The Next Movement (TNM Philly)

Rob and E. take a look at an undisputed classic and an album that is near and dear to Rob's heart. The Low End Theory was released in 1991, as A Tribe Called Quest attempted to ride the wave created by their debut. Q-Tip's production, particularly his use of jazz samples and live players (including the legendary Ron Carter) along with the dynamic rhyme styles of Tip and Phife made the album instantly adored. But you could read about the album's legacy anywhere. Tune in here to get our stories about the album's impact on our lives. 

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.

Wahid joins us to talk about his new project "THEY ALL GO MAD!" The Orlando based artist opens up about the energy and emotion that went into a project that he freely admits was an outlet for his anger. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - and an album we've been waiting for a guest to pick for a long time - "Things Fall Apart" by The Roots.

Stream and purchase "THEY ALL GO MAD!" here:

⁠https://wahid.bandcamp.com/album/they-all-go-mad⁠

No guest this time around. Instead our focus is entirely on Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic”. You know it, you love it but you’ve never heard us speak on our memories and personal experiences with it. It’s just two friends talking about one of the greatest debut solo albums of all time.

Algernon Cornelius and CLYDE join us to talk about their new collaborative effort "STICK A FORK IN IT". The UK-based artists break down their writing and beat making process and discuss some of the inspiration behind the album. Then we talk about their album pick for this episode - Injury Reserve's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix".

Stream and purchase "STICK A FORK IN IT" here:

https://algernoncornelius.bandcamp.com/album/stick-a-fork-in-it

The latest release from KING VISION ULTRA is called "SHOOK WORLD" and it is just that...a world built out of field recordings, YouTube clips, incredible artistry from a wide range of guest performers, and stem recordings from Algiers recent full length "Shook". GENG PTP aka KING VISION ULTRA sat down with us to discuss how this project came together, how he ended up gathering this collection of talent, and how chosen family and a shared disdain for gentrifiers led to a cohesive sound. Then we attempt to pay tribute to Trugoy the Dove aka Dave as we discuss GENG's album pick for this episode "Buhloone Mindstate".

RIP Dave
De La Soul forever

To listen to and purchase "SHOOK WORLD" head to Bandcamp: algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/shook-world-hosted-by-algiers

Philadelphia native Small Professor joins us to talk about his production on the latest Career Crooks album Never at Peace, his Jawn series of instrumentals, BLUu Edwards with Curly Castro, and ‘86 Witness with the late Sean Price. Then he gives us his take on DOOM’s masterpiece MM...FOOD.

phiik, one of several enigmatic spitters in the New York based Tase Grip collective, joins us to talk about his latest offering called "CHAINLINK", his project from earlier this year with Lungs and Cise Greeny called "WHERE ARE THE BUGS!?" and last years "THAT WAS A TEST" with S!lence. Then we discuss phiik's album pick for this episode - "Below The Heavens" from Blu and Exile. Døøf, Lungs, S!lence, iblss, and Cise Greeny were all in the room with phiik during this interview and a few of them make cameo appearances, making this a super fun episode.

You can find "CHAINLINK" here: phiik.bandcamp.com/album/chainlink

You can find "WHERE ARE THE BUGS!?" here: 7deadlung7.bandcamp.com/album/where-are-the-bugs

And you can find "THAT WAS A TEST" here: phiik.bandcamp.com/album/that-was-a-test

John Morrison is a writer, DJ, sample flipper, podcast/radio host, and deeply passionate about music history, specifically as it concerns his native Philadelphia. We talked with John about his career as a writer, how it has been informed by his experiences growing up in Philly, and how his own music impacts the way he articulates what he hears from others. Then we get into John's album pick for this episode - "Illadelph Halflife" by The Roots.

The instrumental music you hear in this episode was made by John Morrison and can be found here: johnmorrison215.bandcamp.com

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.

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.

