the early 90's building a"buzz" wasn't a matter clicking and scrolling on a page. Marshalling people's attention back then meant putting your boots on the ground and fliers on windshields.

This week we talked to Sunspot Jonz of Mystik Journeyman who took the Bay Area's "out the trunk' ethos to whole other level. From selling tapes hand-to-hand on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley to rocking packed houses overseas, Sunspot has done it all. The legendary hustle of Mystik Journey laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most successful underground hip hop groups of all time, Living Legends. Sunspot was as energtic and ripped as ever in this interview.

In the intro segment hosts Nate Le Blanc, Demone Carter, and David Ma talk about some of the best releases from Q3 of 2022. Also, Nate and Dave give a primer on what rap songs are suitable to listen to before 10am.

If you like what you hear please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really down with the team please subscribe to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Big ups to Stony Island Audio massive!

This week is dedicated to our trip down to Ontario, California recently for The Happiness of Pursuit Festival, which focises on lyrical, classic, and underground hip-hop. We spent the day at the festival recording the first half of this episode "backstage" and caught up with some of the dopest MCs working today.

**WARNING** the sound here is rough. We were in a tent about 10 feet from the main festival stage, and the music is audible in the background, as is the crowd and the various folks walking by our table, us chatting off mic at times, etc. It was a chaotic environment, but we feel that's part of the charm of this special episode. If you are sensitive about audio on podcasts, feel free to skip to the 38 minute mark where we are back in the studio.

This episode features live performance audio and interviews with our friends Open Mike Eagle and Video Dave, the fire spitting young MC A.F.R.O., Bay Area battle MC and recording artist Locksmith, and the absolute legend Suga Free. We also have a great chat with recording artist and THOP Fest founder 60 East.

Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Nate LeBlanc, David Ma and Demone Carter analyze the festival in real time, recount our experiences with some of the featured acts, and generally try to herd the cats to create a hybrid live pod and studio show reflecting on the experience. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio network, which for a brief moment was a real place, a folding table in the Inland Empire, but is mostly a state of mind.

On his last album Anime, Trauma, and Divorce Chicago-bred/LA-based rapper Open Mike Eagle gave us rare a glimpse into his innermost thoughts and feelings. As the album title suggests he was processing quite a bit in the midst of a pandemic. Having bared his soul Mike now seems to be signaling he's back to rappin' rappin' on his latest release Component System With The Auto Reverse, which drops Oct. 7th via Auto Reverse Records.

CSWTAR features stellar bars from Open Mike Eagle and his comrades Video Dave and Still Rift. The production duties are handled by a slate of top-tier beatmakers including Diamond D, Quelle Chris, and Madlib. In this week's episode Demone Carter, Nate LeBlanc, and David Ma talk to their friend and podcast benefactor about the new album, lawless 7-11 parking lots, and battling supernatural enemies.

Also, Open Mike Eagle WORLD PREMIERS a couple of new joints from the CSWTAR. Come for the banter stay for the beats!

Dad Bod Rap Pod is part of the Stony Island Audio Network (run by you know who). If you feelin' the podcast please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really rockin' with us please consider subscribing to our patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

Joints used in this episode:

Raise It Up-Bacao Rhythm & Steel band

Circuit City-Open Mike Eagle feat. Video Dave and Steel Rift

I retired and then I changed my mind-Open Mike Eagle

cd only-Open Mike Eagle feat Aesop Rock

Dirt Off Your Shoulder-Bacao Rhythm & Steel band

Everything about M.E.D.'s demeanor says he's just one of the homies. Despite sharing track space with bonafide rap legends he comes across chill and down to earth. On this weeks episode of the Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc talk to M.E.D. about working with hip hop royalty like Madlib and MF Doom as well as his new collaborative project LMD with LMNO and Declaime.

During the intro segment Demone and Dave talk about the winds of controversy surrounding Madlib, Egon, and MF DOOM's rhyme book. They also ponder dream Madlib collaborations we have yet to hear.

Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio network. Shout out Stony Island Minister of Rhyme Open Mike Eagle. If you rock with the podcast please like, rate, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really want to do us (and yourself) a solid please consider subscribing to our Patreon account patreon.com/dadbodrappod.

Once an interview starts you are never really sure where its going to go. Some artist can be understandably closed and guarded preferring to only talk about themselves in terms of their artistry. In a handful of cases an artist gives us a window into their personal journey. This week's conversation with Louis Logic is one of those interviews. After gaining traction in the early/mid aughts and working with legends like MF DOOM Louis Logic seemingly fell off the rap radar for several years. He fills us in on some of the dark times he faced and how he got his life back on track after struggling with alcohol and drug problems. He rounds off the interview by talking about the exciting new projects he is working on.

In the intro segment hosts David Ma and Demone Carter share their reflection on the incendiary new piece written by Jayson Buford entitled "The Painful Mediocrity of White Boy Rap" The Dad Bods also delve into the new double album release by Ka.

Dad Bod Rap Pod is proud part of the Stony Island Audio network shout out to our patron Open Mike Eagle. If you dig the podcast please like, rate, and subscribe. I you love the podcast please consider subscribing to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod.com)

SPECIAL EPISODE!!

Your intrepid hosts Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc ventured out to Oakland on Labor Day for the annual Hip Hop block party known as Hiero Day. Although it was a sweltering hot day the Dad Bods stayed hydrated and were able to get backstage interviews with Keak Da Sneak, Opio, and A-Plus. There are some clips of live performances by Hieroglyphics, Kool G Rap, and Masta Ace included in this episode as well.

One of the key organizers of Hiero Day (and the DBRP hat plug) Ian Davis stops by the program to talk about his role within Hieroglyphics and, the meaning of Hiero Day.

Dad Bod Rap Pod is part of the Stony Island Audio network. Shout out to the venerable Open Mike Eagle. If you dig the podcast please like, rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you LOVE the podcast please consider subscribing to our Patreon (patreon.com/dadbodrappod)

This week on DBRP we have not one but two dope interviews. First, host Nate LeBlanc talks to UK based rapper Sonnyjim about his career, his influences, and his new album White Girl Wasted (which features verses from MF DOOM and Jay Electronica). In our second interview Demone and Nate talk to DBRP favorite Lukah. The Memphis based rapper is set to release his newest offering Raw Extractions on Friday, September 16th. He talks about the science behind the album and debuts a track called Rawderves at the tail end of the episode.

Dad Bod Rap Pod is down with the Stony Island Audio shout out to Open Mike Eagle.

If you dig the podcast please like. rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice. If you really mess with us like that consider subscribing to our Patreon patreon.com/dadbodrappod

As time keeps slippin into the future we are talking to more and more artists who grew up in "hip hop households". Miami native YUNGMORPHEUS is one such artist. After being baptized into the culture via his fathers DMX albums Morph has gone on to create music that is equal parts smart and dangerous. His latest album Up Against A Wall; A Degree of Lunacy has every bit of edge YUNGMORPHEUS fans have come expect. Host Nate Le Blanc flies solo this week and has an enlightening convo with Morph about his musical influences, his approach to working with different producers, and, why he vents reciprocal rage at White America.

Your humble hosts spent Labor Day sweating at the annual Heiro Day festival in Oakland (stay tuned for the special Heiro Day episode....) A fun but grueling endeavor as was hot AF. As such we have an abbreviated intro segment from the weary yet triumphant Demone Carter.

Dad Bod Rap Pod rolls with the Stony Island Audio posse (rolling with your posse is the only way to go). Shout out to art rap impresario Open Mike Eagle.

If you dig the podcast please like, rate, and subscribe. If you really rock with us like that consider subscribing to our Patreon patreon.com/dadbodrappod

Queens native Meyhem Lauren is a walking enterprise. From the booth to the kitchen he is always cooking up something interesting. His latest album Black Vladimir, a collaboration with Griselda beat smith Daringer, is full of wit and menace. Hosts David Ma, Demone Carter, and Nate LeBlanc were fortunate enough to catch Meyhem as he hopped into an uber en route to an undisclosed location. In this weeks interview Meyhem talks about his new album, his eating habits, and his long standing friendship with Action Bronson.

The three bad brothers you know so well also talk about the deluge of new rap records including new heat from Mach-Hommy, J.I.D, The Alchemist/Roc Marciano, and AKAI SOLO. During the funky outro your humble host talk about their upcoming takeover of Heiro Day.

If you dig the podcast please like, rate, and subscribe. If you REALLY like the pod please subscribe to our Patreon account patreon.com/dadbodrappod

Dad Bod Rap Pod is part of the Stony Island Audio gang. Shout out to our fearless leader Open Mike Eagle.

After recording 200+ episodes of the Dad Bod Rap Pod we can say with confidence that women are the best interviewees. Our conversation with CMG of Conscious Daughters is definitive proof. CMG was witty, engaging, and gave us great insights into the Bay Area rap scene of the mid-nineties which birthed Conscious Daughters. After a chance meeting with Paris which led to a record deal with his Guerrilla Funk imprint, Conscious Daughters created an all-time Bay Area classic joint (Something To Ride To) and garnered respect from the biggest names in rap music. CMG talks about the genius of her late rhyme partner Special One, how they honed their craft, and earned respect in a male dominated rap world. She also shares her thoughts on the notable female rappers of today.

Host Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc also talk about the new Black Thought and Dangermouse collab album Cheat Codes. Is this the definitive Black Though solo project? Are the vocals mixed too low? The guys break it all down in this episode. 

The Dad Bod Rap Pod is another dope podcast on the Stony Island Audio Network. Shout out to our benevolent benefactor Open Mike Eagle. 

We are blessed to be joined this week by some old and new friends of the program that are making vital rap music right now. First up we have a group interview with Wrecking Crew, a conglomerate that consists of producer Small Professor and MCs Zilla Rocca, Curly Castro and Prem Rock. They are all return guests on DBRP and are here to tell us a bit more about their recent album Sedale Threat. Make sure to tap in with the Wrecking Crew and all of their affiliated projects including their podcast Call Out Culture. We consider Call Out Culture to be kind of like a sister program, we are all thinking and talking about similar music, and in fact that is where we became aware of our next guests, the incendiary duo Brian Ennals & Infinity Knives. The Baltimore-based Ennals is one of the most incisive dissectors of the issues facing America today and he relays his angry yet well written lyrics over production from the classically trained composer Infinity Knives. The result is a new sound, a refreshing take on issue-oriented underground hip-hop that makes us think of groups like The Coup. but stands on its own as a new thing entirely. Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio network.

From his work with Ultimate Force in the late 80s to his production on the new Open Mike Eagle single 'I’ll Fight You' Diamond D has had an unparalleled run as producer/emcee. The one time Best Kept Secret was gracious enough to join hosts Nate Le Blanc and David Ma for a wide ranging conversation about his stellar career including the origin story of the mighty DITC. Stunts, Blunts, Hip Hop, Hatred, Passion, and Infidelity are all on the table in this interview. 

Nate, Dave, and Demone also talk about the recent auction of Kool Herc collectables and their current non-rap listening. Dad Bod Rap Pod is part of the Stony Island Podcast network all praise due to the honorable Open Mike Eagle. 

If you like the program please like, rate, and subscribe wherever you get your podcast content. 

If you LOVE the podcast please consider subscribing to our Patreon!

Those who listen to the podcast regularly may notice that we have a deep affinity for all things Chicago hip hop. Last week we checked in with Chi-town's king of living Vic Spenser and this week we talk to Windy City producer Maker. If you have heard the theme song to the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary you have heard Makers work but he has been a fixture in the underground for a couple of decades now. He talked to us about getting this huge beat placement as well as his approach to creating immaculate remixes.

The three bad brothers that you know so well (Nate LeBlanc, Demone Carter, and David Ma) start off the episode by talking about the brilliant new record King Cobra from Baltimore-based producer/emcee duo Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals. Hip Hop and wine connoisseur David Ma also recaps his experience at the Blue Note Festival in Napa, CA.

The Dad Bod Rap Pod is another dope podcast on The Stony Island Audio Network. All praises due to the honorable Open Mike Eagle. If you dig the podcast please like, rate, and subscribe to our Patreon!

Transitional beats for this episode were provided by Deep Search Collective

Dynamic duos have always held a special place in rap history. We needn't rattle off the iconic rapper/producer combos because we all know the potential alchemy that exist between rhyme spitter and the beat maker. On their newest collaboration Mudslide, Chicago rapper Vic Spencer and Philadelphia producer Small Professor come together and tap into that legacy of one rapper one producer magic. 

We were fortunate to have both Vic and Small Pro on the show this week to talk about the new album, annoying rapper trends, and more. Hosts Nate LeBlanc, David Ma, and Demone Carter also eulogize the Choco Taco, praise the new Mykah 9 book My Kaleidoscope, and recap a recent live performance by Devin The Dude in San Jose. 

Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network! Shout out to the big homie Open Mike Eagle. 

As rap music continues to mature as an art form more rappers are telling their stories on the page as opposed to just on the mic. We were fortunate to have Chicago-based rapper Psalm One join us this week to talk about her new book Her Word Is Bond (which is out now via Haymarket books). Part memoir, part music journalism, Her Word is Bond takes an unflinching look at underground hip hop culture through the eyes of a queer Black woman. Psalm talked to us about the process of making the book and how it impacted her mental health. She also shares some cool stories about her high school former classmate and current rapper/podcast impresario Open Mike Eagle. 

Hosts Nate LeBlanc, David Ma, and Demone Carter also lament the break-up of the pioneering comedy duo Desus and Mero. As a special bonus, there are clips from the recent Dad Bod Rap Pod live event Slap Box included in this episode. 

Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network! 

A love letter to the city of Los Angeles?

A ode to the letter J?

J Rocc's new album "A Wonderful Letter" is both of these and more. Hosts Demone Carter and David Ma chop it up with the world famous Beat Junkie about his incredible career and his first new album in over a decade. J Rocc has been a fixture in the worlds of turntablism and beat making for some time. The Stones Throw stalwart talks about his relationships with the late great J Dilla and Madlib as well as nurturing future DJs at The Beat Junkie Institue of Sound.

Demone and Dave start off the episode by ruminating on LA rappers who have yet to receive their flowers. Despite being the spring board for the biggest acts in rap there are a great many LA rappers who remain somewhat unsung despite their creative output.

The Dad Bod Rap Pod is another dope podcast on The Stony Island Audio Network. All praises due to the honorable Open Mike Eagle. If you dig the podcast please like, rate, and subscribe to our Patreon!

WE MAAADE IT to 227 episodes, and while we have talked about Ghostface Killah's masterpiece Supreme Clientele at various times, we have not devoted a full episode to discussing what makes it such a vital and influential rap album. DBRP hosts Demone Carter, Nate LeBlanc and David Ma share favorite tracks and sequences on the album, and reflect on the massive impact of the styles that Ghostface debuted in the year 2000. We also have a special guest this week, music writer and musician Sasha Frere-Jones, who wrote about Ghostface and the Wu in various publications over the years, and shares some great stories and insight from his decades of fandom and access. Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud part of the Stony island Audio podcast network that carries shows like Secret Skin by Open Mike Egle and The Questions Hi-Hop trivia, please tune in!

We are very excited to speak with returning guest E L U C I D, who recently dropped the challenging and excellent album I Told Bessie with a stellar cast of producers. We are huge fans of E L U C I D's work both solo and as part of the mighty Armand Hammer and we always want to interrogate his procedures and intentions as he crafts experimental (some might say psychedelic) underground rap music with intricate flows and incredible word choices and emotional resonance. In the opening segment we discuss the limits of abstract lyricism more generally, touching on the peaks and pitfalls of a more left field approach to rhyme writing. Beats this week were submitted by Ol' Gorilla Bones and The Dirty Sample and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network, where hip-hop lifers decipher the culture without the interference of vultures.

As Willard Smith once famously said, it's summertime. It was just the summer solstice, but more importantly, today I had a peach so juicy I had to eat it over the sink. How does a hip-hop head mark the changing of the seasons? In our case, we switch up the playlist. In the intro segment our hosts recommend some summery songs. Next up we have an interview with Bay Area underground rapper L*Roneous Da Versifier, who has been in the rap game for decades and remains a vital artist. Tune in to hear about the Bay Area's unique and inclusive hip-hop community, L*Ron's approach to writing, and much more. Beats this week were submitted by Deep Search Collective and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network, a strong team of hip-hop lifers and assorted creatives with a mission to inform and entertain you.

Normally we have an interview with a rapper, producer, or a writer. On this week's episode we are talking to Namir Blade, a performer who rejects such limiting labels and prefers to be referred to as an artist. He just released a new album, Metropolis on Mello Music Group and we are intrigued by his utilization of multiple vocal techniques, his production prowess, and his general swag. In the opening segment we begin to reckon with ELUCID's massive new album I Told Bessie. Demone in particular has some nuanced takes that may help newcomers understand the great MC's unique technique. Perhaps we will delve further into that in the near future. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

On this week's episode we run down our favorite rap records of the year so far. We recommend probably a dozen or so albums to listen to if you want to understand what is relevant, what is dope, and what this time period sounds and feels like. Special attention is paid to work by Quelle Chris, billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Pusha T, Lekeili 47, Defcee and more. Beat submitted by friend of the program Rob Sonic and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio network, the internet's premier outlet for nuanced discussion of the art of hip-hop.

After a few weeks absorbing the lengthy and complicated new album, we are finally ready to talk about the new Kendrick Lamar record. Hosts Demone, David and Nate each highlight a specific track and we discuss the album's overall themes and place in his stellar discography. After that we have an interview with the rapper formerly known as Icon The Mic King, these days known simply as Mic King, who has a thriving career in marketing and strategy as well as continuing to release bar-heavy music. We dig into his influences, battle history, albums and his interesting digital presence. Beats for this week's show were submitted by Cornerian Flight Academy and friend of the program badgalriedy aka music writer Jack Riedy. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network, home of the recently-announced return of Open Mike Eagle's acclaimed interview show Secret Skin.

DBRP is your go-to source for engaging interviews with the authors of prominent hip-hop books and this week we have a double dose of conversation hot off the presses. First up Lance Scott Walker, author of DJ Screw A Life In Slow Revolution joins us from Texas to discuss his book's intriguing structure and to recommend the definitive Screw track for us relative novices. Then we have a conversation with Paul Cantor, author of Most Dope: The Extraordinary Life of Mac Miller, as well as Paul's long career as a prominent music journalist. We really enjoyed speaking with both of these gentlemen, and talking with them about their process and the initial reaction to their books' announcements shows a heavy skepticism from artists' online fan communities that boils down to one very serious question: Who is allowed to write biographies of artists who are no longer with us? We talk about that a bit in the segments. Beats this week were submitted by K from Father Hoods Podcast and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP (and Father Hoods for that matter) are part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week's guest is musician, designer, producer, and hip-hop lifer Real Bad Man. We took notice of Real Bad Man a few years ago upon the release of the collaborative album with Boldy James. We later found out that the music is just one component of the overall Real Bad Man project, which is also a well known street wear brand and creative agency. Real Bad Man has released a string of compilations with an impressive array of MCs and will drop another full length album with Boldy shortly. We also chat about our recent visit to LA for an awesome event . DBRP is brought to you by the good people at Stony Island Audio, a hip-hop storytelling podcast network.

Great conversation this week with one of our favorite contemporary artists, the incomparable Quelle Chris. Back again for his second interview with us, and somehow still on the tour that he was on last time we spoke, we are primarily addressing his new album Deathfame. The record is a lamentation about the music industry and the inherent conflicts between art and commerce, but most strikingly, a brilliant hip-hop album from a gifted artist who is conversant in many different styles of songcraft. We also discuss the new Kendrick Lamar song and talk about the live event we are doing in LA soon. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Planet Asia is an absurdly dope and prolific MC who has been an underground mainstay for many years. We were happy to talk to him about some of the many albums and projects he has coming up, his vault of unreleased material, and how you only get to be the new guy and subject to label bidding wars once in a lifetime. In the intro segment Nate and Demone talk new rap releases, effectively recommending some fresh new albums for you to get obsessed with. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are joined by the excellent rapper Wordsworth. He is a hip-hop lifer, a deeply clever MC and an icon of the cypher era. Wordsworth may be best known for a standout verse on Black Star's album and for The Lyricist Lounge Show, a sketch comedy show that was based on the popular live event and compilation series. We chop it up about his writing stye, his older and newer work, and a lot more. In the intro segment Nate and Demone talk about hip-hop TV shows and why so few of them seem to portray the culture accurately. Beats this week are from friend of the program Small Pro and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network, home to many vital hip-hop shows that deserve your attention.

This week we are speculating about major upcoming rap releases and possibly specious retirement announcements in the first segment. Then we are speaking to two Chicago-based artists who just released a very good record. First up we have a quick check-in with rapper Defcee, and then a longer conversation with producer Boathouse, the two talented artists behind All Debts Public And Private, a new release from Closed Sessions. DBRP is brought to you by Stony Island Audio, a hip-hop podcast network.

This week we are blessed to be joined by returning guests billy woods and Preservation, the duo behind the incredible new album Aethiopes on Backwoodz Studioz. We hold woods in high regard as a writer and honestly think he's the best MC in the game currently so it is always a pleasure to discuss the craft of rhyme writing and the deep references in his work. Preservation may not be a household name even among underground hip-hop heads but he has been involve din some stellar projects over the years and his profile is rising considerably based on his unique sample choices and arrangements. Beats this week were submitted by Toast.Hawaii aka friend of the program Spectacular Diagnostics, make sure to seek out this new work. DBRP is but one facet of the complicated rube goldberg machine known as Stony Island Audio.

Hard to believe but the year is a quarter over, so we spend the intro discussing our favorite records of the first three months of 2022. After that we have a good interview with Wildchild, a veteran MC who burst onto the indie scene with Lootpack in the 90's and has been putting out music ever since. His new record Omowale is an excellent example of grown man rap, still dope but dealing with mature subject matter and in some cases dealing with family issues directly. Beats this week were submitted by Sherman and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have some Academy Award chatter and then we are talking about the true old school period of hip-hop's history. Sometimes called the park jam era, the period when hip-hop was primarily a practice of urban youth and not a recorded music is an under-discussed and deeply important time in history. Our guest this week, Easy A.D. of the legendary Cold Crush Brothers was a major part of a pioneering group that excelled in this time period and continues to influence music today. We speak with him about the film Wild Style, the amount of rehearsal it took to develop routines that have stood the test if time, his musical tastes, and much much more. Beats this week are by DJ Day from his recently-released album Life After You. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network, an independent voice for hip-hop storytelling owned and operated by the artists themselves.

This week we wade into the fast food fish sandwich diss track discourse, also known as the Filet O' Fishscale controversy. After that we have a great chat with Washington D.C.-based rapper/producer J Scienide. We talk about his career, his collaborations with Kev Brown, his label deal with Fat Beats and then conclude the interview by playing his track Bomb Scare off of the recently-released album Kaput! J is a laid back guy, a huge hip-hop head, and a talent to watch out for. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network where hip-hop culture is explained in an edutaining way.

Spring has sprung which means it's allergy season but also baseball season, so we are playing two today. First up we have a good chat with Brooklyn-based producer Steel Tipped Dove. It sounds like hyperbole, but it is a fact that some of the best modern rap music in the world was recorded in his home studio. He also released an album, Call Me When You're Outside, late last year featuring some of our favorite MCs. Our second interview this week is with the legendary publicist, author, and one of hip-hop's first professional explainers, Bill Adler. Bill worked at Def Jam during the dawn of hip-hop's international expansion. He worked with Run-DMC and LL Cool J among many other foundational artists, and has had a long and interesting career in the art world as well. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio network, the only podcast network with two essential hip-hop podcasts according to a recent Uproxx article!

Like many fans of independent music, we were taken aback this week at the news of Bandcamp's sale to a larger company. We spend some time this week discussing potential ripple effects for the hip-hop community. After that we have an interview with Sage Francis, an icon of independent hip-hop, seasoned battle rapper, recording artist, activist, and owner of Strange Famous records. Dave and Demone talk with him about his extensive career, his family life, and his perspective as a veteran in the game. DBRP is brought to you by Stony Island Audio.

Our guest this week, Illingsworth is a unique character in the underground hip-hop universe. The Detroit-based rapper, producer, and all-around artist brings a personal sound and sense of humor to all of his work. He's here to promote There In Spirit, a collaborative EP where the great MC Homeboy Sandman raps over Illingsworth's beats. In the intro segment, the fellas discuss the unexpected, recently-released Quelle Chris track In The End and what it means for the state of the world. DBRP is a proud part of Stony Island Audio, a podcast by and for hip-hop true believers.

This week we are joined by Kurious, an MC who has been active from the golden age all the way up to the present moment and shows no signs of slowing down. We discuss his entire career, from debut album A Constipated Monkey all the way up to his most recent release Koncrete Jungle with producer Ro Data released on Chong Wizard Records. The fellas also talk about hip-hop memorabilia. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are joined by one of the greatest freestyle rappers to ever walk the planet, the legendary MC Juice. His life and career have had the fair share of ups and downs but the one thing no one can dispute is that Juice is one of the most gifted extemporaneous rhymers in the history of hip-hop. In this in-depth interview we cover some of his greatest battles, his recorded music, the psychological toll of constantly being tested, and look to the future, as Juice has some exciting projects on the horizon. The fellas also break down the recent rap star-studded halftime show and contemplate what it means for our generation of fans. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have a great conversation with rapper Fat Ray of the almighty Bruiser Brigade. We are fans of Ray's album Santa Barbara and his streetwise, verbose approach to rapping. Bruiser Brigade had a breakout year last year, with each member releasing memorable solo albums as well as their excellent crew album TV62. Fat Ray talks to us about Detroit, the legacy of J Dilla, his chemistry with the Brigade's secret weapon, producer Raphy, and much more. The fellas also take listener questions sourced from our patreon subscribers. Beats this week were submitted by HomageCVG and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is brought to you by the Stony Island Audio network.

It's Dilla Time, folks. We are joined this week by acclaimed author Dan Charnas to talk about his excellent, deeply researched new book on the life and musical innovations of the great producer J Dilla. Dan is a longtime chronicler of hip-hop culture, an educator, as well as a former label executive so he is uniquely positioned to tell the story of the heartbreakingly brief but undeniably influential life of James Dewitt Yancey. Dilla Time weaves musicological explanations of J Dilla's innovative way with rhythm among the facts of his life in a way that feels fresh, important, and eminently readable. Dan was kind enough to speak to us about how he pieced the book together, among other topics. Of course the fellas also talk about Jay Dee's music, including listener feedback on which track best summarizes his brilliance. DBRP is brought to you by Stony Island Audio, home of flagship program What Had Happened Was hosted by Open Mike Eagle, which returns next week, don't miss it!

