Y'all: how are scammers still a thing in Hip-Hop? And how is Akademiks still here? And how could anyone who claims to work in this business question Freddie Gibbs' relevance in the game? Also: is Yeezy back? CAN he come back? What three rappers are poised to own the next decade? And if we took J. Cole out of the "Drake x Kendrick x Cole" conversation of the last decade, who could we legitimately replace him with? The criteria are: 1) lyrical ability/rap skills; 2) cultural impact & 3) commer...
Jul 02, 2020•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 26
The creative genius that is Blue Ivy Carter gifted the world with a new Black power anthem of joy, penned by both of her parents ON Juneteenth. And still, f**kery abounds in the world. So Ciz and Tai had plenty of other things to talk about this week: from the music industry's disjointed front and possibly out-of-touch goals; to the double-edged sword that is tone policing, thanks to No Name and J. Cole. We're also talking about the evolution of Guwop, the return of Weezy, the gift that is Teyan...
Jun 25, 2020•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 25
Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? Did you not ask for J. Cole to jump into the protest playlist. Well, he pulled up this week, and Twitter isn't pleased. Which leads Tai and Ciz to a conversation about freedom of speech and differences of opinions. Plus, we're taking a look at the mass adaptation of Juneteenth, talking about the real protest songs that have emerged and why Lil Baby's voice is necessary and the importance of voting and what The Roots are doing to get you to the po...
Jun 18, 2020•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 24
"Not only is the revolution HERE, but we're seeing results. From legislation to social media campaigns, to weird-ass flexes (We're looking at you, PornHub), where change is definitely coming. As we pondered, what's next, AWAL A&R Eddie Blackmon got some of the most respected A&R's of our generation together to talk about how the music industry should address its internal systemic racism. We picked up some jewels from that convo, courtesy of Chris Hicks, No ID, Sha Money and Kyambo "Hip-H...
Jun 11, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 23
“If I lived in China, or even Russia, or any Totalitarian country…maybe I could understand some of these illegal Injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic 1st Amendment privileges, because they haven’t committed themselves to that, over there. But somewhere I read, of the Freedom of Assembly. Somewhere I read, of the Freedom of Speech. Somewhere I read, of the Freedom of Press. Somewhere I read, that the greatness of America is The Right to Protest For Right! And so just ...
Jun 04, 2020•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 22
We finally got the Verzuz Battle we deserved, courtesy of Jamaican internet. And then Jagged Edge and 112 brought us back to the struggle. And the question: can we elevate this thing once and for all? Also, while we're on Instagram, let's talk about this ongoing conversation about copyright infringement and shutting down the DJs. Elsewhere in the music world, Future, Beyonce, and Meg the Stallion all hit career milestones this week, Polo G had an impressive second week. All kinds of Deluxe editi...
May 28, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 21
Each week, Tai's been really reluctant about talking about the ongoing Verzuz battles, while Ciz has been holding us all down, watching each battle for the sake of our convos. Well, Ring The Alarm! The Soundclash we all deserve is finally coming! As we lead up to the upcoming Beenie Man vs Bounty Killer battle this weekend, we're discussing Nelly's fail against Ludacris and all the other preposterous ideas being thrown around. We've also got chart and RIAA talk, and new music from Tory Lanez, AZ...
May 21, 2020•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 20
The beginning of this week was nothing less than a roller coaster, all centered around Black Excellence. Just hours after all of the Black Girl Magic of Shea Butter Twitter manifested into the highest viewed Verzuz battle thus far - between Jill Scott & Erykah Badu - we learned of the untimely death of iconic music mogul and pioneer Andre Harrell. The news of his death was quickly followed by the passing of legends Little Richard and Betty Wright. Then hours after that, we learned that, for ...
May 14, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 19
Ok, we're now entering month three of this lockdown. It's time for a shift. As the Verzuz battles shift in a direction we're not quite sure about, Ciz and Tai are looking ahead at a few other ways in which artists and creatives are connecting with fans and getting the art out! Also, we've got some not-so-surprising facts about Disney and music streams. Plus, Drake back or whatever. And one of our hosts is less than impressed. Can you guess who? We're also talking new music by Chris Brown, Jojo, ...
