Dad Bod Rap Pod
313 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 165 ratingsHip-hop discussion podcast from rapper Demone Carter aka DEM ONE, music writer David Ma, and record collector Nate LeBlanc featuring interviews with well-respected figures from rap's past and present. A Stony Island Audio experience.
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Episodes
Episode 65- Illmatic Retrospective with guest Faith Newman
April 19, 2019 18:51 - 1 hourToday marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Illmatic, Nas’s masterpiece, one of the greatest albums in the history of music, and some might say a perfect album. We break it down track by track and then interview Faith Newman, the legendary music executive who signed Nasty Nas to Columbia Records and oversaw the release. We also talk about Lil Nas X because internet.
Episode 64- Ambitions of a Writer Vol. 2
April 01, 2019 03:58 - 52 minutesWe check in on the state of hip-hop journalism. Of course DBRP co-host David Ma is one of the world’s premier music journalists, filing stories often for Wax Poetics, The Guardian, Okayplayer and many other fine publications. We discuss the work of his peers, including past guests Jeff Weiss, Paul Thompson, and Shawn Setaro. As important as it is to listen to the music, it’s hard to truly understand the culture without the work of these great writers and journalists.
Episode 63- Happy Little Hiding Places with guest Kenny Segal
April 01, 2019 03:55 - 57 minutesWe’re pleased to be joined this week by LA-based producer Kenny Segal. We are fans of his 2018 instrumental album Happy Little Tress but we were most excited to talk to him about the excellent Hiding Places, a full length collaboration with rapper billy woods. We are huge fans of the project. Kenny tells us about his working methods, as well as some upcoming projects. Tune in!
Episode 62- Hard to Earn Retrospective feat. DJ Premier
March 28, 2019 18:44 - 1 hourGreat show this week, we are joined in-studio by our friend Cutso to break down Gang Starr’s beyond-classic album Hard To Earn. Make sure to listen until the end for some reflections on the album from its mastermind DJ Premier himself. Dad Bod co-host David Ma interviewed Primo for an upcoming story and we are lucky to be able to share some of the rough audio from the interview here.
Episode 61- Dopest Albums That Never Were
March 21, 2019 18:59 - 45 minutesThis week we take a look at some albums that have become legendary on the minds of fans because they were never actually released. Sparked by the announcement this week that there are Mac Miller and Madlib (Maclib) tracks that exist but won’t be released officially, though Madlib will play them in his live sets from time to time. What are your favorite unreleased projects? Which ones are you dying to hear?
Episode 60- The Fat Men with guests Prince Markie Dee and Branden Peters
March 14, 2019 18:59 - 1 hourAnother unexpected but dope set of guests this week… Our fist segment is an interview with Fat Boys member, solo artist, producer, and actor Prince Markie Dee. Mark shares wild stories from the golden age of hip-hop when the Fat Boys were bringing rap to the masses and talks about what he’s up to now. Next up we have a fun trivia segment with Branden Peters, a well-respected journalist who has transitioned into running an extremely successful hip-hop trivia night in Atlanta and beyond. Every ...
Episode 59- A Talk with Ak with guest Akinyele
March 07, 2019 19:45 - 41 minutesWe have a very special guest this week, Akinyele. You may have heard his energetic verse on the classic Main Source track “Live at the BBQ” or his underground anthem “Put It In Your Mouth”. Now hear what he is up to these days and his refreshing, unique take on the De La/Tommy Boy controversy.
Episode 58- Skateboard C with guests Controller 7 and Jose Rojo
February 28, 2019 22:40 - 1 hourThe first segment this week is an interview with reclusive producer Controller 7, a unique talent who may be best known for his work with the Anticon collective in the early 200s but has steadily released dark instrumental projects, mixes, and re-mixes for the last two decades on a variety on influential labels and on his own. We are huge fans of his music, and not just because we come from the same hometown. All of the beats heard on today’s show are his productions, so if you like what you ...
Episode 57- Grime 101 with guest Son Raw
February 21, 2019 19:46 - 54 minutesWe’re taking a slightly different approach this week. We asked writer, producer, and Grime aficionado Son Raw to join us for the full hour to lead us through the development of the hip-hop adjacent UK-based genre. We laughed, we learned, nodded our heads.
