The Rap Soul Podcast

Before Algorithms, We Had Music Television

Before YouTube, we didn’t just watch music television—we planned our day around it.

Soul Train on Saturdays. Donnie Simpson on Video Soul. Ed Lover and Dr. Dre on Yo! MTV Raps. Rap City bringing hip-hop into our living rooms. And American Bandstand introducing us to sounds beyond our own record collections.

These shows—and their legendary hosts—helped shape the music we loved.

On this episode of The Rap Soul Podcast, I’m revisiting the golden age of music television, the memories it created, and one debate that still deserves an answer:

🎤 Rap City or Yo! MTV Raps—which was better?

🎧 Before YouTube: The Golden Age of Music Television
New episode Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Which music television show would YOU bring back?

What four songs would you put on your 1980s slow jams tape?

On this episode of The Rap Soul Podcast, 12Kyle shares classic R&B selections submitted by five friends—and the memories those songs bring back. From Prince’s “Adore” and Janet Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies” to Whitney Houston, Guy, New Edition, Luther Vandross, and the Force MDs, the picks spark personal stories, unexpected revelations, and a few laughs.

Hear why “Saving All My Love for You” hit differently after a closer listen, revisit the debated lyric in Guy’s “Piece of My Love,” and find out how a middle-school crush led to a “Tender Love” piano performance with some behind-the-scenes help.

It’s a conversation about cassette tapes, love songs, and the music that takes us back.

🎧 New episodes every Thursday.
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Check out the playlist on Apple

Listen to THE RAP SOUL PODCAST Presents : 1980s Slow Jams Tape

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/the-rap-soul-podcast-presents-1980s-slow-jams-tape/pl.u-W7AFR1EX92

Listen, subscribe, and share your four slow-jam picks.

Was 1992 the year the West Coast took hip-hop’s crown?

12Kyle continues The Rap Soul Podcast’s countdown of the greatest years in hip-hop, placing 1992 at number nine. From Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and Snoop Dogg’s emergence to prime Ice Cube and Redman’s debut, this episode explores a year when hip-hop’s sound—and its balance of power—was changing.

Revisit albums including The Predator, Don’t Sweat the Technique, Mecca and the Soul Brother, and UGK’s Too Hard to Swallow. Plus, hear why 12Kyle considers 1992 a pivotal transition year within hip-hop’s golden era—and why a great album doesn’t always earn the classic label.

Where would you rank 1992, and what was your favorite hip-hop album that year?

Subscribe to The Rap Soul Podcast for new episodes every Thursday, and share this episode with someone who loves hip-hop.

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What song introduced you to your favorite artist? On “The First Time I Heard…,” 12Kyle revisits his earliest memories of discovering music.

From Nas’s verse on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque” to the Rakim/Eric B. mix-up and the Southern pride inspired by OutKast, these personal stories explore how a first listen can become a lifelong connection.

Plus: the surprise of discovering Melle Mel’s voice on Chaka Khan’s “I Feel for You.”

Listen, share with a music-loving friend, and tell us: which artist’s first impression has stayed with you?

🎧 Listen to “The First Time I Heard…” on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch on YouTube.

https://therapsoulpodcast.riverside.com

Who has the catalog to challenge New Edition in a 20-round Verzuz battle?

On The Rap Soul Podcast, 12Kyle and eclectik debate matchups involving SWV, Guy, The Gap Band, New Kids on the Block, and Wu-Tang Clan. They weigh the hits, the stage presence, and whether the right crowd could change the outcome.

Listen in, then tell us: Who would you put against New Edition—and what song should open the battle?

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Andre 3000 didn’t switch up. He grew. 🎤🔥

On this episode of The Rap Soul Podcast, we go back to OutKast’s Aquemini and one of Andre 3000’s most revealing performances — “Return of the ‘G.’”

By 1998, people were questioning everything about Andre — the clothes, the lifestyle changes, the direction of OutKast and whether he was still the same MC.

Andre had an answer.

“Return of the ‘G’.”

We break down what inspired the record, what Andre was responding to, why the verse still hits, and why Andre 3000 remains in the greatest-MC conversation.

Plus…

🎤 Did OutKast really change — or did they simply grow?

🔥 How good was Andre 3000 at his peak?

👀 Why were people so bothered by Andre being different?

💿 And will we ever hear another OutKast album?

Verse of the Week: Return of the “G” – Andre 3000

🎧 The Rap Soul Podcast

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & YouTube.

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#TheRapSoulPodcast #Andre3000 #OutKast #ReturnOfTheG #Aquemini #HipHop #HipHopHistory #90sHipHop

The 90s gave us some of the greatest R&B albums ever made. 🔥

But which ones are YOUR favorites?

On this episode of The Rap Soul Podcast, Britt and I each picked 10 of our favorite R&B albums from the 90s—and the memories, stories, disagreements, and surprises started immediately. 😂

These aren't necessarily the “greatest” albums. These are the albums that WE loved, played repeatedly, and still go back to today.

🎙️ OUR 10 FAVORITE R&B ALBUMS OF THE 90s

What 90s R&B album absolutely HAS to be on your list?

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
📺 Watch now on YouTube

https://therapsoulpodcast.riverside.com

Before streaming made every song instantly available, listening to music was an experience. We visited record stores, studied album covers, read liner notes, played cassette tapes from Side A to Side B, shared music with friends, requested radio dedications, and waited for music videos to premiere.

In this episode of The Rap Soul Podcast, 12Kyle revisits the unforgettable rituals surrounding music in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. He also examines viral music commentary, manufactured hot takes, respect for music legends, and what today’s listeners may have lost in exchange for convenience.

What do you miss most about the old-school music experience?

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🔥 RUN DMC vs NWA — WHO HAD THE BIGGER INFLUENCE ON HIP-HOP? 🎤

This debate is tougher than you think.

RUN DMC helped take hip-hop mainstream. MTV. Adidas. Fashion. Branding. They helped show the world that hip-hop wasn't a fad.

Then NWA came along and changed the sound, attitude and subject matter of rap—and their influence can still be heard in hip-hop today.

So how do you measure influence?

🌎 Who made hip-hop bigger?

🔥 Who changed the sound more?

🌳 Which group has the stronger hip-hop family tree?

My take?

RUN DMC made hip-hop bigger.
NWA made hip-hop harder.

RUN DMC opened the front door. NWA remodeled the house.

But I want YOUR answer...

👇🏾 Who had the bigger influence on hip-hop: RUN DMC or NWA?

🎙️ The Rap Soul Podcast

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📺 Watch on YouTube

#TheRapSoulPodcast #RunDMC #NWA #HipHop #HipHopHistory #OldSchoolHipHop #RapMusic #HipHopCulture #12Kyle

DMX was one of the biggest stars hip-hop had ever seen.

But “Slippin’” wasn't really about the superstar.

It was about Earl Simmons.

The child who experienced pain. The man who battled addiction. The person who kept falling but kept trying to get back up.

That's what makes “Slippin’” such a powerful record. DMX wasn't just rapping about pain.

He made you feel it.

On this episode of The Rap Soul Podcast, I break down “Slippin’” and why it remains one of the most honest and revealing records DMX ever made.

The Rap Soul Podcast

Listen now on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
Watch on YouTube