Every song has a story, but some get lost in the shuffle. Sean Kantrowitz (The Questions Hip Hop Game Show) sits down with some of hip hop's most prolific artists, throws their catalog into a randomized playlist, and what ensues is a discussion about the songs that don't always get talked about. A Stony Island Audio experience.
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As some of you may know, Can't Knock the Shuffle host/creator Sean Kantrowitz also hosts a live hip hop trivia game show called The Questions – and now that show is available in podcast format. Each week, Sean connects with hip hop's biggest fans – rappers, DJs, producers, writers, comedians, actors, and everything in between – to test their rap trivia skills, discuss their careers, and talk about how the music changed their lives. Subscribe/follow wherever you get your podcasts!
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Dante Ross
Season 2 · Episode 10
Monday, June 14, 2021 • Duration 01:20:27
Dante Ross isn't an artist in the traditional sense, but the music industry exec/A&R/producer/engineer had a hand in dozens of classic records and is responsible for helping to cultivate the careers of some of hip hop’s biggest names. In the 90s, Dante was hired by Elektra Records as the first hip hop A&R man – not just Elektra’s first, but the record industry’s first. Dante signed artists such as Brand Nubian, KMD, Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, to name a few. Along with his friends John Gamble and Geeby Dajani, Ross was also one third of production group Stimulated Dummies, who worked with many of those acts behind the boards as well. Dante played a significant role in crafting the sound and songs on House of Pain leader Everlast’s breakthrough solo album, 1998’s Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, and would later co-produce the Everlast and Carlos Santana song “Put Your Lights On,” on the latter’s Grammy-winning smash album ‘Supernatural.’ Dante is still active in the business to this day, and has signed and worked with more recent artists like Lil Dicky, Made in Tokyo, and Marlon Craft. And this fall he will release ‘Son of the City,’ a memoir detailing his life as a crucial player in hip hop’s Golden Era. In this episode, we discuss:
3rd Bass "Kick 'Em in the Grill" feat Chubb Rock ('Derelicts of Dialect,' 1991)
Del the Funky Homosapien "Ya Lil Crumbsnatchers" ('I Wish My Brother George Was Here,' 1991)
Ol' Dirty Bastard "Brooklyn Zoo" ('Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version,' 1995)
Everlast "Tired" ('Whitey Ford Sings the Blues,' 1998)
De La Soul "Me, Myself, and I" ('3 Feet High and Rising,' 1989)
Pete Rock and CL Smooth "All Souled Out" ('All Souled Out,' 1991)
Brand Nubian "Step to the Rear" ('One For All,' 1990)
Dante Ross:
danteross.com
cantknocktheshuffle.com
questionshiphop.com
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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Masta Ace
Season 2 · Episode 1
Monday, April 12, 2021 • Duration 55:56
Masta Ace is one of hip hop's greatest storytellers. After making his debut on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut "The Symphony," Ace has many amazing accomplishments throughout his 30+ year career, including membership in hip hop supergroup Crooklyn Dodgers, classic concept albums, full album collaborations with producers like MF DOOM and Marco Polo, and so much more. In this episode we break down the following songs from his catalog:
"Think I Am (feat. Big Daddy Kane and MF DOOM)" ('MA_DOOM: Son of Yvonne', 2012)
"Crooklyn" (Crooklyn Dodgers) ('Crooklyn' soundtrack, 1994)
"Sunken Place" (feat. Pav Bundy) ('A Breukelen Story' w/ Marco Polo, 2018)
"Type I Hate" (feat. Leschea and Rah Digga) ('Disposable Arts', 2001)
"Bklyn Masala" (feat. Leschea) ('A Long Hot Summer', 2004)
"SlaughtaHouse" ('SlaughtaHouse', 1993)
"Mathematics" ('The Falling Season', 2016)
Masta Ace:
https://www.mastaace.com/
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
questionshiphop.com
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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Slug
Season 1 · Episode 9
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 • Duration 01:03:19
