Hip Hop Roundtable

Censoring isn't new to hip hop. However, in the wake of people trying to "censor" and "cancel" Dave Chappelle and DaBaby, we revisit the idea in the context of modern day hip hop. We discuss if it's possible for hip hop to be censored, who actually does the censoring (has it changed over the years?), and what it looks like if it can be. So you know the drill, #PullUpAChair, press play, and let us know your thoughts. 

The tragic murder of PnB Rock forces us to once again have to examine what's going on with, what seems to be, increased violence and attacks on hip hop artist. We react to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding PnB Rock in particular, but also examine what is creating the circumstances that make it feel as if simply being a rapper is one of the most dangerous professions you can choose. While this may not actually be the case, we discuss reasons hip hop continues to find itself in this situation and what can be done to help us get out of this vicious cycle. #PullUpAChair, press play, and please let us know your thoughts in the comment section wherever you may be listening. Stay safe.

An image of Kool Moe Dee's report card to rate MCs was resurfaced online  and got everybody talking. Of course, we had to discuss this at the roundtable. As you can imagine, there was plenty to discuss and disagree with. #PullUpAChair, press play, and leave a comment with your thoughts.

Recorded just after the tragic incident at Travis Scott's Astroworld concert, we discuss what hip hop's response should be and lessons learned for the culture. We always want to make sure that hip hop is growing and getting better, even in the midst of tragedy. So #PullUpAChair, press play, and give us your thoughts on what lessons hip hop can take away from this unfortunate situation. 

Although Funk Flex and Conway have since made peace, what came out of their back-and-forth was a need to discuss the responsibility of radio and DJs to promote artists--or establish if that even is their responsibility. Has Funk Flex turned his back on "real" hip hop? Was Conway wrong for being upset with Flex? We start there, but go beyond to explore what all this means for the culture, as a whole. #PullUpAChair, press play, and leave a comment with your thoughts. 

Kanye's public bout with bipolar disorder is not necessarily a new discussion. However, at the time that he released the album Donda (in honor of his mom), we bring the conversation about mental health and who is looking out for our the faces of our culture to the roundtable. Of course, this conversation is much greater than Kanye himself is one we need to continue to have in our culture. #PullUpAChair, press play, and make sure you let us know your thoughts on all that we cover in the discussion.

Recorded during the same time we discussed our reactions to Bel-Air (way before all the recent antics), we turned our attention to Netflix's Kanye documentary Jeen-Yuhs. It's no secret that Kanye has been polarizing the last several years, but did this documentary provide any new insights? Help us understand him more? Provide answers to things we may have questioned? That's what we're here to discuss. #PullUpAChair, press play, and leave your thoughts on the doc.

Recorded when the show was first airing, we give our thoughts and reactions to the return of a classic in drama form. We all know and love Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, so of course we had to discuss the reimagined series and how we felt about it after watching the first couple of episodes. Fresh Prince is a significant part of hip hop culture, so we were all interested to see how this dramatized version did and if it did the original any justice. #PullUpAChair, press play, and give us your thoughts after listening to ours.

If you watch Issa Rae's latest show Rap Sh!t, you're familiar with the main characters Shawna and Mia. You probably also know about the struggles you they had with finding their sound, with Shawna trying to rap "woke" lyrics over trap beats. That led to our conversation about the marriage between the content of raps and the beats they're laid over. Is it that certain lyrics that are deemed to be "negative" actually sound better over certain beats? Is it possible to be "conscious" and still be appealing when rapping over trap beats? We discuss all this and more. So, #PullUpAChair, press play, and leave a comment with your thoughts. 

If you have listened to our podcast in the past, you know that subjectivity is a common theme. Some people--*cough* Milan *cough*--seem to struggle with what is a fact versus opinion when it comes to music. When it comes to hip hop debates, separating what we like from what is objectively bad can sometimes be challenging. In this episode, we make subjectivity the main focus to solve this disagreement once and for all. At least that was the hope. We failed miserably, but there was plenty of debate and maybe, just maybe, some points were made here that help you distinguish what is your personal preference from what is just, by pure definition, good or bad music. #PullUpAChair, press play, and leave a comment with your thoughts.

