The Rap Music Plug Podcast is the remedy to the “I don’t have anything good to listen to” problem. Through in-depth artist interviews, album reviews, and general rap commentary on the best that the underground rap scene has to offer, this is your one-stop shop to knowing what to add to your queue, play next, or pop into your record player. Are you a rap music fan? And not just any fan... but a true rap music fan that wants to move past the surface level discussion, and get into the nitty-gritty of what makes rap music so great? Are you someone who loves the feeling of discovering new music, but find it hard to navigate through the thousands upon thousands of new albums that get released every single day? If any of this applies to you, this show is EXACTLY what you need. My absolute PASSION is music. So I gladly do the dirty work of virtual crate digging, searching for the next great rap album... so you don’t have to. My name is Rohan. I am The Rap Music Plug, at your service. -- Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/ Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 02, 2024
Wednesday Oct 02, 2024
When thinking about today’s guest, it reminds me of that famous Shakespearian saying, “what’s in a name?” Since for certain artists, their name can be completely meaningless, having no bearing on the kind of music they make, or has no insightful backstory for how the name came about. But for ØKSE, our guest in today’s episode, their name actually says a lot about their art, and what they stand for.
ØKSE means Axe in Danish, which is also Ashe; the life-force that runs through all things, living and inanimate. It’s a current or flow, a groove that initiates can channel so that it carries them along their road in life. This is beautifully symbolic name perfectly encapsulates what makes this experimental jazz group so damn great. Throughout their self-titled debut album, released on Backwoodz Studioz, there’s a special energy that is bottled up in each song that makes the listening experience truly invigorating.
ØKSE is a 4-person group, comprised of NYC based drummer Savannah Harris, Danish saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, Haitian electronic musician Val Jeanty, and Swede Petter Eldh on bass, synths and sampler. This worldwide supergroup of musicians brought their specific influences to the table, creating a musical vision that defies any and all convention
With me today is 3 of the 4 bandmates, Savannah, Mette, and Petter. Additionally Dash Lewis, talented writer for the likes of Pitchfork, HipHopDX, The Guardian, PassionWeiss, helped me co-host this interview once again, as he did in the last episode… and just like the last episode, this is a conversation you do not want to miss!
We dive into the intriguing backstory behind the band’s formation, their artistic north star, the Backwoodz Studioz connection, and their unique approach to blending avant-garde jazz with hip-hop on their fantastic new album… which is absolutely one of the best records of the year.
The Plug (0:44).
The Interview (3:28).
The band’s formation (5:15).
Backstory of ØKSE’s connection with Backwoodz Studioz (7:53).
The philosophical ‘north star’ behind ØKSE’s music (18:29).
The recording process of ØKSE (22:01).
Mixing studio and live creation on ØKSE (29:28).
The thought process behind adding vocalists to ØKSE (33:19 ).
Core messages from ØKSE (39:04).
Follow-up ØKSE album? - RMPP patron q from Ryan aka LEVITATOR (42:08).
Upcoming solo works from the band members (44:27).
Support ØKSE here: https://backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/okse?srsltid=AfmBOoqyiTu1wL3FyAWbXJNT60uvA0wsplRSBi6R_2TDadZDsSCkLCYy
Follow ØKSE on Twitter here: https://x.com/OOKSEOOKSE
Follow ØKSE on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/o__kse/
Follow Dash Lewis on Twitter here: https://x.com/gardenerjams?lang=en
Follow Dash Lewis on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gardenerjams/?hl=en
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Sep 18, 2024
Wednesday Sep 18, 2024
The worlds of electronic and ambient music have been guests within the world of hip-hop for a long time now. Artists like Travis Scott have successfully integrated these two previously separate guests into hip-hop to great effect. Though at its core, the music of a Travis was hip-hop first, with other ambient and electronic sounds added into the mix on top of that. But with the music from today’s guest, Yungwebster, the math has changed.
New York’s Yungwebster shows us what it sounds like when ambient music is the fundamental foundation, with hip-hop weaved as an addition. This leads to music, such as Yungwebster’s latest self-titled album from 2023, which is a one-of-a kind exploration of what is being dubbed “ambient rap”.
It boasts thick washed out synths, cavernous basslines, and beautiful ethereal vocals evoking some of the prettiest moments of the cloud rap era. Yungwebster’s melodic auto-tuned vocals serve as an instrument, fully submerged into the beat, yet still making an impact with its songwriting pop that is reminiscent of the best work of a Future or Young Thug.
