Your remedy to the “I don’t have anything good to listen to” problem… below.
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#138 - Child Actor INTERVIEW
Child Actor is an artist that cut their teeth in the indie pop world, before transitioning to the world of rap through organic relationships with the likes of Ceschi, Serengeti, and billy woods.
Child Actor now sports a trademark cutting-edge sound that has become a staple amongst underground’s finest, through fantastic work on Backwoodz Studioz, Open Mike Eagle, and Serengeti projects to name a few.
Listen on to hear how this undeniably talented producer made it to where he is today, and how he approaches his craft with the kind of ingenuity you’d expect from someone who produced that f***** up Armand Hammer track, "Charms".
#137 - Album Alchemy - Another Planet 4 (w/ phiik & Lungs/LoneSword)
phiik and Lungs/LoneSword's work has increased in mastery with each and every project, culminating with their best project yet, early AOTY of contender, Another Planet 4.
I am so pleased to have these two on the show, as part of the Album Alchemy series, where we dive deep into how they’ve developed their craft, and created such a unique record in Another Planet 4.
#136 - Raz Fresco INTERVIEW
Raz is an artist who’s career spans over a decade, featuring co-signs and collaborations with true OGs such as Raekwon, and a prolific run of creativity in recent years. Punctuated by his fantastic Magneto Was Right series and other great records in recent years, such as Marvelous Right Wrist and Secret Wars with DIBIA$E.
Not only does his catalog speak for itself, but his passion and respect for the art is energizing… and comes through loud and clear in the latest episode of this show.
#135 - R.A.P. Ferreira INTERVIEW
“It’s important to me to be an original human being. It’s not important to me to be original or different in my music. It’s important to me to be original and different in every single thing I do.”
This is a direct quote from the upcoming interview with R.A.P. Ferreira you are about to hear, and I think that speaks for itself.
#134 - SKECH185 INTERVIEW
SKECH’s unique powers made his Backwoodz debut with Jeff Markey, He Left Nothing for the Swim Back, an absolute home run and my current album of the year.
Listen on to hear more about interesting stories related to his new album, Tomorrow Kings, Chicago rap, and how this special blend of meticulous lyrical craftsmanship and unmitigated passion came to be.
#133 - Nappy Nina INTERVIEW
Today’s guest, Oakland’s Nappy Nina, is a rising star who blends thoughtful empathetic subject matter with raps that defy the conventional. She exudes a level of cool and calm that embodies the long lineage of smooth west coast rap greats that preceded her, and a technical ability that brings this buttery soft delivery to new and exciting places.
This element of freshness can be seen in the danceable rap grooves on 2021’s collaborative album with JWords, Double Down, and the soulful vibrant sounding Mourning Due, the upcoming release from Nappy Nina slated to drop on February 17th.
Listen on to hear about her unique artistic background, her general approach to writing, and stay tuned for a sneak peek into what this new album Mourning Due will sound like.
#132 - The 3rd Annual Rap Music Plug Podcast Awards
In Episode 132, we are pleased to present to you the 3rd Annual Rap Music Plug Podcast Awards!
#131 - SZA - SOS REVIEW
This album hit me at a very pivotal time in December of last year when I needed it most, where I was fragile, spiraling, and deeply ashamed.
Yet SOS managed to give me a bit of juice, providing me with sweet sounds and honest perspective related to emotions I directly was processing at the time, genuinely keeping me afloat throughout a rough time.
It’s funny how all that self-love and acceptance talk starts to actually resonate… when you stop loving yourself, and can’t accept mistakes you’ve made in the past.
If you're intrigued to know why SZA’s SOS left such a mark on me, listen on...
Conversation Pieces - Our Loss - A commentary on Drake and relatability in art
Relatability in art is often erroneously mistaken for this idea of “x artist explicitly talking about things that are directly relevant to my life, talking only about things I dealt with personally".
Obviously this is a form of relatability, but I’d argue that relatability is a concept more broad and less rigid than that. Relatability to me is simply the idea of identifying with what an artist stands for.
This edition of Conversation Pieces examines the boy, Drizzy Drake and his latest collaborative album with 21 Savage, Her Loss, through the lens of relatability to see what has gone wrong for the 6 God in recent years.
#130 - Koncept Jack$on INTERVIEW
There are few rappers that I consider true aliens of the rap game. By aliens, I mean rappers who’s style feels one of one, incomprehensible, otherwordly. The kind of rapper that sounds good on any beat you throw at them.
I was honoured to be joined by one of said rappers, Mutant Academy’s Koncept Jack$on, who gave us a peak inside the mind of one of rap’s most unique lyricists.
Listen on to hear how the incredible Koncept Jack$on does what he does.