It isn't exaggeration to say that Sean Daley – better known as Slug – has played a pivotal role in the evolution of underground hip hop since the turn of the century. His group Atmosphere truly carved their own lane out in the indie scene dating back to the '90s with the DIY-approach of his label Rhymesayers Entertainment and the vulnerability in the group's songs. Over the years, Slug's style as a writer has also evolved, from the "underground battle rap" space to his development of the silly-sounding-but-somewhat-useful "emo rap" and "dad rap" descriptors. He's always been a great writer and an excellent storyteller, and so it was an absolute pleasure to go under the hood of these seven songs:
"Sleep Apnea" ('The Day Before Halloween,' 2020)
"Get Fly" ('You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having,' 2005)
"Everything" ('Fishing Blues,' 2016)
"Felt Chewed Up" ('Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez,' 2009)
'Get It to Get Her' ('Strictly Leakage,' 2007)
"One of a Kind" ('God Loves Ugly,' 2002)
'Sunshine' ('Sad Clown Bad Summer,' 2007)
Atmosphere:
atmospheresucks.com
nstagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
instagram.com/thequestionshiphop
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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Nikki Jean
Season 1 · Episode 8
Wednesday, November 25, 2020 • Duration 56:52
Nikki Jean is a hip hop artist through and through, but her music may not always appear that way from a distance. A singer/songwriter who got her start in the extended family of the legendary Roots crew as a member of the band Nouveau Riche, Nikki’s big breakthrough came when she wrote and sang the hook on Lupe Fiasco’s hit single “Hip Hop Saved My Life” in 2007. She’s collaborated with Lupe throughout his career ever since, but that was only the beginning for her. Her debut solo album ‘Pennies in a Jar’ put her in the co-writing chair with over 30 members of the American Songwriting Hall of Fame, including Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Lamont Dozier, Carly Simon, Thom Bell, and Barry Mann, and she’s kept busy ever since, most recently releasing her Beautiful Prison on her hometown of Minneapolis’s powerhouse indie label Rhymesayers Entertainment. Songs covered in this episode:
"Hands Up" ('Champagne Water,' 2014)
"Hip Hop Saved My Life" (Lupe Fiasco 'The Cool,' 2007)
"Red Black & Blue (2012 Tulip St. Demo)" ('Beautiful Prison,' 2019)
"People and Planes" ('Beautiful Prison,' 2019)
"Madonna (And Other Mothers in the Hood)" (Lupe Fiasco 'Tetsuo & Youth,' 2015)
"How To Unring a Bell" ('Pennies in a Jar,' 2011)
"Take You Out" (2013)
Nikki Jean:
nikkijean.com
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
instagram.com/thequestionshiphop
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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Blueprint
Season 1 · Episode 7
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 • Duration 01:17:58
Blueprint is someone who knows a thing or two about multitasking. The producer/emcee played a pivotal role in the emerging underground scene in the Midwest during the late 90's/early '00s, with his own Weightless crew and also amongst the artists that would eventually comprise the rosters of indie juggernauts Rhymesayers and Definitive Jux. He's continued to put out a steady clip of music since then (both as a solo artist as well as one half of Soul Position with RJD2), but music isn't where his journey ends. He's become a film/video director, a published author with four books under his belt, and the host of his own 'Super Duty Tough Work' podcast. But no matter what the medium, he's essentially a storyteller, and so it was great to hear the stories behind these seven randomly selected songs from his catalog:
"The Jerry Springer Episode" (Soul Position '8 Million Stories', 2003)
"Alchemy" (Aesop Rock, 'Daylight', 2002)
"The American Dream" ('Deleted Scenes,' 2012)
"Great Eyedeas Never Die" ('King No Crown,' 2015)
"Fresh" ('1988', 2005)
"Arms Too Short" ('Chamber Music', 2004)
"Overdosin'" ('Respect the Architect,' 2014)
Lots of great conversation here, too: reflecting about the rise of the scene he helped build, the forces that caused that machine to slow down years later, his approach to songwriting and recording, and so much more. Enjoy!