Episode 56- Funky Drummer with guest J-Zone
February 14, 2019 19:59 - 55 minutesAuthor, funk drummer, and respected hip-hop figure J-Zone @jzone101 joins us this week to drop knowledge about the rap industry and promote his new Red Bull Music Academy series Give The Drummer Some, where he interviews and plays with legendary drummers. We are really happy with how this one turned out.
Episode 55- Zodiac Flow with guests DJ Nu-Mark and Small Pro
February 07, 2019 18:42 - 1 hourWe’ve got a doubleheader today, with two really strong interviews.First up is DJ Nu-Mark, one of the most creative DJs and producers in the game. He talks about his excellent Zodiac Tracks mix series, his work on the Drop the Mic tv show, a recent trip to Taipei to judge a DJ battle, and his new music. Next we have Small Pro, a producer out of Philly who’s making waves with his new release ’86 Witness, a full length collaborative album with the late, great Sean Price.
Episode 54- We Got the Vocab with guest Ras Kass
January 31, 2019 19:44 - 58 minutesThis week we are focusing on rappers’ vocabularies. How much does word choice matter? How wordy is too wordy? The jumping-off point is this in-depth chart: pudding.cool/projects/vocabulary/index.html In the second segment we are joined by veteran west coast MC Ras Kass who will be dropping the sequel to his classic debut Soul On Ice soon. Great interview with a thoughtful and extremely talented artist.
Episode 53- Tour Stories with guest DJ Q-Bert
January 24, 2019 20:00 - 1 hourDemone is back from a very unique tour of Vietnam performing in a variety of interesting venues. We also talk briefly to the legendary DJ Q-Bert about his current endeavors and a funny tour story of his own.
Episode 52- Fear Itself with guest Domino
January 17, 2019 18:34 - 1 hourCelebrate the 25th anniversary of Casual’s classic album Fear Itself. We interviewed Domino from Hieroglyphics about the making of the album and select some key tracks to focus on. Dom shares some killer insights into the creative process and Demone shares a wild story that adds even further intrigue to the infamous Hiero/Hobo Junction battle.
Episode 51- Griselda Overview
January 10, 2019 19:36 - 58 minutesWe’re back with our fist episode of 2019, and we’re focusing on the consistently dope music of Griselda Records out of Buffalo, New York. Their artists Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher are making some of the best rap music in the world right now. We spoke to journalist Riley Wallace, who has covered their careers extensively, about what makes the recent Shady Records signees unique. Please download the episode from the service of your choice to support the show!
Episode 50- The 2018 Dad Bod Rap Pod Awards
December 10, 2018 20:09 - 2 hoursThe Dad Bod crew is wrapping up 2018 in style. Join us for a complete best-of-the year awards show and after-party recounting this amazing year in hip-hop. We polled our listeners, guests, and industry peers on the best music of the year and we announce it all on this week’s show!
Episode 49- Billy Woods Interview
November 29, 2018 19:59 - 23 minutesWe’ve got a short episode this week, an interview with Billy Woods of @backwoodzstudioz about hip-hop, the record business, and greek food. Thanks to @praktikos for submitting the beats! See you next week with our year-end best-of show!
Episode 48- The Thanksgiving Special
November 22, 2018 06:17 - 1 hourThe less said about this one the better, so let us just say that we’re very thankful for all of our listeners, the folks we’ve been lucky enough to interview and everyone who interacted with us or helped spread the word about the podcast. We’re wrapping up our first season and feel very lucky to be able to share this music with you. -Nate, David, and Demone
Episode 47- Best Producers Alive with guest Shawn Setaro
November 15, 2018 19:30 - 1 hourBefore you listen to this week’s episode, make sure to familiarize yourself with this list from Complex, edited by our guest, writer and podcaster Shawn Setaro: https://www.complex.com/music/2018/10/best-hip-hop-producers We get deep into the list, which was a massive undertaking for Shawn and his collaborators. We’d love to hear what you think of the choices that were made, hit us on Twitter @dadbodrappod to debate our takes. Enjoy the show!