We're finally back! And like, fa real this time. In this "episode," you'll learn just a little about what we do here at Hip Hop Roundtable (although the best way to learn is to just listen to all the episodes). If you've been with us for a while, this is just to guarantee more consistency for the rest of the year. We already have 10 episodes that are lined up and ready to go. These episodes were recorded anywhere from September 2021 to September 2022, but it's all still great dialogue and debate about the current state of hip hop. But in short, there's an episode a week for the next 10 weeks starting tomorrow! To hear Landon break it down further, #PullUpAChair and press play. Otherwise, be on the lookout for a new episode tomorrow morning!

After being able to sit with the album for a week, we come back to give MMTBS a more formal review. As usual, major debate ensues. Listen to what each of us had to say about the album after giving it a few listens and if anything changed from our initial reactions. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. #PullUpAChair

It's been toooo long sine we posted an episode. But if anybody was to bring us out of hiding, it's the man who does it best. Recorded the day Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers released, we talk about how we feel after the very first listen. Although we have a more formal review that we'll also drop, this is--as Dev reminded us plenty of times--only our initial reaction to Kendrick's latest offering. Even though we're a few weeks removed #PullUpAChair and let us know how you felt about this the first time you listened.

Right after our last episode where we discussed whether or not rappers could release too much music, Benny was interviewed and seemed to side with Milan's point of view. We revisit our convo with these new comments in mind. #PullUpAChair, press play, and see if Benny changed any of our minds!

Recorded soon after the news of Biz Markie passing, we share our thoughts on his last legacy in hip hop. And, as one of our greatest beat boxers in hip hop history, we also show love to the art of beat boxing and how important it is to the culture. As always, #PullUpAChair, press play, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Consider artists such as Benny the Butcher or Ransom who release music at a crazy rate. Are they over-saturating themselves? Is it even possible for over-saturate if the music you're putting out is quality? Is there something to be said about fans being able to keep up with all the new releases? Does it benefit artists to not release music and just live for a while? We discuss all this and more in this episode. #PullUpAChair

Note: You may hear a little more colorful language in this episode than you usually do (in case you squirm at that type of thing). Despite the heavy loss of DMX, we were truly able to celebrate his life and legacy on this episode. Joined by the homie Will Jackson, we discuss what X meant to hip hop and how his vulnerability was one of his greatest assets as an artist, give him his just due as one of the greatest featured artists of all time, and discuss our favorite songs/versus from the dog. We keep it light, but still very much paying respects to the legend that is DMX. So, #PullUpAChair and join us for this tribute.

At this point, everybody has had a take on Swizz and Timb selling Verzuz to Triller. Some have been disappointed that it is no longer a solely Black owned company, even to the point that some have claimed they "sold out." We sit down to discuss this take, Jay Z selling Tidal, and, as always, what these moves suggests about hip hop culture as a whole. So #PullUpAChair, press play, and make sure you let us know your thoughts!

Legends like Jay-Z and Nas have managed to get older in hip hop in a mature, but cool and relevant way. Is Drake on the trajectory to do the same thing or has he pigeonholed himself into a sound and style that can only last so long? We respond to that question, discuss why some artists are able to maintain longevity with age while others aren't, and talk about the effective of the celebrity "hives" that ensure certain artists never flop. Another great convo, so #pullupachair and join us at the Hip Hop Roundtable!

No, this is not us just rehashing all of the same stuff people have been talking about regarding the Snoop/Em "beef" (although it looks like it's all squashed now). We actually discuss much more by exploring what Eminem's legacy, how his perception among fans has changed over time, and what this all says about hip hop culture. A LOT of debates and arguments in this one. So go ahead and #PullUpAChair.