Hip Hop raised us. This is a podcast about what we’ve learned. One song at a time.
Season 1 | Lessons 5-8
Catch up on Season 1 with this compilation episode featuring Lessons 5-8.
Season 1 | Lessons 1-4
Catch up on Season 1 with this compilation episode featuring Lessons 1-4.
Liner Notes | Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA.”
Kris and Devin discuss alter egos in hip hop, the lost art of the cinematic music video, and Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA.”
Kendrick Lamar Taught Me Duality
For some reason, in a world that changes seasons, a world that goes through light and dark every single day — both literally and metaphorically — we want to give our identities a single definition.
Liner Notes | A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime”
Kris and Devin talk about exaggerated lyrics, how sampling has evolved, and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime”.
A Tribe Called Quest Taught Me Authenticity
Be authentic. That’s enough. You don’t need to dress like them, or talk like them, or do the things they do — whoever “they” are. That’s just not it.
Liner Notes | Jay-Z’s “Blue Magic”
Kris and Devin talk about rappers’ signature flows, the “Pharrell four-count start”, and Jay-Z’s “Blue Magic”.
Jay-Z Taught Me Business
Someone will always be against what you’re building. It doesn’t matter. Roll up your sleeves and put the work in.
Liner Notes | Doomtree’s “Team the Best Team”
Kris and Devin talk about chosen families, experiencing live music, and Doomtree’s “Team the Best Team”.
Liner Notes | Aesop Rock’s “Lotta Years”
Kris and Devin bust the myth that rap is a young man’s game and talk about Aesop Rock’s “Lotta Years”.
Aesop Rock Taught Me Aging Gracefully
“I feel so fucking old,” doesn’t have to mean, “I feel washed up and useless.”
Liner Notes | Ski Mask the Slump God’s “Foot Fungus”
Devin and Kris talk about their favorite ‘guilty pleasure’ music and Ski Mask the Slump God’s “Foot Fungus”.
Ski Mask The Slump God Taught Me Humility
‘I felt shocked, and honestly, kind of ashamed. I was ashamed that I loved this music, this… mumble rap.’
Liner Notes | Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “Lost Ones”
Kris and Devin talk about diss tracks in hip hop and Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “Lost Ones”.
Ms. Lauryn Hill Taught Me Confidence
She wasn’t going to ease in. She was coming through with a battering ram, guns blazing, going straight for the kill. No hesitation.
Liner Notes | J. Cole’s “Middle Child”
Kris and Devin talk about mentorship in hip hop and as described in J. Cole’s “Middle Child”.
J. Cole Taught Me Mentorship
Cole is planting his flag in the ground. Right smack dab in the middle of two generations.
