Bruiser Brigade's J.U.S recently dropped "3rd Shift" produced entirely by Squadda B. We talked with J.U.S about how the album came together, his progression as a writer, the inspiration behind his previous project "Lord of the Streams Pt. 1: Greed in the Kingdom" and his album pick for this episode - "XXX" by Danny Brown.

Download "3rd Shift" here:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/3rd-shift/1760963511

"No Options: Hip Hop in Appalachia" is a new compilation of original music by artists specifically from Appalachia. The project aims to break the stereotypes typically associated with an overlooked and misunderstood region of the country while also shedding a light on some of its rising and veteran artists. Producers Ted Olson and William H. Turner, executive producer JK Turner, and rapper/producer Monstalung talked with us about putting this project together, the history of Black music in the region and their album pick for this episode - "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" by A Tribe Called Quest.

Stream and purchase "No Options" here:

https://juneappalrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/no-options-hip-hop-in-appalachia-2

We’re joined by Cakes Da Killa to talk about his new project “Black Sheep” which features Cakes rhyming over a diverse array of sound. We asked Cakes about the influence and inspiration that house music provided for the album, the freedom that he’s found in not giving a fuck, the comfortable creative relationship he has with producer Sam Katz and much more. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - “Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front” by Busta Rhymes. Stream and purchase "Black Sheep" here: ⁠https://cakesdakilla.bandcamp.com/album/black-sheep

Extensive sit down with Detroit legend House Shoes who provides his customary no bullshit perspective on beer, politics, beat flips, ownership, Street Corner Music, Danny Brown, 8 Mile, and much much more including thoughts on his favorite album of any genre - Mobb Deep’s classic sophomore effort.

L.A. based producer Kenny Segal has contributed to some of the most unique and creative projects in the “art rap” scene, including recent albums Purple Moonlight Pages with R.A.P. Ferreira, Ajai with Serengeti, and Hiding Places with billy woods. Kenny tells us about his intro to Project Blowed, his work with Team Supreme, honing the craft of building intricate soundscapes for dense lyricism, and much more. And we ask Kenny to educate us about his album of choice - the omid produced Project Blowed comp Beneath the Surface. If you’re into L.A.’s underground scene at all then this is the episode for you.

Filmmaker Darby Wheeler is best known stateside for his directing on the most excellent Netflix series Hip-Hop Evolution. He drops some jewels about his experience creating the show, gives us a preview of the in-progress D&D Studios documentary, and chats a bit about Scenario Media and their upcoming projects. And, of course, we all swap stories about Darby’s album of choice - Outkast’s ATLiens.

The second installment in a two-part collab with Nate and Demone from Dad Bod Rap Pod. The first part of the discussion takes place on their pod, where we talked about the soundtrack to the film Juice. Here the four of us discuss music from the motion picture Boyz N The Hood. Does Compton’s Most Wanted have the best cut? Has Tony Toni Tone’s “Me and You” aged better than Nate wants to admit? Is this the last lap for Ice Cube’s militant gangster persona? Listen for our thoughts and more. And be sure to check out both episodes!!

By 1999 Mos Def had already made a name for himself as a freestyle wizard in New York, a gifted MC that held crowds captive with Lyricist Lounge, and as one half of Black Star. Still he crafted a solo debut that seemed to ignore the hype yet managed to blow us away with its genre bending optimism at a time when hip hop was losing its golden luster. Black On Both Sides delivered a love letter to Blackness that is just as excellent and relevant 20 years later.

The poet/singer/activist/recording artist Ursula Rucker brings us needed inspiration as she shares how she is meeting the current reckoning for our country (and our city). True to form, she also challenges us to “do the work” and create the nation that we long to live in. And for the first time on the show we discuss an album from a singer, Frank Ocean, in our attempts to follow Ursula’s mandate - “Don’t limit hip hop...ever”

In 1991 Main Source dropped some game changing science in the form of Breaking Atoms. Yes, it gave us the first recorded verse from Nas (and one of the illest posse cuts of all time). Yes, it featured ground breaking sample-based production. But it also touched on just about every aspect of the life of young Black men including the still relevant and infinitely clever take on police brutality Just a Friendly Game of Baseball. We’re gonna talk about it all but give that track and our current perspective on recent racial injustice a long look.