Episode 46- Detroit Rap City with guest Elzhi
November 08, 2018 19:50 - 58 minutesThis week we take a look at the music of one of the most interesting hip-hop cities Detroit, Michigan. We interviewed one of the most talented cats to emerge from the city’s vital hip-hop scene, MC extraordinaire Elzhi. He was mad cool, talked about his whole career, including his latest LP Jericho Jackson. We also recommend some cuts from other Detroit artists, though admittedly Demone is a lot more keyed in on the area than Dave or Nate.
Episode 45- The DJ Episode with guest Cutso
November 01, 2018 18:44 - 49 minutesWe welcome special guest @djcutso back to the show this week. He is not only a phenomenal DJ and producer, but one of our real life homies. Cutso has been on a tear the past few weeks, performing on Sway in the Morning and all over the Bay Area and NYC. We talk about the state of the DJ game and premier an exclusive track off of his upcoming EP with rapper @big-hongry entitled Paper! Cutso also produced all of the beats you hear on the show this week. This was a fun one, check it out.
Episode 44- What is Gangster with guest Soren Baker
October 25, 2018 18:42 - 59 minutesWhat is gangster rap? Is it a sub-genre, its own lane, or something else entirely? Who is the physical embodiment of gangster rap? We talk about all of this and then interview Soren Baker, the man who literally wrote the book on the subject. The History of Gangster Rap is available wherever books are sold right now, cop that.
Episode 43- Q Through Z with guest Zilla Rocca
October 18, 2018 19:01 - 1 hourThis week we discuss the amazing Quincy Jones documentary on Netflix and recommend some Q songs and the rap songs that he inspired. In the second segment we talk to friend of the program Zilla Rocca about his new record Future Former Rapper out soon on POW Recordings, as well as the general state of the rap game and his beloved 76ers. Beats for today’s show were submitted by Charles Edison from the UK, check out his page charlesedison.bandcamp.com for more heat.
Episode 42- Legendary Lyricism with guest Percee p
October 11, 2018 18:39 - 1 hourThe word legend is thrown around a lot in hip-hop but what makes someone a true legend in the game? We contemplate this question in the first segment. In the back half we have a special interview with The Rhyme Inspector Percee P. Percee takes us through his life and career, explaining in depth about his, dare we say, legendary battle with Lord Finesse.
Episode 41- Beat Suite with guest Blockhead
October 04, 2018 18:47 - 1 hourIt’s all about the beats this week, as we interview the prolific and dope producer Blockhead about his process, his love of hoops, and his upcoming tour! In the back half of the show we recommend some of our favorite instrumental hip-hop gems.
Episode 40- Tech on the Dresser with guests Uncommon Nasa, Samurai Banana, and WayStyles
September 27, 2018 18:52 - 52 minutesThis week we are nerding out with our fellow podcasters Uncommon Nasa and Samurai Banana of Dope Sh!t Podcast. We appeared on their show earlier this week, in a podcast crossover event of epic proportions. We talk the intersection of hip-hop music with them as well as a second segment featuring an in-studio interview with Seattle’s WayStyles, a DMC champ DJ who also works as a programmer.
Episode 39- Cold Like Chicago with guest Chris Crack
September 20, 2018 18:23 - 49 minutesDisclaimer: We are far from expert on Chicago’s thriving hip-hop scene, just admirers from afar. That said, this week we are recommending some great songs by Chicago artists and talking to one of the most creative MCs working there now, Chris Crack.
Episode 38- Ambitions of a Writer with guests Paul Thompson and Brian Coleman
September 13, 2018 19:08 - 1 hourWe’re joined by journalist Paul Thompson to talk about the career of the recently departed Mac Miller and his great Pitchfork review of the new Armand Hammer record, Paraffin. The second segment is an interview with Brian Coleman, the author and editor of Rakim Told Me and Check the Technique vols. 1&2, which are indispensable deep dive interviews with the creators of classic hip-hop albums. We appreciate the beat submissions from Son Raw and Books One.
