Masta Ace is one of hip hop's greatest storytellers. After making his debut on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut "The Symphony," Ace has many amazing accomplishments throughout his 30+ year career, including membership in hip hop supergroup Crooklyn Dodgers, classic concept albums, full album collaborations with producers like MF DOOM and Marco Polo, and so much more. In this episode we break down the following songs from his catalog:

"Think I Am (feat. Big Daddy Kane and MF DOOM)" ('MA_DOOM: Son of Yvonne', 2012)

"Crooklyn" (Crooklyn Dodgers) ('Crooklyn' soundtrack, 1994)

"Sunken Place" (feat. Pav Bundy) ('A Breukelen Story' w/ Marco Polo, 2018)

"Type I Hate" (feat. Leschea and Rah Digga) ('Disposable Arts', 2001)

"Bklyn Masala" (feat. Leschea) ('A Long Hot Summer', 2004)

"SlaughtaHouse" ('SlaughtaHouse', 1993)

"Mathematics" ('The Falling Season', 2016)

Masta Ace:

https://www.mastaace.com/

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It isn't exaggeration to say that Sean Daley – better known as Slug – has played a pivotal role in the evolution of underground hip hop since the turn of the century. His group Atmosphere truly carved their own lane out in the indie scene dating back to the '90s with the DIY-approach of his label Rhymesayers Entertainment and the vulnerability in the group's songs. Over the years, Slug's style as a writer has also evolved, from the "underground battle rap" space to his development of the silly-sounding-but-somewhat-useful "emo rap" and "dad rap" descriptors. He's always been a great writer and an excellent storyteller, and so it was an absolute pleasure to go under the hood of these seven songs:

"Sleep Apnea" ('The Day Before Halloween,' 2020)

"Get Fly" ('You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having,' 2005)

"Everything" ('Fishing Blues,' 2016)

"Felt Chewed Up" ('Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez,' 2009)

'Get It to Get Her' ('Strictly Leakage,' 2007)

"One of a Kind" ('God Loves Ugly,' 2002)

'Sunshine' ('Sad Clown Bad Summer,' 2007)

Atmosphere:

atmospheresucks.com

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Nikki Jean is a hip hop artist through and through, but her music may not always appear that way from a distance. A singer/songwriter who got her start in the extended family of the legendary Roots crew as a member of the band Nouveau Riche, Nikki’s big breakthrough came when she wrote and sang the hook on Lupe Fiasco’s hit single “Hip Hop Saved My Life” in 2007. She’s collaborated with Lupe throughout his career ever since, but that was only the beginning for her. Her debut solo album ‘Pennies in a Jar’ put her in the co-writing chair with over 30 members of the American Songwriting Hall of Fame, including Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Lamont Dozier, Carly Simon, Thom Bell, and Barry Mann, and she’s kept busy ever since, most recently releasing her Beautiful Prison on her hometown of Minneapolis’s powerhouse indie label Rhymesayers Entertainment. Songs covered in this episode:

"Hands Up" ('Champagne Water,' 2014)

"Hip Hop Saved My Life" (Lupe Fiasco 'The Cool,' 2007)

"Red Black & Blue (2012 Tulip St. Demo)" ('Beautiful Prison,' 2019)

"People and Planes" ('Beautiful Prison,' 2019)

"Madonna (And Other Mothers in the Hood)" (Lupe Fiasco 'Tetsuo & Youth,' 2015)

"How To Unring a Bell" ('Pennies in a Jar,' 2011)

"Take You Out" (2013)

Nikki Jean:

nikkijean.com

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Blueprint is someone who knows a thing or two about multitasking. The producer/emcee played a pivotal role in the emerging underground scene in the Midwest during the late 90's/early '00s, with his own Weightless crew and also amongst the artists that would eventually comprise the rosters of indie juggernauts Rhymesayers and Definitive Jux. He's continued to put out a steady clip of music since then (both as a solo artist as well as one half of Soul Position with RJD2), but music isn't where his journey ends. He's become a film/video director, a published author with four books under his belt, and the host of his own 'Super Duty Tough Work' podcast. But no matter what the medium, he's essentially a storyteller, and so it was great to hear the stories behind these seven randomly selected songs from his catalog:

"The Jerry Springer Episode" (Soul Position '8 Million Stories', 2003)

"Alchemy" (Aesop Rock, 'Daylight', 2002)

"The American Dream" ('Deleted Scenes,' 2012)

"Great Eyedeas Never Die" ('King No Crown,' 2015)

"Fresh" ('1988', 2005)

"Arms Too Short" ('Chamber Music', 2004)

"Overdosin'" ('Respect the Architect,' 2014)

Lots of great conversation here, too: reflecting about the rise of the scene he helped build, the forces that caused that machine to slow down years later, his approach to songwriting and recording, and so much more. Enjoy!

Blueprint:

www.weightless.net

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Bahamadia has been captivating listeners with her unique style and lyrical skills since the 90's, when she released her major label debut 'Kollage.' Philadelphia's Hip Hop Queen has kept busy since then, releasing projects via indie labels, collaborating with some of hip hop's greatest practitioners, touring the world, hosting her own radio show, and forming her own record label B-Girl Records LLC. Self-describing herself as shy, Bahamadia rarely does interviews. So when she agreed to come on the show after appearing on my hip hop game show The Questions, we had to make it happen. In this episode, we explore the stories behind the following songs:

"Innovation" ('Kollage', 1996)

"Transcend" (King Britt, 'Adventures in Lo-Fi', 2003)

"Proceed III" (The Roots, 1994)

"Dialed Up 2" ('Dialed Up 2', 2017)

"Thank You" ('Good Rap Music', 2006)

"One-4-Teen (Funky For You)" ('BB Queen', 2000)

