First show of 2026. We’re rewinding to 2025 with new(er) joints from the last six months that stayed in heavy rotation. If you were in a coma in 2025 and want to know what you missed, this one’s for you!

Longer talk breaks on this episode as we get into the year’s standouts, the nonstop grind of Skyzoo, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, and Conductor Williams, Method Man’s resurgence, and finally locking in that long-promised D.I.T.C. tribute.

If you don’t want to hear us yap, as always, the music-only version lives on Patreon with all our other episodes. 

We’ve got some really cool stuff on deck, plus lots of giveaways coming up—especially a dope one from Get On Down. 

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If rock music isn’t your thing, this episode probably isn’t either — and that’s fine. We’ve got 176 others waiting for you.

But if you live for great records, bold ideas, and the kind of genre-bending that Danger Mouse mastered and the legendary DJ Spinbad (R.I.P.) made feel effortless, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Big Pun over Journey.
Biggie over Pink Floyd.
Scarface over The Eagles.
A Tribe Called Quest over Jimi Hendrix.
KRS-One over Oasis.
Nas over Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Slick Rick over Nirvana.
Dr. Dre over Phil Collins.
Crooklyn Dodgers over Stone Temple Pilots.
Organized Konfusion over Blue Oyster Cult.
N.W.A. over The Mamas & The Papas.

These mash-ups weren’t on your Take It Personal bingo card — and that’s the point. Expect the unexpected.

This episode delivers two heavy-duty mixes pulling from Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Who, Rush, Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, Beastie Boys, RUN-DMC, Public Enemy, and more. At the break, we crack it open with some listener Q&A, then push things forward in Mix 2 by jumping ahead and hitting you with modern rock classics.

So yeah — this one might be sitting under your Christmas tree right now. But make no mistake: it’s destined for that Take It Personal shelf. 

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We hit you with the bangers in Part 1…
But Part 2? That’s the one for the real heads.

It seems like Part 2s are always the fan favorites — more obscure, more cohesive, more personal. We came out swinging for the masses last time, but this round, we’re diving deep. The music isn’t in strict chronological order, but it feels like a journey — from Pac’s earliest work all the way to Makaveli. You’ll hear the deep album cuts, the rare joints, and the timeless fan favorites.

We’ve got the collabos — and I guarantee a few joints you’ve probably never heard before. Treach, Big Daddy Kane, Freddie Foxxx, South Central Cartel, Above the Law, Young Lay, Richie Rich, E-40, Too $hort, Boot Camp Clik, Dogg Pound, and even Hammer all show up on this one.

Three mixes in total — 4+ hours here and 3.5 on Part 1. That’s over seven and a half hours of 2Pac.

At the break, we’re giving away a few autographed copies of Jeff Pearlman’s Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur.

As always, this is Take It Personal Radio — the home of hip-hop history and timeless tributes, giving legends like 2Pac their due.

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We’re joined by New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, who stops by to talk all things 2Pac. Jeff’s new book, Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, is in stores now.

This isn’t your typical biography — it’s honest, unfiltered, and deeply researched. It’s arguably the most complete and insightful 2Pac bio ever written. 

Over the course of two-plus hours, we dive deep into the book as Jeff shares fascinating behind-the-scenes stories you won’t want to miss. And for those familiar with his earlier work — from Sports Illustrated and ESPN to books on Bo Jackson, Barry Bonds, the ’86 Mets, Brett Favre, Roger Clemens, and his Showtime book that inspired HBO’s Winning Time — we even touch on some of those classics too. 

We’re also giving away a few signed copies of Jeff’s new book! 

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Coming off our Eminem tribute, we’re going back-to-back with another one. This time, we’re paying homage to one of the most polarizing artists of all time: 2Pac. 

You might remember way back in episode 16, we dropped a 2Pac mini-mix for our West Coast Classics series. Well, here we are — 158 episodes later — finally giving you our official 2Pac Tribute. 

We’re joined by New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman, who stops by to talk all things 2Pac. Jeff’s new book, Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, is in stores now. This isn’t your typical biography — it’s honest, unfiltered, and deeply researched. It’s arguably the most complete and insightful 2Pac bio ever written. 

Over the course of two-plus hours, we dive deep into the book as Jeff shares fascinating behind-the-scenes stories you won’t want to miss. And for those familiar with his earlier work — from Sports Illustrated and ESPN to books on Bo Jackson, Barry Bonds, the ’86 Mets, Brett Favre, Roger Clemens, and his Showtime book that inspired HBO’s Winning Time — we even touch on some of those classics too. 

We’re also giving away a few signed copies of Jeff’s new book! And of course, you know how TIP does tributes — two full mixes spanning Pac’s early years, from the Digital Underground days through Death Row and everything in between.

We’re weaving through eras to keep the music fresh, with collabs, crazy clips, freestyles, and the timeless classics. There’s so much to cover that we’re even blessing you with a Part 2 coming this November.

 2Pac would have turned 54 years old today. He died at just 25. Think about that — he’s been gone longer than he lived, and yet his influence remains as strong as ever. No matter how you feel about him, there’s no denying the impact he had on music and culture. 