Donwill, host of The Almanac of Rap and one half of Tanya Morgan, joins us to talk about some of our favorite albums of 2024. We each picked three albums to focus on and we discussed what made them our favorites. Nothing fancy.

All things Donwill can be found here:

https://www.donwill.me

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.

ShrapKnel (Curly Castro and PremRock) sit down to chat about their sophomore album "Metal Lung". We discuss the personal meaning connected to the album and its release as well some of the artistic direction that the duo took with the project. Then we discuss ShrapKnel's album pick for this episode - the second installment from another duo (Murs and Slug) - "Felt 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet"

Purchase "Metal Lung" here: backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/shrapknel-metal-lung

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:

Orko Eloheim and Bigg Jus are Nephlim Modulation Systems. It's been 18 years since their second album "Imperial Letters of Protection" was released and now the duo is back with some more hard truths. They recently released a new single called "War Teacha" as a lead up to what will be the third NMS full-length, which is slated for release later this summer. We talked with these two legendary artists about the new music and then we discuss their album pick for this episode - a live recording from Boogie Down Productions called "Live Hardcore Worldwide".

Find music from Nephlim Modulation Systems including the new single here: nephlimmodulationsystems.bandcamp.com

RJD2 is a dynamic producer with a legendary history. His newest project continues to build on his reputation for blending genres. "Visions Out of Limelight" feels like a culmination of all of RJ's influences whether its Funkadelic or Redman, 70's TV theme songs or the Bomb Squad, the album invites the listener to join in the celebration throughout. We talked with RJ about the making of this album and then we discuss one of his favorite albums of all time - Common's "Resurrection".

Stream and purchase "Visions Out of Limelight" here:

⁠https://officialrjd2.bandcamp.com/album/visions-out-of-limelight⁠

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

Rob Cave has a new project out right now called "God Dose" that was produced in large part by 88-Keys. Rob joined us to talk about how this project came together, the art of writing motivational music, and how an MC from Brooklyn managed to make one of the most Philly songs of all time. Then we discuss Rob's album pick for this episode - the solo debut from Pharoahe Monch - "Internal Affairs".

Stream and purchase "God Dose" here:

https://robcavejr.bandcamp.com/album/god-dose

Oliver Rothstein is an MC from Philadelphia who embodies the city's grit, struggle, and determination. He has a new album called "The Philadelphian" that captures the struggle and beauty that exists in Philly and he joined us to talk about this project. Then we discuss the project that he picked for this episode - the first mixtape chosen on our show - "The Ghost in the Shell" by Styles P.

Stream and purchase "The Philadelphian" here:

oliverrothstein.bandcamp.com/album/the-philadelphian

Rapper/producer HooksArthur discusses his latest project Wave Form Fluent, its emphasis on art in all its forms, working with Influence Prod, and the chance encounter that led to an unlikely friendship with his mentor/engineer Zesto Q. Then Hooks helped us unpack the legacy of DOOM and the brilliance of Madvilliany. RIP DOOM. Metal Face forever.

Brooklyn emcee/musician Amani joins us to talk about the past year of his creative endeavors, including the excellent An Unknown Infinite with KING VISION ULTRA, the instrumental album From Gratuitous Latters We Fell, his solo project A Constant Condensation, and his guest spot on Armand Hammer's Haram. Then Amani schools us on K-Dot's mixtape catalogue and gives us the story behind his love for Kendrick Lamar's debut album.

Author Matteo Urella joins us to discuss his recently published book “Deep in the Dark with the Art” - a collection of conversations with the creators behind the best cover art of Wu-Tang Clan and their affiliates. We’ll talk about the process of compiling this book, some of the stories that were revealed by its contributors, and we’ll ask Matteo about one of his favorite non-Wu affiliated albums - J Dilla’s opus Donuts.