Kount Fif is the co-owner of Man Bites Dog Records and the producer behind projects like Uncommon Nasa’s City As School and the upcoming release from Baltimore’s Sinista Daniro. He drops by the pod to give us his take on the historic protests happening across the nation, the history of his relationship with Man Bites Dog, his approach as a producer, and his thoughts on an album that prolonged Wu-Tang’s relevance - the second solo joint from Ghostface Killah.

Queen Latifah’s third album, bolstered by a successful hit TV show, brought her the most commercial hit of her career, won her a Grammy, and spoke for all women of color. “Who you callin’ a bitch???” might just be as relevant a question today as it was in 1993. We dig into that question and more with a long look at Black Reign.

David Lotwin, co-owner of the famous D&D Studios and co-founder of D&D Recording, blesses the pod with his wealth of insight into NYC hip hop. From the studio’s beginnings recording reggae to its work with Deee-Lite to becoming a destination for just about every New York hip hop artist you can think of (Nas, Biggie, Jay-Z, KRS-One, Gang Starr, Jeru the Damaja, Smif-N-Wesson, Black Moon, Lord Finesse, Fat Joe and many many more) D&D played a huge role in shaping the culture. David gives us the history of the studio, some of his favorite memories, the story behind the album The D&D Project, and much more.

Oslo based producer Ol' Burger Beats released "74:Out of Time" in February on Coalmine Records. Each track on the project was produced at 74 beats per minute and is deeply inspired by the jazz records of 1974. It's a unique concept with an impressive list of guest emcee's including lojii, Ill Camille, Vic Spencer, billy woods, Pink Siifu, YUNGMORPHEUS, Quelle Chris, Gabe 'Nandez, and Fly Anakin. We spoke with Ol' Burger Beats about the inspiration for this project and his approach to working with his collaborators. Then we talked about his album pick for this episode - "Welcome 2 Detroit" by J Dilla.

Stream and purchas "74:Out of Time" here:

https://coalminerecords.bandcamp.com/

Chris Skillz is an artist who wears his emotion on his sleeve. His lyrics are laced with unparalleled vulnerability and at times such sensitive subjects as depression, suicidal thoughts, and surviving sexual abuse are openly addressed. The Delaware MC gives us an in-depth look at his creative process, his vision as an artist, and his admiration for 2Pac’s Me Against The World.

In these wild times we turn to Wildchild, DJ Romes, and Madlib to help us get thru. The trio known as Lootpack debuted in 1999 on Stones Throw Records and set the label on a trajectory for greatness. Stay home and take a listen as we ponder the mystery of Madlib’s mastery, give props to the underrated Likwit Crew, and much much more.

As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to impact the U.S., Los Angeles native XP the Marxman joins the show to talk about the impact its already having on artists. He also goes in depth about the influence East Coast artists have had on his career, his upcoming project with Roc Marciano, his work with L.A.’s homeless population, and his album of choice - GZA’s legendary Liquid Swords.

By the year 2000 the Golden Age was over and rap was flooded with over-commercialized music. But in Philly the trio of Vinnie Paz, Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind, and Jus Allah crafted an incredibly unique album that became legendary for the city and significant for the entire indie circuit of that era. This episodes examines the sophomore effort from Jedi Mind Tricks.

Delaware based emcee All Hail Y.T. comes thru to talk about his latest collab with producer Tone Beatz - The Spoils Babylon. Y.T. also shares about the growth that led to his name change (formerly Yung Texxus), the importance of learning all aspects of the business of music, and the most influential artist/album of his lifetime - 2Pac’s classic double LP.

Awon is the co-owner of Don’t Sleep Records, co-star of the documentary Underdogs and an ill emcee based out of VA. He joins The Next Movement to talk about his beginnings, his approach to his art and business, being a part of a hip hop family, and the album that many say is the best of all time.

Busta Rhymes released his sophomore effort in 1997 and instantly became a household name. The albums singles and associated videos elevated the art of hip hop to new heights. But does Busta get the respect he deserves? Is crowning him the “jester” of hip hop a fair title?

Estee Nack comes thru to talk about Carpe Noctem, living in the present, using rap as a means to a greater end, raiding his uncle’s closet as a kid, the current scene in Lynn, MA and Mobb Deep’s classic third album.

