Dad Bod Rap Pod

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.