Nebraska native Sleep Sinatra joins us to talk about his recent release, the Ohbliv produced album "Shadow Self". Sleep discusses the concept behind "Shadow Self" and gave us the story behind his collaboration with Ohbliv. He also talks about the production that he contributed to the recent debut self-titled album from ManDaMyth and offers some insight into the history of the Black arts in Nebraska. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - the 1998 debut album from Big Pun,  "Capital Punishment".

Listen and purchase Sleep Sinatra's "Shadow Self" as well as the rest of his catalogue at sleepsinatra1.bandcamp.com/album/shadow-self

Listen and purchase ManDaMyth's album at damn-that-noise.bandcamp.com/album/mandamyth

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.

Photographer Alexander Richter joins us to talk about his documentary film "Dark Brother Rise", his cover photo for Armand Hammer's "Haram", the stories behind some of our favorite photos from his portfolio, and the reason Sean Price's second solo LP "Jesus Price Supastar" is one of his favorites. 

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.

Breeze Brewin’ graces us with insight into his life, the arch of his career, his new album - Hindsight - while also dropping gems about Black Sheep’s debut. Just like A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing we think you’ll find this interview a bit different.

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.

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

We're joined by director Jacob Rosenberg whose work you’ve likely seen without even knowing it. His new book is called “RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES” and is “an immersive, decade long journey capturing the vibrancy of skate and hip hop culture from ‘88 to ‘98”. It documents much of Rosenberg’s work in film, photography, and journalism during this key period of his career and features notable names such as Chuck D, the Hieroglyphics Crew, De La Soul, Mike Carroll, Sean Sheffey, Sal Barbier and many more. We’ll talk with Jacob about this book and the stories associated with it, as well as his album pick for this episode - “No Need for Alarm” by Del the Funky Homosapien.

Purchase "RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES" here:

https://www.jacobrosenberg.tv/shop

PremRock helps us complete our Wrecking Crew cypher and joins us to talk about his latest release. It's a self-titled album from a group called Ockham's Blazer that lands somewhere between hip-hop, jazz, and electronic music. PremRock tells us how he became involved with the project and how it required a unique approach to writing and recording. Then we dig into Prem's album pick for this episode - the influential full-length debut from the Arsonists - "As the World Burns". 

Queen Herawin of the Juggaknots is about to drop her first solo project since 2019's "The Space Between Us". The album is called "Awaken the Sleeping Giant" and has been years in the making. It finds Herawin confronting the many emotions she has experienced in bringing these songs to life. She candidly spoke with us about mental health, creativity in its various forms and much more. Then we get into her album pick for this episode - “The Great Adventures of Slick Rick”.

Stream and purchase "Awaken the Sleeping Giant" here:

https://queenherawin.bandcamp.com/album/awaken-the-sleeping-giant

Rapper/producer J Scienide chats with us about his upcoming project called KAPUT as well as 2021 projects “Somebody’s Paradise,” “Enough to Plague a Saint” with Body Bag Ben, and “Stray From the Pack” with Kev Brown. Then J Scienide tells us why Organized Konfusion’s second LP “Stress: The Extinction Agenda” is one of his favorite albums.

We teamed up with the fellas from the Serious Rap Sh*t Podcast to discuss our favorite albums of the year. We were each tasked with picking three albums and found surprisingly little overlap, which led to a diverse convo about these great bodies of work. 2020 sucked. But this music didn’t. Instead, it sustained us, gave words to our feeling, and made our feelings into sound. And sometimes it just banged hard as sh*t.

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.

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

August Fanon and blackchai have joined forces on the recently released "OTHERWISE A BLUR". We spoke with the duo about how the project came together, the inspiration for blackchai's flows, and the energy that has gone into August Fanon's production. Then we talked about their album pick for this episode - "Vaudeville Villain" by DOOM's alter ego Viktor Vaughn.

