Hip-Hop spanning all eras and represented in all its elements via discussion, mix shows, interviews and the personal recollections of Ghost (beatmaker/producer) , illy (DJ, former b-boy) and J. Millz (freelance hip-hop writer, photojournalist)
Definition- supervillain: a killer who love children; one who is well skilled in destruction, as well as buildin'... It's a celebration of lyrics, beats, creativity and ingenuity as Ghost, illy and J. Millz sift through the catalog of MF Doom; one of the best emcees of the era and a certified top favorite amongst the crew!
The night before the first Biden/Trump debate (read: debacle), Ghost and illy welcomed Ish, Ryan and Paul of the Black Delegates Podcast to the show. You won't want to miss this one, as the hosts run the gamut of musical interests and political issues, taking time along the way to big up Angela Basset and anoint one individual the "Master P of Filmmaking". You can find Black Delegates Podcast at theblackdelegatespod.podbean.com, and at their social media links below: Twitter: @black_delegates Instagram: @black_delegates Facebook: facebook.com/blackdelegatespod/
The crew is joined by Illcat - friend of Ghost and fellow Abyss Fam alum - to talk about his origins in the culture, his eventual foray into rhyming, lyricism and the writing process, and memories of the Abyss "netcee" collective. All of this, of course leads into a larger discussion of his favorite artists, albums and overall appreciation of hip-hop, running the gamut from Run-DMC and Public Enemy to Bone Thugs and Eminem.
From Sylk Smoov and Domino to St. Lunatics and Bits N Pieces, illy and Ghost chronicle hip-hop music, culture and nightlife in their hometown of St. Louis, from their own firsthand experiences and recollections of the scene. (Editor's Note: being that we've based this discussion on memories rather than research, mistakes are bound to happen and are unintentional. We politely encourage anyone to correct or refute anything we've said. -illy). With far too much material to contain in one episode, future installments are in the pipeline. Stay tuned!
"Wash ya fuckin hands, yall!" No need to explain; you know what time it is, and there were simply bigger fish to fry. But Ghost and illy are back, picking up where they left off because while life may have taken a left turn, or several, the culture never stops! Shouts out to: Got Damn Hank P @gotdamnhankp (thanks again for giving us interview at the beginning of the year, my dude! -illy) -- give his latest album, "Pearls Of Wisdom" a listen, Lawyer & Drunk Rob -- check out their quarantine EP, "At The Crib Locked Down!!", featuring production from KOTF's very own Ghost(!!), both on all major streaming and MP3 platforms, and Joey Codex joeycodex.bandcamp.com (whattup, cuzzo!)
illy drops by Shave Barbershop in St. Louis and meets up with Got Damn Hank P of Team Poly to talk about his origins and influences in emceeing, what to expect on his new EP, "Outspoken Introvert" and much more! You can find the album on all major streaming platforms, and follow Got Damn Hank P at his social media links below: Instagram: @gotdamn_hankp Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/otamnank
Ghost and illy bring the Funk back for 2020 by first, giving their overall impressions of 2019's hip-hop offerings and highlighting their favorite album releases. Spoiler alert: They REALLY like Griselda. *bdddddddddddddddttttt... boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-BOOM!!*
When Jay, illy and Ghost (then known as Rokmore, in a special guest spot) linked up in an early episode of Deathcakes to talk Wu-Tang, they had no idea at the time that the Keepers of the Funk podcast and the advent of No Jibba-Jabba FM were on the horizon. They certainly didn't predict Wu-Tang: An American Saga to hit Hulu! Now that all three scenarios have come to pass, the three hosts join up yet again in search of some Shaolin graffiti and to weigh in on the docu-drama (spoiler alert: they LOVE it!) Outro Music: "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber Pt. II"
To close out Summer 2019, Ghost and illy highlight three of this past season's best hip-hop album releases: "Bandana" by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, "The Iliad is Dead and The Odyssey is Over" by Murs, and "May The Lord Watch", which celebrates the reunion of Big Pooh and Phonte as Little Brother.
It's time to switch it up, unhook it and fix it up, change it and rearrange it, complete it and pick it up. It's a book with hard covers that's packed with ideas. We rule the future years; erase the Black fears...
