This week we talk about the role of personas, aliases, and characters in hip-hop. Some of the genre’s greatest figures like Kool Keith, RZA, MF DOOM, and others have released entire projects in character. What does it all mean? We cap it off with a chat with an MC who is quite a character himself, Thirstin Howl the 3rd. Thirst is an MCs MC, a sharp rhyme writer and spitter who also brings a lot of humor into his music. These days he is focusing more of his energy on visual content for his YouTub...
Jul 18, 2019•57 min•Ep. 78
This week we have a Gravediggaz focused episode. The guys discuss their classic debut album 6 Feet Deep and interview The Gatekeeper, Frukwan, who was in Stetsasonic and still reps Gravediggaz.
Jul 11, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 77
Special episode this week, we have a sit-down interview with Jon Sklute who details his journey from Bay Area underground MC and producer to NYC record store owner to re-issue label owner and major label musicologist. He worked hard, stayed true to the game, and took care of his family, a great example for all of us. He’s got great stories, especially about the customers at his former shop, the aptly named Good Records. Interspersed are snippets of music he has produced or had a hand in releasin...
Jul 04, 2019•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 76
This week we launch an ongoing series dedicated to Ghostface’s classic albums, with a deep dive on his debut Ironman. The second segment is an interview with author Dean Van Nguyen on his new book Age of Iron: The Art of Ghostface Killah. Dean joined us from his native Ireland for a fascinating conversation on how he approached Ghost’s career for his first book.
Jun 27, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 75
Many people involved in hip-hop culture are collectors. We know many record collectors, people who specialize in photos, memorabilia, toys, etc. This week on the show we interview Brian from RapZines, the world’s foremost collector of hip-hop magazines. He’s got a great story to tell and some obscure knowledge to drop. In the first segment we discuss recent controversies surrounding Genius and other lyric database sites.
Jun 20, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 74
This week we reflect on the legacy of the recently departed Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys (RIP) and then interview the extremely dope and productive producer Daringer. Perhaps best known for his work with the Griselda crew, he just released his first instrumental album, part of Fat Beats’ Baker’s Dozen series. Daringer provides insight on his minimal gear setup, his approach to sampling, and how and when he chooses to use drums in the forefront of his beats.
Jun 13, 2019•44 min•Ep. 73
At the mid-point of the year, we check in on which rap and R&B albums have been the best of the bunch so far. We also interview Vic Spencer, who just released his new album “Things Change I Don’t” direct to fans. Vic has some very insightful things to say about fandom and the fan’s role in shaping an artist’s work, making this episode a must-listen. *DISCLAIMER* The audio on the interview is not the best quality, apologies, but we think the content is worth working through the patchy phone c...
Jun 06, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 72
We are joined this week by the delightful Gifted Gab, an up-and-coming MC who played the Soundset festival in Minneapolis over Memorial Day weekend along with her partner in rhyme Blimes. She joins us to break down her surging career, her latest release Cause & Effect, and her experience playing Soundset for the first time. The fellas also talk about the NBA finals, and weirdly, deep voice rappers like Pras and RBX.
May 30, 2019•57 min•Ep. 71
This week we debate whether Busta Rhymes is under, over, or properly rated as an MC. In the second segment we interview Richmond, VA based producer Ohbliv about his gear, methodology, and the lo-fi scene. His new album Give Thanks is now available, beat heads need to give it a listen.
May 23, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 70
This week we are honored to be joined by Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets. Their music combined beats and rhymes well before what we now know as hip-hop existed and they have amazing stories to share about the 60’s, their fellow proto-rap pioneers, and how to use jail time to improve your life. This one is a must-listen for everyone, not just hip-hop heads, to soak up the wisdom of two very special gentlemen.
May 16, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 69
We talked to MC JB of JJ Fad this week. She’s got awesome stories about the early days of electro rap, Ruthless Records, Dre, Eazy, and surprising takes on the notorious Jerry Heller. JJ Fad are best known for their classic hit “Supersonic” and are still active performing as a group, which is rare.
May 09, 2019•40 min•Ep. 68
This week we reflect on the legacy of hip-hop filmmaker John Singleton, may he rest in peace. Then we dive deep into Outkast’s debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, which turns 25 this month. We talk about how unique it sounded when it dropped, how the album is constructed, and which tracks stand the test of time.
May 02, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 67
In depth interview with One Be Lo (AKA One Man Army) on the origins of Binary Star, his career, and what he is up to now. For a certain section of underground hip-hop fans, his albums Waterworld and the slightly reworked, more commonly available version Masters of the Universe are classic of the form. One Be Lo gets deep on how this came together and who was involved. We also discuss the concept of industry plants in the first segment.
Apr 25, 2019•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 66
Today 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.
Apr 19, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 65
We 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.
Apr 01, 2019•53 min•Ep. 64
We’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!
Apr 01, 2019•58 min•Ep. 63
Great 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.
Mar 28, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 62
This 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?
Mar 21, 2019•46 min•Ep. 61
Another 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 bea...
Mar 14, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 60
We 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.
Mar 07, 2019•42 min•Ep. 59
The 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 hea...
Feb 28, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 58
We’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.
Feb 21, 2019•55 min•Ep. 57
Author, 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.
Feb 14, 2019•56 min•Ep. 56
We’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.
Feb 07, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 55
This 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.
Jan 31, 2019•59 min•Ep. 54
Demone 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.
Jan 24, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 53
Celebrate 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.
Jan 17, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 52
We’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!
Jan 10, 2019•59 min•Ep. 52
The 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!
Dec 10, 2018•2 hr 42 min•Ep. 50
We’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!
Nov 29, 2018•24 min•Ep. 49