Stream and purchase "OTHERWISE A BLUR" here:

https://augustfanon.bandcamp.com/album/otherwise-a-blur

Gabe 'Nandez latest project is called "Pangea". It was written and recorded during the height of the pandemic, at a time when 'Nandez was enduring personal turmoil and grappling with the collective experience of quarantine. We talked with him about "Pangea" and its theme of collective consciousness while examining some of the unique stories and perspectives that its individual tracks have to share. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - the second LP from Roc Marciano, the one many folks have deemed his best - "Reloaded".

Stream and purchase "Pangea" here:

https://gabenandez.bandcamp.com/album/pangea-2

Desde is an emcee from Brooklyn who you may remember from KING VISION ULTRA's "SHOOK WORLD" earlier this year. Desde recently released a beautifully crafted project called "Tongue Original" that they describe as their most confident yet. We sat down with them to discuss its creation, the affirmations it contains, and Desde's attempts to spread love simply by being themselves. Then we chat about Desde's album pick for this episode - a project that is as equally self-affirming as "Tongue Original" - BbyMutha's 2018 release "BbyShoe".

"Tongue Original" is currently available for streaming everywhere.

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".

We're joined by Nosaj from New Kingdom who blessed us with jewel after jewel from his 30 years in the music industry. We talked about the process behind his writing, his approach to making music after a lengthy break from releasing projects, his recent project Acid is Groovy Kill the Pigz, and his album pick for this episode - Check Your Head from the Beastie Boys. Honestly can't say enough about the nuggets of insight you're gonna find here. Be sure to listen until the end to hear an exclusive Beastie Boys cover from Nosaj. 

Writer, editor, critic, and culture curator Timmhotep Aku joins us to talk about his career in hip-hop writing (XXL, Pitchfork, NPR, Afropunk and others). We discuss the importance of context within music reviews, becoming a steward of hip-hop culture, NTS radio, and some of the music that Timm is currently listening to. We also get Timm's take on his album pick for this episode - "RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta" from dead prez. 

Cise Greeny is a prolific rapper/producer from Corona, Queens. So far this year he has released two full length albums and two beat tapes. We talked with Greeny about these projects, the way he thinks about his prospective audience, and his consistent attempts to keep his childhood alive through his music. Then we discuss Greeny's album pick for this episode - the debut from fellow Queen's natives Lost Boyz - "Legal Drug Money".

Stream and purchase music from Cise Greeny here: garmentrygreeny.bandcamp.com

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.

The multi-talented Wavy Bagels joins us to discuss his most recent project "BAVY" on which the producer, song writer, rapper, and singer displays his full arsenal. Wavy also talks a bit about "mutatis mutandis", the album he fully produced for S!LENCE at the end of 2021. Then we discuss a rather meaningful album for Wavy, Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool".

Stream/purchase "BAVY" and "mutatis mutandis" from Wavy Bagels on Bandcamp: wavybagels.bandcamp.com

Photographer Eric Johnson is responsible for some of hip-hop’s most iconic images including several enduring album photos from the likes of Cam’ron, De La Soul, Biggie, and Lauryn Hill. Eric joins the pod to discuss his experiences working with some of these artists and to tell the story of his involvement in L-Boogie’s classic solo debut.

Let’s do this End of Year episode! Continuing a tradition we started last year, when we teamed up with the good dudes at Serious Rap Sh*t, we’re bringing you a super duper pod collab. This time around Kam from the Crate 808 Podcast joins us to talk about our favorite albums of the year. No rankings. No awards. No “Bests”. Just some of the music we loved (because it’s impossible to talk about it all!)

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.

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".

Justo the MC and maticulous join us to talk about their forthcoming project “Three” and the collaborative relationship that they have built over the course of the past few years. Then we get into their album pick for this episode - “…And Then There Was X” - the third offering in a historic run for the iconic DMX.

Find music from Justo the MC at linktr.ee/Justo_the_mc

Find music and merch from maticulous at maticulous21.bandcamp.com

Brooklyn based artist maassai joins us to talk about her recent project "Personal Year 8" and last year's "With the Shifts" - two introspective and vulnerable projects. She shares some of her process for writing and recording, and the importance she places on representation in creating her music. Then we discuss her album pick for this episode - Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor - and how it reinforced her desire to make music that pushes boundaries and gives voice to those outside the mainstream. 