To learn more about something so exciting and wholly fresh, I invited Dash Lewis, talented writer (Pitchfork, HipHopDX, The Guardian, PassionWeiss, and more) to co-host this conversation with Yungwebster, bringing his refined knowledge of electronic music to the table.
Listen to this episode to familiarize yourself with an artist that is surely like nothing else you’ve heard before!
The Plug (0:53).
The Interview (3:03).
The intersection between ambient and rap in Yungwebster’s music (5:47).
How Yungwebster linked up with premier electronic music label, sferic (8:49).
Yungwebster’s key influences in the ambient space (12:33).
Yungwebster’s mindstate when creating Yungwebster (14:21).
Yungwebster’s instrument-like vocals (17:11).
The inspiration behind the different time-shifted versions of songs on Yungwebster (21:40).
How Yungwebster nurtured a global network of producers on his self-titled album (24:39).
Yungwebster viewing himself as an ambient artist first (27:34).
Other ambient rappers Yungwebster recommends (29:20).
Upcoming projects from Yungwebster (30:34).
Buy/stream Yungwebster here: https://sferic.bandcamp.com/album/yungwebster
Follow Yungwebster on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/yungwebster_/
Follow Dash Lewis on Twitter here: https://x.com/gardenerjams?lang=en
Follow Dash Lewis on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gardenerjams/?hl=en
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
Bruiser Brigade has been slowly but surely building a killer crew and catalogue of work - with us today are two of its rising stars.
J.U.S is an entertaining and distinctly unique lyricist, producer, and engineer. Squadda B, formerly of Main Attrakionz fame, helped shape the dominating 2010s psychedelic cloud rap scene, and is still innovating and pushing his craft to new places as a solo rapper and producer.
Together they’ve created one of 2024’s most wildly fun and entertaining records in 3rd Shift, an album that demands that you play it back to back to back...
In this episode, they discuss life in the Bruiser Brigade, their strong synergy as a duo, and their approach to creating their fantastic new album, 3rd Shift.
The Plug (0:57).
The Interview (2:21).
What prompted J.U.S’ focus on rapping (3:21).
Squadda B’s ambitions in the latest chapter of his career (5:52).
What inspired Squadda B’s recent move to joining Bruiser Brigade (9:43).
J.U.S’ perspective on the success and growth of Bruiser Brigade (11:10).
The special sauce that J.U.S and Squadda B bring to the Bruiser Brigade collective (15:11).
The creative synergy between J.U.S and Squadda B (17:27).
How J.U.S and Squadda B levelled up on 3rd Shift (20:16).
Sonic experience of 3rd Shift and the Oakland-Detroit connection (23:03).
How Squadda B’s production pushed J.U.S’ pen to new heights (35:01).
Squadda B’s beatmaking process (38:18).
Key takeaways from 3rd Shift (42:16).
Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (45:41).
Stream 3rd Shift here: https://open.spotify.com/album/09pLRBbz0UprwveJpmImPT?si=sd6vuOPoQOGzJLnZZ7syAw
Follow J.U.S on Twitter here: https://x.com/i_am_j_u_s
Follow Squadda B on Twitter here: https://x.com/SquaddaB
Follow J.U.S on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/J_U_S/
Follow Squadda B on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/squaddab/?hl=en
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
As I get closer and closer to my 30s, mortality, the future outlook of society. and my fading youth are consistently ideas that are occupying my mind. So art that speaks to these topics in a thoughtful and insightful way have been especially appreciated as of late.
But unlike other genres out there, rap is still quite young. Therefore, there isn’t necessarily a ton of artists out there who are even old enough to provide such an aged perspective. And among those who are, many of whom are the likes of Jay-Z, Nas... who’s primary wisdom seems focused more on wealth-building and respectability politics.
That’s why the album we will be spotlighting in today’s episode, Reverberations of a Dead Man’s Ego, is such a breath of fresh air.
The mature perspectives we get from Alaska on this album are thoughtful, provocative, and remarkably honest. And they are accompanied by some of the best production we’ve heard from producer steel tipped dove to-date.
Listen on to learn about the making of this new album, the generational divide between Gen X and Gen Z, maturing with age, a sober outlook on the future of our society, and much more.
The Plug (0:45).
The Interview (3:10).
Aaron Rodgers’ broken COVID brain (5:01).
How Alaska and steel tipped dove’s relationship first formed, and what inspired it (7:58).
The shared worldviews between Alaska and dove (15:59).