Blueprint:
www.weightless.net
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
instagram.com/thequestionshiphop
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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Bahamadia
Season 1 · Episode 6
Wednesday, November 11, 2020 • Duration 54:50
Bahamadia has been captivating listeners with her unique style and lyrical skills since the 90's, when she released her major label debut 'Kollage.' Philadelphia's Hip Hop Queen has kept busy since then, releasing projects via indie labels, collaborating with some of hip hop's greatest practitioners, touring the world, hosting her own radio show, and forming her own record label B-Girl Records LLC. Self-describing herself as shy, Bahamadia rarely does interviews. So when she agreed to come on the show after appearing on my hip hop game show The Questions, we had to make it happen. In this episode, we explore the stories behind the following songs:
"Innovation" ('Kollage', 1996)
"Transcend" (King Britt, 'Adventures in Lo-Fi', 2003)
"Proceed III" (The Roots, 1994)
"Dialed Up 2" ('Dialed Up 2', 2017)
"Thank You" ('Good Rap Music', 2006)
"One-4-Teen (Funky For You)" ('BB Queen', 2000)
"Here" (2015)
Bahamadia:
www.bahamadia.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
instagram.com/thequestionshiphop
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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Visitor on Homeboy Sandman
Season 1 · Episode 5
Wednesday, November 4, 2020 • Duration 56:37
After the past decade and change, rapper Homeboy Sandman has built a career that's been defined by marching to the beat of his own drum. He's released albums on labels like Stones Throw and Mellow Music Group, and has collaborated with artists for full projects such as Aesop Rock, Edan, and most recently Quelle Chris, who produced the entirety of Sandman's latest album 'Don't Feed the Monster.' The Ivy League-educated emcee also had a stint as a blogger, publishing a series of essays and think-pieces for Huffington Post and Gawker, which raised eyebrows and caught the attention of the blogosphere due to his strong opinions and provocative perspective. This episode is an interview with someone who identifies themselves as Visitor or Angel, but there is no one else in the world better equipped to dive into the stories behind Homeboy Sandman's songs, which in this episode include:
"Nuts" ['Nourishment (Second Helpings)', 2007]
"Lightning Bolt, Lightning Rod" ('Actual Factual Pterodactyl,' 2008)
"Trauma" ('Don't Feed the Monster', 2020)
"Heaven Too" ('Hallways', 2014)
"Always" ('Dusty', 2019)
"Unforgettable" ('Subject: Matter', 2012)
"Fat Belly" ('White Sands', 2014)
Homeboy Sandman:
https://homeboysandman-mmg.bandcamp.com/music
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
instagram.com/thequestionshiphop
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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RJD2
Season 1 · Episode 4
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 • Duration 56:10
For nearly two decades, producer/musician RJD2 has put his own unique spin on the genre of instrumental hip hop. RJ's music has always been a compelling listen, with or without vocals – but he's also collaborated with a gang of artists, including rapper Blueprint (under the Soul Position moniker), as well as projects with singer Aaron Livingston (pka Son Little) and underground legend Aceyalone. Along the way, RJ has produced songs for commercials and TV shows – in fact, an instrumental of one of his songs was used as the theme to AMC's smash hit show 'Mad Men.' RJ's most recent project is 'The Fun Ones,' released on his own record label RJ's Electrical Connections. Songs we explore in this episode:
"Indoor S'mores" ('The Fun Ones', 2020)
"A Beautiful Mine" ('Magnificent City', 2006)
"Wander" (Icebird 'The Abandoned Lullaby', 2011)
"Someday" ('The Third Hand', 2007)
"The Stranger" ('The Colossus', 2010)
"Ring Finger" ('Since We Last Spoke', 2004)
"Saboteur" feat Phonte Coleman ('Dame Fortune', 2016)
RJD2:
www.rjd2.net
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
instagram.com/thequestionshiphop
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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Open Mike Eagle
Season 1 · Episode 3
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 • Duration 59:18
Open Mike Eagle has never been shy about getting personal with his music. After emerging from LA's Project Blowed collective, the rapper/producer released his first solo album in 2010 and has been dropping projects at a steady clip ever since. With a comedic wit and quirky eclectic nature to his songs, Mike has also been equally proficient in the worlds of comedy and television. He co-created comedy and music showcase 'The New Negroes,' first as a live event and later as a show for Comedy Central, which we discuss in this episode. He's also no stranger to podcasts – from his own Secret Skin podcast, as well as 'What Had Happened Was,' his acclaimed interview series with the legendary producer Prince Paul, all on his own Stony Island Audio podcast network, which is also home to 'Can't Knock the Shuffle.' Here are the songs that we dive into in this episode:
"Sounds Like Rap" (Thirsty Fish, 'Watergate,' 2011)
"Art Rap Party" ('Unapologetic Art Rap', 2010)
"Single Ghosts" ('What Happens When I Try To Relax', 2018)
"Woke As Me" feat Phonte Coleman ('The New Negroes' Season 1 Soundtrack, 2019)
"Leave People Alone" ('Hella Personal Film Festival', 2016)
"Overland" (Cavanaugh, 'Time and Materials', 2015)
"Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss" ('A Special Episode', 2015)
We also discuss the increasing difficulties for indie artists trying to navigate the music industry, the lessons Mike learned in creating a show (and accompanying music videos) for a cable network, and how his writing has evolved over the years.
Open Mike Eagle:
www.mikeeagle.net
instagram.com/seandammit
twitter.com/seandammit
instagram.com/thequestionshiphop
Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com
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