On this episode of Behind the Beats, Reggie chats with two Gimlet audio engineers who crafted the sound of Mogul. Haley Shaw and Matthew Boll break down how they built such a vivid world in Mogul by combining sound effects and music with hours of interviews.

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Welcome to Behind the Beats. In this series, we’ll go behind the scenes to discover how Mogul got its distinct sound. In this first episode, we’ll hear from the three artists who wrote much of the show’s original music: Prince Paul, Don Newkirk and Nana Kwabena.

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This Cameo is from Russell Simmons and Sophia Chang. As one of Def Jam’s co-founders, Russell had a huge impact on Chris’ career, while Sophia was one of Chris’ closest confidants. In this Cameo, they each discuss how they processed the news of Chris’ death, and how the pain of his loss is still present today.

Reggie will also tell you about our upcoming live event. On August 10th, Mogul will be at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. Expect great conversations, a lively Q&A, and our very own park jam. Tickets are free. To RSVP, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mogul-live-presented-by-gimlet-media-loud-speakers-network-tickets-36670696039

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August 30th, 2012. A day that shook hip hop. Chris Lighty was discovered dead in his Bronx home. The official cause of death: a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. In this episode, we talk to people close to Chris to and try understand what exactly happened that day.NOTE: In this episode, we talk about suicide. Please take caution when listening to the show. If you’re feeling depressed or you just want to talk to someone, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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This Cameo is from Uncle Murda. The gritty Brooklyn rapper rose to prominence after dropping a series of mixtapes with titles like Murder Capitol, Respect The Shooter, and Summer Time Shootouts. Just like Fat Joe, 50 Cent, and other artists Chris Lighty worked with, Murda wasn’t putting on an act: He was a genuine street guy. In this Cameo, we hear about how Murda first pitched himself to Chris as both a rapper and a hired gun, and later found himself joining Chris on a daring mission. 

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In this episode: cold hard cash. Chris Lighty makes a pile of it, and changes the game forever, when he does the biggest deal of his career—getting 50 Cent a piece of Vitamin Water. But soon, instead of swimming in dough...Chris is drowning. 

CREDITS: Mogul is hosted by Reggie Ossé. This episode was produced by Eric Eddings and Meg Driscoll, with help from Isabella Kulkarni, Peter Bresnan, and Jonathan Mena. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Lynn Levy, Caitlin Kenney and Chris Morrow. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design and mixing by Haley Shaw. Music direction by Matthew Boll. This episode was scored by Nana Kwabena, with additional music by Prince Paul, Don Newkirk, and Haley Shaw. 

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This Cameo is from N.O.R.E. The Queens native climbed the charts in the 1990s as a rapper, best known for his work in the duo Capone-N-Noreaga. Now, N.O.R.E. is a podcast host, so we went to his studio to talk (and, as it turned out, to drink a lot of alcohol). In this Cameo, N.O.R.E. tells us what the Violator offices were like back in the day, and why Chris’ management style was the stuff of legend.

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This Cameo is from the author and journalist, Joan Morgan. In this exclusive conversation, she shares a few glimpses into what his friendship meant to her — from their shared roots in the Bronx, to the lengths Chris would go to just to chat and catch up. 

Mixing by Emma Munger. 

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Lighty is at the top of his game. He’s got the fancy Manhattan office, the high-end designer clothes, and a roster of famous clients calling him 24/7. It all looks perfect. But in this episode, we discover something awful going on behind the scenes. 

WARNING: This episode includes a description of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is involved in an abusive situation, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available to help. Get more information at www.thehotline.org or by calling 1-800-799-SAFE. 

CREDITS: Mogul is hosted by Reggie Ossé. This episode was produced by Eric Eddings and Meg Driscoll, with help from Isabella Kulkarni, Peter Bresnan, and Jonathan Mena. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Lynn Levy, Caitlin Kenney and Chris Morrow. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design and mixing by Haley Shaw. Music direction by Matthew Boll. This episode was scored by Nana Kwabena, with additional music by Prince Paul, Don Newkirk, and Haley Shaw. Special thanks to Cameka Crawford, Jina Moore and Bruce Shapiro.

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Fat Joe is one hell of a storyteller. And in this special episode, he drops two great ones. First, the story of how Fat Joe the drug dealer became Fat Joe the rapper. Then, a story he almost never tells— because, as he says, “That's the realest story. I don't tell those stories, because then you'd think I lied. But it's a fact.” 

CREDITS: Mogul is hosted by Reggie Ossé. This episode was produced by Eric Eddings and Meg Driscoll, with help from Isabella Kulkarni, Jonathan Mena, and Peter Bresnan. Our senior producer is Matthew Nelson. Our editors are Lynn Levy, Caitlin Kenney and Chris Morrow. Sound design and mixing by Haley Shaw. This episode was scored by Nana Kwabena with additional music by Haley Shaw. Special thanks to Victoria Barner, Caitlin DiLena.

OUR SPONSOR: Bud Light

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