Episode 37- Media Assassins with guests Shaka Shaw and Jeff Weiss
September 06, 2018 18:52 - 1 hourHow many of the top 10 best selling rap albums are actually good? We discuss that with journalist Shaka Shaw live in studio. The second segment is a wide-ranging conversation with journalist Jeff Weiss of Passion of the Weiss, the Washington Post, and soon The LAnd, a new magazine that is emerging from the ashes of the disgraced LA Weekly. We’d like to thank Jumbled for submitting the beats we used in between segments this week. Give him a listen on Soundcloud.
Episode 36- Aretha Tribute with guest Apani B Fly MC
August 30, 2018 18:42 - 1 hourIn the first segment we pay tribute to the Queen of Soul, the dearly departed Aretha Franklin. We spend some time on her life and music and we recommend tracks to help folks understand the connections between her music and some classic hip-hop productions. In the second segment we interview Apani B Fly MC, a standout of the late-90’s, early-2000’s New York underground scene. We are big fans of her music, her voice, her writing, and she makes a few announcements that will be great news for her...
Episode 35- Happy Birthday Hip-Hop
August 23, 2018 18:35 - 41 minutesOn August 11, 1973 DJ Kool Herc invented what we now call hip-hop at his sister’s birthday party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the South Bronx. We talk about that and a bunch of other things on the show this week. Thanks for listening, and special thanks to Jumbled for submitting some dope beats for us to use between segments!
Episode 34- Lyric Fathom with guest Gift Of Gab
August 16, 2018 18:47 - 1 hourReally fun episode this week, we were honored to talk to Gift of Gab from Blackalicious, one of the best technical MCs in the game. He opens up about his career, especially the early part with the legendary Quannum collective. We are huge fans of his, so we dig into our collections for slept on gems from his storied catalog in the second segment.
Episode 33- Rapper Producer Appreciation
August 09, 2018 18:55 - 57 minutesNo guests this week, just your three hosts DEM ONE, Nate LeBlanc and David Ma discussing dual threat rapper/producers, a surprisingly large category. The second segment focuses on DOOM, our favorite rapper/producer and we drop some slept on gems from his huge and legendary catalogue.
Episode 32- Hip-Hop Chess & Martial Arts with Adisa Banjoko
August 02, 2018 18:31 - 48 minutesSpecial guest this week is Adisa Banjoko, founder of the Hip Hop Chess Federation and one of the curators of the hip-hop exhibit at the Oakland Museum entitled Respect.
Episode 31- Medium Sized Desk
July 26, 2018 18:47 - 32 minutesWe are fans of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, so we run through some of the more prominent rap and R&B entries in the series, recommending the best ones to check out.
Episode 30- Super Hyphy with guest Traxamillion
July 19, 2018 18:53 - 37 minutesWe had Traxamillion, the great producer of the genre-defining beat for Keak da Sneak’s Super Hyphy in-studio this week! We talked to Trax about his life and work, including his long-time friendship with our co-host DEM ONE. We also briefly touch on the World Cup, and give some spoiler-free thoughts on the amazing film Sorry To Bother You.
Episode 29- Melodies & Memories with guest Ant of Atmosphere
July 12, 2018 05:23 - 33 minutesWe were lucky enough to talk to Ant from Atmosphere this week. We touched on his origins DJing, his production methods, and his work with various MCs over the years among many other things.
Episode 28- Rap Covers with guest Adrian Quesada of Brownout
July 05, 2018 19:11 - 41 minutesWe’re joined by the talented Adrian Quesada of the awesome band Brownout to discuss their new album of Public Enemy covers, Fear of a Brown Planet. We discuss how hard it is to mimic hip-hop production with live instruments, being intimidated by the immensity of the Bomb Squad’s sound, and growing up in hip-hop culture. In the first segment the guys recommend rap covers and talk about Cat Power’s surprisingly large feet.
Episode 27- Summer Madness
June 28, 2018 18:48 - 59 minutesRecorded in an undisclosed location in sunny San Jose on a scorcher of a day, this week we ruminate on summer and summer jams and why hip-hop’s major releases tend to drop in the summer time. Of course we talk about music, the GOOD Music album roll-out issues and you have to stick around for Demone’s thoughts on the issues surrounding the new Nas album toward the end.
