Bringing back hip-hop's fifth element.
This episode is dedicated to the late great rapper Nipsey Hussle, who tragically passed last week. Zach and Steven discuss Nipsey's legacy, as well as the current state of lo-fi hip-hop.
Zach and Steven are back after a month-long hiatus, and sit down to talk about Adam Krims' book Rap Music and the Poetics of Identity, as well as Killer Mike's new Netflix series.
Happy Holidays from the Kick Knowledge family! In this episode Zach and Steven sit down with Frank and Gino (Kid Anarkist) once again for their 2nd annual Christmas special, and reminisce on the events of 2018 in both hip-hop and in the Kick Knowledge Podcast. Tune in next episode for the gang’s bracket of the best hip-hop albums of 2018!
Happy Holidays from the Kick Knowledge family! In this episode Zach and Steven sit down with Frank and Gino (Kid Anarkist) once again for their 2nd annual Christmas special, and reminisce on the events of 2018 in both hip-hop and in the Kick Knowledge Podcast. Tune in next episode for the gang's bracket of the best hip-hop albums of 2018!
Zach and Steven are joined in this episode by Associate Professor of Music Theory at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University Dr. Kyle Adams. Dr. Adams has been an enormous influence in hip-hop studies and his research on rap flow from the Music Theory Online journal has been one of the most cited articles of hip-hop research in the past decade. In the episode, he talks to the Kick Knowledge crew about how he got into researching and teaching hip-hop, what makes a good hip-hop beat, and analyzing triplet flows. Check out Kyle's 2009 article here: http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.09.15.5/mto.09.15.5.adams.html
Zach and Steven sit down and hang out with one of the greatest producers and rappers in the history of hip-hop: the one and only Large Professor. In this episode, Large Pro discusses with Kick Knowledge the magic and importance of New York hip-hop, his influence on hip-hop production, some of his production tricks, and some of his own favorite lyrics. Recorded in Groningen, Netherlands on November 8, 2018. Special thanks to Homebase and Frank Stevens.
Zach and Steven are joined in this episode by Kick Knowledge intern and Rap Analysis writer Nigel Telman, and discuss Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V, Postmodernism, and our final thoughts on Kanye. Nigel's band: https://soundcloud.com/soul4youth J.I.D. joint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzpJl-i7ZRg
In this episode, the dynamic duo talk about Steven’s birthday, what the hell even is trip hop and emo rap, and hip-hop’s influence in current top 40 pop music.
Steven and Zach are ready for Season 2 of Kick Knowledge, and talk about hip-hop in Europe, MGK and Eminem, and some great books for hip-hop studies.
It's episode 25, and Steven and Zach have been on it with Kick Knowledge for a year now! In this episode, Chris and Travis of the Watching the Throne Podcast discuss their fascination with the work of Kanye West, their infamous Twitter posts, and the future of Watching the Throne.
Zach and Steven are joined once again by Martin Connor, who talks about his contribution to the new Yeezus book, as well as how we can all lift ourselves up on our feet.
Zach and Steven are back again from another hiatus! Zach talks about finishing his master's thesis, Steven talks about finally seeing Eminem and his trip to New Zealand, and much, much more!
Steven and Zach discuss the much-anticipated Kanye-helmed projects that have released over the past few weeks, including Pusha T's DAYTONA, ye, and KIDS SEE GHOSTS.
Frank Stevens returns in this episode to talk all about producer gear, how he got into making beats, and tips for starting out as a hip-hop producer.
After a short hiatus, Zach and Steven are back with Martin Connor to talk about his new book: "The Musical Artistry of Rap." Get Martin's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Artistry-Rap-Martin-Connor/dp/0786498986
While in LA, Zach and Steven got the opportunity to sit down with one of the three members of Dilated Peoples: Rakaa Iriscience. In this episode Rakaa talks with Zach and Steven on how Dilated Peoples got started, the current state of mainstream hip-hop, and how jazz has influenced his own music.
In this episode, Zach and Steven are joined by the creator and host of the critically acclaimed hip-hop podcast called The Cipher: Shawn Setaro. The Cipher is renowned for its in-depth interviews with some of the most important people in hip-hop music and culture. Throughout the episode Shawn talks about how he got into hip-hop, how the Cipher got started, and the importance of a hip-hop podcast and communicating with significant figures in the culture.
-Recorded on Feb. 25th, 2018- Zach and Steven are joined in this episode by producer and vlogger extraordinaire Sarah, The !llstrumentalist. Based out of North Carolina, her YouTube channel (Sarah2ill) has gained a sizeable following over the past year, and since creating her own version of Mass Appeal’s “Rhythm Roulette” series, she has created a plethora of different videos on her channel, from beat making tutorials to reviews on different equipment. She has also been featured on the 3 Oak Podcast, and has a beat tape coming out later this year. In this episode, we discuss with Sarah how she got into making beats, some of her biggest musical influences, and the differences between the mainstream and the underground. You can follow Sarah on her YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter at @Sarah2Ill. Make sure to check out her Soundcloud as well: https://soundcloud.com/sarah2ill J Dilla's Airworks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWz-yEZ6wNY Dibia$e's Boiler Room Set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqxxtL8rIE0 Kaytranada's 99.9%: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AWipr9KHY4&list=PLvQLuHm0E3GxXrjgGz2_tjqSCoVTWXwCJ Jaylib: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xOGwkZu3w Kanye's Beat Tape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myrXQebr488
In this episode, Zach and Steven go in depth with their thoughts on Kendrick Lamar's Black Panther soundtrack, as well as the film itself and what it means for hip-hop.
In this episode, Zach geeks out about his research on J Dilla, Steven talks about rickrolling his girlfriend, and the both of them discuss what it means to do a cover of a hip-hop track.
