Catch Up
72 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsCatch Up is a weekly music and culture podcast that examines contemporary hip-hop—where it's been, where it is, where it's going, and what it all means. Hosted by Jordan Sowunmi and James Rathbone.
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Episodes
Ep. 20: A Guide to Metro Boomin
November 09, 2018 02:29 - 48 minutes - 39.2 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss arguably the most influential producer of this decade, Metro Boomin. The two go back to the producer's early days in St. Louis, his legendary collaborations with Future, his ascendance from critical darling to #1 hitmaker, and his latest record 'Not All Heroes Wear Capes'. They also touch on Ty Dolla $ign and Jeremih's new album 'MihTy', and the excellent soundtrack to Jonah Hill's directorial debut 'Mid90s'. Also mentioned in this epi...
Ep. 19: Josephine Cruz (aka jayemkayem) on the Evolution of the Hip Hop Club Scene
November 02, 2018 02:11 - 1 hour - 50.6 MBThis week on 'Catch Up', James is joined by a special guest host, renowned Toronto DJ Josephine Cruz (aka jayemkayem). The two discuss how they both got into DJing, how DJing hip hop has evolved since they started, what they look for in a great DJ, early 2000's Hip Hop vs early 2000's R&B, and the current trend of more danceable hip hop. They also chat about two classic sophomore albums they've recently rediscovered: Handsome Boy Modelling School's 'White People', and Wu-Tang Clan's 'Wu-...
Ep. 18: Does 'Quality Control' Need More Quality Control? + New Albums From Quavo and Lil Yachty
October 26, 2018 01:38 - 49 minutes - 39.6 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss the history of the much celebrated Atlanta record label, 'Quality Control Music, and then give their thoughts two of the label's most recent releases: Quavo's lacklustre 'Quavo Huncho' and Lil Yachty's surprisingly solid 'Nuthin' 2 Prove'. Jordan also recounts his recent to trip to a Scott Storch lecture, and James reflect's on De La Soul's timeless debut '3 Feet High and Rising'. Also discussed on this episode: OG Maco's 'U Guessed...
Ep. 17: A Brief History of Collaborative Mixtapes + Lil Baby & Gunna's 'Drip Harder'
October 12, 2018 02:56 - 59 minutes - 47.7 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss the increasingly common trend of collaborative mixtapes; looking back on touchstones of the form like Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana's 'I Can't Feel My Face', Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch The Throne', and Drake and Future's 'What A Time To Be Alive'. They also give their thoughts on 'Drip Harder'; a new collaboration from up-and-coming Atlanta stars Lil Baby and Gunna. Also referenced: Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne's 'I Can't Feel My Face', Lil...
Ep. 17: A Brief History of Collaborative Mixtapes + Lil Baby & Gunna's 'Drip Harder'
October 12, 2018 02:56 - 59 minutes - 47.7 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss the increasingly common trend of collaborative mixtapes; looking back on touchstones of the form like Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana's 'I Can't Feel My Face', Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch The Throne', and Drake and Future's 'What A Time To Be Alive'. They also give their thoughts on 'Drip Harder'; a new collaboration from up-and-coming Atlanta stars Lil Baby and Gunna. Also referenced: Juelz Santana and Lil Wayne's 'I Can't Feel My Face', Lil...
Ep. 16: Lil Wayne: The Life and Times of Dwayne Michael Carter
October 05, 2018 04:46 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan return from vacation to discuss the career of one of their all time favourite artists, Lil Wayne. The two discuss Weezy’s early days on Cash Money, his unrivaled hot streak in the mid 2000’s, and his long awaited studio album, Tha Carter V. Also discussed on this episode: Juvenille’s ‘Back That Ass Up’ , Lil Wayne’s ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, Lil Wayne’s ‘Bling Bling’, Sqad Up, Lil Wayne’s ‘Renegade’ Freestyle, Lil Wayne’s ‘Sportscenter’, Dj Khaled’s ...
Ep. 15: Travis Scott's 'Astroworld' + Young Thug's 'Slime Language'
September 03, 2018 15:34 - 53 minutes - 61.3 MBThis week on Catch Up, Jordan breaks down his experience at the 'Aubrey & the Three Migos' concert (2:20), and then he and James discuss new releases from two of their favourite contemporary artists: Young Thug's 'Slime Language' (16:10) and Travis Scott's 'Astroworld' (29:45). Also referenced: Drake visits a sick fan, Offset arrested in Georgia, Jordan's Travis Scott Interview, Russ at Scotiabank Theatre Drake's 'I'm On One', Young Thug's Media Snakes, T.I's 'About the Money', Rich Gang's ...