In a recent vlog from hiphopdx.com, Murs gives his definition of what it means for an album to be considered a classic, and makes the case that there have been no classic hip-hop albums in the past decade. Ghost and illy weigh in with their own opinions, after sharing what's in their current heavy rotation, and a whole host of musical tangents.
It's Episode 30, so the KOTF crew takes it back thirty years. 1988 was not only a monumental period in hip-hop, it was a year in which a young Ghost really began to solidify himself as a listener of rap music and an even younger illy took some of his first steps toward the music... and yet, a late 90's novelty act somehow crept its way into the discussion *shrug emoji* Keep It Funky!
illy rants on Nas: "Nasir" and The Carters: "Everything Is Love"
After realizing that the topic warrants its own full-length episode, Ghost and illy expand on an off-mic conversation, assessing the on-screen credits of several rappers-turned-actors.
1997's "Ghetto D" not only cemented Master P's status as a household name and validate his years-long independent grind, it stands as a crowning achievement for his No Limit Records, a landmark in New Orleans rap history, and a vital project overall that would further push southern hip-hop stylings to the forefront of the culture.
After finding success with their "Creepin On Ah Come Up" EP in 1994, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony would continue to take the hip-hop landscape by storm and strike again in '95, with the melodic, shadowy marvel that was "E. 1999 Eternal".
That cosmic slop emanates from the basement once again, as Ghost sparks another one and illy loads up on decongestant (damn that cold!). The crew sends a tribute to the late, great Combat Jack, and talks streaming services, DJing, and other random convo to kick things off for 2018.
With the summer season officially in the rear-view, Ghost and illy highlight some more dope albums from their recent summer rotation, to conclude the conversation from the previous episode.
From brand new releases of Summer 2017 to older material that they happened to vibe with recently, illy and J. Millz recount some of the music they most enjoyed this past summer, as autumn quickly approaches.
More discussion and more music centered around some of the dopest ladies to command the mic. Even after a two-part episode, there are just as many emcees left that the crew didn't discuss in detail, or mention at all -- this is a topic that will definitely be revisited in future episodes, but everyone is welcomed to tweet @KOTFcrew with more input to continue the current conversation!
It unfortunately goes without saying that female rappers just don't get their due in the grand scheme of things. As evidenced from conversations in past episodes, the crew has always enjoyed and respected hip-hop's goddesses on the mic, but there hasn't yet been a KOTF episode that focuses specifically on the ladies... til now!
At North Park Beer Co. in San Diego, J. Millz meets up with Santé Prince, a local SD-based rapper on the rise, to talk about his concert happening later that day at Queen Bee's, his "Destroy and Rebuild" single, his emcee origins and influences and much more! You can listen to "Destroy and Rebuild" on Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/santeprince and Spotify, and follow Santé Prince at his social media links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santeprincemusic/ Twitter: @santeprince Instagram: santeprince
Just how old is too old, in hip-hop? Is it even fair to expect an artist to hang it up at a certain point and if so, when is that? Into what other ventures should he or she then move on? Ghost, illy and the returning J. Millz try to answer these questions and more, in a discussion that will definitely warrant revisits in future episodes. *Editor's Note: Due to some technical issues, we had to fall back on a contingency plan when recording this episode. The resulting sound quality is a bit janky -- we apologize, and hope you'll bear with us for the time being!
...been a while since you've heard from J. Millz, but the "Jarobi" of the crew is finally making his way back into the KOTF fold, both on the show and writing for NoJibbaJabbaFM.com.
What's in a beat? In a Stones Throw-heavy edition (unplanned and purely coincidental) the crew runs through another list of bangers and their original sample sources from a variety of producers and musicians, to discuss just what it is that they love about these beats, and the art of hip-hop production. Editor's Note: Before we get flooded with corrections, yes, we realized in post that it was Madlib who produced "Survival Test", not Dilla, and it was Dilla (sans Frank-N-Dank) on "No Games".
Continuing from where they left off in Part 1, Ghost and illy provide more flavor in ya ears from their list of personal bests in 2016 hip-hop. [Recorded 1/21/17]
The crew returns to the basement headquarters one hazy morning, with a discussion of their top favorite album releases from the final year in the era before The Donald took over... [Recorded 1/21/17]
With Capone serving a jail sentence shortly after the release of "The War Report", Noreaga was forced to shoulder the burden of following up the duo's classic debut on his own. Not only did he turn in an outstanding performance with 1998's "N.O.R.E.", the album solidified his status as a solo act and provided the assist in catapulting the then-unknown Neptunes into superstardom, in the process.