Alaska breaks down a poignant line on “I Don’t Care No More” (19:46).
The overarching sentiment of the heavy subject matter on ROADME (26:09).
The future outlook for younger generations (31:16).
The inspiration of the Reverberations of a Dead Man’s Ego title (38:13).
Alaska and dove go back and forth on if ROADME is improvement on their debut (40:19).
Favourite songs on ROADME (51:29).
Upcoming projects / merch from Alaska and steel tipped dove (54:04).
Buy Reverberations of a Dead Man's Ego here: https://thatrapperalaska.bandcamp.com/album/reverberations-of-a-dead-mans-ego
Follow Alaska on Twitter here: https://x.com/Alaska_Atoms
Follow steel tipped dove on Twitter here: https://x.com/steeltippeddove
Follow steel tipped dove on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/steeltippeddove/?hl=en
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
The Plug (0:21).
The Conversation (2:01).
NxWorries’ Why Lawd came to me at the perfect time in my life. A time where I find myself in the best most healthy and rewarding relationship I’ve ever had with a remarkably beautiful and smart woman, who is sweeter than [insert sweet substance]. So the thought of it ever coming to an end feels mortifying.
It’s for all these reasons that Why Lawd has had a profound impactful on me. It is an ode to appreciating the special person I have in my life… that is masquerading as one of the most beautifully crafted, most gorgeous-sounding albums I’ve heard in a long long time.
--
Video animation by: Big Flowers
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Music and art in general is special because it can’t be quantified, calculated, explained, or re-created through algorithms. Surely, through the rise of AI you can create technically accurate facsimiles of music. But that special IT factor that turns music from simply aesthetically pleasing to special, cannot be replicated by robots, and is often impossible to put into words.
With today’s guest though, Seafood Sam, a word does in fact come to mind to describe the IT factor that makes this Long Beach MC’s music connect so strongly. That word is cool. Blended into his sharp songwriting, smooth and confident raps, there’s a cool, calm confidence that draws you into his music. This special sauce made his latest album, Standing on Giant Shoulders, one of the absolute best records of 2024.
In today’s episode we try to uncover how Sam developed this cool that makes his music so damn good, and we dig into the making of the beautifully collaborative creation of his new album, and much, much, more...
The Plug (0:53).
The Interview (2:38).
Sam’s unique journey as a rapper and model (3:24).
Seafood Sam’s ideal listener (11:30).
The “cool” factor in music (17:05).
The clash between the old and the new in Seafood Sam’s art (20:07).
The Long Beach ethos within Sam (22:39).
The live instrumentation sound direction on Standing on Giant Shoulders, in collaboration with Tom Kendall (26:44).
How Sam guided the creation of the instrumentals on Standing on Giant Shoulders (32:49).
The songwriting and melodies on Standing on Giant Shoulders (38:41).
The cues Sam has taken from the legends, such as James Brown, Bobby Brown, and Miles Davis (44:21).
The “grown” messaging on Standing on Giant Shoulders (50:02).
The next sound for Seafood Sam (52:06).
Stream/buy Standing on Giant Shoulders here: https://seafood4sam.bandcamp.com/album/standing-on-giant-shoulders
Follow Seafood Sam on Twitter here: https://x.com/seafoodsam
Follow Seafood Sam on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/seafoodsam/?hl=en
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Likely due to my incessant thirst for control and structure, whenever I take in a piece of art and consider how the creator approached the making of this thing I find so great, my mind immediately assumes that there was this rigid, almost scientific forethought put into every detail.
And while some artists work with more of a structure than others… as you will learn in this free-wheeling conversation with ShrapKnel and Controller 7, there is a serendipitous beauty that colours much of the creation of the new album from today’s guests, Nobody Planning to Leave.
Where a lifetime of artistic dedication, a genuine love for hip-hop culture, and happy coincidence all combined to make Nobody Planning to Leave one of the most captivating albums of 2024, serving as ShrapKnel’s most accessible, yet creatively challenging record to-date.
The Plug (0:50).
The Interview (2:23).
The Nobody Planning to Leave initial reception and RMPP Listening Party debrief (4:11).
The sense of camaraderie and connection within the current indie rap scene (6:57).
The central vision of Nobody Planning to Leave (11:11).
The influence of Castro’s diagnosis on the Nobody Planning to Leave creative process (20:56).
The dynamic sound and structure of Nobody Planning to Leave (30:17).
Why Controller 7 was the right producer to steward the sound for the 3rd ShrapKnel album (42:09).
