Rap and Relax

Welcome Back! After a very long hiatus I'm back to discuss resiliency of course through the lens of Hip-Hop. This episode we'll unpack what does it mean to be resilient? How does resilience show up in Hip-Hop? How does resilience show up in our everyday life? These questions and many more will be discussed with the context of these songs:

Bounce Back- Big Sean

No Matter What- T.I

Juicy- Biggie

Lonely Child- Youngboy NBA

666- YG

How to Pimp a Nigga- City Girls

Sober Thoughts- Young MA

Anxiety- Megan the Stallion

Late Night Calls- Tee Grizzly 

This week I have the honors of having my longtime friend Esquire Kyle! During this episode we unpack the topic of police brutality and everything that comes with it. Such as our reality, feelings that's developed throughout the growing climate, and thoughts on the strategies taught to us when interacting with police... all with the help of the sentiments and testimonies from our favorite hip-hop songs of course.

Songs Referenced:

Don't Shoot-Dave East

99 Problems- Jay Z

Can't Cry- J. Cole

Last Man Standing- Polo G

Jermaine's Interlude- J. Cole

Audience, please give a warm welcome to our first artist J'uno aka Jaylen! Listen in as we do a deep dive into his album, Innervision, which miraculously paints a picture of the obstacles in his life, bouts with mental health, and his journey of healing.

Songs referenced all by J'uno:

Back on Top

Fly

Sandlot

Follow him on Instagram @one.juno and Twitter @jaylemagne !

Album out on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3vee8DRpcWIieXgQ5UQ6fI?si=oC27O4FFT5yys-72Ux2EKA

Album out on Apple Music:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/innervision/1559548842

The topic for this week is the ever so relevant, yet very swept under the rug subject of trauma. Me along with Andre, Evan, and Morgan (my fellow peers/colleagues/bruthas) define what trauma means to us, its origins, and how we personally navigate through it daily. Special shout out to all the Chicago rappers that inspired this episode!

Songs Referenced:

Painless- J.I The Prince Feat Lil Durk

Ain't Missing You- Chief Keef

Dark Clouds-Rod Wave

PTSD- G Herbo

Sooooooo Anxious!!! This week me and my guest Brutha Joe explore what it means to be anxious, what causes anxiety, and the ways in which we may internalize and/or externalize anxiety.

Songs Referenced:

Minds Playing Tricks on me- Geto Boys

Bricks and Mansions- G Herbo

Everyday Struggle- Notorious B.I.G

Can I Live- Jay-Z

Hit up Joe on twitter @OwusuSloppyJoe if you want to speak to him more about his experiences with anxiety.

Premiering both the first guest and official episode, me and an aspiring A&R, Osé, tackle the intricate concept of identity. Listen in as we discuss what identity means to us, how we've navigated into finding our identity, and the role Hip-Hop plays in identity formation. (Please forgive the bugs at the 3:30 mark... still learning!!)

Songs referenced:

Malcolm- G Herbo

Blacker the Berry- Kendrick Lamar

Follow Osé's playlist on Instagram: @radiosdead_

Hello ladies, gentlemen, friends, strangers, Hip-Hop heads, mental health advocates, podcast lovers, and people that just stumbled upon this message. Welcome to Rap & Relax and this is just the intro.

Intro Song by @Zakeel https://music.apple.com/us/album/thanks-for-pretending-deluxe/1543962031