This week we are pleased to be join by one of the coldest MCs to ever emerge from the Bay Area, Casual. He is a monster freestyler, has crafted classic albums, and is a foundational member of the influential Hieroglyphics crew. We touch on his recordings, his legendary radio battle with Saafir, his extracurricular pursuits such as the new cryptocurrency Hierocoin, and much more. We also talk about rap collectives more generally, and take listener feedback about the enormous impact of Hieroglyphics on the independent hip-hop community. For a deeper dive on Casual's great debut album Fear Itself, seek out Episode 52 with guest Domino, who produced several of the tracks. DBRP is brought to you by Stony Island Pods, a storytelling company specializing in hip-hop podcasts.

This week we are joined by author, podcaster and cultural commentator Shea Serrano. You may know Shea's work from Grantland, The Ringer, or his recently-released New York Times best-selling book Hip-Hop (And Other Things). Shea has an inspiring hustle and career arc, but at the end of the day he's just a dude that loves rap music. We talk with him about his various exciting projects, his interactions with his fans online, and his journey in journalism. In the intro segment the fellas dissect Earl Sweatshirt's new album Sick! an early contender for hip-hop album of the year. Beats on this week's show are from producer Brycon, instrumentals from the Diamond Lung album Jeweler's Loop and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a dot on the map in the archipelago known as Stony Island Audio.

Our guest this week is South Memphis rapper Lukah, who put out two excellent records in 2021 and is one of the more interesting MCs to emerge recently. Lukah's music is tough to classify, he doesn't belong to any particular sub-genre or scene, but his vivid writing and fluid delivery are winning him fans and critical acclaim nationwide. We enjoyed talking to him and are looking forward to his next record this summer, which will complete a 4-album cycle he refers to as 'The Quad.' In the intro segment we discuss Nas's recent surprise album Magic and in the outro we take listener feedback on albums that folks tried to get into but couldn't. Beats this week are from producer Medium Zach and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

We're back with a fascinating interview with author Shawn Setaro, a reporter for Complex who has written the definitive account of the life, times, and trial of Danny Hernandez, better known as 6ix9ine. Shawn's dogged reporting, clean prose, and empathetic viewpoint make his new book Complex Presents Dummy Boy: Tekashi 6ix9ine And The Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods a fascinating read. Fans of DBRP should also take some time to listen through the archives of Shawn's masterful hip-hop podcast The Cipher. This is Shawn's third time joining us and it will not be the last, he is a thoughtful and entertaining guest. This week we are also launching our new artwork by Dewey Saunders and theme song from producer Cutso and our very own DEM ONE. Beats for this week's show are by the homie Small Pro and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is brought to you by Stony Island Audio, a podcast network by and for hip-hop storytellers.

For our 200th full-length episode we are proud to present an interview with legendary Bay Area pioneering rapper Too $hort. DBRP hosts Demone, Dave and Nate grew up listening to Too Short's music and watching his steady ascent in the music industry. We are very excited to bring you this deluxe examination of $hort's career with contributions from friends of the program Cutso and Controller7. Too $hort is personable, funny, and has a deep recall of his career as well as a keen understanding of his place in the hip-hop ecosystem. From his earliest recordings on independent label 75 Girls, through his triumphant run on Jive Records in the 90s, to the soon-to-be released super group Mt. Westmore, $hort is a titan in the rap game and continues to live by his simple but crucial life motto "Don't Stop Rapping." DBRP is brought to you by the players at Stony Island Audio, whose very existence proves that there is money in the ghetto.

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Whether you call it list season, a banquet of blurbs, or time for top 10s, this is when we sit back and survey the year in hip-hop music and culture. If you only listen to one of our episodes this year, this one is the most intentional about recommending new music to listen to. We call it Quibble Jam because we are all bringing our unique perspectives to the year end list and sometimes disagreeing about what are the best selections. Tune in to hear our picks for the year's best songs, albums, producers, rappers, and many more categories. Beats this week are from the homie QM and we appreciate the contribution. One indisputable fact that cannot be quibbled with is that we appreciate the constant support of our podcast network Stony Island Audio.

A few weeks go a crazy, awesome, unexpected thing happened to us. We were contacted by Siah, an excellent but mysterious underground rapper who made one exemplary EP in 1996, then a few singles and scattered guest appearances, then seemed to disappear from the rap world altogether. That's the legend anyway. The Visualz EP, released on vinyl on indie label Fondle Em Records, is a one-of-a-kind exhibition of pinpoint lyricism, jazzy beats, and outre imagery. Siah and rhyme partner Yeshua Da Po ED wove dense verses into a beautiful tapestry of a record... and then they stopped. Siah went on to pursue other passions, but he is still interested in hip-hop, and one day he had an impromptu jam session with his children and ended up recording a new song, and he sent it to us, in order to thank us for appreciating his older music. We quickly arranged the interview you will hear on this episode and at the end of the show you can hear the world premiere of the brand new song "Nitro Fresh 2021." We're extremely flattered and honored to play a small role in telling the story of this singular artist. DBRP is brought to you by the podcast network equivalent of Fondle Em, Stony Island Audio.

This week we are pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Rob Sonic, a talented MC/producer who has been active in independent hip-hop for decades as a solo artist and in groups like Sonic Sum and Hail Mary Mallon. In this wide-ranging conversation we cover his influences, writing style, and recently-released album Latrinalia. DBRP hosts Nate and Dave are huge fans of Rob's early work in Sonic Sum and the textured, poetic take on underground hip-hop that the group represented. This episode, like the others, is brought to you by Stony Island Audio, which feels kind of an indie hip-hop label in that we do this for the love of the culture but occasionally get mentioned in a magazine or a Spotify wrapped list.

It's the DBRP Thanksgiving special! A little personal tray of stuffing to help you through the holiday weekend. We are joined by the hilarious standup comic David Gborie, who you may know as the voice of Comedy Central or from his excellent long-running podcast All Fantasy Everything. David is such a hip-hop head that he literally did not listen to any other kinds of music until his mid-20's, and he joins us today as we give thanks for hip-hop moments we are grateful for. David Gborie chose the anthem "Everyday" by G. Dep, Dave Ma is thankful for the Ego Trip collective, Nate praises Kool Keith's plastic wig period, and Demone is stuck on Mach-Hommy's masterful "26th Letter." We also talk obscure bay rap, the wacky world of public transportation, and the effortless flyness of Larry June. We are deeply thankful for the deep fried turkeys over at Stony Island Audio.

This week we have a conversation with journalist, author and label head S.H. Fernando, who recently released From The Streets Of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga. The book is an insider's account of the Wu's rise to the top of the rap industry, full of fly-on-the-wall observations and sections on every major group and solo project op to We-Tang Forever. Fernando also ran WordSound Recordings, a left-field record label that released hip-hop and electronic music around the turn of the century. Next up we have dual interviews with Producer Tall Black Guy and MC Ozay Moore. The pair recently released a collaborative album called Of Process And Progression. TBG is a prolific producer who works in a variety of tempos and textures but always with an underlying soulfulness to the beats. Ozay, formerly known as Othello, is a hip-hop educator and veteran MC with an observational rap style. DBRP is a proud part of Stony Island Audio, one of those pristine record shops that's in a nice neighborhood and only sells expensive import dance records.

We are joined at the round table by friend of the program Curly Castro to chop it up about Jay-Z's recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, worldwide DOOMSDAY celebrations, and much more. Castro recently released an album entitled Little Robert Hutton on Backwoodz Studios, make sure to give that a listen. Next up we have a talk with DJ Abilities, who recently released his debut solo album Phonograph Phoenix, which marks a stylistic shift for his sound. Abilities talks about his growth and development as a person and an artist and how that feeds into the new project. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network, a series of cans connected by strings with rappers and journalists at either end.

On a beautiful, sunny fall day in San Francisco we were able to sit down with one of our favorite producers, Blockhead. We talked about his upcoming full-length collaborative album with Aesop Rock, Garbology. We also got into touring in this odd time of the pandemic, the state of the rap scene, and some basketball talk. Really fun interview, Blockhead is an engaging, funny dude with a long track record of excellent albums. Brought to you by Stony Island Audio, a podcast network that understands the difference between a beat tape and an instrumental album.

Great talk this week with rapper Chip Fu of Fu-Schnickens. The Fu were a groundbreaking act in many regards, and we talk through their history, their unique rap style, and yes, the Shaq connection. Chip is a great storyteller, taking us back to the golden era, inside Battery Studios, when some of the greatest music ever was being produced by him, his peers, and his label mates. We also talk about the recent Verzuz battle and propose a few intriguing matchups. brought to you by Stony Island Audio the true Fu-Schnick of podcast networks.

Where we're from, in the Bay Area of California, DJ culture is ingrained in our experience of hip-hop. Legend has it that sometime in the ate 90's, turntables began to outsell guitars. I've never been able to see any kind of documentation on that apocryphal stat, but if it's true then a lot of those turntables must have been sold in a 50-mile radius from San Francisco. We grew up seeing DJs at school, talent shows, battle, house parties, basically everywhere. When the so-called Turntablism era popped off, we were paying close attention. Our guest this week, Rhettmatic, was a participant in that important time in hip-hop culture where the DJ took center stage as party rocker, musician, band member, and much more. Rhett is a member of The World Famous Beat Junkies and The Visionaries and has been around music and hip-hop his whole life. On the show he schools us on the history of LA hip-hop, talks about his long career, and about the Beat Junkies DJ School and record pool and much more. DBRP is the broken light on the otherwise perfectly working Technics 1200 of Stony Island Audio.

What makes a song an underground anthem? Is it more important to have an iconic beat that soundtracked a generation? Is a big, hooky chorus the most important thing? Perhaps lyrics with inspiring levels of wordplay. We discuss all that and more, name some of our personal picks, and then turn our attention to Time's Up, the signature track and underground anthem from our guest this week, the legendary rapper O.C. The DITC member has released over 20 albums full of knotty lyrics and street wisdom with a wide range of collaborators. He joins us to tell some stories about his come up, his working relationships with cats like Pharoahe Monch and Lord Finesse, and to talk about his career, including revelations that longtime fans will not want to miss. DBRP is but one of the excellent podcasts on the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are joined by prolific rapper, producer, writer and podcaster Blueprint. Print is a foundational figure in the independent rap world, from his work in groups Soul Position and Greenhouse to his vast solo catalog. He has also written multiple books and hosts the phenomenal podcast Super Duty Tough Work right here on Stony Island. SDTW is a forum for Print and frequent collaborator Illogic to dispense advice about art making, marketing, social media, longevity, creativity, and much more. Blueprint chats with us about the midwestern approach to hip-hop, his origins as an MC and producer, and some of his collaborative works. DBRP is a proud part of The Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Hey everybody. Today we have a quick mini-episode wrapping up our recent trip to Boise, Idaho for the Treefort Music Fest. We talk about some of the acts we saw and our general impressions of the overall experience of traveling given current circumstances and more. We also have a brief interview with Treefort publicist Marissa Lovell, who describes some of the hard work that goes into planning, booking, and making a music festival come to life. Brought to you by Stony Island Audio.

We recently had the pleasure of attending the Treefort Music Festival in Boise, Idaho, an annual event bringing an eclectic musical lineup as well as discussions, food, beer, and much more. We had a great time at the fest and one of the highlights was getting to have a conversation with Open Mike Eagle and Video Dave. Mike owns our podcast network Stony Island and we have interviewed him several times before, but he is truly one of the most practiced and engaging podcast guests on the planet. This was our first time talking to Video Dave and we all got along well immediately. Mike drops some knowledge about What Had Happened Was Season 3, his TV writing gig, and his feelings around performing in these uncertain times. Dave tells us about his excellent video projections and his last album, Week 1560. Our hosts also share some impressions about traveling, music festivals, and getting back together to pod in person. Beats this week are from our friend Controller 7's new album entitled exhale02: Moments. These shenanigans are brought to you by the world's greatest hip-hop storytelling flower-giving-focused podcast network, Stony Island Audio.

This week we bring you an extravagangsta, our attempt to reckon with the complicated legacy of one of hip-hop's greatest collectives, N.W.A. It is impossible to tell the story of rap music without talking about the controversies, personalities, and most importantly, the music of N.W.A. In the first segment we view their music through a contemporary lens, parsing what works, what doesn't, highlighting favorite tracks, and discussing the group and its members, some of the most important figures, both as artists and business people, in the history of hip-hop. Then we have a great conversation with N.W.A. member DJ Yella. We talk to Yella about the group's rise to fame, fashion sense, seeing himself portrayed on the big screen in Straight Outta Compton, and how he spent his time after the group broke up. Heads up, all of our episodes are marked explicit on the streaming services, and we do occasionally curse on the show, but this one is particularly profane. DBRP comes straight outta Stony Island Audio.

Yoooo. This week we have a quick segment talking about some new music then a great chat with the prolific rapper Blu. We interviewed Blu and frequent collaborator Exile last year about their excellent jazz-influenced album Miles. This week he's back to discuss several new projects and his overall approach to how me makes and presents his music. Beats this week were submitted by Darko The Super and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a palm tree slightly inland on Stony Island Audio, bending toward the sun.

If you've been a hip-hop fan long enough, you've been to a few wack shows. Maybe it was too many dudes on stage. Maybe the artist was beefing with the sound man. Maybe someone was rapping over their own vocals. Maybe somebody got too drunk. It happens. However, with the right perspective, you don't have to let it ruin your night. Our three hosts recall less-than-stellar shows as both fans and performers in the first segment. Next up we have an interview with Karim aka Nightclubber Lang and Destro from Seattle's Boom Bap Project. These guys are underground hip-hop mainstays, having crossed the continent multiple times, earning themselves a reputation as very reliable live performers. They also have a new album out called Return Flight, make sure to check that out. Beats this week were submitted by Jake Lionheart. We also appreciate SKECH185 for providing our first ever drop! DBRP is a message in a bottle that somehow reached the shore of Stony Island Audio.

