After a few weeks absorbing the lengthy and complicated new album, we are finally ready to talk about the new Kendrick Lamar record. Hosts Demone, David and Nate each highlight a specific track and we discuss the album's overall themes and place in his stellar discography. After that we have an interview with the rapper formerly known as Icon The Mic King, these days known simply as Mic King, who has a thriving career in marketing and strategy as well as continuing to release bar-heavy music. We...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 222
DBRP is your go-to source for engaging interviews with the authors of prominent hip-hop books and this week we have a double dose of conversation hot off the presses. First up Lance Scott Walker, author of DJ Screw A Life In Slow Revolution joins us from Texas to discuss his book's intriguing structure and to recommend the definitive Screw track for us relative novices. Then we have a conversation with Paul Cantor, author of Most Dope: The Extraordinary Life of Mac Miller, as well as Paul's long...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 212
This week's guest is musician, designer, producer, and hip-hop lifer Real Bad Man. We took notice of Real Bad Man a few years ago upon the release of the collaborative album with Boldy James. We later found out that the music is just one component of the overall Real Bad Man project, which is also a well known street wear brand and creative agency. Real Bad Man has released a string of compilations with an impressive array of MCs and will drop another full length album with Boldy shortly. We als...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 220
Great conversation this week with one of our favorite contemporary artists, the incomparable Quelle Chris. Back again for his second interview with us, and somehow still on the tour that he was on last time we spoke, we are primarily addressing his new album Deathfame. The record is a lamentation about the music industry and the inherent conflicts between art and commerce, but most strikingly, a brilliant hip-hop album from a gifted artist who is conversant in many different styles of songcraft....
May 12, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 219
Planet Asia is an absurdly dope and prolific MC who has been an underground mainstay for many years. We were happy to talk to him about some of the many albums and projects he has coming up, his vault of unreleased material, and how you only get to be the new guy and subject to label bidding wars once in a lifetime. In the intro segment Nate and Demone talk new rap releases, effectively recommending some fresh new albums for you to get obsessed with. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audi...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 218
This week we are joined by the excellent rapper Wordsworth. He is a hip-hop lifer, a deeply clever MC and an icon of the cypher era. Wordsworth may be best known for a standout verse on Black Star's album and for The Lyricist Lounge Show, a sketch comedy show that was based on the popular live event and compilation series. We chop it up about his writing stye, his older and newer work, and a lot more. In the intro segment Nate and Demone talk about hip-hop TV shows and why so few of them seem to...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 217
This week we are speculating about major upcoming rap releases and possibly specious retirement announcements in the first segment. Then we are speaking to two Chicago-based artists who just released a very good record. First up we have a quick check-in with rapper Defcee, and then a longer conversation with producer Boathouse, the two talented artists behind All Debts Public And Private, a new release from Closed Sessions. DBRP is brought to you by Stony Island Audio, a hip-hop podcast network.
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 216
This week we are blessed to be joined by returning guests billy woods and Preservation, the duo behind the incredible new album Aethiopes on Backwoodz Studioz. We hold woods in high regard as a writer and honestly think he's the best MC in the game currently so it is always a pleasure to discuss the craft of rhyme writing and the deep references in his work. Preservation may not be a household name even among underground hip-hop heads but he has been involve din some stellar projects over the ye...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 215
Hard to believe but the year is a quarter over, so we spend the intro discussing our favorite records of the first three months of 2022. After that we have a good interview with Wildchild, a veteran MC who burst onto the indie scene with Lootpack in the 90's and has been putting out music ever since. His new record Omowale is an excellent example of grown man rap, still dope but dealing with mature subject matter and in some cases dealing with family issues directly. Beats this week were submitt...
Apr 07, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 214
This week we have some Academy Award chatter and then we are talking about the true old school period of hip-hop's history. Sometimes called the park jam era, the period when hip-hop was primarily a practice of urban youth and not a recorded music is an under-discussed and deeply important time in history. Our guest this week, Easy A.D. of the legendary Cold Crush Brothers was a major part of a pioneering group that excelled in this time period and continues to influence music today. We speak wi...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 213
This week we wade into the fast food fish sandwich diss track discourse, also known as the Filet O' Fishscale controversy. After that we have a great chat with Washington D.C.-based rapper/producer J Scienide. We talk about his career, his collaborations with Kev Brown, his label deal with Fat Beats and then conclude the interview by playing his track Bomb Scare off of the recently-released album Kaput! J is a laid back guy, a huge hip-hop head, and a talent to watch out for. DBRP is a proud par...