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.

L.A.'s Rhys Langston joins us to talk about his new project entitled "Polyglot on Chloroform". It's produced entirely by Steel Tipped Dove, who also engineered and mixed the project, taking control of aspects of the album creation process that Rhys typically prefers to handle himself. We talked to Rhys about giving over this control, the album's loose concept, and loads more. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - "Labcabincalifornia" from The Pharcyde.

Stream and purchase "Polyglot on Chloroform" here:

https://rhyslangston.bandcamp.com/album/polyglot-on-chloroform

Dan Lish is a UK based artist whose of drawings of some of hip hops greatest creators have become instantly recognizable due to the intricate details and personal touches that go into every piece. The first installment of his book collecting some of these drawings is called "EgoStrip" and it has long been sold out. But you'll recognize the illustrations that grace album covers from artists such as Elzhi, J Period, Raekwon, Blu/Nottz and several others. Dan has a deep love for hip hop and its culture, having been at some point involved in several elements. He brings this rich history to his drawings and was kind enough to spend time with us to talk about some of that history. Then we mix things up a bit and take a short detour from our standard format by talking about Dan's favorite 12" singles from Ultramagnetic MC's "Critical Beatdown".

Visit Dan's website here:

https://www.danlish.com/

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.

Alaska and Jason Griff join us to talk about their dark take on pandemic America “Human Zoo”. You know Alaska from Atoms Fam, Hanger 18, and co-host of the Call Out Culture Podcast. And you know Jason Griff as the producer behind the late Scorcese, Alex Ludovico, Insubordinate Records, and the full length “Fireside Chats” from earlier this year. We talk with the two of them about what went into Human Zoo and one of their favorite albums - Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music.

We present a thoughtful and introspective convo with emcee, writer, and educator Defcee. His latest release “ceenick Deluxe” with producer Nick Arcade, has become one of our favorite things and we asked about some of the personal details behind the album. Then the three of us nerd out over Defcee’s album pick, ELUCID’s 2016 LP “Save Yourself.”

In this throwback episode from April of 2021 we're talking with Nappy Nina about her latest project "Double Down" which was fully produced by JWords. Nina also shares some of her early influences and talks about her relocation from Oakland to Brooklyn. Then she helps us dive into one her favorite albums - Isaiah Rashad’s sophomore effort "The Sun’s Tirade".

Multi-talented artist Video Dave and producer Controller 7 join us prior to the release of their collaborative album “ArticulatedTexTiles”. We discuss some of the behind the scenes moments that went into the album. The way Controller 7 sampled Dave’s IG stories. The way Dave had to write several versions of “ThePlugTune” to get the De La acknowledgment just right. The album is full of details and catchy hooks and the duo gave us a glimpse of how it all came together. Then we talk about their album pick for this episode - the debut album from the Pharcyde “Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde”

"ArticulatedTexTiles" will be released through Fake Four Inc. and will be available for streaming everywhere on July 7th.

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.

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/

Stas THEE Boss is a producer and a rapper and a radio host and a DJ and some other things that we're probably missing. Most recently she is the composer of the music featured in dream hampton's latest documentary film "It Was All a Dream". Stas joined us to talk about this assignment along with a bunch of other rap related things including her album pick for this episode - "Supa Dupa Fly" by Missy Elliott.

Stream and purchase Stas THEE Boss music here:

https://stastheeboss.bandcamp.com

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.