This week our attention turns to record stores, record collecting, and the art of the come-up. Dave, Demone & Nate share a few digging stories, talk about the state of the record collecting game, and discuss the limits of sample snitching in hip-hop media. After that we have a lovely chat with consummate b-boy, gifted producer and recording artist DJ Format. We have been fans of Format's records and mixes for many years, so we are pleased to welcome him to the show to talk about his career, in particular his excellent recent release, the somewhat subdued and psych-influenced Devil's Workshop. DBRP was scooped out of the podcast dollar bin by the keen collectors at Stony Island Audio.

What is the rap album of the summer? We share our picks as well as some listener feedback sourced from Twitter. That conversation inevitably leads to a deeper examination of the seasonality of music and how we decide when to listen to certain albums. Then we have a great talk with MC The Last Emperor. Perhaps best known for his underground classic cut "Secret Wars" where he imagines a battle between hip-hop stalwarts (who he impersonates, some of the impressions are spot on) and Marvel comic heroes many years before the MCU was the dominant force in entertainment. The Emperor had a winding path through the music business, and breaks down his unique career and approach in detail here. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we're chatting about new records from Isaiah Rashad, Nas, and past DBRP guests Homeboy Sandman and Pink Siifu that have been released recently. Next up we have a great interview with duo Tanya Morgan. Donwill and Von Pea are veterans of the underground rap scene with an impressive discography of work together as a group and as solo artists. We get into all of that here, with an emphasis on their most recent LP Don & Von which drops Friday August 13th. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have a conversation with Declaime aka Dudley Perkins. This Oxnard-born MC recently released an album of his early collaborative tracks with the great producer Madlib. As Dudley Perkins, he also has a full career as a self-taught singer over very funky production. He is currently focusing a lot of his effort on building up the artists on his label, and we get into all of this and more. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are touching on the subject of gentrification as it relates to rap music and specifically a few recent albums that directly discuss displacement. We are big fans of Skyzoo's most recent release All The Beautiful Things, which describes the changing nature of a Brooklyn neighborhood in vivid detail. Skyzoo possesses one of hip-hop's most gifted pens, and he joins us this week to talk about the layers of his writing, how he put together such a cohesive album, and some of the hallmarks of his career thus far. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Bonus episode! We spoke with Joseph Patel, the producer of the must-see film Summer of Soul! SoS is a ray of sunshine filled with incredible performances of Soul, Jazz, Latin music, Gospel, and so much more. People are already calling it one of the best concert films ever made. Joseph and Director Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson bring a hip-hop energy to the pacing and editing of this important historical document about a series of amazing concerts in the summer of 1969. Tune in to hear about the long journey of this incredible footage and some about the response thus far. Joseph is also a longtime hip-hop journalist who wrote under the pen name "Jazzbo" for many years and we touch a bit on his time in the underground hip-hop world. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Once again we find ourselves mourning one of our heroes. This is the first episode we've recorded since hip-hop icon Biz Markie passed away over the weekend. Biz's music and presence is extremely important to us and we will deeply miss his presence here on Earth. RIP Marcel "Biz Markie" Hall, a unique, funny, and deeply funky person who brought entertainment to so many. Next up we have a great interview with Kurupt. We talk about Death Row, the Dogg Pound, SOS Band, his best known work, his cannabis line, the long-awaited HRSMN project and so much more. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Hip-hop compilations are vital vehicles for helping audiences understand far-flung scenes and sub-genres. There is a feeling among our hosts that there are not as many well-curated compilations as there used to be. Enter this week's guest, radio host, TV presenter and all around hip-hop head Peter Rosenberg. Real Late, a compilation executive produced by Rosenberg, was released earlier this year and features a lot of great rappers from several different eras of gritty street rap. Rosenberg joins us for a deep dive on the album's construction, sharing insight into why and how some of the guests contributed to the final product. Beats this week were submitted by Chaz Emphatic, from the album Postcard (Expanded ). DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

We are honored to be joined this week by a true legend in hip-hop, the gracious and gregarious DMC. As part of the pioneering rap group Run-DMC, he traveled the world, made era-defining hit records, and brought hip-hop to the masses. Now we are so pleased that DMC had some time to sit down and talk to us about the legacy of super producer Larry Smith, the lasting power of Christmas in Hollis, the story behind the anthem Sucka MCs, and so much more. This is one of the best and most rewarding interviews we have been lucky enough to do and we are very grateful to have a chance to talk to a hip-hop super hero! DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have two great interviews for you. First up we check in with our friend Jeff Weiss about his writing, his stewardship of the blog Passion of the Weiss and The Land Magazine, and his role as label head for the influential indie label POW Recordings. Jeff is funny, self-effacing, and deeply insightful about music and culture and a pleasure to talk to. Next up we have an interview with East Cleveland rapper Kipp Stone. His EP Faygo Baby is one building block of what we are predicting will be a productive career for the laid-back, observant MC. Beats this week were submitted by Stimulator Jones from his album Dust Bunnies and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

With heavy hearts we gather today to memorialize a truly great MC, Gift of Gab of Blackalicious. We are massive fans of this tongue-twisting and insightful rapper, and we are deeply sorry for his recent passing. We are here to remember Timothy Parker's artistry, charisma, and immense skill as a lyricist and to pay tribute by sharing some memories of his presence. His music had an immense impact on all of us and we will continue to try and help spread the word about his larger-than-life mic presence well into the future. DBRP is brought to you by Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Hard to believe, but this year is halfway over. There have been some great underground rap records released and our three hosts discuss the best of what we have listened to thus far. Then we have an interview with rapper Psalm One about her influences, writing style, and much much more. Psalm first turned heads with her excellent debut, The Death of Frequent Flyer, primarily produced by friend of the program DJ Albert Jenkins, formerly known as Overflo, and has continued to release music, videos, and tour ever since. Beats for this week's show were submitted by Nahreally from his album Loose Around the Edges and we appreciate the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are joined at the roundtable by our friend King Most. He recently released The Triangle, a collaborative EP with rapper Siddiq and DJ Spiñorita. He has also worked with rapper Jay Worthy and hosts DJ culture podcast Opening Set but is perhaps best known for his creative dance floor-focused DJ edits and remixes. Next up we have a great interview with Esoteric, longtime MC and hip-hop obsessive. Familiar to many fans from the underground duo 7L & Esoteric, more recently he has collaborated with Wu Tang's Inspectah Deck in the group Czarface. The group is known for its colorful artwork, comic book and toy tie-ins, as well as full length collaborations with larger-than-life MCs like Ghostface and MF DOOM. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast net

This week we have an interview with Chicago's Defcee, a deeply lyrical MC who just released a project with prolific producer August Fanon called We Dressed the City with Our Names. Defcee is a student of hip-hop culture, an educator, as well as a poetic rapper who puts a lot of care into his rhymes and we really enjoyed talking with him. In the opening segment our three hosts break down album of the year contender Pray For Haiti from Mach-Hommy. We also discuss some of our favorite rappers from Chicago, each choosing at least four artists to form 'Mt Rushmore' lists of our favorites. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

We are joined this week by Masta Ace, a veteran MC and gifted storyteller. We touch on The Juice Crew's legacy, his experience working with MF DOOM, and his predilection for writing concept albums. Our hosts also discuss their favorite hip-hop posse cuts and take listener feedback on the question of the week, which hip-hop crew had the most memorable military imagery. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Aceyalone's masterpiece A Book Of Human Language is a special record and we are excited to analyze its music, lyrics, and impact this week alongside an in-depth interview with the album's producer, the extremely talented Mumbles. Even the biggest fans of this epic underground concept album will glean new information about its making from Mumbles. Our three hosts also reflect on their personal experiences reading from the Book of Human Language and break down key tracks. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Edo. G is a hip-hop survivor, a great example of an artist who has been active for over 30 years. From his 1991 debut Life of a Kid In The Ghetto with hits like I Got To Have It and Be A Father To Your Child to the new album with MC/producer Insight titled Innovates, Edo. has been a constant presence in the hip-hop ecosystem. Here he discusses all of that and more with our three hosts. We also talk about what qualities an artist needs to have to maintain longevity in this volatile game. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

What's a rap line that made you literally laugh out loud? That's our question of the week. We also have a conversation with the hilarious and skilled Detroit rapper Bruiser Wolf. His debut album Dope Game Stupid is one of our favorite releases of the year so far and a major statement from Danny Brown's Bruiser Brigade crew. Please be advised that the sound on the interview is a little shaky, we were dealing with some connectivity issues but feel that the content is worthwhile regardless. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we speak with one of the most intriguing and productive artists in contemporary hip-hop, the enigmatic Pink Siifu. Whether rapping, producing, singing, or leading his ripping punk band, Siifu is always making high level, interesting and at times challenging music. Here he joins us to discuss his influences, his post-quarantine plans, and his various projects including the recently dropped Negro Deluxe. At the top of the show the fellas discuss the legacy of the dearly departed Shock G and in the final segment share listener feedback on which rappers have the most range. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have a great conversation with hip-hop producer RJD2. We discuss his influences, his musical journey and his time on influential underground hip-hop label Def Jux. RJ is an extremely nice guy, very easy to talk to, and was generous with his time, even taking a moment to talk about some of the analog synths in his studio. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have an amazing interview with Vast Aire, one half of the legendary underground hip-hop duo Cannibal Ox. The 20th anniversary of the Ox's epochal album The Cold Vein is fast approaching. We linked with Vast while he was in the recording studio mixing down new music and he shared insights on The Cold Vein, Def Jux, his rhyme partner the brilliant Vordul Mega, and a lot more. It's a good time, tap in and enjoy. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

We are joined this week by authors, historians and galactic level hip-hop heads Jeff Chang and Dave "Davey D" Cook to discuss their new book Can't Stop Won't Stop (Young Adult Edition): A Hip-Hop History. Nate, Dave and Demone are all huge fans of the original edition of Can't Stop Won't Stop, and consider it to be the best book about hip-hop ever written. Here we chop it up with Jeff and Davey D about the new edition, the state of the culture, and some of the figures covered in the book. We also read some listener tweets about whether or not rap fans have a responsibility to engage with the broader hip-hop culture beyond the music. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we're shining a light on the best rap records of the year so far. Each of our three co-hosts talk about their favorite few releases now that we're a quarter of the way through 2021. Next up we have an interview with DBRP returning guest MC Nappy Nina ans producer JWords. They just released a very good record called Double Down, and we get the down low on the creation of the project. Beats this week are from friend of the program Small Professor, check out his Bandcamp for more amazing selections. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have a great interview with legendary hip-hop producer Buckwild. From the 90's to the present, Buckwild has produced some of the greatest songs in hip-hop history with artists like O.C., Organized Konfusion, Notorious B.I.G., Kool G Rap, Nas, and many others. Buckwild is a laid back guy and not prone to self promotion, but consider this episode the beginning of a campaign to refer to him as a super-producer. In the third segment our hosts hold an extensive conversation on the merits of the new album Haram from rap group Armand Hammer and producer The Alchemist. We offer insights based on our first few listens to this album-of-the-year contender. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we're chatting about new releases including Benny the Butcher's Plugs I Met 2. Then we have a lively conversation with Bronx-born MC Nine. Perhaps best known for his distinctive vocal tone and two albums on Profile in the 90's, Nine has had an extensive and influential career and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Beats this week were submitted by friend of the program LC Rivers. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have some thoughts on the recent Grammy awards and then we spoke with one of contemporary rap's illest duos, Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams. Sharif & Roper released a uniquely macabre record last year called Ghandi Loves Children. They tell us about their history together, their working process, and divulge a bit about their next few projects. The interstitial beats on this week's show are from friend of the program Son Raw, specifically his new beat tape Son Raw vs. The Psychotic Hippies, check that out on Bandcamp. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have a lively examination of the recently-released Netflix documentary Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell. The Notorious B.I.G. is one of the all-time great rappers and we had fun talking about his music and legacy. Then we have an interview with NYC-based rapper Marlon Craft. We discuss his independent hustle, his relationship with his fans, and his former life as a basketball prodigy. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have a great interview with composer, producer, beatmaker extraordinaire Daedelus. They share their experiences working with DOOM, Prefuse 73, Myka 9, and more colorful characters from the intersection of hip-hop and electronic music. They also describe a bit about their pandemic experience, teaching at the Berklee School of Music, and tell some stories about the legendary club night Low End Theory. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are discussing Canadian hip-hop with two underground MCs from our neighbor to the north. First up we have an interview with writer, poet, MC and overall creative Cadence Weapon. Cadence has a new single out now called Senna and a new album dropping soon. He discusses his approach to writing, his journalistic efforts, and we parse the so-called "hipster rap" era. Next up we have a conversation with the prolific MC/producer Moka Only. We've been fans of Moka's laid-back, everyman approach to hip-hop since the late 90's. He talks about how he got his start, working with DOOM, and how he keeps producing albums as a veteran in the game. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Is The Fugees' 1996 album The Score a hip-hop classic? We delve into this question including listener feedback sourced from Twitter on the occasion of The Score's 25th anniversary. Next up we have a revealing interview with veteran MC and Visionaries member 2Mex. We are longtime fans of his music, both solo and as a member of group Of Mexican Descent. Here he discusses the true stories behind some of his songs, label politics, and drops hints about an upcoming project with a superstar MC/producer. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