2Pac wasn’t a lyricist in the traditional sense, but nobody matched his emotion, passion, or message. You felt every word he wrote. For us, that connection outweighs any technical metric. 

You might go to Tarantino for dialogue — but if you want to feel something, you turn to Spielberg. That was 2Pac. And that’s why we’re doing this tribute. 

As always, this is Take It Personal Radio — the home of hip-hop history and timeless tributes, giving legends like 2Pac their due. 

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It’s finally time we pay homage to one of the best to ever do it. Maybe it took us a little longer because we know how polarizing Eminem can be — but Take It Personal has always been about cataloging music, honoring the culture, and letting the music speak louder than our words. 

On today’s episode, we bring you our Eminem Tribute: The Early Years. You either love him, hate him, or fall somewhere in between — and that’s why we drew a line in the sand and focused on what we feel were his best years: the early years. 

We’re taking it all the way back to the beginning and stopping around 2001 — when hunger, chaos, and genius collided. 

There’s no denying the impact Eminem had on hip-hop. We cover everything from Soul Intent, Infinite, The Slim Shady EP and LP, to The Marshall Mathers LP. We’ve got the demos, the collabos, the diss tracks, the underground gems — and even a few joints you’ve probably never heard before. 

This is more than a tribute — it’s a time capsule. From basement recordings to chart-toppers, we’re celebrating the raw, unfiltered energy that made Em a legend.

Press play, turn it up, and relive The Early Years with Take It Personal Radio. 

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We packed this one heavy — over 94 tracks deep — so if you’re looking for the ultimate sampling experience, you just found it. We’re talking straight bangers from The O’Jays, Curtis Mayfield, The Isley Brothers, Al Green, Three Dog Night, Bobby Caldwell, George Benson, Aretha Franklin, DeBarge, The Floaters, and a whole lot more.

But we don’t just show you where it started — we hit you with where it went. De La Soul, Black Sheep, Wu-Tang, Gang Starr, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, Biggie, 2Pac, Common… yeah, it’s one of those episodes.

Press play, then run it back, because this episode is built for year-long rotation. This is Take It Personal Radio — where hip-hop lives, legends get their flowers, and the music always talks the loudest. 

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We’re closing out our 1992 Tribute series with the 5th and final installment—and we’re throwing everything at you. This episode is packed with joints from Kwame, Rough House Survivors, Young Black Teenagers, Home Team, Chi-Ali, Hard Knocks, MC Serch, Mobb Deep, The Brand New Heavies, and Gang Starr. We’re also showing some southern love with tracks from Willie D, Bushwick Bill, Gangsta Nip, and UGK. 

At the break, we take it back to The Price Is Right, guessing what everyday items cost in ’92. We talk one-hit wonders, get into a hilarious debate over whether the Geto Boys ever spelled their name with an “H,” and wrap up our B-Side giveaways with the last of the tees.

Of course, we salute our Patreon fam and even manage to sneak in some discussion (and disses) about newer releases—because why not?   

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On episode 170, we’re dropping the 4th installment of our 1992 Tribute — West Coast Edition. After this, just one more episode remains to wrap up our summer-long series. 

We’ve got Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, DJ Quik, Cypress Hill, House of Pain, The Pharcyde, Freestyle Fellowship, Paris, Compton’s Most Wanted, Spice 1, Too $hort, Above The Law, RBL Posse, Da Lench Mob… and that’s only the beginning. 

We’re also announcing Round 2 of our B-Side Buttons Giveaway! If you haven’t entered yet, this is your last shot.

Here’s how: 

1. Post your favorite single or album from 1992 
2. Tell us why it’s your pick 
3. Tag us in your post 

Don’t want to leave it to chance? Head to bsidebuttons.com, use promo code TIP25, and save 25% off your entire order. 

Follow & Support Take It Personal

Radio 📸 Instagram: @takeitpersonalradio
🛒 Store: takeitpersonalradio-shop.fourthwall.com
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🎧 Listen on: 

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On episode 169, we're hitting you with the 3rd installment of our 1992 Tribute. We've got plenty more on deck before we put a bow on one of the most incredible years in hip-hop. Episode 169 is a bit more obscure as we dig  deeper and pull-out the b-sides, remixes and some of those deep album cuts.  

We've got music from Lord Finesse, Showbiz & A.G., Diamond D, Grand Puba, Ultramagnetic MC's, Positive K, Red Hot Lover Tone, Chubb Rock, Chi-Ali, Zhigge, X-Clan and Eric B. & Rakim. We also announce some of the winners of our B-Side Buttons & Shirts giveaway.

If you haven't entered, there's still time! Simply post your favorite single or album from 1992, tell us the reason why and be sure to tag us or if you don't' want to test your luck, head on over to bsidebuttons.com enter promo code TIP25 and save 25% off your entire order.  

Big announcement for our Patreon members! Besides having early access to all episodes, including a Patreon exclusive "music only" episode, all members can now stream Take It Personal directly on our Patreon page without any commercial interruptions. Stream directly on the app or even your Carplay or Airplay and experience TIP in a whole new way.   

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