Ep. 14: Catch Up Classics Vol. 1 ( Good Kid, M.A.A.D City & Finally Rich)
August 17, 2018 03:03 - 45 minutes - 52.4 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan look back on two of this decade's most influential records: Kendrick Lamar's 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D City' and Chief Keef's 'Finally Rich'. The episode is the first part of a retrospective series where the two will assign "Classic Status" to 10 albums from the 2010's. Referenced in this episode: Drake's 'Buried Alive', Kendrick Lamar's 'Poetic Justice', Kendrick Lamar's 'M.A.A.D City', David Drake on Chief Keef, Chief Keef' s '3HUNNA', Chief Keef Gets Out...
Ep. 14: Catch Up Classics Vol. 1 ( Good Kid, M.A.A.D City & Finally Rich)
August 17, 2018 03:03 - 45 minutes - 52.4 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan look back on two of this decade's most influential records: Kendrick Lamar's 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D City' and Chief Keef's 'Finally Rich'. The episode is the first part of a retrospective series where the two will assign "Classic Status" to 10 albums from the 2010's. Referenced in this episode: Drake's 'Buried Alive', Kendrick Lamar's 'Poetic Justice', Kendrick Lamar's 'M.A.A.D City', David Drake on Chief Keef, Chief Keef' s '3HUNNA', Chief Keef Gets Out...
Ep. 13: Mailbag #2 - Is the OVO Sweatshop Real? What is the Next Evolution of Hip Hop? + Much More
August 10, 2018 01:36 - 27 minutes - 31.3 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan are back to answer more of your mailbag questions. The two weigh in on Spotify and YouTube's recent attempt remove certain controversial artists (0:45), the best albums for very specific situations (7:25), the myth of the 'OVO Sweatshop' (10:05), who represents hip hop's next evolution (14:30), the top five female rappers to watch (18:05). Also referenced in this episode: Meek Mill's 'I'm a Boss', Beat King's Club God 5, Golden Turtle vs Pho Tien Tha...
Ep. 12: Jazz Cartier, and Prime Boys
August 03, 2018 11:56 - 41 minutes - 47.7 MBIt's a Toronto centric episode of Catch Up, with James and Jordan discussing the Prime Boy's debut album 'Koba World', as well as Jazz Cartier's new LP 'Fleurever'. Also referenced on this episode: Jimmy Johnson's 'Northside', Undisposable Photo Book, The Remix Project, Jazz Cartier's 'Switch', Jazz Cartier's 'See You in Hell', Tory Lanez' 'Diego'. To listen to the music mentioned in this episode subscribe to Catch Up's Spotify Playlist, and please feel free to reach out to us with ques...
Ep. 11: Mailbag - The Next Atlanta, The Best Forgotten Rappers, and More
July 27, 2018 01:57 - 36 minutes - 42.2 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan answer your questions in our first ever mailbag episode! The two discuss which city has the best chance of becoming "the next Atlanta" (1:30), the first rapper they would feel comfortable introducing their future children to (4:50), their first musical obsessions (8:00), and the best forgotten rappers of all time (21:30). Also referenced on this episode: The Swishahouse Freestyles, D12's 'Revelation', Charles Hamilton's 'Brooklyn Girls', Fam-Lay's 'Ro...
Ep. 10: A$AP Rocky, Teyana Taylor, and Future
July 20, 2018 02:39 - 48 minutes - 55.2 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss A$AP Rocky's latest effort 'Testing' (1:15), Teyana Taylor's Wyoming Session album 'K.T.S.E' (20:00), and finish things off with some thoughts on Future's surprise mixtape 'BEASTMODE 2' (31:20). Also reference on this episode: A$AP Rocky's 'LSD', ASAP Rocky working with Skrillex, The Legacy of ASAP Yams, Big Pun and Cam'ron's Getting Jiggy With It, David Carr's Obituary, Kanye West's 'Fade' Video, Beyonce's 'Ring the Alarm' Video, Kanye West'...
Ep. 9: Is 'Scorpion' The Beginning of The End For Drake?
July 06, 2018 04:37 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss the tragic losses of Smoke Dawg and Koba Prime, and then give their takes Drake's highly anticipated double album 'Scorpion'. Also referenced in this episode: Mo G and Smoke Dawg's 'Still', Drake's 'Diplomatic Immunity', Drake's 'God's Plan', Drake and Migo's 'Walk It Talk It', BlocBoy J.B's 'Look Alive', Drake's 'Nice for What', Jay-Z's 'Take Over', Who is J Prince?, Meek Mill's 'Stay Woke', Joe Budden breaks down of Scorpion. If you can, ...