We have a doubleheader this week, two interviews with guests who have made music we enjoy and also come from our little corner of the world, the South Bay Area of California. First up we have a chat with Jihad the Roughneck, a renowned underground MC best known for his work in the group Third Sight with DJ D-Styles and producer DuFunk. We are longtime fan of Jihad's bold rhyme schemes and humor-laden writing. Next up we have a conversation with producer The Architect. he was the man behind the boards for the group Homeliss Derelix and has worked extensively with Hieroglyphics and MC Nowaah The Flood. In the final segment we debate whether or not J Dilla is the best hip-hop producer of all time including listener feedback sourced via Twitter. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are yet again mourning a member of the hip-hop community, RIP to Double K of People Under the Stairs and condolences to his family and friends. We spend some time up top talking about PUTS and what their music means to us and how it sits in the larger context of underground hip-hop. After that we have a great interview with Murs, one of the most talented and productive MCs in hip-hop history. Murs shares his insights on hustling, race, the music business and much much more. We also discuss the cultural impacts of Murs's larger crew, the groundbreaking entrepreneurial collective Living Legends. DBRP is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we have some reflections on a great moment in Bay Area hip-hop history, the legendary Saafir vs Casual battle in 1994. This moment has been chronicled in a recent documentary available on youtube, and our host Demone Carter was in the building for one of the inciting events, a live show where the Hobo Junction and Hieroglyphics members initially squared off. After that we have a great interview with Breeze Brewin. The gifted lyricist from The Juggaknots and Prince Paul's Prince Among Thieves album is back with a new album called Hindsight that just dropped. Breeze is one of hip-hop's best storytellers, and here he relays the twisting tale of his own career in compelling fashion. Beats this week were submitted by Freshnerd, a producer from The Netherlands, and we thank him for the contribution. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

We have a very special guest this week, quite literally one of the greatest MCs in the world, Pharoahe Monch. From his beginnings in Organized Konfusion to his new rock-oriented project Thirteen, Monch blends peerless technical ability with wild concepts and emotional range. He is truly gifted as a rapper and has made some of our favorite music of all time. The three hosts also discuss the best rap albums not currently available on streaming services, capped by Organized Konfusion's masterpiece Stress: The Extinction Agenda. DBRP is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week the fellas discuss who the best DJ/producers in hip-hop culture are throughout time with feedback from our twitter followers. Then we have a great interview with one of those luminaries, the legendary turntablist, producer, artist, and collector Cut Chemist. Cut shares great stories from his incredible career and tells us about his devotion to collecting "paper," specifically vintage hip-hop flyers and posters.

Rest in peace Daniel Dumile aka MF DOOM the greatest underground rapper who ever lived. This episode is our attempt to celebrate the life, music and legacy of DOOM. We are joined by DOOM fan and collaborator Open Mike Eagle to talk about our favorite tracks, memories and share some observations about what made him such a compelling character. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

For our 150th episode and our last show of 2020 we are very pleased to present an interview with a group that means a lot to our three co-hosts, Latyrx. Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born made a groundbreaking self-titled album in 1997 that was hugely influential in all of our lives and led us to seek out left field experimental hip-hop. We are joined at the table this week by our friend Cutso who has worked closely with Lyrics Born for the past few years. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week the fellas interview radio host, DJ, producer, and hip-hop institution Statik Selektah. Statik chopped it up with us about his radio career, his production setup, and his practice of not breaking songs but breaking artists on his Shade45 show Showoff Radio. He is also promoting a new album, The Balancing Act, which has a staggering amount of high profile features. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network. 

It's the third annual DBRP Awards! A beloved end-of-year tradition where we reach out to some of our favorite artists, writers, and friends of the program for feedback on the year in rap music combine that with the ballots of our editorial board of David, Demone, and Nate, and then "award" great music across a wide variety of categories. We also spend a little bit of time talking about bad graphic design and annoying trends, but mostly this is a celebration of an amazing year for music and not much else. Tune in to hear about our favorite album covers, song titles, featured verses and much more, building up to our Song of the Year, Best Producer Alive, Best Rapper Alive, and of course a hotly contested race for Album of the Year. We so have a quick check-in interview with artist R.A.P. Ferreira about his glorious opus Purple Moonlight Pages, and his forthcoming album and VR experience Bob's Son Cafe.

This week we're exploring Brand Nubian's classic debut album One For All on its 30th anniversary. We spoke with Sadat X, a great MC with a pioneering flow and one of the great rap voices. He recalls being young and hungry when the group recorded this masterpiece and fills us in on what he's up to now, which may surprise you. Next up we speak with Dante Ross, the A&R who guided the signing and recording of the album and has stories for days. Dante was everywhere in NYC back in the day and his tales of nightlife and the old school record business are highly entertaining. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are focusing on record collecting, something all three of our hosts engage in to varying degrees. We lead with a chat about our listening outside of hip-hop and the hoopla surrounding year-end lists. Then we speak with DJ, producer, musician, and record collector DJ Day. Day gets very candid about his life, his recording career, and his position as the best DJ in his hometown of Palm Springs, In the middle segment we talk about how the pandemic has affected record stores and our own digging habits. Our second interview is with documentarians Kevin Smokler and Christopher Boone, co-directors of the new documentary Vinyl Nation. The film features interviews with friends of the program Oliver Wang and Morgan Rhodes among others, and was partly filmed at our hometown record shop Needle To The Groove Records in San Jose, California. Beats this week were provided by DJ Day, including a never-heard-before remix. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Every year Dad Bod Rap Pod does something slightly different for these holiday episodes. One year we did a radio-style music mix, the next we told stories from our personal lives, and this year we have a positive, fun conversation about some music that we love with a very special guest. Josh Gondelman is a beloved Twitter institution, a gifted stand up comedian, author of the book Nice Try and a writer and executive producer on Desus & Mero. Josh joined us for a conversation about things we love: The song Bubblz by Anti-Pop Consortium, the Music of MF DOOM, rap songs about everyday life, and the Method Man & Redman album Blackout! We sincerely hope that you enjoy this episode and maybe look to revisit some of the music discussed. It has been and will continue to be a rough year for a wide variety of reasons, but we are sincerely thankful for everyone who listens to DBRP, which is part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week the fellas interview an artist who just released a breakthrough album, Lyric Jones. Her new album Closer Than They Appear was recently released to critical acclaim. Lyric has an interesting backstory, as she is a talented singer, drummer, and classically trained musician who has been making moves in hip-hop for a while. Catching the ear of Little Brother's Phonte Coleman eventually led to this new album's creation. The fellas also discuss some near-classic rap albums, Sesame Street, and proper beard length. Beats this week are by Spectacular Diagnostics and we appreciate the submission. DBRP is brought to you by the Stony Island Audio network.

Doubleheader episode this week. After the fellas discuss their mental state after the recent election, we interview Sach Illpages of The Nonce about his album World Ultimate and his newer work. He is joined by producer KTD to discuss their new collaborative project. Next up is a discussion on the intersection of instrumental hip-hop production and electronic music with author Laurent Fintoni. Laurent spent over a decade researching various artists, scenes, record labels, and movements and the result is his excellent new book Bedroom Beats & B-sides: Instrumental Hip Hop & Electronic Music at the Turn of the Century. We highly recommend picking up a copy. Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we are joined by MC, storyteller and personality Fat Tony. Tony helps us understand the intricacies of his new concept album Exotica. The album is a unique collection of character based short fiction rap songs, an intriguing listen. The fellas also address election worries, celebrate Demone's first EP with his group Lackadaisical being re-issued on vinyl, and share some initial thoughts on Busta Rhymes' new album Extinction Level Event 2. Beats this week were submitted by Spectacular Diagnostics. DBRP is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we delve into the legacy of Aceyalone's seminal album All Balls Don't Bounce on its 25th anniversary. After that we have dual interviews with the members of new group Small Bills. Producer The Lasso, whose work you may know from collaborations with Lando Chill, Chris Orrick and Psypiritual, is a multi-instrumentalist with restless creativity who has crafted a new sound for Elucid on this project. Elucid, one of the best MCs in the world right now, has an extensive solo catalog and is a member of groups Armand Hammer, Nostrum Grocers, and now Small Bills. This project finds Elucid exploring new sonic territory displaying the same high level lyricism we've come to expect from him. Small Bills' debut, Don't Play It Straight, will be released on Mello Music Group on Friday October 30th. DBRP is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network

We are joined this week by hip-hop writer and columnist for Spin and Bandcamp Max Bell to discuss the major rap releases from last week. The rap universe was blessed with albums from Benny The Butcher, Black Thought, Homeboy Sandman, Open Mike Eagle, Kenny Segal, among others. We offer initial reactions to these releases and discuss how some of them invite comparison based on subject matter. Next up is an interview with MC/Producer Illogic, who just released his first self-produced project of his long career, Autopilot, Beats this week were submitted by Scarwig. DBRP is a proud member of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we focus in on the idiosyncratic rap stylings of MC Paul Barman. We've been following Paul's career since his life-changing collaboration with venerable producer Prince Paul in 2000. Paul's intricately written rhymes have consistently improved over the course of many releases and he is one of hip-hop's most unique characters. We were very pleased to speak with Paul and he proved himself to be a wily and active participant in the conversation. So please sit back and enjoy this slightly off-beat interview and some discussion and analysis of Paul's place in hip-hop culture and a bit of talk about some recent live-streamed performances we enjoyed. Beats for this week's show were submitted by Small Professor, who has a collaboration with MCPB dropping soon. Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

Surprise mini-episode where DBRP producer and co-host Nate LeBlanc interviews friend of the program Alaska about his past and present as an indie MC and member of groups Atoms Family and Hangar 18. Alaska is the co-host of our fellow indie hip-hop podcast Call Out Culture and has a new album with his partner in that show Zilla Rocca as group Cargo Cults. Their new album Nihilist Millennial features Zilla's beats and Alaska's raps. We close this show with a cut "Rammellzee" from the album, which is available on their crew Wrecking Crew's Bandcamp. Beats from the Atoms Family era by Cryptic One. DBRP is a Stony Island Audio podcast.

This week we have two special interviews. First up we have an interview with Kathy Iandoli, author of God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop. Kathy shares insights on hip-hop form her unique perspective as someone who has studied the contributions of women throughout hip-hop history. Next up we have an interview with MC Sa-Roc on her career, her writing process, and her new album The Sharecropper's Daughter. Beats this week were submitted by Sean Kantrowitz, who has a brand new show on the Stony Island Audio network called Can't Knock The Shuffle. Give it a listen everywhere podcasts are heard.

This week the fellas are joined at the virtual table for the first segment by hip-hop writer Abe Beame who published a major piece this week ranking all of the original albums that received coveted 5-mic ratings in The Source magazine. Here's a link to the piece https://www.passionweiss.com/2020/09/29/a-definitive-ranking-of-all-the-original-5-mic-albums-in-the-source/ we have a lively discussion about the hip-hop album canon, and the unrepeatable circumstances of the heyday of hip-hop journalism.

In the second segment we interview rapper, author, and label head MF Grimm. It was a distinct pleasure to talk to Grimm about his past as a child actor, his streetwise rap style, his autobiographical graphic novel, and much more. Dad Bod Rap Pod is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week we're very pleased to be joined by Compton's Most Wanted himself, MC Eiht. The legendary gangster rapper told us amazing stories form his long career, touches on his friendship with DJ Premier, and promotes his new album Lessons. In the third segment the guys touch on the recent Sotheby's hip-hop memorabilia auction and discuss new records. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.

This week's show is built around an interview with super-producer Dan The Automator. We have been longtime fans of his luxurious approach to beatmaking. Before the chat we delve into a few of his projects, with discussion on Deltron 3030, the Lovage instrumentals, and Handsome Boy Modeling School's debut collaboration with Prince Paul and a global cast of characters. Dan gives a lot of insight about his long and varied career, from producing and recording underground hip-hop to producing rock and pop acts with immense commercial success, to scoring films like Booksmart and others. Dad Bod Rap Pod is a production of the Stony Island Podcast network.

Very special episode of Dad Bod Rap Pod this week, the first on our new home, Open Mike Eagle's Stony Island Audio which is part of the illustrious Starburns Industries umbrella. We're excited about this new chapter for the show and to celebrate we switched a few things up. We have new artwork by Arthur Banach, a new introduction by the legendary hip-hop announcer Don Newkirk, and we have a great interview with a major artist whose music has been the soundtrack of our lives. We were lucky to speak this week with DJ Shadow, the revolutionary producer who has worked with elite MCs, collaborated with the top DJs in the game, and helped usher in a new wave of appreciation for instrumental hip-hop in the mid-90's with his stellar debut album Endtroducing.... We are huge fans of Shadow's work and this interview is an in-depth look into his mindset in 2020, a look back at some standout moments form past albums, and a showcase for his thoughtful, almost poetic way of answering questions. We're very proud of the interview and hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to the Dad Bod Rap Pod, where a writer, an MC and a record collector approach the world of hip-hop with respect for creators and an intellectual curiosity. This week our hosts discuss the new Nas album King's Disease in the first segment. Next up is an interview with author Marcus Moore who wrote The Butterfly Effect: Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America which will be released in October. Our third and final segment is an-depth career-spanning interview with producer and multi-instrumentalist Shafiq Husayn. He has worked with everyone from Ice-T to Raw Breed to Erykah Badu to Hiatus Kaiyote. It's a fascinating story, make sure to tune in.