The public's expectations were through the stratosphere pending Nas' follow-up to "Illmatic" but 1996's "It Was Written" was initially polarizing, seeing mixed reviews - many of which claiming that Nas had sold out and that his sound was watered down. The release has since gone on to be re-evaluated by most listeners over time, and is now seen as one of the best in his catalog.
[Deathcakes/Keepers of the Funk Simulcast] The hosts of both shows pay tribute to the late Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor by way of his music, and their own personal memories of the Tribe catalog and concert-going experiences.
Part 2 of the diss-cussion!
Ten days before the Street Status STL Massacre event, SK (@krucial314) stops by to talk about his upcoming battle with Byron Blake, some insight into the competitive rap scene as a whole, explains why he is the most ducked battle emcee in St. Louis, and more. STL Massacre takes place Sunday, March 20th at Fubar (3108 Locust St, Downtown); See the shownotes on www.NoJibbaJabbaFM.com for links and further details.
The diss-cussion went on for so long that it needed to get split in half! What were the most interesting and entertaining elements of various diss tracks and emcee beefs throughout history? The crew weighs in with their favorites. [Recorded 2/4/16]
Jay (Deathcakes, I Mini The Fool) makes a trip down to the basement studio and sits in, as illy and Ghost welcome hosts Ryan and Anthony of rap film podcast, Bodega Box Office, in the first of two inter-show crossover 'casts! Listen/Subscribe to Bodega Box Office (facebook.com/bodegaboxoffice) and be sure to stay tuned for the KOTF appearance on their show in part two!
The crew's favorite musical highlights and points of interest of 2015 are discussed in the KOTF 2016 premiere! [Recorded 1/13/16]
Blahzay Blahzay - the duo of MC Outloud and PF Cuttin - may have been short-lived and have only one LP to their credit, but twenty years later, their music still sounds undeniably fresh!
With a bevy of singles, production work and guest appearances under his belt, but no full-length LP release in over six years since his critically-acclaimed "Sittin On Chrome", many wondered if Masta Ace could still bring it in 2001. Ace not only defied expectations with "Disposable Arts", he delivered an album that is now often cited as his finest work.
illy's on the wheels with that (mostly) east coast 90's thump... cause when the temperature drops, nothing fits the mode better!
Experience the Nod Factor for the next hour courtesy of Ghost, live from his home base!
An hour-plus playlist of joints from Sean Price, as well as material from his Heltah Skeltah days and other collabs, handpicked by Ghost, illy and J. Millz.
A month to the date of his untimely passing, the Gang's All Here to pay tribute to one of their favorite emcees, Duck Down's legendary Sean Price, AKA Ruck. [Recorded 9/2/15]
J. Millz returns to the show with tales from the Soundset 2015 festival in St. Paul, MN, his take on the performances, the event overall and much more in this edition! [Recorded 6/5/15]
Ghost and illy run down what they've got in their decks, which led to them breaking down several emcees' catalogs and delving into a few headlines. [Recorded 5/19/15]
In this current era when mixtapes are virtually indistinguishable from full-fledged albums (at best) or dime-a-dozen promo CD-R's flooding your local music scene (at worst), the crew hits several points in history when mixtapes were the most interesting, and how the artform helped expand their hip-hop palettes. [Recorded 4/10/15]
...Because sometimes, a short conversation can yield great tangents! [Recorded 4/13/15 - approx. 9:36 AM / News update courtesy KSDK-St. Louis Newschannel 5 - approx. 2:18 PM]
Through the course of this episode, Ghost, illy & J. Millz discuss Complex's "Magnum Opus" documentary series, Dame Dash, mixtapes and laments the demise of Scratch Magazine... and yet, somehow, the conversation keeps coming back to the legendary Bussa Bus! [Recorded 3/26/15]
It's a three man weave, as show originator J. Millz makes his long-awaited KOTF debut! While the crew introduces him to the fold, they run through a variety of topics, from music media and journalism, to skateboarding and craft beers. Stick around for their usual slew of music recommends, and new opinion segment, "Five Minutes of Funk". [Recorded 2/3/15]
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