#129 - Album Alchemy - Preaching in Havana (w/ Fatboi Sharif & noface)
Weirdness and experimentation in music is a tricky thing. It’s very easy to go too far and make music that is so unlistenable to many listeners.
It is also easy to make music that feels pushes musical boundaries, but to no meaningful end. Where the end product doesn’t come together into a cohesive statement that says anything coherent.
Lucky for us listeners of Fatboi Sharif and noface’s latest album, Preaching in Havana, none of the above applies.
Havana is a true mindf*** of an album that is stunning, and I'm pleased to be joined by the creators of this record, Fatboi Sharif and noface, to explain how the h*** this twisted record was made.
#128 - R.A.P. Ferreira - 5 to the Eye with Stars REVIEW
The packaging, from the beats to the way Ferreira rhymes, has evolved tremendously from when I first heard him on things that happen at day // things that happen at night in 2013… to where he is now, with his latest album 5 to the Eye with Stars.
Ferreira has continuously sculpted his sound to great results, and I can’t wait to explain how.
#127 - AKAI SOLO INTERVIEW
Something I told AKAI, and what bares repeating, is that an idea sounds simple when it is presented in his music. He’s that special.
With a fresh, and raw rap style that is reminiscent of Vordul Mega, and that’s not my words… that comes from the Backwoodz Studioz head honcho himself.
This conversation was as insightful as you’d expect it would be with an artist like AKAI. Enjoy!
#126 - ewonee INTERVIEW
The Mutant Academy collective has been the launching point for many of rap’s most innovative creators over the past half decade. With uber-talented spitters such as Fly Anakin, and Koncept Jack$on, and captivating beatmakers such as ohbliv, Tuamie, Foisey, and our guest on today’s show... ewonee.
ewonee has fueled the sound for not only Mutant Academy releases, but has also worked with the brightest stars in the game right now. From Mach-Hommy to Estee Nack, to YUNGMORPHEUS, crafting beats for their outstanding collaborative album, Thumbing Thru Foliage.
#125 - billy woods & Messiah Musik - Church REVIEW
Vulnerability is an interesting concept. The more vulnerable you get, the likelihood of you achieving true happiness and connection rises... just as the likelihood you get deeply hurt and traumatized rises as well.
In other words, vulnerability is a double-edged sword.
Vulnerability is the only true path to acceptance, healing, and growth.
This is the path that we find billy woods on in his latest album Church, in collaboration with producer phenom Messiah Musik.
#124 - Mr. Muthaf*****’ eXquire INTERVIEW
When I first heard today's guest on the show on El-P's "Oh Hail No" off of Cancer 4 Cure… I was sold immediately.
Even if it was just one feature, without me being aware of who this guy was and what projects he had under his belt, his flows, his bars, and his charisma were off the charts.
The talent of Mr. Muthaf*****’ eXquire was undeniable.
And luckily for me, he also had a catalog to back up this strong first impression by the time I tapped in around the year 2012, since eXquire had already dropped a fun and rugged mixtape in Lost in Translation, and then soon after would drop the terrifically thoughtful Kismet.
From then on I was a fan for life.
Now a decade later Brooklyn’s eXquire has released his most mature and reflective album yet, and is here today to discuss that and much, much more.
#123 - Ghais Guevara INTERVIEW
In today’s political climate, music that speaks to real issues is something I gravitate to more than ever. If you add on wildly creative music to back said real issues, you’ve got me hooked. That’s exactly what we have with today’s guest on the show, Ghais Guevara.
Ghais is a Philly rapper who is unapologetic about his strong communist beliefs, who’s music has quickly achieved strong critical acclaim this year, with the release of his impressive new album There Will Be No Super-Slave.
Listen on and get to know an artist you will surely be hearing about for years to come.
#122 - Album Alchemy - Raw Extractions (w/ Lukah & Hollow Sol)
Lukah, Memphis MC, has been on a tear in the past couple of years, who’s approach to music is as well-thought out as it comes.
He is joined by his right-hand man, Hollow Sol, who is the primary engineer for Lukah that mixes all of his music.
Together they joined forced to create one of the hardest and biggest sounding rap albums of the year, titled Raw Extractions.
If you wanna know about the incredibly intricate concept for this album, and how it ended up sounding so grand and ambitious... this is the episode for you.
BONUS - RMPP x FME Senior Class w/ Freemusicempire
The XXL Freshman Class is an annual collection of some of the most mediocre young (ish) rappers coming up in the game. Instead of re-hashing a tired idea, I collaborated with cool guys at Freemusicempire to have a different conversation.
We flipped the conversation and discussed our favourite veterans in the game, in order to compile the first iteration of the RMPP x FME Senior Class.
I hope you enjoy this bonus episode while I'm taking a week off to focus on non-pod activities.