Ronesh (rapper/producer) recently released a project featuring 25 different emcees including artists like Open Mike Eagle, Che Noir, Defcee, Big $ilky, and Myka 9. The album is called "Lead the Orchestra" and Ronesh produced all 12 tracks while contributing vocals to the song "Galaxy Brain". We spoke with Ronesh about the task of assembling this project and then we discussed his album pick for this episode - "To Tha X-Treme" from Devin the Dude. Stream and purchase "Lead the Orchestra" here: https://ronesh.bandcamp.com/album/lead-the-orchestra

We talked with Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire about his forthcoming album “VOL. 1: I Love Y.O.U. Cuz Y.O.U. Ugly”. The album signals a new chapter in eXquire’s life and career and he explained to us how understanding has got him feeling more like himself than ever. Then we nerd out over his album pick for this episode “Mama Said Knock You Out” and eXquire makes a compelling case for why LL Cool J is the greatest rapper of all time.

Stream and purchase "VOL 1: I Love Y.O.U. Cuz Y.O.U. Ugly" right here.

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.

Hester Valentine joins us to talk about his 2024 output, which includes the projects "Valenta" and "make me, make me". Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - "N***a Please" by Ol' Dirty Bastard.

Stream and purchase Hester's music here:

https://blackval.bandcamp.com/

https://mimizuizuru.bandcamp.com/album/valenta

https://wearethekarmakids.bandcamp.com/album/i-cant-cut-your-hair

Producer/visual artist and West Philly native Pecue joins us to talk about his recent instrumental project “Excursions” and the design work he’s done over the past couple of years for other artists such as Skrewtape, Zilla Rocca, Brainorchestra, Eddie Kane and more. Then we reminisce over Pecue’s album pick for this episode - the 1993 masterpiece from A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders.

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.

Max Heath is one half of the duo Child Actor and is the person responsible for crafting the production behind artists such as Armand Hammer (billy woods and E L U C I D), AKAI SOLO, ShrapKnel, Open Mike Eagle, Serengeti, and amani & robalu. He joined us for a thoughtful conversation about the art of beat making and shared some of the stories behind songs like "Charms" (Armand Hammer), "Sun 2 Moon" (AKAI SOLO), and "Old Magic" (E L U C I D). Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - the 2005 release from Count Bass D - "BEGBORROWSTEEL".

Find Child Actor's music here

"Charms" from Armand Hammer here

"Sun 2 Moon" from AKAI SOLO here

"Old Magic" from E L U C I D here

"Starchild" from amani and robalu here

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???

In this throwback episode from Feb. 2023, Open Mike Eagle joins us following the release his album “Component System With The Auto Reverse”. We started our conversation with some discussion about his live performances since the album’s release. Then we used elements from the album to discuss larger themes - The importance of his relationships with his peers and his admiration of their skills. The overarching goal of his writing as being present to his own thoughts and experiences. The inherent value he sees in everyone as individuals and how that contributes to his creative endeavors. And we wrapped our conversation by discussing Busta Rhymes’ solo debut and the impact it had on Mike as a fan.

You can stream and purchase "Component System With The Auto Reverse" here: openmikeeagle.bandcamp.com

Brooklyn native Skyzoo joins us to talk about his new album All the Brilliant Things, which focuses on cultural appropriation and gentrification, particularly in the neighborhood where he grew up. Then we get Skyzoo's perspective on his album pick for this episode, the undisputed classic Ready to Die. Having grown up just one block from where Biggie lived on St. James Place, Skyzoo brings a personal and insightful view to the conversation. 

Staten Island natives Jamil Honesty and Squeegie O join us to talk about their recent debut as the Habor Kidz and the double LP that excited the world in 1997 - Wu-Tang Forever. Jamil and Squeegie have known each other since their childhood days growing up in Mariners Harbor Projects and it was dope to hear perspective on the Wu from people who hail from Shaolin.

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.

Ace Cannons and MIGHTYHEALTHY join us to talk about their recent project MIGHTYCANNONS and the idea/inspiration behind it. We discuss how drums and increased BPMs set them apart from the current independent scene while also bringing a sense of nostalgia. Then, of course, we discuss their album pick for this episode - the final full-length from A Tribe Called Quest. 