May 07, 2020•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 18
Beyonce gave us a rap verse on a true Megan Thee Stallion remix. That's it. That's the whole show. Of course that couldn't be the whole show, but it brings up a great conversation about real remixes, the power of TikTok and the importance of rappers as songwriters. Also there's a wave of new albums coming, a few favorites have been re-released, and the industry is showing signs of moving past the quarantine. Also, as always, we're talking about this week's new releases including a TDE multipack,...
Apr 30, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 17
For literally an entire month, Ciz and Tai have been screaming that these epic Verzuz battles need to happen on something other than Instagram Live. Ciz has been imploring Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and whoever else is behind the scenes on these things to set some king of technical requirements and guidelines. Did anyone listen? No! And now just look at Teddy Riley's legacy, lol! We weren't going to start the conversation there, but the announcement of a pending battle of iconic mixtape-era freestyl...
Apr 23, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 16
After a good conversation about the week's current events and the epic Verzuz battle between DJ Premier and RZA in part 1 of this week's episode, Tai and Ciz turn their attention to new releases. We're chopping up Tory Lanez' The New Toronto 3, and talking about the new projects by The Strokes and N.O.R.E that somehow flew under the radar. We're also breezing through some of this week's new singles, including new music by DVSN, Snoop Dogg, IDK, Bryson Tiller, The Jacka and more. Make sure you vi...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 15
Well guys, we don't want to keep beating a dead horse or telling you the same things everyone else is telling you. You already know the vibes. Organizers are still slowly making the decision as to whether or not they can move forward with their planned 2020 events and the good folks behind the Lovers & Friends Festival are still keeping hope alive. Meanwhile, you parents are driving streaming numbers up in your efforts to distract your babies. Of course you know we can't talk about this week...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 15
Ladies and Gents, IG Live is still king of Corona Szn. And this week, T-Pain and Lil Jon won Instagram. Yet the fun vibe and good humored-nature of their online battle isn't spreading to everyone, and Rodney Jerkins is big mad. Also winning IG is Tory Lanez, who outside of one awkward "hits" battle with French Montana, has been giving his fans everything but music. Including *ss and t*tt*es. Which means Instagram is now watching his page super heavy. We've got new music to discuss by everyone fr...
Apr 09, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 14
Alright folks: looks like we're stuck in the house for a couple more weeks. And we're happy to be doing our part. And even happier that we have a bunch of options that help us continue to bring the podcast to you every week. If you have some feedback or some ideas for us, please let us know! In the meantime, DJs Live All The Time has now become Producer/Songwriter Battles. And we love to see it. Here are our thoughts on the ones we've seen so far - Dream, Sean Garrett, Hit-Boy Boi1Da, Ne-Yo, Joh...
Apr 03, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 13
Well, folks: we were already limiting our outings to things that are absolutely necessary, and for our lives that means recording this podcast. But, our fine ass mayor, Keisha (yes, really. If you didn't know), said the city of Atlanta has to stay at home. So Cizz and Tai are bringing you today's episode from their respective homes. Plenty to talk about, from IG Live overload to last week's releases - including dope new music by J. Balvin, The Weeknd and TokiMonsta - to the mystery of the album ...
Mar 26, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 12
Before we can even get into this conversation, Ciz and Tai had to jump right into an analysis of rap's resident old man, Joe Budden, and the reason he's mad at... pretty much everything. Of course, this week that includes Jay Electronica's long-awaited debut album A Written Testimony . And if you've heard the album, it should come as no surprise that Joey's not the only one whose feathers were ruffled by this Jay-Z-assisted drop. Oh, by the way: we heard the Donald Glover Presents... album. And ...
Mar 19, 2020•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 11
Just when you thought 2020 couldn't get any more ridiculous, the second week of March happened. Of course, like every outlet in the world right now, we're talking about COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and the many ways it's fucking with the festival world's money. Also, we salute Roc Nation which, just two weeks after turning music-biz-expert Twitter upside down, not only managed to give us Meg Thee Stallion's latest EP, Suga ; but also seems to be making good on the promise of ...