How the ShrapKnel chemistry has evolved over the years (54:39).
Most interesting / fun track to create on Nobody Planning to Leave (1:05:17).
Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (1:12:45).
Buy Nobody Planning to Leave here: https://backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/shrapknel-nobody-planning-to-leave
Follow PremRock on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/PlanetPremRock?s=20&t=Y_WTB0pKsxoDf4YvG4pItg
Follow Curly Castro on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Curly_Castro?s=20&t=Y_WTB0pKsxoDf4YvG4pItg
Follow Controller 7 on Twitter here: https://x.com/controllerseven?lang=en
Follow PremRock on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/premrock/?hl=en
Follow Curly Castro on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/curlycastro/?hl=en
Follow Controller 7 on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/controllerseven
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
Wednesday Jun 26, 2024
The Plug (0:58).
The Interview (2:36).
As purely a consumer of music, one of the most rewarding and genuinely valuable things to me is to be able articulate why a particular piece of art resonated with me. It’s a big reason why I started this podcast. Even without being a creator of the music myself, I think there’s a lot of insight and provocative thought that someone like me can provide, that can hopefully colour your experience with the music.
But that being said, there’s nothing that can replace the perspective of the artist themselves - particularly those that really live and breathe this rap s***. Nosaj of New Kingdom and Height Keech comprise the group known as Wave Generators, and they certainly fall under this category.
There are many times during this interview in today’s episode, where they beautifully illustrate the intrinsic beauty of the creative process, somehow putting into words such an abstract concept with ease.
This was a fascinating conversation that detailed the organic connection within Wave Generators, and how they conjured such an impactful feeling with their debut record, After the End.
The inspiration behind the formation of Wave Generators (3:20).
What Height Keech and Nosaj admired about each other’s craft (9:35).
Nosaj’s songwriting approach (16:13).
What Height Keech learnt through his work with Hemlock Ernst on The Fall Collection (24:41).
The heavy rock influence in After the End’s sound (28:05).
The recording process for the dynamic song structure of After the End (32:11).
The desired takeaway from listening to After the End (43:45).
Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch from Wave Generators (47:47).
Stream/buy After the End here: https://wavegenerators.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-end
Follow Wave Generators on Twitter here: https://x.com/wavegenerators?s=21&t=DkPXjJ9qakGNY3urv-rL4A
Follow Wave Generators on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/wavegenerators?igsh=YjU3dTlmMWt6aXp1
Video animation by: Big Flowers
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday Jun 12, 2024
Wednesday Jun 12, 2024
The Plug (0:21).
The Interview (2:37).
In a VERY special bonus episode of the RMPP, I joined the latest installment of Freemusicempire's State of the Game series to discuss all things Mach and #RAH with the FME boys, Kam of Crate 808... AND AUGUST FREAKING FANON!!!
Video animation by: Big Flowers
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
Join the Freemusicempire here: https://freemusicempire.com/%C2%A0
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com
Wednesday May 29, 2024
Wednesday May 29, 2024
The Plug (0:57).
The Interview (3:12).
'Black sheep' is an idiom used to describe a member of a group who doesn’t fit in with the rest. Now while this is often used with a negative connotation, I feel there’s a flipside to this concept that can be a positive. Where not exactly fitting into any one group can allow you to pull from many different influences, and combine that all together into something one-of one.
This is a dynamic I spoke about with today’s guest, Cakes da Killa, who is a prime example of how this dynamic works as a positive. In this episode, we discuss Cakes' journey as an artist, his approach to blending different sounds together, and how he approached the creation of his super entertaining and well-executed new album, Black Sheep.
Cakes da Killa’s MC journey (3:36).
Openness in Cakes’ music (8:06).
Blending dance genres with hip-hop (9:41).
How Cakes’ queer identity manifests in his music (14:04).
Advice Cakes would give to aspiring musicians (19:29).
How visuals are integrated in Cakes’ creative process (24:07).
Cakes da Killa’s black sheep’ identity (25:54).
How Cakes and Sam Katz approached the sound for Black Sheep (34:32).
Upcoming music / tour dates / merch from Cakes da Killa (39:23).
Stream/buy Black Sheep here: https://cakesdakilla.bandcamp.com/album/black-sheep
Follow Cakes da Killa on Twitter here: https://x.com/CAKESDAKILLA
Follow Cakes da Killa on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cakesdakilla/?hl=en
Video animation by: Big Flowers
Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING
Photo in artwork by: Matt Nelson
--
Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/
Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast
Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com