Open Mike Eagle joins us following the release his latest album “Component System With The Auto Reverse”. We start our conversation with some discussion about his live performances since the album’s release. Then we use elements from the album to discuss larger themes - The importance of his relationships with his peers and his admiration of their skills. The overarching goal of his writing as being present to his own thoughts and experiences. The inherent value he sees in everyone as individuals and how that contributes to his creative endeavors. And we wrap our conversation by discussing Busta Rhymes’ solo debut and the impact it had on Mike as a fan. You can stream and purchase "Component System With The Auto Reverse" here: openmikeeagle.bandcamp.com

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.

DJ Haram has pushed the boundaries of traditional dance, noise, and hip hop music her entire career. Whether as a part of 700 Bliss (with Moor Mother) or producing tracks for Armand Hammer, or creating and releasing music as a solo artist, Haram has always given us something dynamic and powerful to stretch our ears. She joins us as she anticipates the release of a two track EP in December called "Handplay" and talks with us about the perspective behind this music, her work with Armand Hammer, and one of her favorite albums - 2016's "Fetish Bones" by Moor Mother.

You can stream and purchase "Handplay," the new EP from DJ Haram here: djharam.bandcamp.com/album/handplay-ep

E L U C I D (Armand Hammer) joins us to talk about his excellent new solo release "I Told Bessie" and all things related. Then in the second half we do something that we've never done before...we discuss an album chosen by you, the listener. "Guns" by Quelle Chris is the subject of our focus and we ask E L U C I D to tell us his impressions of the album and Quelle's work as a whole.

You can find "I Told Bessie" and associated merch/physicals at backwoodzstudioz.com or on E L U C I D's bandcamp page. 

S!LENCE is from Brooklyn (actually from there) and he has a new project called "Aguadura". He describes it as the spiritual sequel to his 2021 release "mutatis mutandis" and we talked with him about some of the themes from the album. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - "The Mouse and The Mask" from DANGERDOOM.

Purchase "Aguardura" here:

https://www.breakallrecords.world/product/aguadura

Gifted wordsmith AKAI SOLO joins us to talk about his project with Navy Blue entitled True Sky. AKAI also shares thoughts about the importance of honesty in his work, as well as the process behind his writing, and his love for Kid Cudi and the first installment in the Man on the Moon trilogy.

Chop The Head is an artist and designer from Philadelphia who has worked on designs for some of today's most interesting independent rappers. His detailed drawings have covered releases from Fatboi Sharif, phiik + Lungs, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon, and Jay NiCe. He's got a design coming as a part of Pink Siifu's re-release of "GUMBO'!" and on top of all that he makes his own beats. We talked with Chop about his history as a designer, the process behind some of his covers and his album pick for this episode - Armand Hammer's collaboration with The Alchemist - "Haram".

Purchase originals and prints from Chop The Head here: chopthehead.myshopify.com

Stream and purchase Chop The Head's beats here: chopthehead.bandcamp.com

On the three year anniversary of the pod we welcome back our very first guest, South Philly native Zilla Rocca. The emcee, beat maker, Wrecking Crew member, and Call Out Culture Podcast co-host talks with us about his latest project Vegas Vic and breaks down one of his favorite albums - Camp Lo’s Uptown Saturday Night.

It's a Bruiser occasion! Detroit veteran Fat Ray has surrounded himself with talented artists for several years, developing relationships with folks like Danny Brown, Black Milk, and J Dilla. He joins us to talk about his most recent project Santa Barbara, which is of course one of the three excellent projects to come from Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade so far in 2021. Then we talk about another excellent album that helped Fat Ray get through a difficult time - Mobb Deep’s fourth album Murda Muzik.

The one and only Homeboy Sandman talks with us about his upcoming project Anjelitu, produced by Aesop Rock. And we get the full story from the Mello Music Group artist on how He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince made hip-hop more relatable and influenced his approach to writing songs. 