Mar 12, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 10
Welp: apparently, we've been sitting on Twitter all this time, not realizing that our entire timeline is comprised of entertainment attorneys and contract lawyers. It's not of course, but this week Ciz (@Cizzurp215) and Tai (@SaintBoogie) examine the most absurd thing that happened in a week full of absurdities: the breakdown of Megan Thee Stallion's contract with 1501 Certified Entertainment, even though none of us have seen the contract yet. Also trying to make sense of the whole RMR "Rascal" ...
Mar 05, 2020•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 9
We cannot stop saying great things about The Allegory, the new album produced entirely by Royce Da 5'9" for Royce Da 5'9". Tai got a chance to talk to Royce about the project and his new journey as a producer, which we're sharing with y'all in this episode. We're also talking new releases by Kodi Shane, Kamiyah and of course, BTS - since Cizz uses fatherhood to hide the fact that he's highkey #BTSArmy. Plus: news on new music by Phony Ppl, how we're gonna lose SZA to the Country Club, D. Wade's ...
Feb 27, 2020•54 min•Ep. 8
Recorded on a very somber day in Hip-Hop, we take a moment to honor Pop Smoke and what his passing means to the music community, his fans... and how social media might be making us a little bit trash, as humans. Collectively. Then on to the music: from the "Life Is Good" remix to YG and Khelani's tragic opera to Royce Da 5'9's evolution into the world of production and all of the new music coming this week that's got us excited. P.S. - Jay Electronica drops in 26 and a wake up! Make sure you vis...
Feb 20, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Why is Brooklyn Drill? Can we give all the songs to one artist and just let that person flourish? (This applies to all to all genres) Will Nicky Minaj either rap for real or retire for real? Your favorite young O.G.s, Ciz and Boogie, are in FULL "get off my lawn" mode on episode six. The game deserves it. Make sure you visit www.istandardproducers.com to check out our full Credit Checks and Chopping Block reviews... and, as always SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CREATORS. This episode was recorded at Twelve ...
Feb 13, 2020•1 hr 26 min
This week's chat about new releases by Lil Wayne, Kesha, Yo Gotti and Russ, leads Ciz and Tai to some of the internet drama that has kept the creator community and the fans talking this week - from publishing rights to Billie Eilish. Plus, all the music we're looking forward to in February 2020, including new joints from some of our favorite 90s alternative bands. Make sure you visit www.istandardproducers.com to check out our full Credit Checks and Chopping Block reviews... and, as always SUPPO...
Feb 06, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 5
This week, we're talking public grief, legacy and, natch, The Grammys. From this year's winners to some of the most memorable and baffling moments of years past, Ciz and Tai feel like it's time to re-imagine what The Grammy categories look and whose music fits where. And of course, we gotta talk about the albums we're most (and least) looking forward to this week. Make sure you visit www.istandardproducers.com to check out our full Credit Checks and Chopping Block reviews... and, as always SUPPO...
Jan 30, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Three times in a row!! This week in raps, Eminem surprised us with a project and the interwebs are not mad. Also, #LatePassBoogie discovered "Revenge of the Dreamers III" thanks to the Director's Cut, which allows us to have a live conversation about how masterfully this project was put together. Also on this episode: deciphering our feelings on Roddy Ricch; Bad Boys For Life; and The Grammy's Are Coming, so the industry is quiet. Make sure you visit www.istandardproducers.com to check out our f...
Jan 24, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Please excuse our tardiness, as the technology gods insisted on holding episode 2 hostage for a couple days. Since our attempt to recap 2019 on episode 1 took so long, we're using this episode to catch up on the releases of January 2020. New eclectic, yet cohesive Salaam Remi; deciphering our feelings about Moneybagg Yo; new joints by Stormzy, Mick Jenkins, and oh look, OG Maco is here. Plus: Tai doesn't understand "Life Is Good," and when trying to force an audience to rock with you goes wrong....
Jan 23, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 2
For our very first episode of the year, we thought we could run through some of our favorite albums of the year. Here's the problem though: we LITERALLY forgot some of our favorite music moments of the year even happened. So here are our thoughts on CrasH Talk, Port of Miami 2, Rap Or Go To The League, and all the other 2019 albums you forgot you loved. Make sure you check out The Chopping Block - our track-by-track album reviews - and Credit Check - the most comprehensive breakdown of album cre...
Jan 10, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 1