Rapper/producer/recording engineer/writer Uncommon Nasa drops in to talk about his latest project City As School, social media, Staten Island, legacy, and one of his favorite albums - Gang Starr’s classic fourth full-length.

Talking about all of our favorite things from 2019 - favorite albums, favorite tracks, favorite beats, favorite moments from the show...you get the idea.

NAHreally and The Expert have teamed up for an album called "BLIP" that is set to be released by Rucksack Records on March 29th. We spoke to them about the simple yet powerful lyrics/sounds on this project and discussed the process they used to create one of the most relatable albums we have heard in recent memory. Then we discuss their album pick for this episode - "6 Feet Deep" from Gravediggaz.

Purchase "BLIP" here:

https://theexpert.bandcamp.com/album/blip

German-based producer Superior joins the pod to talk about growing up with hip hop in Germany, his evolution as a beat maker, teaming up with Eto for Long Story Short, his latest project - Baladas with Estee Nack, and his favorite Wu-Tang album - the instantly classic debut from Raekwon.

Stacey “Flygirrl” Wilson is an artist, designer, curator, event producer, and Philadelpha Creative Ambassador who embodies hip-hop culture. She’s co-hosted Tastytreats w/Questlove - a weekly hip-hop party that saw some of the most legendary emcees and DJs in the game come thru weekly for 13 years. She’s thrown private parties for Prince. She’s had art published in Jill Scott’s book of poetry and in a documentary about J Dilla. There’s much more but not enough space here to continue. Flygirrl fills us in on her creative growth, her latest close encounter with a legendary artist, what exactly happened with that cartoon fish/Questlove/Prince, and one of her favorite albums - Bahamadia’s 1996 debut.

“Highly loved by Chicago hoods” and “highly hated by the Chicago scene” - Vic Spencer talks his latest release, his record label, his work with Chicago’s youth and one of his favorite albums...Redman’s classic sophomore effort.

The D.O.C. helped pen iconic, grounding breaking, raw tales of violence and anger and “street knowledge” for N.W.A. But his own debut was something completely different, with a barrage of word play and charisma that few in 1989 could match. And with Dre helming the boards there was no way to deny its greatness.

Ronald Crawford is a therapist from North Philly that combines hip hop and clinical interventions in an effort to engage those who don’t buy into traditional therapy. He joins the pod to talk about his work and one of his favorite albums - PTSD by Pharoahe Monch.

Reef The Lost Cauze has become one of Philly’s legendary emcees. He drops in to talk about his growth as an artist and the impact of the debut album from dead prez on both his life and his music. All of it left us questioning, Where is that Black Thought/Reef The Lost Cauze collab???

Jeru the Damaja’s debut remains an overlooked classic with pristine production from DJ Premier. Rob and E. examine the creative process behind the album, the importance of its black empowerment, Jeru’s “freaky” flow, and all the beef it set off.

This extra special episode was recorded backstage at the Dungeon Family reunion tour on April 24th, 2019 and features an interview with first generation DF member Backbone.

Philadelphia transplant Curly Castro is keeping boom-bap alive in the City of Brotherly Love. He drops in to talk about his latest solo offering and a classic Def Jux album that has influenced his trajectory - Mr. Lif’s flawless concept project I Phantom.

The Fugees released one of the biggest mainstream hip-hop albums of the 90s, with wide commercial appeal and big budget videos. Rob and E. examine the relationships, the repercussions, and the Reality of the Refugee Camp’s recording.

Cavalier joins us as he prepares to release his new full length album "Different Type Time" on Backwoodz Studioz. It's been five years since his previous solo release and Cav talked with us about what has contributed to the time between projects, how he came to partner with Backwoodz on the new release, some of the collaborators we can expect to hear on the album, and the unique nature of this particular project. Plus, we talked about his joint project with Quelle Chris "Black Cottonwood", his "Bring Back Weed Spots" line of hoodies, and much more. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - Wu-Tang Clan's third group album "The W".

The blues and gospel of Goodie Mob’s first release addressed poverty and pain from a uniquely southern perspective. Rob and E. talk about how they connected with this Dirty South classic.

In 1998 DMX brought hip-hop back to the streets. Rob and E. take a look at how X took over the game, the times when he went too far, and how his debut album brought stardom to a 16-year old producer.

South Philly’s own Zilla Rocca joins Rob and E. to talk about his new solo album, being a working rapper, and to boldly defend Ghostface Killah’s Ironman as better than The Beatles.