He is a man who goes by many names. You may know him as E-Double, you may know him as Easy Erick, or even the Green-Eyed Bandit. He is none other than Erick Sermon. Starting out in the late 80s as one half of the legendary hip-hop duo EPMD as well as the original member of Def Squad crew, Erick is currently working on a very exciting project featuring artists such as Pharrell, Ghost Face, Redman, and many, many others. In this episode, Zach and Steven have an in depth discussion on his upcoming album, the "golden age" of hip-hop, and his many collaborations with other artists. Donate to his kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2019882704/a-new-erick-sermon-album
Zach and Steven are back from winter break, and discuss the two biggest albums of this past December: BROCKHAMPTON's SATURATION III and Eminem's Revival. Music video for BOOGIE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cucHc2vef4 Revival but it's actually kind of better: https://open.spotify.com/user/1229874405/playlist/7oJtBpzxAW3V2Xh4cV1CZE
In this episode, Zach and Steven have a talk with upcoming Atlanta rapper Shah, and kick some knowledge on advice for younger rappers getting into the game, what it means to be a "conscious" rapper, and the differences in the hip-hop landscape of his hometown of Toronto and his current home of Atlanta. A little bit about Shah: Described by Complex as Trap's Newest Star, Toronto rapper Shah has found success with his vibrantly catchy music, subtly backed by thought-provoking bars and compelling lyricism. Shah’s latest single, Just Text, has thrived in trendsetting Atlanta clubs like Magic City and on Atlanta radio, becoming the first song by a foreign artist to win 107.9FM’s influential Battlegrounds. While Just Text provides the mainstream appeal needed to captivate new fans, its lyrics forgo rap clichés in favour of poetic storytelling, reminiscent of rap’s golden era. Shah guides listeners through his journey from Toronto to Atlanta, where music industry influencers such as radio personality Greg Street and Cash Money's official DJ Swamp Izzo have embraced Shah. The support of Izzo - known for launching the careers of Gucci Mane, Future, and Young Thug - has allowed Shah to flourish despite rejecting major label deals, as he looks to become rap's first truly independent international superstar. Shah's video for "Just Text": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcBJwdrPFkc Follow Shah On IG and Twitter: @dayofshah Also, the recently released book featuring 2 chapters by Steven that was mentioned in the episode: http://www.palgrave.com/la/book/9783319592435
Happy Holidays from the Kick Knowledge crew! In this episode, Zach and Steven are once again joined by friends Frank Stevens and Gino Van Oostrom, and determine the end of the year bracket for our favorite album of 2017!
Happy Holidays from the Kick Knowledge crew! In this episode, Zach and Steven are joined by friends of the pod Frank Stevens and Gino Van Oostrom, and talk about some of their favorite Christmas-themed hip-hop songs, as well as some of their favorite hip-hop projects from 2017. Tune in to the next episode where we finish our end of the year bracket and decide our favorite album of 2017! Mentioned in the pod: Karriem Riggins "Headnod Suite": https://karriem-riggins.bandcamp.com/album/headnod-suite
In this episode, Zach and Steven are joined by producer and founder of Homebase in Groningen, Netherlands: Frank Stevens. Frank has been involved with booking agency Homebase for the past several years, who have brought some of the biggest names in hip-hop to the town of Groningen. Throughout the episode, Frank talks about his experiences meeting Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, and several other classic hip-hop figures. He is also the founder of the hip-hop label Tusken Tapes, and talks about producing, collecting records, and some of his favorite current hip-hop artists. You can find Frank's beats at: https://soundcloud.com/beatsbystevenfrancis Or follow him on Instagram: @tuskentapes @homebase_groningen @picsbystevenfrancis
Zach and Steven are back, and here to discuss Mass Appeal's most recent list of the top 25 producers/rappers. Recorded on October 30th, 2017. Check out Mass Appeal's article here: https://massappeal.com/25-best-rapper-producers-all-time/
Martin Connor is back, and joins Zach and Steven once again to discuss the linguistics and language of rap.
In this episode, Zach and Steven break down and analyze the lyrics to Eminem's freestyle from last week's BET Hip-Hop Awards.
Steven is back and in the Big Apple! In this episode Steven talks about being in NYC and Tupac, and Zach geeks out more about J Dilla, as well as his most recent interview with rapper and producer Jonwayne. Check out the Rhythm Roulette series on Mass Appeal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce8r9RfK1wk&list=PL_QcLOtFJOUgNxURr8B4lNtf_3e9fWZzl "Dear Dilla" music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iZonnn1nIs
In this episode, Zach has a conversation with rapper and Montana native Hyde (Chris Greene), and they discuss how they got into hip-hop, being white as hell, and being true to who you are. You can follow Hyde on Twitter and other social media, and check out his music on Spotify or at https://soundcloud.com/hydetherapper. Here's also a few links to the artists we talked about at the end of the episode: Jessie Reyez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0G2TmuDjL8 Souly Had: https://soundcloud.com/entrebandhad/all-the-time-feat-alanna-aguiar Jonwayne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaPYuwjL-dI
In this episode we hang out with the creator of Rapanalysis.com, the one and only "Rap Maestro" himself: Martin Connor, and get his take on his new book, YouTube series, and his struggles with talking about hip-hop in the ivory tower that is academia.
This is a continuation of the discussion from the first episode, where Zach and Steven brainstorm how they should review albums, other podcast episode ideas, and how Kendrick’s DAMN may or may not be overrated. Also, Zach won’t stop talking about J Dilla, as usual.
In this episode, we introduce ourselves, as well as talk about some of the ideas we have for the podcast.
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