"Here" (2015)

Bahamadia:

www.bahamadia.bandcamp.com

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After the past decade and change, rapper Homeboy Sandman has built a career that's been defined by marching to the beat of his own drum. He's released albums on labels like Stones Throw and Mellow Music Group, and has collaborated with artists for full projects such as Aesop Rock, Edan, and most recently Quelle Chris, who produced the entirety of Sandman's latest album 'Don't Feed the Monster.' The Ivy League-educated emcee also had a stint as a blogger, publishing a series of essays and think-pieces for Huffington Post and Gawker, which raised eyebrows and caught the attention of the blogosphere due to his strong opinions and provocative perspective. This episode is an interview with someone who identifies themselves as Visitor or Angel, but there is no one else in the world better equipped to dive into the stories behind Homeboy Sandman's songs, which in this episode include:

"Nuts" ['Nourishment (Second Helpings)', 2007]

"Lightning Bolt, Lightning Rod" ('Actual Factual Pterodactyl,' 2008)

"Trauma" ('Don't Feed the Monster', 2020)

"Heaven Too" ('Hallways', 2014)

"Always" ('Dusty', 2019)

"Unforgettable" ('Subject: Matter', 2012)

"Fat Belly" ('White Sands', 2014)

Homeboy Sandman:

https://homeboysandman-mmg.bandcamp.com/music

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For nearly two decades, producer/musician RJD2 has put his own unique spin on the genre of instrumental hip hop. RJ's music has always been a compelling listen, with or without vocals – but he's also collaborated with a gang of artists, including rapper Blueprint (under the Soul Position moniker), as well as projects with singer Aaron Livingston (pka Son Little) and underground legend Aceyalone. Along the way, RJ has produced songs for commercials and TV shows – in fact, an instrumental of one of his songs was used as the theme to AMC's smash hit show 'Mad Men.' RJ's most recent project is 'The Fun Ones,' released on his own record label RJ's Electrical Connections. Songs we explore in this episode:

"Indoor S'mores" ('The Fun Ones', 2020)

"A Beautiful Mine" ('Magnificent City', 2006)

"Wander" (Icebird 'The Abandoned Lullaby', 2011)

"Someday" ('The Third Hand', 2007)

"The Stranger" ('The Colossus', 2010)

"Ring Finger" ('Since We Last Spoke', 2004)

"Saboteur" feat Phonte Coleman ('Dame Fortune', 2016)

RJD2:

www.rjd2.net

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Open Mike Eagle has never been shy about getting personal with his music. After emerging from LA's Project Blowed collective, the rapper/producer released his first solo album in 2010 and has been dropping projects at a steady clip ever since. With a comedic wit and quirky eclectic nature to his songs, Mike has also been equally proficient in the worlds of comedy and television. He co-created comedy and music showcase 'The New Negroes,' first as a live event and later as a show for Comedy Central, which we discuss in this episode. He's also no stranger to podcasts – from his own Secret Skin podcast, as well as 'What Had Happened Was,' his acclaimed interview series with the legendary producer Prince Paul, all on his own Stony Island Audio podcast network, which is also home to 'Can't Knock the Shuffle.' Here are the songs that we dive into in this episode:

"Sounds Like Rap" (Thirsty Fish, 'Watergate,' 2011)

"Art Rap Party" ('Unapologetic Art Rap', 2010)

"Single Ghosts" ('What Happens When I Try To Relax', 2018)

"Woke As Me" feat Phonte Coleman ('The New Negroes' Season 1 Soundtrack, 2019)

"Leave People Alone" ('Hella Personal Film Festival', 2016)

"Overland" (Cavanaugh, 'Time and Materials', 2015)

"Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss" ('A Special Episode', 2015)

We also discuss the increasing difficulties for indie artists trying to navigate the music industry, the lessons Mike learned in creating a show (and accompanying music videos) for a cable network, and how his writing has evolved over the years.

Open Mike Eagle:

www.mikeeagle.net

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J-Live is unparalleled as a writer in the craft of hip hop. He first got his start in the mid-90s with 'The Best Part,' a classic debut that was shelved and eventually bootlegged to the masses. Since then, he's also developed more as a DJ and producer over the course of a dozen independent projects that he's since released. A true student of the game, J-Live's attention to detail makes him the perfect candidate to dive into the stories behind songs in his catalog. In this episode, we explore:

"Ya Momma So Black" (How Much is Water?, 2015)

"Braggin' Writes (Revisited)" (12-inch single/'The Best Part', 1996/2001)

"The Upgrade" feat Oddisee + Posdnuos ('Then What Happened?', 2008)

"Like This Anna" ('All of the Above', 2002)

"Watch Sun Watch" feat. YC the Cynic ('S.P.T.A. Said Person of That Ability', 2011)

"Walk Like" ('Around the Sun', 2014)

"Anotha Hip Hop Song" ('At The Date Of This Writing', 2019)

Learn how J-Live's trademark part of his stage show was created somewhat by accident, the story behind the delay and shelving of his classic first album, what motivates him to self-produce vs. working with other producers on his albums, and the process by which he constructs so many of his intricately-conceived songs.

J-Live:

www.realjlive.com

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Murs has been consistently releasing music since the late 90s, repping his home of Los Angeles the entire time. He's incredibly prolific, with a catalog ranging around 600 songs, and he's worked with practically everybody in the business, from Kendrick Lamar to El-P (Run the Jewels) to Snoop Dogg to Slug from Atmosphere. In this episode, he shares the stories behind these songs:

...and reveals why he thinks his fans don't love his favorite albums, the origin of his partnership with producer 9th Wonder, the album that *almost* became his major label debut, and the model who snubbed him on a 5-hour flight across the country.

Murs:

www.mursraps.com

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