Great show this week, we are joined in the first segment by writer and host of the Serious Rap Shit Podcast, John Morrison. John is a music lover and an excellent writer and we had him on to share some of his recent news on projects we're excited about. After that we have one of the best interviews ever on the show, a deep talk with Detroit's Sterling Toles, producer of Manger on McNichols with Boldy James. Manger is a very unique album with an incredible backstory and Sterling is an inspiring person to talk to. Really just can't recommend listening to this highly enough. Beats this week are by friend of the program Small Professor from his excellent instrumental album A Jawn Supreme Vol. 1

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Special crossover episode this week! We are joined by Rob & E of the Next Movement Podcast for a discussion about the Juice original motion picture soundtrack, which has its moments but is frankly not nearly as good as we remembered. This is part 1 of a 2-part series, make sure to tune into the second half of the show where we discuss the Boyz-N-The Hood soundtrack on their program. Beats this week were submitted by Keenan Kilgore and we appreciate the addition to the episode!

This week the fellas Discuss Raekwon's Only Built for Cuban Linx, one of the greatest records of all time. They also discuss the recent lists from Levels about rappers over 40 years old. Our first interview this week is with journalist and historian Dart Adams about his career and his approach to music writing. Next us we have a great interview with legendary MC Self Jupiter of Freestyle Fellowship about his life, music, and how he stays relevant several decades deep in the game. Beats submitted by LC Rivers, we appreciate the contribution to the show!

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

We have two great interviews this week. First up we have a conversation with artist/MC/producer Oddisee, whose new album Odd Cure is one of the most interesting of the Covid era. The album explores the social and personal sides of life under quarantine and includes brief recordings of him calling to check in on his loved ones, a good reminder for all of us to do what we can to stay connected in these unprecedented times. Next up we have a chat with music supervisor and co-host of our favorite podcast Heat Rocks, Morgan Rhodes. Morgan possesses one of the world's most distinct and beautiful voices and her deep love of music and artistry really shine through in this interview. Beats this week were provided by Smyth, we thank him for the contribution.

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

This week the fellas are joined at the virtual table by DJ/Producer Weezmatic in the first segment where they discuss the mixtape hustle and how to best support artists during the pandemic. Weezy has a new remix project out called (Re)Visions, look for it on Bandcamp. After that we are joined by MC Blu and Producer Exile who have a great new album out called Miles. This jazz-themed odyssey is really resonating with audiences right now. Blu & Exile are one of hip-hop's most prominent duos and their chemistry is evident not only on the album but in conversation. Warning, the audio in the interview portion is a little rough, but we felt the content was significant to deliver to you all. Interstitial beats this week are by Squires and we thank him for the submission.

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

This week we have built an episode around the city of Los Angeles. First up the fellas tell some stories of memorable visits to LA. Then we have an interview with Sean Kantrowitz and DJ Steve 1der of LA-based trivia game The Questions Hip Hop. The Questions began as a live event that has now morphed into a popular live stream that combines interviews with an interactive trivia game. They have had an illustrious guest list on the live stream thus far (including us!) and are making serious moves to grow their brand. Next up we have an interview with author Felicia Viator. Felicia is a former DJ (bay areans may remember her exploits as DJ Neta) who is now a history professor at San Francisco State University. She wrote a book called To Live and Defy In LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America and she joins us to discuss the text and how the current protests against police brutality have roots in the 1992 LA uprising. In an unprecedented move we have a third interview for you. MC AWOL ONE, who possesses one of hip-hop's iconic voices, joins us to talk about Project Blowed, The Shapeshifters, wordless raps, and his upcoming project with Pigeon John.

Great episode this week, the fellas discuss the impacts of shelter-in-place on their relationships to food, talk a bit about newly released music, and just generally catch up. Next up is an interview with The Koreatown Oddity. His new album Little Dominiques Nosebleed is a masterful self-produced concept album about his life to this point. It's unique, richly detailed, and must be heard to be believed. TKO is really engaging and funny in our brief interview, check it out.

Beats for this week's show were provided by Small Professor, show him some love on social media or better yet buy something on Bandcamp. DBRP is a member of the Pantheon Podcast network.

This week the guys review of Bloo & Spanish Ran's MF Bloo album on the yah/meh/nah scale and then interview producer Apollo Brown. Apollo is a prolific and gifted producer, an engaging interviewee, and most importantly, a person of integrity. The main thing that came across in this interview was that he knows who he is, how he wants to work, and has used those principles to build an impressive careers. He shares stories of working with Skyzoo, Ghostface, Che Noir, and basically every single MC from his hometown of Detroit.

This week the fellas are joined by music journalist Gary Suarez for a wide-ranging conversation in the first segment. They talk about the recent J. Cole and Noname tracks, music journalism, and Gary's hip-hop newsletter Cabbages, which you should subscribe to: https://cabbages.substack.com/

Next up is an interview with Seattle-based producer Jake One. The incredibly prolific producer has made beats for everyone from Gift of Gab to Rick Ross and many more in between. Easygoing and incredibly talented, Jake discusses record collecting, collaborations, and tells stories about some of the interesting figures he's crossed paths with on his musical journey.

Special Monday mini-episode! DBRP host Demone Carter takes the reigns today for an interview with Hen Boogie and Iz of The Dereliks. They have a new song out called Better Place (I'll Fly Away) that you can hear at the end of the episode.

This week we have a rangy interview with billy woods and Elucid, the members of group Armand Hammer, whose new record Shrines is among the year's best. They provide insight into the album's origins, artwork, and their trusted circle of collaborators among many other topics.

In the second segment the fellas discuss the best rap records of the year so far, a check-in on the state of the art as we reach the halfway point of this chaotic but increasingly inspiring year.

Beats for this week's show were submitted by Controller 7 and we thank him for the contributions. Our theme song is composed by DJ Albert Jenkins.

This week we have two special guest interviews. First up we speak with Nappy Nina, an MC with Oakland roots currently located in Brooklyn, about her life and her excellent new record 30 Bag. Then the fellas do a quick over/under segment on the careers of CL Smooth, Domino from Hiero, and Gucci Mane. Next up is an interview with one of upstate New York's finest, Che Noir. The Buffalo-based MC has worked with past DBRP guest and the Griselda crew, and has an upcoming record produced by Apollo Brown that we are really excited to hear. DBRP is a member of the Pantheon Podcast network.

This week Dave, Demone and Nate have a conversation about the state of the world at this crucial and potentially overwhelming moment. Between the pandemic, the global protests, and the police reform movement, there is a lot to consider. The fellas share their perspectives on issues local and national, as these events were unfolding in real time. Please note that this episode was recorded Monday June 1st and a lot has changed since then. They also talk about recent rap releases for a bit in the second segment.

This week the guys welcome special guest Tajai from Souls of Mischief to the show! We are all huge fans of his work and look up to him as an entrepreneur, MC, and just general extremely smart person. In the second segment we take a closer look at Souls' 1998 album Focus, their first independently-distributed work. The beats for this week's show were submitted by Deuce Ellis and Camoflauge Monk from their new project Camo Ellis, which we highly recommend listening to. DBRP is a member of the Pantheon Podcasts network.

This week the guys interview author Nate Patrin whose new book Bring That Beat Back is an in-depth look at the history of sampling in hip-hop music and includes examinations of Grandmaster Flash, Dr. Dre, Prince Paul and Madlib. Next up we discuss whether a few southern MCs are over or under rated: Devin the Dude, Trick Daddy and Ludacris, who is back in the public conversation due to his recent IG Live battle with Nelly. We also review lojii's recent album Lo & Behold and rate it on our patented yah/meh/nah scale. Beats for this week's show were provided by Jeremy Ford from his recent project Fresh Beets, Vol. 1. You can find more of his work here: jeremyford.bandcamp.com/

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

For our 118th episode we are debuting a new segment, our first time tackling an actual album review. Demone, Dave and Nate all listened to Mozzy's new album Beyond Bulletproof and rate it on a highly scientific yah/meh/nah scale. Next up we have an interview with DJ Preservation who has a record called Eastern Medicine, Western Illness dropping in a few weeks with many of today's best working MCs and a sample palette built from digging in his adopted home of Hong Kong. We conclude with an interview with Eto, an MC who has a unique voice, a lethal pen, and a grimy aesthetic who has worked with DJ Muggs (on the modern classic Hell's Roof) and collaborated with legendary MCs across eras. He has a new album called The Beauty Of It out on May 15th!

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

This week's show is a bit of a grab bag, with three distinct segments. First up our buddy, writer/DJ/producer Son Raw joins us at the virtual table for a discussion on the career of MC/producer/label head/activist Paris, a sometimes forgotten figure who played a big role in several strands of rap's history, particularly in our native Bay Area. Next up we have an interview with producer Animoss, an LA native who has produced for Roc Marciano, Chuck Strangers and more, but most notably for Ka. They released a duo album as The Hermit & The Recluse a while back and he has a placement on Ka's excellent new album Descendants of Cain. After that we have a discussion on Mobb Deep's classic sophomore album The Infamous. Beats this week were provided by Darko the Super and we appreciate his contributions. DBRP is part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Please subscribe, follow, and rate or review the show on your streaming platform of your choice! Hope you're all staying safe and staying inside.

This week we have a special crossover episode with our buddies Alaska, Zilla Rocca and Curly Castro, MCs and hosts of the podcast Call Out Culture. All 6 of us submitted a hip-hop related "hot take" and then everyone had a chance to respond. We call it The Takeoff. It's intended to be a bit punchier than our usual winding discussions. Please click to listen to the rap nerd royal rumble and send us your feedback on the following hot takes:

1. There are only 2 perfect hip-hop albums, Main Source Breaking Atoms and A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders
2. Born Like This is DOOM's Best Album
3. Redman ruined Method Man
4. Nasir is Nas's 2nd best album
5. Jay Electronica is overrated and the new album is mid
6. We all wasted our time listening to back pack rap, the music that has stood up form that era is the music we were all ostensibly against.

Beats for this week's show were submitted by Zilla Rocca from his Bandcamp-exclusive recently-released beat tape. Make sure to tune into Part 2 on Call Out Culture's feed for a deeper discussion!

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This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

This week our hosts are joined by UK-based journalist Thomas Hobbs for a conversation about 2pac based on his recent "listeners guide" article in the Guardian and then they interview rapper/producer/animator Quelle Chris who has a new album this week called Innocent Country 2 with Chris Keys. Beats for this week's show were submitted by our friend EddouXL, check out his new tape Loops From the MP on Bandcamp!

Visit our sponsor Adam & Eve for 50% off almost any item AND receive FREE shipping. Just go to adamandeve.com and type DADBOD at checkout.

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

This week we have a lively show, up top our 3 co-hosts discuss hip-hop's best "comeback" albums, a term with a surprisingly wide range of interpretations. Then we have a great interview with Curly Castro and Prem Rock, who are best known as a duo as Shrapknel. They have a very good new self titled album out on Backwoodz Studios produced by Elucid and Willie Green. Beats on this week's show are provided by Buscrates taken from his new release Eternal RIdin' (Instrumentals.) The third segment is an audio essay form Demone on the impact of Q-Tip and Tribe's first album People's Instinctive Travels. Visit our sponsor Adam & Eve for 50% off almost any item AND receive FREE shipping. Just go to adamandeve.com and type DADBOD at checkout.

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

Leading off the show is a discussion between Demone and Nate on the towering legacy of the great Bill Withers, then thoughts on the recent hip-hop adjacent albums from Childish Gambino and Thundercat. After that we have a conversation with triple threat MC/DJ/Producer J-Live on his career with a focus on his more recent output. Next up is a conversation with MC/Producer 38 Spesh out of Rochester, NY who has released a slew of projects in recent years, including collaborations with Kool G Rap, Planet Asia, Che Noir, and more. Please follow, like, rate, or leave a review for the show if you like what you hear! Stay safe, everybody.

This show is part of Patheon Podcasts.

Visit our sponsor Adam & Eve for 50% off almost any item AND receive FREE shipping. Just go to adamandeve.com and type DADBOD at checkout.

This week we have a brief check in with the three hosts via conference call, where we hear about Dave's interview with Conway and The Alchemist for Billboard about their new EP Lulu, and Demone tells us about being interviewed by NPR for a story related to his day job running a food bank. Next up we have an interview with MC Estee Nack, an incredibly productive rapper who releases excellent street rap at a rapid clip. He just released the album IWANNAFXCKJADAFIRE as a physical-only drop and Baladas, a collaboration with producer Superior, to streaming services. After that we have an interview with producer Spectacular Diagnostics, who has a long history in the game that many many be unaware of. His album Raw Unknown (one of our favorite releases of the year so far) features MCs such as billy woods, Quelle Chris and Vic Spencer and he is keeping busy during the shelter-in-place era by releasing beat packs for a dollar on his Bandcamp page.

Welcome back to week 2 of the slightly-reformatted Dad Bod Rap Pod as recorded under "shelter-in-place" conditions so we are not able to meet in person. This week all 3 co-hosts share what their lives have been like lately, what they've been listening to and watching to fill the time, and of course we get a little deep on some new rap releases including R.A.P. Ferreira's Purple Moonlight Pages and Jay Electronica's debut album A Written Testimony. Our featured interview this week is with Canadian beatsmith Elaquent, who recently released an album on Mellow Music Group entitled Forever Is a Pretty Long Time featuring guest verses from DBRP favorites such as Cavalier, Chester Watson, and Oddisee. Please note that the interview was recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic so it has a pretty light tone. All of the beats on this week's episode besides our theme song (produced by DJ Albert Jenkins) are from Elaquent's Baker's Dozen album. Next up we have an interview with friend of the program, producer Controller 7. He has a new album called couch in collaboration with MC Mestizo featuring cuts from DJ D-Styles. It's available on Bandcamp for the time being, and may be released physically in some form in the future.

