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Posts tagged "hip hop" (Page 3)

Ep. #52 – Feat. Hops

Today, Matt welcomes back another “crossover guest” — that is to say, a guest who made an appearance on our other series, the Crash Chords Podcast, in Episode #77. That guest would be the rapper, writer, director, producer, and video editor hailing from New York City, known as Hops. Given the opportunity for a second interview, Hops updates Crash Chords on his latest exploits. Having stepped away from rap temporarily to work on a dance record, Hops discusses his current job doing video editing for Fortune.com as well as a short film he’s directed called Take Me With You. Seeing as there’s plenty afoot for the talented producer, the two also discuss the current state of the film industry and media’s effects on modern-day society.

CCP Ep. #198: The Impossible Kid by Aesop Rock

Ready to take on the impossible, kid? Help us take on The Impossible Kid, the 7th studio release by veteran wordsmith Aesop Rock. You can thank listener Alex StarF Alverson for today’s pick as we hope you’ll join us in peeling back the layers of this complex self-assessment of an album: one of both the artist and the person. As wordsmithing will be of critical importance to today’s episode, we decided to conduct our own self-assessment in our topic [at 1:48:18] as we take a brief look at the importance of word choice in critical analysis, as well as in the art itself.

CCP Ep. #191: Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels | Feat. the Wall Street Playaz

Two-thirds of the Wall Street Playaz—the hottest “financial rap” trio you’ll likely ever hear about (not to mention distinguished first-ever guests of the Crash Chords Podcast)—are back for their third appearance! Together with Future Money and the Profit Prophet, we hold an interview discussing the group’s music & comic influences along with a detailed origin of their concept. (Also keep an ear open for some track previews/throwbacks.) Soak ’em up!… because at [00:41:51] we tackle the guests’ pick of the week: Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels (a collaboration between rapper-producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike). Enjoy!

CCP Ep. #183: Donker Mag by Die Antwoord | Feat. Nasty Canasta

At last we’ve snagged the veteran Burlesque artist, producer, and all-around conceptualizer, Nasty Canasta. To kick off the episode, we talk about all things Nasty; we hear about the esteemed performer’s turbulent journey toward her chosen art form and how it coincides with her love of theater, script writing, and production work. Nasty also brings us our album of the week! Join us in a discussion of Donker Mag by Die Antwoord, a rap-rave duo out of South Africa… a “Nasty” analysis, indeed. And of course, don’t forget to check out the curiously named 2 DESKS show at the Way Station, Thursday March 10th.

Ep. #40 – Feat. Spose

Today, Matt welcomes a rapper called Spose from Wells, Maine. Spose’s latest projects have included a collaborative record with Cam Groves called We Smoked It All 3: The Album and a solo record called Why Am I So Happy? Both were released in 2015. Matt had first seen Spose perform when he was in town with MC Chris and MC Lars in 2014—the same show in which MC Lars was interviewed for CCA Ep. #13. As that inevitably launches into a discussion of MC Lars’s uniquely supportive personality, Spose also chats about his dual influences from rap and rock, and who helped to inform his art & career. They also discuss Spose’s writing process, including an in-depth track breakdown of Why Am I So Happy? Finally, they discuss the effect that current events have had on Spose’s music, along with how he connected with the artist Watsky on the track “Nobody”. Enjoy!

Ep. #38 – Feat. Storyville

Today Matt welcomes Storyville, a rapper, producer, and sound engineer hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. As a rapper, Storyville’s latest release is the collaborative album Soul Veggies, released in February 2015 with previous guest Mega Ran. With Matt, Storyville discusses how Soul Veggies came to be and how long it took to make happen. They also chat about the state of the music industry, the evolution of rap music, and Storyville’s work as a producer & engineer. Matt also dives into the accomplished engineer’s helpful audio production blog, The Pro Audio Files. Enjoy!

CCP Ep. #173: Surf by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment

To close out this review season, we bring you the debut album by the most ambitious collaborators we’ve ever looked at… Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment. Although they began with a core of five members, the band’s debut album Surf certainly lives up to their name, The Social Experiment, by introducing MANY more musical minds to the table. Offering the album up for free (exclusively on iTunes), the band appears to be as magnanimous as they are community-driven. Enjoy this thorough analysis along with, lastly, some quick thoughts on contemporary music trends — verily on our minds as we fast approach the 2015 year in review.

Ep. #36 – Feat. Bag of Tricks Cat

Today Matt welcomes Arizona rapper Bag of Tricks Cat. Curious about the name? Behind it is a sentimental story of how the rapper owes his deep love of music to his grandmother, Ann Bennett, who sang the “Felix the Cat” theme song in 1959. Although Bag of Tricks Cat has taken his music career in different directions, the love of music remains and is currently firing the production of an LP called Cat’s Out of the Bag, which will feature his already-released singles “Never Sober” and “Dream Girl”. The full album will be released in Summer 2016. With Matt, Bag of Tricks Cat discusses his biggest influences; his writing process; and close collaborator, touring mate, and former Autographs guest Mega Ran. He also chats about the video shoot for the “Dream Girl” single and about how the new record will differ from his previous, The Cat That Never Came Down.

CCP Ep. #168: Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots

Today’s album, Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots, explores the many ugly heads of ‘insecurity’. Fun times! But there’s a catch… The artist (the author and musician) is very much a part of the tale, which leads to a rather — wait for it — “meta” plot-structure. Yes, that label, “meta” (as groan-worthy as it has become in pseudo-academic culture), adds a strong dimension to Blurryface. That being the case, starting at 1:34:55 we take some time to explore the use of “meta” elements in other pieces of music, as well as some common fallacies that have erupted from the word itself.

CCP Ep. #164: Stereotypes by Black Violin

Come witness what many would call the junction point of two repelling magnets (Hip-Hop and Classical) with the newest album by Black Violin, called Stereotypes. Its core members (violinist Kev Marcus and violist Wil B) might argue this point however, as they approach their unique brand of genre fusion as a marriage made in… Florida. Give the album a listen (the duo’s first LP under the Universal Classics label) and then come give us a listen! Or, skip to 1:31:26 for a roundtable discussion on whether Hip-Hip can claim the title of “most versatile.” We’ve got our opinions, let’s hear yours!

Music is Life… and Life is Good!

Tag: hip hop