Dad Bod Rap Pod

This week we’re in a New York state of mind, discussing the current state of NY hip-hop from our admittedly outsider perspective. The second segment focuses on uses of classical music in hip-hop and a discussion of Nas’s recent concert with a symphony at the Kennedy Center.

We may be gentlemen of a certain age, but that doesn’t men we only listen to the old-school classics. Today’s show is all about new music. We recommend a bunch fire joints that were all released within the last year. In the second segment we make the case for “throwback rap” terrestrial radio stations to broaden their playlists beyond the obvious hits.

Today we’re digging deep in to the past to talk about one of hip-hop’s greatest years, 1988. That was 30 years ago. Yes, you’re that old. Each host brings a full length LP and a hidden gem to the table.

This week we explore the odd and probably unnecessary sub-genre of white guilt rap. In the second segment we talk about rappers we love to hate, or more to the point, rappers whose music we don’t like but we have a grudging respect for.

We’re very pleased to present an in-depth conversation with legendary MC Myka 9 of Freestyle Fellowship. As you will hear, Myka is a prolific and gifted MC and vocalist who has deep history in the genre and a bunch of projects dropping soon.

Our good friend, DJ and producer extraordinaire Cutso (The Bangerz, Rebel Pop Radio) joins us to talk about some of our favorite rap movies and their soundtracks.

After a brief moment to mourn the demise of the physical edition of the greatest music magazine in the world, Wax Poetics, we interview legendary hip-hop producer Prince Paul! Paul is promoting he latest album The Redux, an unprecedented remix of his previous album Politics of the Business. Listen to our funny and engaging interview with a true master of the craft. *Please be advised the sound quality is a little rough, we were still figuring things out on the audio end of things.

This week we take a deep dive on the classic Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star album, which is approaching its 20th anniversary. In the second segment each host shines the spotlight on a hidden gem from the underground rap era.

We debate the best and worst rap names of all time. Spoiler alert: Mos Def was unanimously chosen as the best handle of all time and he doesn’t even use it any more! Then we discuss rap twitter with our special guest, Philly’s own Zilla Rocca, a great Twitter follow, MC (Career Crooks), and rap writer.

This week we delve into the moral quandary posed by rappers who are accused of heinous acts. Can you still enjoy their music? The short answer is, it depends. We also take a look back at the year in rap 1998, 20 years ago. We look past the shiny suits to remember the best of an interesting year.