We are back with a double dose of DBRP. Our entire region of the Bay Area in California is under "shelter in place" orders so we do a quick check-in to see how people are passing the time and staying sane in these crazy times. Then we have a great and frankly inspiring interview with Count Bass D, whose debut album came out 25 years ago and his latest album CBD came out last week. The Count discusses his life growing up playing in church bands, tells great stories about collaborating with MFDOOM, and being treated as a "guest" in hip-hop culture. CBD is full of life and ready to assert himself as one of the only members of his generation still making waves in the culture.

Next up we have a special in-studio interview with Platurn & Edgewize, a DJ?MC duo with a new EP called Apatheater on Needle To The Groove Entertainment (full disclosure, Dave is a partner in the label). They took hip-hop back to the essence of dope beats and dope rhymes with no frills but a modern sensibility on the new project and we were happy to have them on. As you can imagine, it's very hard to promote a record in the current environment and we are happy to provide artists on our wavelength with the opportunity. All beats on this episode except our theme song were produced by DJ Platurn!

We are very excited to welcome this week's guest, Slug of Atmosphere. Atmosphere is a beloved indie hip-hop institution, with a wide range of projects and a reputation as one of the best live acts in hip-hop. On this week's show we are joined by their frontman Slug (we interviewed producer Ant on episode DBRP 29) about his life and career, touching a broad range of subjects such as balancing touring with family life, Eyedea's neck muscles, intense fan interactions, and much much more. This is one of our favorite interviews to appear on the show, we sincerely hope that you enjoy it. As always our theme music is supplied by friend of the program DJ Albert Jenkins.

This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.

This week we are joined by MC/Producer/Writer/Artist and more Rhys Langston to talk about his new album Language Arts Unit. Rhys executed a new release with a book and some stunning visuals essentially by himself and he is here to tell us how he did it.

Little bonus mini-episode this week since we can’t stop talking about MF DOOM and his album Operation: Doomsday. We are joined by GENG aka King Vision Ultra, who attended and filmed DOOM’s first-ever performance. He tells us that story and a few others from the cypher-era New York underground hip-hop scene.

This week we bring you a Tim Hardaway caliber crossover, we teamed with the excellent UK-based hip-hop podcast Crate 808 to break down MF DOOM’s Operation: Doomsday. This album holds a special place for all of us as an unimpeachable underground classic. We talk about the songs, the skits, the art, and the samples with Kam, the effusive host of Crate 808.

This week we are joined by the multifaceted MC Fat Tony who has a new album out called Wake Up on Carpark Records. Topics discussed include smokiness levels in Mezcal, his experiences with Vice, the NY underground rap scene in the early aughts, comedy, and his need to connect personally with his producers. Tony is one-of-a-kind and we had a lot of fun talking with him. In the second segment we are joined by hip-hop writer Jack Riedy to talk about live shows, Chicago, and various levels of washdedness.

This week we have a bit of a schizophrenic show. In the first segment we have a long conversation about Lil Wayne and on the back half we have a special interview with Yesh aka Yeshua DapoEd who created an indie rap masterpiece in 1996. The Visualz EP is legendary among backpack rap aficionados for its intricate wordplay, brazen song construction, and jazz-inflected beats. It is a personal favorite of Nate and Dave and they were excited to catch up with Yesh and talk about the independent era and what he’s been up to since.

This week we have a very special interview. Our guest is MC Tree from Chicago. He does not normally grant interviews or play shows or do any of the promotional tasks one might associate with being a rapper. He simply records and releases his incredible Soul Trap music on his own terms. Tree had a monster year in 2019, releasing three full length records. We get to hear a bit about each of them and news about what’s coming next.

Great interview this week with author Adam Mansbach who provides insight on the life and career of the beyond-legendary hip-hop pioneer Phase 2. Adam has written several novels centered around hip-hop culture and written for and edited influential hip-hop publications but is best known for writing the “childrens’ book for adults” Go The Fuck To Sleep. In the other segments the fellas talk about the fact that rap songs seem to be getting shorter, and share some examples of hot tracks that don’t waste any time as well as some contributions solicited on Twitter.

This week we are joined by the versatile and productive MC/Producer Evidence. Fresh off tour with Brother Ali (he produced Ali’s most recent album Secrets & Escapes) he talks through his career up to this point. Ev arrived on the scene as a member of Dilated Peoples, and has released a string of solo albums and collaborations since then. His 2018 release Weather Or Not was among his most acclaimed. Stay tuned until the end of the interview when he drops some hints about the direction of his next project. In the first segment Demone, Dave and Nate discuss high fashion. Our theme song “Pyramids” is produced by friend of the program DJ Albert Jenkins.

Short episode this week. The fellas discuss whether there should be a term for the most creative MCs pushing the genre forward. We workshop calling them The Vanguard. In the second segment we interview Vanguard member, MC/Producer Elucid. He is a creative force, in his solo work and his collaborations he is one of the most creative people in hip-hop and we were very pleased to be able to speak with him. Beats for this week’s episode were supplied by Albert Jenkins and Th’ Mole and we appreciate their contributions.

We are celebrating the milestone of reaching 100 episodes of Dad Bod Rap Pod by focusing our attention on one of the greatest rap groups of all time, A Tribe Called Quest. They are monumentally important to the development of hip-hop music and culture in general but also in our personal lives.

First up, we have an in-depth interview with Hanif Abdurraqib, author of Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest. The book is one of the few books on the the golden age of rap that takes the listener’s perspective into account and spends a lot of time talking about how this brilliant and important music made the author feel. We appreciate the very busy Mr. Abdurraqib for taking the time to speak with us.

Next we have not one but two ATCQ trivia games that you can play along with at home! The first is based on 10 questions about facts from Tribe’s career. The second is based on recognizing audio snippets from Tribe sample sources. We are joined for this segment by friends of the program Albert Jenkins and DJ Cutso. Our brand new theme song, “Pyramids” which we are debuting on this episode, is produced by the talented Mr. Jenkins. You’ll be hearing more from him soon!

Last but not least we have an interview with legendary producer Prince Paul (returning for his second appearance on DBRP). He was present for the earliest days of Tribe’s career and provides valuable insight on their sound their era and the Native Tongues collective.

Thank you all for listening and supporting the show! Here’s to another 100 episodes.

We’ve got 99 episodes but a satisfactory accounting of the decade in rap isn’t one. This week each of our three co-hosts pick their top 5 albums of the decade. Tune in to hear what made the cut.

Very special episode this week, we go long on the year in hip-hop and hand out our 2019 Dad Bod Awards for our favorite releases of the year. After that we are joined by the intriguing MC billy woods, who released two of the best records of the year Hiding Places with producer Kenny Segal and Terror management. woods possesses a ferocious intellect and a reflective demeanor, and is answers are full of insight into his year as a person and an artist. Huge thanks to all of the friends of the program who contributed ballots with their best-of lists. Stay tuned to until the end of the program to hear our thoughts on the best song and album of the year among other categories!

It’s a good old fashioned banter episode, the first time in a while we haven’t had a guest. Dave called in sick, so Nate and Demone discuss IRL interactions with hip-hop artists, whether podcasts are filing the void left by the disillusion of many hip-hop magazines, and the fiasco that was the Source Magazine’s Benzino years. Listen now, watch the movie we start writing the script for at some point in the future. Beats for today’s show were provided by Jumbled, you can find more of his work at: jumbled.bandcamp.com

Every year we try to do a special episode for Thanksgiving and this year we landed on the theme of stories. We are all storytellers in some regard, and each DBRP co-host picked a song to tell a personal story about. Nate talks about his family through the lens of Action Bronson’s “9-24-11,” Dave reminisces about a particularly fruitful time in his career by discussing Lord Shafiq’s “My Mic Is On Fire,” and Demone recounts a personal and somewhat tragic tale revolving around Aceyalone’s “Book Of Human Language.” We are very grateful for all of our listeners, the community that has formed around the show, and the artists and writers who have joined us as guest. Happy Thanksgiving from the Dad Bod Rap Pod family to yours.

This week we speak to Beans, one of the most original and unique MC/producers in hip-hop. I never do this but I am actually going to quote his own description of himself since it is so perfect:

Accomplished abstract poet. Early architect of electronic-infused beatscapes. Founding ex- member of legendary left-field rap act Anti-Pop Consortium

The interview takes a few unexpected turns, and he actually recommends some amazing music you may not be familiar with. Check out his new album and book Ace Balthazar here:

store.hellola-hellola.com/product/bean…e-balthazar/

Beats for this week’s episode were generously provided by smallpro

This week we are joined by the intriguing young rapper Mavi, who dropped a very good album called Let The Sun Talk recently and appears on the new Earl Sweatshirt EP Feet of Clay. He’s got a bright future ahead of him, it’s always interesting to talk to someone right when they are at the outset of a promising career.

This week we have an hour-long sit-down in-studio interview with the great MC R.A.P. Ferreira, formerly known as Milo, currently also known as Scalllops Hotel and half of the group Nostrum Grocers. DBRP co-host and producer Nate LeBlanc sat down with the elusive and artful MC to discuss his life and career, his process, and poetry.

This week we are joined by two special guests with long histories in the rap game. First up is friend of the program Uncommon Nasa, who has an new album entitled City As School out today. Then we talk to legendary producer Psycho Les of The Beatnuts, who has produced some the freshest beats in the genre’s history and most recently produced a full album for Kool Keith. Beats for this week’s show were submitted by Nick Liao!

This week we are joined by author Ben Merlis. His new book Goin’ Off, The story of the Juice Crew and Cold Chillin’ Records will be available on November 5th. We are such huge fans of Marley Marl and the Juice Crew, and it was great to discuss their impact on hip-hop with a careful researcher like Ben.

This week we discuss the Tekashi 69 case with Shawn Setaro, who has been attending and reporting on the case for Complex.com since the beginning. We also touch on the “stop snitchin” ethos and the ramifications of using rap lyrics and videos to convict people of crimes. It’s more fun than it sounds.

This week we are joined by one of the most interesting people in hip-hop culture, the host of Comedy Central’s The New Negroes, unapologetic art rapper Open Mike Eagle. Mike talks to us about his life and career, his mentors at Project Blowed, and we get deep into the intersection of comedy and hip-hop, an often uncomfortable pairing.

This week the fellas ruminate on Kanye’s album (?) rollout for the supposedly upcoming Jesus Is King and talk about whether or not cancel culture is a real thing. Then we interview Homeboy Sandman, who has a new album called Dusty dropping October 18th. Homeboy Sandman is know as an MC’s MC, a very productive and unique rhymer. We dig into his writing, his career, and Dave gets a new nickname.

We are such huge Kool Keith fans. Ultramagnetic MCs changed the game in the golden era, Sex Style is an underground classic, Dr Octagon blew our minds, Dr Dooom and Black Elvis made us laugh and admire the continued lyrical dexterity. He’s one of the best MCs who ever lived, a pioneer in non-rhyming but still dope verses, and just an overall interesting person. This week we talked to him about his singular career.

We have very special guests this week, all the way live from North Carolina, Rapper Big Pooh and Phonte, who are of course collectively known as Little Brother. Their career spans the backpack rap era to the present day, and we talk about all of it. Phonte has hilarious stories about the times when they were being courted by major labels in the 2000s that you won’t want to miss. Beats for this weeks episode were provided by producer Homage CVG from his instrumental album Unfortunately.

Nate, Dave, and Demone are joined this week by Philadelphia-based MC Curly Castro. The loquacious rapper shares stories about his childhood in Brooklyn, some funny encounters with rap royalty, and his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hypeman. Stay tuned til the end where we share new music from Castro and his collaborators PremRock, friend of the program Zilla Rocca, and Open Mike Eagle. First up is the track “Nitty at the Drew” by ShrapKnel (Castro and PremRock) followed by “Company Dro” by Grift Company (Castro and Zilla) feat. Open Mike Eagle.

This week we are joined by very special guest Nathaniel Friedman of GQ Magazine, Victory Journal, and formerly of revolutionary basketball blog Free Darko. We go deep on Madlib and Freddie Gibbs’ Bandana album, which Nathaniel covered in his brilliant Gibbs profile for GQ. We also talk about the NBA, record collecting, and having your takes, good and bad, memorialized on the internet.

This week we spoke to Mr. Len, a gifted DJ and producer with a long career in hip-hop that started as a member of underground legends Company Flow. We dig deep into Len’s catalog, starting with Funcrusher and moving forward into his solo work with Jean Grae and Breeze Brewin, his emo-rap project Roosevelt Franklin, and then we all giggle talking about his time in the Prince Paul project The Dix. In the first segment we talk about rap lists give our top 50 reasons why we don’t make them.

This week we are discussing sequels, especially rap album sequels. What are the best rap album sequels, what makes an album an official sequel, and some of our faves. Then we have a very special interview with Jazz, best known as Roc Marciano’s manager, who oversaw a groundbreaking release strategy for Roc’s sequel album Rosebudd’s Revenge 2. Jazz drops tons of knowledge about Roc’s many releases, how they met, and what a rap manager actually does. Stay tuned til the end for some exciting news about upcoming releases.

Slightly different format this week. Dave and Nate spoke with friends of the program DJ Cutso and Bay Area MC Big Hongry about their forthcoming collaborative project. Cutso is on a hot streak right now, having just released the Rapp Nite project with Lyrics Born. This is you opportunity to get to know Big Hongry, a skilled rapper with a wide variety of interests and life experiences.