The Next Movement presents the top 12 albums of 2018. Rob and E. give you their year-end lists and try not to talk about Kanye.

1988 was jam packed with classic rap albums. What made Strictly Business stand out? In part one of this special two part episode Rob and E. frame up EPMD’s landmark debut.

Rob and E. break down 2Pac’s first album and discuss its production, its controversy, and its messages on police brutality, racism, poverty, and trauma.

On the first episode of The Next Movement hosts Rob and E. discuss their hip-hop origins, swap go-to albums, and share their favorite samples.

Angry Blackmen is a duo from Chicago who released their latest project "The Legend of ABM" in late January. The project has a unique industrial sound, equally inspired by Nine Inch Nails as it was by the Bomb Squad, over which Brian and Quentin spit urgent bars about their personal lives and larger social struggles. We spoke with the duo about the process of writing this project, their success in balancing the political and the personal, and much more. Then we'll talk about a project from another Chicago native - Kanye West's debut album "The College Dropout". Stream and purchase 'The Legend of ABM" here:

Reef the Lost Cauze has a new album called "The Triumphant" and he says that it is the album that he has been trying to make for years. He joined us to talk about the intentional approach he took towards writing and recording it. He described the sometimes painful process he went through to write it and the emphasis that he placed on giving his audience a variety of narratives and perspectives. And he discusses the resilience and hope that is woven throughout the project. We're gonna talk about all that and Reef's album pick for this episode - the third LP from another Philly legend - Beanie Sigel's "The B.Coming".

H31R (maassai and JWords) have teamed up for two innovative and original projects, the most recent being "HeadSpace" which was released in November of last year. It's a genre bending reflection on a transitional period in both of their lives and the duo was kind enough to join us to talk about the album. An Aquarius and Gemini themselves, H31R also chat with us about their album pick for this episode - "Aquemini" from Outkast.

Stream and purchase "HeadSpace" here:

https://h31r.bandcamp.com/album/headspace

Q No Rap Name and Philth Spector are two beat makers based in Philadelphia who also co-host the Philly chapter of Flipabeatclub (FABC) which holds monthly meet ups at ⁠Cratediggaz Records⁠ at 711 S. 4th St. FABC has become a nationwide movement with chapters in Sacramento, Toronto, L.A., Washington D.C., Bay Area, Austin, Chicago, and Dallas. Q and Philth talked with us about how the Philly chapter got started and shared some of their experiences in building knowledge and networks. We also talked with Q and Philth about their recent collaborative beat tape called "Color Sound Experiment". Then we discuss their album pick for this episode - "The Unseen" from Quasimoto. Music featured in this episode comes from Q No Rap Name, Philth Spector, Onitram, and Gozo the DJ. Find music from Q No Rap Name here: ⁠https://qnorapname.bandcamp.com⁠ Find music from Philth Spector here: ⁠https://philthspectorxphilly.bandcamp.com⁠ Find music from Flipabeatclub here: ⁠https://flipabeatclub.bandcamp.com

CineMasai (Dyaln Green), host of the Reel Notes podcast, joins us to talk about some of our favorite albums of 2023. We each picked three albums to focus on and discussed what made them our favorites. Pretty straightforward.

For all things related to Reel Notes and Dylan's writing follow this link: https://linktr.ee/CineMasai

lojii has been outside doing this rap thing for years and yet he feels like he's just getting started. That's the essential message that runs through his latest project "$TARTER_PACK" produced entirely by Alexander Spit. lojii joined us to explain why he's looking to the past just as much as he's looking toward to the future. Along the way he shares stories from the projects creation (including a great story about Pink Siifu's involvement). Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - "Tical" the 1994 solo debut from Method Man. Stream and purchase "$tarter Pack" here: https://starterpack.bandcamp.com/album/tarter-pack

Rich Jones has a new album out called "Sour Dub". It's fully produced by SINAI (aka Sleep Sinatra) and it's not the weed smoking album that you might assume it to be. We talked with Rich about how the album's laid back sound makes it's "dripping" with "venom" somewhat sneaky. Then we talk about Rich's album pick for this episode - "Big Shots" by Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf.

Stream and purchase "Sour Dub" here:

https://5oclockshadowboxers.bandcamp.com/album/sour-dub