Ep. 8: The Best Music of 2018 - So Far
June 29, 2018 04:02 - 46 minutes - 53.4 MBWith 2018 at the halfway point, James and Jordan use this week's Catch Up to highlight the best albums and songs of the year, so far. Albums discussed include: Bloc Boi JB's 'Simi' (3:15), Juice WRLD's 'Goodbye and Good Riddance' (6:00), L'il Baby's 'Harder Than Ever' (8:50), Cardi B's 'Invasion of Privacy' (12:00), Black Panther OST (14:20), Maxo Kream's 'Punken' (19:45), Playboi Carti's 'Die Lit' (24:30), Tierra Whack's 'Whack World' (25:45), 03 Greedo's 'The Wolf of Grape Street' (28:15...
Ep. 7: Processing the Life and Death of XXXTentacion + The Carters, and Nas
June 22, 2018 11:04 - 50 minutes - 57.5 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss the untimely death of Jimmy Wopo (3:30), as well as the career, and subsequent murder, of the extremely controversial XXXTentacion (7:00). They then get into Nas' new Kanye produced album 'Nasir' (19:15), and Beyonce and Jay-Z's surprise collaboration 'Everything Is Love' (29:30) Also referenced on this episode: 'Sorry to Bother You' Trailer, XXXtentacion 'Look At Me', Drake KMT, XXXtentacion 'Sad', Hotepery, Nas Conspiracy Theorys, Nas and K...
Ep. 6: Analyzing the 2018 XXL Freshman Class + Kids See Ghosts
June 15, 2018 12:05 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss the highs and lows of Kid Cudi's career leading up to his new Kanye collaboration 'Kids See Ghosts, and then break down the 2018 XXL Magazine Freshman Class issue; looking at the evolving influence of the list (26:10), their favourite Freshman Classes of all time (35:30), their 2018 selections to watch (37:30), and the notable omissions (51:00). Also covered on this episode: Kid Cudi and Kanye's Beef, Kid Cudi 'Day and Night' Crookers Remix,...
Ep. 5: I hate 'Ye' its awesome
June 08, 2018 03:12 - 41 minutes - 48 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan unpack Kanye West's polarizing new album 'Ye'. The pair discuss the circus of events leading up to the album's release (6:45), its controversial themes and lyrics (17:30), and 070 Shake's star-making feature (24:00). They also debate if Kanye has another great album in him, and if not, what that means for the future of hip hop (31:00). To listen to the music mentioned in this episode subscribe to Catch Up's Spotify Playlist, and please feel free to re...
Ep. 4: A Guide to the Drake and Pusha T Beef
June 01, 2018 02:59 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan go deep on the Pusha T and Drake beef, exploring exactly how we got to this point. They cover the legacy of Clipse (1:50), their original feud with Lil Wayne (9:30), Pusha T's excellent new album 'Daytona', Drake's 'Duppy Freestyle', and of course, 'The Story of Adidon'. To listen to the music mentioned in this episode subscribe to Catch Up's Spotify Playlist, and please feel free to reach out to us with questions or comments at [email protected].
Ep. 3: Princess Nokia, Nav, and YBN Cordae
May 25, 2018 05:00 - 45 minutes - 52.6 MBThis week on Catch Up, James and Jordan talk about YBN Cordae's response to '1985' (0:35), Nav's polarizing studio debut 'Reckless' (10:30), Princess Nokia's emo influenced mixtape 'A Girl Cried Red' (24:30) , and the void left by Lil Peep (30:15). Also referenced: YBN Cordae — My Name Is, The YBN Crew, YBN Nahmir — Rubbin Off the Paint, Vinces Staple's R. Kelly tweet, Vince Staples tweets about Eminem, Joey Badass — Survival Tactics, J Cole vs Lil Pump interview each other, Pitchfork revie...
Ep. 2: Azealia Banks and Cardi B, Playboi Carti, and Lil Baby
May 18, 2018 02:34 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBThis week on 'Catch Up', Jordan and James discuss the new Lil Baby and Drake single 'Yes Indeed' (1:30), Playboi Carti's debut album 'Die Lit' (16:30), the enduring influence of Chief Keef (22:20), and discuss the divergent careers of Azealia Banks and Cardi B, and the points at which they intersect (30:10).” Also referenced: Wanna Know Remix, We Made It, Earl Sweatshirt tweets about Drake, Broke Boi, Cloud Rap, Awful Records explainer, Chief Keef Changed the way Rap Videos Look Forever, Jo...
Ep. 1: J.Cole, Rae Sremmurd, and Post Malone
May 14, 2018 17:31 - 57 minutes - 66 MBOn the inaugural episode of Catch Up, James and Jordan discuss the origins of Boosie Fade (0:25), Rae Sremmunrd's new triple album 'SR3MM' (14:45), Post Malone's 'beerbongs & bentleys' (24:20), and J. Cole's 'KOD' (36:15). Also referenced: Loaded Lux vs Calico, Yelawolf - Pop The Trunk, Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik, White guy blinking gif, Post Malone using the n-word To listen to the music mentioned in this episode please subscribe to Catch Up's Spotify Playlist