Mar 24, 2022•50 min•Ep. 212
Spring has sprung which means it's allergy season but also baseball season, so we are playing two today. First up we have a good chat with Brooklyn-based producer Steel Tipped Dove. It sounds like hyperbole, but it is a fact that some of the best modern rap music in the world was recorded in his home studio. He also released an album, Call Me When You're Outside, late last year featuring some of our favorite MCs. Our second interview this week is with the legendary publicist, author, and one of ...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 211
Like many fans of independent music, we were taken aback this week at the news of Bandcamp's sale to a larger company. We spend some time this week discussing potential ripple effects for the hip-hop community. After that we have an interview with Sage Francis, an icon of independent hip-hop, seasoned battle rapper, recording artist, activist, and owner of Strange Famous records. Dave and Demone talk with him about his extensive career, his family life, and his perspective as a veteran in the ga...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 210
Our guest this week, Illingsworth is a unique character in the underground hip-hop universe. The Detroit-based rapper, producer, and all-around artist brings a personal sound and sense of humor to all of his work. He's here to promote There In Spirit, a collaborative EP where the great MC Homeboy Sandman raps over Illingsworth's beats. In the intro segment, the fellas discuss the unexpected, recently-released Quelle Chris track In The End and what it means for the state of the world. DBRP is a p...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 209
This week we are joined by Kurious, an MC who has been active from the golden age all the way up to the present moment and shows no signs of slowing down. We discuss his entire career, from debut album A Constipated Monkey all the way up to his most recent release Koncrete Jungle with producer Ro Data released on Chong Wizard Records. The fellas also talk about hip-hop memorabilia. DBRP is a proud part of the Stony Island Audio podcast network.
Feb 24, 2022•47 min•Ep. 208
This week we are joined by one of the greatest freestyle rappers to ever walk the planet, the legendary MC Juice. His life and career have had the fair share of ups and downs but the one thing no one can dispute is that Juice is one of the most gifted extemporaneous rhymers in the history of hip-hop. In this in-depth interview we cover some of his greatest battles, his recorded music, the psychological toll of constantly being tested, and look to the future, as Juice has some exciting projects o...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 207
This week we have a great conversation with rapper Fat Ray of the almighty Bruiser Brigade. We are fans of Ray's album Santa Barbara and his streetwise, verbose approach to rapping. Bruiser Brigade had a breakout year last year, with each member releasing memorable solo albums as well as their excellent crew album TV62. Fat Ray talks to us about Detroit, the legacy of J Dilla, his chemistry with the Brigade's secret weapon, producer Raphy, and much more. The fellas also take listener questions s...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 206
It's Dilla Time, folks. We are joined this week by acclaimed author Dan Charnas to talk about his excellent, deeply researched new book on the life and musical innovations of the great producer J Dilla. Dan is a longtime chronicler of hip-hop culture, an educator, as well as a former label executive so he is uniquely positioned to tell the story of the heartbreakingly brief but undeniably influential life of James Dewitt Yancey. Dilla Time weaves musicological explanations of J Dilla's innovativ...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 205
This week we are pleased to be join by one of the coldest MCs to ever emerge from the Bay Area, Casual. He is a monster freestyler, has crafted classic albums, and is a foundational member of the influential Hieroglyphics crew. We touch on his recordings, his legendary radio battle with Saafir, his extracurricular pursuits such as the new cryptocurrency Hierocoin, and much more. We also talk about rap collectives more generally, and take listener feedback about the enormous impact of Hieroglyphi...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 204
This week we are joined by author, podcaster and cultural commentator Shea Serrano. You may know Shea's work from Grantland, The Ringer, or his recently-released New York Times best-selling book Hip-Hop (And Other Things). Shea has an inspiring hustle and career arc, but at the end of the day he's just a dude that loves rap music. We talk with him about his various exciting projects, his interactions with his fans online, and his journey in journalism. In the intro segment the fellas dissect Ear...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 203
Our guest this week is South Memphis rapper Lukah, who put out two excellent records in 2021 and is one of the more interesting MCs to emerge recently. Lukah's music is tough to classify, he doesn't belong to any particular sub-genre or scene, but his vivid writing and fluid delivery are winning him fans and critical acclaim nationwide. We enjoyed talking to him and are looking forward to his next record this summer, which will complete a 4-album cycle he refers to as 'The Quad.' In the intro se...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 202
We're back with a fascinating interview with author Shawn Setaro, a reporter for Complex who has written the definitive account of the life, times, and trial of Danny Hernandez, better known as 6ix9ine. Shawn's dogged reporting, clean prose, and empathetic viewpoint make his new book Complex Presents Dummy Boy: Tekashi 6ix9ine And The Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods a fascinating read. Fans of DBRP should also take some time to listen through the archives of Shawn's masterful hip-hop podcast The Cipher...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 201
For our 200th full-length episode we are proud to present an interview with legendary Bay Area pioneering rapper Too $hort. DBRP hosts Demone, Dave and Nate grew up listening to Too Short's music and watching his steady ascent in the music industry. We are very excited to bring you this deluxe examination of $hort's career with contributions from friends of the program Cutso and Controller7. Too $hort is personable, funny, and has a deep recall of his career as well as a keen understanding of hi...
