The Hip Hop Hustle Podcast

Coming up on today's show I caught up with a true legend of Hip Hop, Masta Ace. Masta Ace has been rapping since the 80's where he appeared on the Juice Crew's classic Posse Cut. From there he has gone from strength to strength including his iconic album Disposable Arts and for Eminem to mention him as one of his influences in his book The Way I Am. 

Despite rapping since the 80's he shows no signs of slowing down. Masta Ace continues pushing art in general – and music specifically – forward. 

“I think I have contributed music that has challenged the status quo in hip-hop,” he says. “I have given heartfelt music that moves listeners emotionally, music that does more than make you wanna do something. I made you feel something and think about something.”

Coming up on Today's show I caught up with Young World an extremely talented artist who recently signed to the Black Soprano Family the label of the one and only Benny the Butcher. He has also appeared on Shade 45 and played a part in producing the track "Grams in the Water".  

Not only is he a great rapper, producer and artist but he also has knowledge of music theory which he studied in college. He truly is an artist with unique set of skills that will ultimately take him extremely far in his career.

Coming Up on today's show we review The Lady of Rage and her album Necessary Roughness. It is her first and only studio album which was released on June 24, 1997. Necessary Roughness was largely produced by Daz Dillinger, with contributions from legendary  producers Easy Mo Bee and DJ Premier. The album it peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200 and was the last Death Row Records album to be distributed by Interscope.

Coming up on today's show I caught up with Mixx an award winnin producer with five #1 Billboard awards, nine gold and six platinum plaques  As an intensely skillful producer and studio engineer, Mixx’s most notable contributions are to some of the worlds most talented and respected artists. His catalog includes hip hop artists such as Kanye West, Drake, French Montana, DJ Khaled and R&B stars like The Weeknd and Teyana Taylor.

Mixx has made a name for himself cooking up beats behind the scenes with a gift of music that has been nurtured since the age of 15. Born in South Florida and raised in Jamaica and Broward County, the sounds of the Caribbean heavily influenced Mixx’s musical style. His family owned a record label in Miami and he later began working at a local studio in the area where he was introduced to music outside of school. Using artists’ unique sound and tone, Mixx fine tunes and perfects the melodic intricacies that allow fans to personally connect to their favorite songs.

Coming up on today's show, we review  Lauryn Hill's classic album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It is the debut and only album by Lauryn Hill and was released on August 25, 1998. The album touches upon her pregnancy and the turmoil within her former group the Fugees, along with themes of love and God. 

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 422,624 copies in its first week, breaking a record for first-week sales by a female artist in the process. At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, she earned a whopping 10 nominations, winning five awards and making Lauryn Hill the first woman to receive that many nominations and awards in one night. 

Since its release, the album has been ranked in numerous best-album lists, with a number of critics regarding it as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2021, the album was certified Diamond for estimated sales of 10 million copies in the US, becoming the first female hip hop album to do so while the album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and making it the best-selling neo soul album of all time.

Coming Up on Today's show I caught with Eric G, is part of Jamla Records one of the labels under It's A Wonderful World Music Group, independent record label, founded by legendary hip hop producer 9th Wonder in 2008. 

Eric G himself is also a Grammy nominated producer and has worked with some of the most talented individuals in Hip Hop including Mac Miller and an artist we have reviewed on this podcast, the incredible Rapsody! 

Rapsody is a 3X GRAMMY nominated North Carolina artist who signed with legend 9th Wonder and most recently JAY-Z’s Roc Nation.

She is also known for her intricate rhyme patterns, metaphors, and wordplay. Her production is primarily handled by  the team of in-house producers at It's A Wonderful World Music Group including Eric G (who's interview is also coming to the podcast). Rapsody's philosophy is "Culture Over Everything," referring to the culture of hip-hop

Her third album Eve, cemented her as an artist here to stay. Eve celebrates the beauty, strength, and will of Black women through songs titled after iconic women such as Nina, Oprah and Afeni.

Coming up on today's show I caught up with El Da Sensei a veteran of Hip Hop who has had a career spanning over 25 years. He is also one part of the legendary group The Artifacts (alongside Tame One and Dj Kaos). 

As part of his career he also dropped his debut solo album, Relax, Relate, Release, through Seven Heads Entertainment. The album featured guest appearances from Sadat X (of Brand Nubian), J-Live, Organized Konfusion (Pharoah Monch and Prince Po), Mike Zoot & F.T., Asheru, and others. ~ Quibian "Q" Salazar-Moreno, Rovi

Coming up on today's show I caught with Jamaar, one of the rising young superstars in Hip Hop. Hailing from Las Vegas’s he is a triple threat, musical composer, rapper, and songwriter. 

He began making music at the age of Jamaar’s major influences include 2Pac, Nipsey Hussle, Nas ,Jayz, Eminem, Jcole, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean and Drake. “I would sit in my room and write down Nas , Eminem, 2pac and all of the greats rap lyrics. This is how I developed my own skills” -Jamaar

This episode is all about motivation so if you need an extra dose of it, I'd listen to this!

Coming up on today's show I explore the new direction of the podcast and why the name has officially become The Hip Hop Hustle.