Rap duo Armand Hammer, comprised of billy woods and ELUCID, have teamed up with living legend The Alchemist for their latest album, Haram. Days before the release, Armand Hammer sit down to talk about how the collab with The Alchemist came to pass, the process of recording the album, the unique experience of working with a single producer through a pandemic, and we ask them to reflect on one of their favorite albums, Capone-N-Noreaga’s 1997 debut The War Report.

Nappy Nina joins the show to talk about creating during the past year of the pandemic, including the struggles with mental health that informed much of her work on her latest project Double Down - a collaborative album with producer JWords. Nina also shares some of her early influences and talks about her relocation from Oakland to Brooklyn. Then she helps us dive into one her favorite albums - Isaiah Rashad’s sophomore effort The Sun’s Tirade.

While literally walking the streets of Baltimore, ILL Conscious talks about his latest work, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and his upcoming project with producer Mute Won called Acres of Diamonds (the lyrics to which were actually lost earlier this year!). Hear that story and more, including ILL’s love for Little Brother and their second album. And make sure you listen until the end for a special cameo from another Baltimore spitta!

Stik Figa and The Expert released their collaborative album “Ritual” in June. It is a well crafted project that both artists believed was going to be Stik Figa’s last as they were working on it. We talked with them about the creative perspectives they took while writing/producing the album, the dynamics of their working relationship, and what might be lie ahead for Stik. Then we discuss their album pick for this episode - Common’s sixth studio album “Be”.

You can stream and purchase “Ritual” here: https://theexpert.bandcamp.com/album/ritual

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

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?

It's time for the end of year episode! This is where we pause to consider some of our favorite albums from the year and, as has become tradition, we ask fellow podcasters to join us to help round out the conversation. This time around we've got Luke Bailey from Fly Fidelity! Each of us chose three albums that ended up being our favorites from 2022. Tune in to hear which albums we picked and get our perspective on what made these projects so memorable. 

For those unfamiliar, Fly Fidelity is a UK-based show that conducts thoughtful interviews with hip hop artists and members of the culture. Listen to Fly Fidelity and join their Patreon at this link.

We're joined by Dan-O from Freemusicempire who talks with us about a bunch of stuff including his approach to reviewing music and conducting interviews AND we swap stories of admiration for Erykah Badu and Dan-O’s album pick “Mama’s Gun”.

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.

Max Ochester is the owner of Brewerytown Beats, a record shop in Philadelphia. But Max has also used the shop and his Philly connections to preserve the city’s rich music history. From reissuing previously unheard jazz and soul recordings to organizing efforts to save local institutions such as Sigma Sound Studios and the Coltrane House, Max has put in some work and has mesmerizing stories about it all. He gives us a behind the scenes look at last year’s Sotheby’s hip-hop auction and a report from Schoolly D himself on his groundbreaking self-titled debut album.

Photographer T. Eric Monroe is known for bringing us iconic moments from the 1990s. His ability to casually slip into green rooms, video shoots, and studio sessions has allowed him to capture rare behind the scenes photos in a uniquely candid way. We talk with him about his early contributions to Thrasher Magazine, his experience working as the Photo Editor at The Source in the mid-90s, and we ask him to share stories behind some of our favorite photos. And course, we ask Monroe to pick one of his favorite albums for us to discuss. De La Soul. Stakes Is High.

"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 talking a lot about singular artists and sounds! Fatboi Sharif and Steel Tipped Dove recently released their collaborative album "Decay" on Backwoodz Studioz. We spoke with them about the creative teamwork that went into the album, the personal aspects of Sharif's writing, and the importance of incorporating sounds from a wide variety of genres. Then we shatter all expectations for our second segment and find ourselves talking about a non-hip hop album for the first time in our history. System of a Down's flawless 2001 album "Toxicity" is the album that Dove and Sharif picked for this episode.

Buy "Decay" directly from Backwoodz Studioz at this link.