In the first segment the guys do a brief run-through of some of the new rap releases. The second segment is an interview with rapper, producer, comedy show DJ, podcast host, hip-hop head, and extremely grounded self-aware person Donwill! He’s got a good new album out now called One Word No Space and an illustrious career as a solo artist and with his group Tanya Morgan. Beats for this week’s episode were provided by DJ Mentos from his new album Fresh Air.

The legendary record store Fat Beats, also an extremely important record label and indie distributor with a huge influence on hip-hop culture, recently celebrated their 25th Anniversary. We spend the first segment talking about hip-hop record stores in general, sharing some tweets from listeners, and Nate has a pretty dope story about an afternoon he spent at Fat Beats Amsterdam back in the day. Then we talk to DJ Eclipse, a hip-hop lifer and key figure in the Fat Beats story about his career and memories of the underground hip-hop movement.

This week we talk about the role of personas, aliases, and characters in hip-hop. Some of the genre’s greatest figures like Kool Keith, RZA, MF DOOM, and others have released entire projects in character. What does it all mean? We cap it off with a chat with an MC who is quite a character himself, Thirstin Howl the 3rd. Thirst is an MCs MC, a sharp rhyme writer and spitter who also brings a lot of humor into his music. These days he is focusing more of his energy on visual content for his YouTube channel but also has a new album out with the legendary Sadat X.

This week we have a Gravediggaz focused episode. The guys discuss their classic debut album 6 Feet Deep and interview The Gatekeeper, Frukwan, who was in Stetsasonic and still reps Gravediggaz.

Special episode this week, we have a sit-down interview with Jon Sklute who details his journey from Bay Area underground  MC and producer to NYC record store owner to re-issue label owner and major label musicologist. He worked hard, stayed true to the game, and took care of his family, a great example for all of us. He’s got great stories, especially about the customers at his former shop, the aptly named Good Records. Interspersed are snippets of music he has produced or had a hand in releasing, including one partial verse from a young teen who would go on to become an underground mainstay.

This week we launch an ongoing series dedicated to Ghostface’s classic albums, with a deep dive on his debut Ironman. The second segment is an interview with author Dean Van Nguyen on his new book Age of Iron: The Art of Ghostface Killah. Dean joined us from his native Ireland for a fascinating conversation on how he approached Ghost’s career for his first book.

Many people involved in hip-hop culture are collectors. We know many record collectors, people who specialize in photos, memorabilia, toys, etc. This week on the show we interview Brian from RapZines, the world’s foremost collector of hip-hop magazines. He’s got a great story to tell and some obscure knowledge to drop. In the first segment we discuss recent controversies surrounding Genius and other lyric database sites.

This week we reflect on the legacy of the recently departed Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys (RIP) and then interview the extremely dope and productive producer Daringer. Perhaps best known for his work with the Griselda crew, he just released his first instrumental album, part of Fat Beats’ Baker’s Dozen series. Daringer provides insight on his minimal gear setup, his approach to sampling, and how and when he chooses to use drums in the forefront of his beats.

At the mid-point of the year, we check in on which rap and R&B albums have been the best of the bunch so far. We also interview Vic Spencer, who just released his new album “Things Change I Don’t” direct to fans. Vic has some very insightful things to say about fandom and the fan’s role in shaping an artist’s work, making this episode a must-listen. *DISCLAIMER* The audio on the interview is not the best quality, apologies, but we think the content is worth working through the patchy phone connection.

We are joined this week by the delightful Gifted Gab, an up-and-coming MC who played the Soundset festival in Minneapolis over Memorial Day weekend along with her partner in rhyme Blimes. She joins us to break down her surging career, her latest release Cause & Effect, and her experience playing Soundset for the first time. The fellas also talk about the NBA finals, and weirdly, deep voice rappers like Pras and RBX.

This week we debate whether Busta Rhymes is under, over, or properly rated as an MC. In the second segment we interview Richmond, VA based producer Ohbliv about his gear, methodology, and the lo-fi scene. His new album Give Thanks is now available, beat heads need to give it a listen.

This week we are honored to be joined by Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets. Their music combined beats and rhymes well before what we now know as hip-hop existed and they have amazing stories to share about the 60’s, their fellow proto-rap pioneers, and how to use jail time to improve your life. This one is a must-listen for everyone, not just hip-hop heads, to soak up the wisdom of two very special gentlemen.

We talked to MC JB of JJ Fad this week. She’s got awesome stories about the early days of electro rap, Ruthless Records, Dre, Eazy, and surprising takes on the notorious Jerry Heller. JJ Fad are best known for their classic hit “Supersonic” and are still active performing as a group, which is rare.

This week we reflect on the legacy of hip-hop filmmaker John Singleton, may he rest in peace. Then we dive deep into Outkast’s debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, which turns 25 this month. We talk about how unique it sounded when it dropped, how the album is constructed, and which tracks stand the test of time.

In depth interview with One Be Lo (AKA One Man Army) on the origins of Binary Star, his career, and what he is up to now. For a certain section of underground hip-hop fans, his albums Waterworld and the slightly reworked, more commonly available version Masters of the Universe are classic of the form. One Be Lo gets deep on how this came together and who was involved. We also discuss the concept of industry plants in the first segment.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Illmatic, Nas’s masterpiece, one of the greatest albums in the history of music, and some might say a perfect album. We break it down track by track and then interview Faith Newman, the legendary music executive who signed Nasty Nas to Columbia Records and oversaw the release. We also talk about Lil Nas X because internet.

We check in on the state of hip-hop journalism. Of course DBRP co-host David Ma is one of the world’s premier music journalists, filing stories often for Wax Poetics, The Guardian, Okayplayer and many other fine publications. We discuss the work of his peers, including past guests Jeff Weiss, Paul Thompson, and Shawn Setaro. As important as it is to listen to the music, it’s hard to truly understand the culture without the work of these great writers and journalists.

We’re pleased to be joined this week by LA-based producer Kenny Segal. We are fans of his 2018 instrumental album Happy Little Tress but we were most excited to talk to him about the excellent Hiding Places, a full length collaboration with rapper billy woods. We are huge fans of the project. Kenny tells us about his working methods, as well as some upcoming projects. Tune in!

Great show this week, we are joined in-studio by our friend Cutso to break down Gang Starr’s beyond-classic album Hard To Earn. Make sure to listen until the end for some reflections on the album from its mastermind DJ Premier himself. Dad Bod co-host David Ma interviewed Primo for an upcoming story and we are lucky to be able to share some of the rough audio from the interview here.

This week we take a look at some albums that have become legendary on the minds of fans because they were never actually released. Sparked by the announcement this week that there are Mac Miller and Madlib (Maclib) tracks that exist but won’t be released officially, though Madlib will play them in his live sets from time to time. What are your favorite unreleased projects? Which ones are you dying to hear?

Another unexpected but dope set of guests this week… Our fist segment is an interview with Fat Boys member, solo artist, producer, and actor Prince Markie Dee. Mark shares wild stories from the golden age of hip-hop when the Fat Boys were bringing rap to the masses and talks about what he’s up to now. Next up we have a fun trivia segment with Branden Peters, a well-respected journalist who has transitioned into running an extremely successful hip-hop trivia night in Atlanta and beyond. Every beat this week is from friend of the program @weezmatic huge thanks to Aaron for sending us a pack and shout out his crew The Bangerz por vida!

We have a very special guest this week, Akinyele. You may have heard his energetic verse on the classic Main Source track “Live at the BBQ” or his underground anthem “Put It In Your Mouth”. Now hear what he is up to these days and his refreshing, unique take on the De La/Tommy Boy controversy.

The first segment this week is an interview with reclusive producer Controller 7, a unique talent who may be best known for his work with the Anticon collective in the early 200s but has steadily released dark instrumental projects, mixes, and re-mixes for the last two decades on a variety on influential labels and on his own. We are huge fans of his music, and not just because we come from the same hometown. All of the beats heard on today’s show are his productions, so if you like what you hear make sure to visit https://controller7.bandcamp.com/

The second segment is Nate’s attempt at an NPR style audio essay on how skateboarding, music (especially underground hip-hop) and film intersect as well as a brief chat with pro skateboarder Jose Rojo.

We’re taking a slightly different approach this week. We asked writer, producer, and Grime aficionado Son Raw to join us for the full hour to lead us through the development of the hip-hop adjacent UK-based genre. We laughed, we learned, nodded our heads.

Author, funk drummer, and respected hip-hop figure J-Zone @jzone101 joins us this week to drop knowledge about the rap industry and promote his new Red Bull Music Academy series Give The Drummer Some, where he interviews and plays with legendary drummers. We are really happy with how this one turned out.

We’ve got a doubleheader today, with two really strong interviews.First up is DJ Nu-Mark, one of the most creative DJs and producers in the game. He talks about his excellent Zodiac Tracks mix series, his work on the Drop the Mic tv show, a recent trip to Taipei to judge a DJ battle, and his new music. Next we have Small Pro, a producer out of Philly who’s making waves with his new release ’86 Witness, a full length collaborative album with the late, great Sean Price.

This week we are focusing on rappers’ vocabularies. How much does word choice matter? How wordy is too wordy? The jumping-off point is this in-depth chart: pudding.cool/projects/vocabulary/index.html
In the second segment we are joined by veteran west coast MC Ras Kass who will be dropping the sequel to his classic debut Soul On Ice soon. Great interview with a thoughtful and extremely talented artist.

Demone is back from a very unique tour of Vietnam performing in a variety of interesting venues. We also talk briefly to the legendary DJ Q-Bert about his current endeavors and a funny tour story of his own.

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Casual’s classic album Fear Itself. We interviewed Domino from Hieroglyphics about the making of the album and select some key tracks to focus on. Dom shares some killer insights into the creative process and Demone shares a wild story that adds even further intrigue to the infamous Hiero/Hobo Junction battle.

We’re back with our fist episode of 2019, and we’re focusing on the consistently dope music of Griselda Records out of Buffalo, New York. Their artists Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher are making some of the best rap music in the world right now. We spoke to journalist Riley Wallace, who has covered their careers extensively, about what makes the recent Shady Records signees unique. Please download the episode from the service of your choice to support the show!

The Dad Bod crew is wrapping up 2018 in style. Join us for a complete best-of-the year awards show and after-party recounting this amazing year in hip-hop. We polled our listeners, guests, and industry peers on the best music of the year and we announce it all on this week’s show!

We’ve got a short episode this week, an interview with Billy Woods of @backwoodzstudioz about hip-hop, the record business, and greek food. Thanks to @praktikos for submitting the beats! See you next week with our year-end best-of show!

The less said about this one the better, so let us just say that we’re very thankful for all of our listeners, the folks we’ve been lucky enough to interview and everyone who interacted with us or helped spread the word about the podcast. We’re wrapping up our first season and feel very lucky to be able to share this music with you.

-Nate, David, and Demone

Before you listen to this week’s episode, make sure to familiarize yourself with this list from Complex, edited by our guest, writer and podcaster Shawn Setaro: https://www.complex.com/music/2018/10/best-hip-hop-producers

We get deep into the list, which was a massive undertaking for Shawn and his collaborators. We’d love to hear what you think of the choices that were made, hit us on Twitter @dadbodrappod to debate our takes. Enjoy the show!

This week we take a look at the music of one of the most interesting hip-hop cities Detroit, Michigan. We interviewed one of the most talented cats to emerge from the city’s vital hip-hop scene, MC extraordinaire Elzhi. He was mad cool, talked about his whole career, including his latest LP Jericho Jackson. We also recommend some cuts from other Detroit artists, though admittedly Demone is a lot more keyed in on the area than Dave or Nate.

We welcome special guest @djcutso back to the show this week. He is not only a phenomenal DJ and producer, but one of our real life homies. Cutso has been on a tear the past few weeks, performing on Sway in the Morning and all over the Bay Area and NYC. We talk about the state of the DJ game and premier an exclusive track off of his upcoming EP with rapper @big-hongry entitled Paper! Cutso also produced all of the beats you hear on the show this week. This was a fun one, check it out.

What is gangster rap? Is it a sub-genre, its own lane, or something else entirely? Who is the physical embodiment of gangster rap? We talk about all of this and then interview Soren Baker, the man who literally wrote the book on the subject. The History of Gangster Rap is available wherever books are sold right now, cop that.

This week we discuss the amazing Quincy Jones documentary on Netflix and recommend some Q songs and the rap songs that he inspired. In the second segment we talk to friend of the program Zilla Rocca about his new record Future Former Rapper out soon on POW Recordings, as well as the general state of the rap game and his beloved 76ers. Beats for today’s show were submitted by Charles Edison from the UK, check out his page charlesedison.bandcamp.com for more heat.

The word legend is thrown around a lot in hip-hop but what makes someone a true legend in the game? We contemplate this question in the first segment. In the back half we have a special interview with The Rhyme Inspector Percee P. Percee takes us through his life and career, explaining in depth about his, dare we say, legendary battle with Lord Finesse.

It’s all about the beats this week, as we interview the prolific and dope producer Blockhead about his process, his love of hoops, and his upcoming tour! In the back half of the show we recommend some of our favorite instrumental hip-hop gems.

This week we are nerding out with our fellow podcasters Uncommon Nasa and Samurai Banana of Dope Sh!t Podcast. We appeared on their show earlier this week, in a podcast crossover event of epic proportions. We talk the intersection of hip-hop music with them as well as a second segment featuring an in-studio interview with Seattle’s WayStyles, a DMC champ DJ who also works as a programmer.