Dec 23, 2021•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 200
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Whether you call it list season, a banquet of blurbs, or time for top 10s, this is when we sit back and survey the year in hip-hop music and culture. If you only listen to one of our episodes this year, this one is the most intentional about recommending new music to listen to. We call it Quibble Jam because we are all bringing our unique perspectives to the year end list and sometimes disagreeing about what are the best selections. Tune in to hear our p...
Dec 16, 2021•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 199
A few weeks go a crazy, awesome, unexpected thing happened to us. We were contacted by Siah, an excellent but mysterious underground rapper who made one exemplary EP in 1996, then a few singles and scattered guest appearances, then seemed to disappear from the rap world altogether. That's the legend anyway. The Visualz EP, released on vinyl on indie label Fondle Em Records, is a one-of-a-kind exhibition of pinpoint lyricism, jazzy beats, and outre imagery. Siah and rhyme partner Yeshua Da Po ED ...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 198
This week we are pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Rob Sonic, a talented MC/producer who has been active in independent hip-hop for decades as a solo artist and in groups like Sonic Sum and Hail Mary Mallon. In this wide-ranging conversation we cover his influences, writing style, and recently-released album Latrinalia. DBRP hosts Nate and Dave are huge fans of Rob's early work in Sonic Sum and the textured, poetic take on underground hip-hop that the group represented. This episode,...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 197
It's the DBRP Thanksgiving special! A little personal tray of stuffing to help you through the holiday weekend. We are joined by the hilarious standup comic David Gborie, who you may know as the voice of Comedy Central or from his excellent long-running podcast All Fantasy Everything. David is such a hip-hop head that he literally did not listen to any other kinds of music until his mid-20's, and he joins us today as we give thanks for hip-hop moments we are grateful for. David Gborie chose the ...
Nov 24, 2021•53 min•Ep. 196
This week we have a conversation with journalist, author and label head S.H. Fernando, who recently released From The Streets Of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga. The book is an insider's account of the Wu's rise to the top of the rap industry, full of fly-on-the-wall observations and sections on every major group and solo project op to We-Tang Forever. Fernando also ran WordSound Recordings, a left-field record label that released hip-hop and electronic music around the turn of the century. Next up we...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 195
We are joined at the round table by friend of the program Curly Castro to chop it up about Jay-Z's recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, worldwide DOOMSDAY celebrations, and much more. Castro recently released an album entitled Little Robert Hutton on Backwoodz Studios, make sure to give that a listen. Next up we have a talk with DJ Abilities, who recently released his debut solo album Phonograph Phoenix, which marks a stylistic shift for his sound. Abilities talks about his growth and ...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 194
On a beautiful, sunny fall day in San Francisco we were able to sit down with one of our favorite producers, Blockhead. We talked about his upcoming full-length collaborative album with Aesop Rock, Garbology. We also got into touring in this odd time of the pandemic, the state of the rap scene, and some basketball talk. Really fun interview, Blockhead is an engaging, funny dude with a long track record of excellent albums. Brought to you by Stony Island Audio, a podcast network that understands ...
Nov 04, 2021•58 min•Ep. 193