Episode 26- Happy Rap and Heat Rocks with guest Oliver Wang
June 22, 2018 06:05 - 59 minutesIs Happy Rap a thing? We’re honestly not sure but we talk about it in the first segment. The second part is an in-depth interview with writer, professor, pioneering blogger and host of the excellent music podcast Heat Rocks Oliver Wang aka O-Dub. It was great to catch up with Oliver, we particularly enjoyed the stories about when rap reviews had consequences.
Episode 25- Stream Our Thoughts
June 14, 2018 18:44 - 53 minutesThe second half of our emergency recording session is devoted to discussing Black Thought’s latest EP, Streams of Thought Vol. 1 with producer 9th Wonder. We’re lifelong Roots fans who are into this project, so much so that we wonder aloud if he’s one of the greatest MCs of all time. We close by recommending some newly-available music from Chris Crack, Anderson .Paak, and Kamal Keila.
Episode 24- Whyoming Emergency Pod
June 07, 2018 18:51 - 1 hourThis week we get a little more topical than usual, talking extensively about Kanye West’s new album Ye, Drake vs. Pusha T beef, the brilliant Daytona album, and whether or not “canceling” people exists. We’d love to hear your feedback on this episode in particular.
Episode 23- Iller Than Most with guest Del The Funkee Homosapien
May 31, 2018 19:23 - 59 minutesThis week’s episode is centered around an in-depth interview with legendary MC Del The Funkee Homosapien of the Hieroglyphics Crew. One of the longest-tenured and best rappers to ever come out of the Bay Area, Del has achieved massive success with groups like Gorillaz and dropped underground classics like Future Development. We are all huge fans of his album No Need For Alarm, so we spend some time talking about that, along with his new project Gate 13 with producer Amp Live, who we interview...
Episode 22- The Mind of a Producer with guest Amp Live
May 24, 2018 19:45 - 52 minutesWe’re joined by prolific producer Amp Live this week. We discuss his life and career with a focus on his new album with Del, Gate 13. He’s a thoughtful and humble cat with some good insight into production methods. The second segment focuses on the seminal Wu-Tang Clan and their legacy.
Episode 21- Rapper Cults with guests Camp Lo
May 17, 2018 18:44 - 45 minutesThis week we discuss contemporary fandom. What’s a fan, what’s a stan, what fan base makes you think twice about the artist themselves? The second segment is a very special interview with Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba of Camp Lo, focusing on their classic album Uptown Saturday Night.
Episode 20- Easy Mo Bee Interview
May 10, 2018 19:12 - 35 minutesThis week we were lucky enough to talk to legendary producer Easy Mo Bee. He shares amazing stories from his long and illustrious career working with Biggie, 2Pac, Miles Davis, Craig Mack, and more! We’re very proud of this interview and hope you enjoy it.
Episode 19- Written by Ghosts with guest Vic Spencer
May 03, 2018 19:08 - 36 minutesHow do you feel about ghost writing in hip-hop? It turns out we are somewhat ambivalent at this point, with so many known and rumored instances over the years. The second segment is an interview with one of the best rappers in the game right now, The King of Living, Vic Spencer. Vic discusses his past, his influences, and his creative method.
Episode 18- Rapflix with guest Roxanne Shante
April 26, 2018 18:55 - 33 minutesReally excited to talk to legendary rapper Roxanne Shante this week! We discuss her Netflix biopic Roxanne Roxanne and some of the behind-the-scenes stories. The first segment is about other hip-hop content on Netflix, in particular the recently-released series Rapture.
Episode 17- Hip-Hop Health with guest Fatlip
April 19, 2018 18:34 - 42 minutesThis week we discuss a topical issue… is hip-hop bad for your health? We have a quick debate on the topic. The second segment is an interview with hip-hop legend Fatlip. He rose to fame with The Pharcyde on the ’90s and has several classic records as a solo artist. Fatlip was nice enough to talk to us while walking back from the store! Great interview, a must-listen for all of his fans.
Episode 16- New York State of Mind
April 12, 2018 19:44 - 37 minutesThis week we’re in a New York state of mind, discussing the current state of NY hip-hop from our admittedly outsider perspective. The second segment focuses on uses of classical music in hip-hop and a discussion of Nas’s recent concert with a symphony at the Kennedy Center.