Take It Personal Radio

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. 

Follow & Support Take It Personal Radio 📸 Instagram: @takeitpersonalradio
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🎧 Listen on: 

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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. 

Follow & Support Take It Personal

Radio 📸 Instagram: @takeitpersonalradio
🛒 Store: takeitpersonalradio-shop.fourthwall.com
💖 Patreon: patreon.com/TakeItPersonal 🎧 Listen on: 

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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. 

Follow & Support Take It Personal Radio 📸 Instagram: @takeitpersonalradio
🛒 Store: takeitpersonalradio-shop.fourthwall.com
💖 Patreon: patreon.com/TakeItPersonal  

🎧 Listen on: 

• ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts / iTunes⁠⁠ 
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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?   

Follow & Support Take It Personal  Radio 📸 Instagram: ⁠@takeitpersonalradio⁠ 🛒 Store: ⁠takeitpersonalradio-shop.fourthwall.com⁠ 💖 Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/TakeItPersonal⁠ 

🎧 Listen on:  

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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
💖 Patreon: patreon.com/TakeItPersonal

🎧 Listen on: 

• ⁠Apple Podcasts / iTunes⁠ 
• ⁠Amazon Music⁠ 
• ⁠Spotify⁠ 
• ⁠Pandora⁠ 
• ⁠iHeartRadio⁠ 
• ⁠Player FM⁠ 
• ⁠Podchaser⁠ 
• ⁠Vevo YouTube Channel⁠

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.   

Follow us on Instagram @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠takeitpersonalradio⁠⁠⁠Store: https://takeitpersonalradio-shop.fourthwall.com/​Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TakeItPersonal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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On episode 168, we're hitting you our 2nd installment of our 1992 Tribute and this time we brought a special guest to sit-in on our '92 discussions. 

We talk...

• Ice Cube's dominance
• Best producer on the mic
• BMG/Columbia House
• Pete Rock reinventing the wheel
• Guilty pleasures
• DJ Quik
• P.E.'s decline
• The Source Mic Ratings

After listening to part 1, it's impossible not to have 1992 in the conversation as the GOAT year. We continue to hit you with incredible tracks from EPMD, Naughty By Nature, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo, Redman, Compton's Most Wanted, Lord Finesse, Double XX Posse, Fu-Schnickens, plus we have two medleys dedicated to Pete Rock and Diamond D. 

Remember, everyday we're adding back more and more lost Take It Personal episodes, so be sure to visit TakeItPersonalRadio.com for most up-to-date streaming options. 

Follow us on Instagram @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠takeitpersonalradio⁠⁠⁠Store: https://takeitpersonalradio-shop.fourthwall.com/​Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TakeItPersonal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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On episode 167, we're hitting you our first installment of our 1992 Tribute. This is one of the most incredible years with arguably the most classic tracks to come out of it. We've got music from Dr. Dre, Grand Puba, Ice Cube, The Pharcyde, Das EFX, Redman, Diamond D, Main Source, Beastie Boys and Pete Rock & CL Smooth 

Remember, everyday we're adding back more and more Take It Personal episodes, so be sure to visit TakeItPersonalRadio.com for most up-to-date streaming options. 

Follow us on Instagram @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠takeitpersonalradio⁠⁠⁠Store: https://takeitpersonalradio-shop.fourthwall.com/​Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TakeItPersonal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

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On this flashback of Take It Personal Radio, we're hitting you with a remastered version of episode 50, our Hieroglyphics Tribute. This was a mammoth one. We've got special guests Slug, Murs, Apathy, J-Zone, The Grouch & Breakbeat Lou stopping by.  We interview Del, Domino, Casual & Tajai and they've got stories for days!

Del talks about doing shrooms with Q-Tip to Casual freestyling with Pharoahe Monch at the Gavin. We touch on Casual vs. Saafir and the impact it had on battle rap. We unfortunately find out Ice Cube wasn’t a fan of Gang Starr and thought Kool Keith was too weird. Del explains what it was like not only being cousins with Ice Cube, but their musical similarities and his involvement earlier on in his career.

We learn about Del’s feelings towards the Gorillaz, while Domino breaks down just about every Hiero collaboration imaginable. We talk I Wish My Brother George Was Here, ’93 Til Infinity, No Need For Alarm, Fear Itself, Like It Should Be and No Man’s Land. We discuss their rap dominance prior to being dropped by the label. Tajai’s breaks down his feelings towards the group’s sophomore album and the importance of each album sounding different. 

This episode can be a slow burn or a fast one, but we all know Hiero is til infinity! 

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