Our guest Touré gives us a compelling, fascinating, and insightful account of who made the hip-hop of the 1980s that changed the way we listen to music, who listened to it, who got the profit, and what anti-establishment political speech came out of this music. We think you’ll appreciate Touré’s analysis of capitalism’s role in the production of hip-hop music, a role that fits into a narrative of corporate greed and increasing monopolization.

As a dwindling number of companies bought up all the record labels — generally companies with no interest or non-financial investment in the creative industry — profit became the primary motive and marker of success for many record labels, imposing limitations on musical production and political expression. We see the further development of those limits in the music of our own time — and it’s fascinating to see the road that led us here.

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