Podcast

Even though we have dedicated quite a few episodes of this show talking about contemporary hip-hop, especially the left field, intensely wordy variety, we have not been able to settle on a name for what we see as a movement of like-minded artists at its cutting edge. One of our struggles in talking about this kind of music is that it defies easy categorization. Sure, it is "underground hip-hop" in the broadest sense, but that term has little meaning in the streaming economy, and is a somewhat outdated term aesthetically as well. As we were beginning to learn the lay of the land of who were the best abstract or "thoughtful" rappers of this era were a few years ago, we started calling the cluster of Backwoodz-associated rappers and their affiliates The Vanguard. The name didn't stick, it's probably too generic to describe the florid and intricate music that is being made. Pretty much everyone got mad when it was referred to as "Art Rap" in a piece in Complex written by friend of the program Shawn Setaro

that quoted DBRP host Nate LeBlanc several times. That leaves us, who pride ourselves on a keen ability to describe this music, without an effective banner term. And frankly, these artists are too independent-minded to fall into easy categories, that is part of the reason why we fuck with them.

However you try to define this sound, this scene, ELUCID is one of the premier artists of our time, a leading voice in this indescribable tangle of abstract MCs and Producers making challenging, interesting music that pushes hip-hop forward. We have interviewed ELUCID multiple times on DBRP in the past, and we have always found him to be engaging and willing to discuss his art on a bit of a deeper level than most other artists. Today we're talking to him about his new album, Revelator. The album drops October 18th, and in fact we conducted the first interview about it, kind of an unofficial kickoff of the rollout of the record. We look forward to many more listens to this album soon, to unlock its mysteries. Hopefully this interview provides some helpful context for you to consider when you are able to hear it upon release.

This week's episode also has a surprise bonus interview with the Previous Industries crew. DBRP hosts Demone Carter and David Ma were able to catch up with Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and Still Rift at their show in San Francisco recently for a very loose conversation about their recent album Service Merchandise, one of our favorites of the year thus far. The rest of the audio can be found on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod

DBRP is produced by Demone Carter. Theme song by Cutso and DEM ONE. Brought to you by Stony Island Audio

Real heads know J Sands as a true vet who’s built a solid, no-compromise career. Hailing from Cincinnati and making waves with the group Lone Catalyst, he’s back with a new project called Cash Flow, Buddha, and Shelter. This time, he’s leaning into classic 90s boom-bapery. We chopped it up with him about how the game’s evolved, his adventures making a name for himself in New York, and what he thinks about today’s rap scene.

We also talk about some of our favorite new(ish) rap albums. If you’re digging the vibras, it’s the perfect moment to join our Patreon fam at [www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod](www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod). Rap Nerds Of The World Unite!

DadBodRapPod is proudly part of the Stony Island Audio Elks Lodge.

The theme song is a DEM ONE x Cutso collabo

Since dropping his debut album Hazardous in 1991, Godfather Don has been popping periodically and reminding us that his sword remains sharp. His latest project, Thesis, is a testament to the enduring power of hard beats and straight-ahead rhymin'. Not content with just killing it lyrically, GFD has also become a saxophonist of note in the NYC scene. The Godfather took a break from his gig in Brooklyn to chat about his long career, and rapping and playing sax feed off each other.

In the intro, the crew goes deep on the best rapper second acts and what they’d do if they ever had to trade in the super glamorous podcast life.

Big shoutout to everyone who still tunes in to our humble little show. If you're feeling generous, hit up our Patreon at www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod, where just $5 a year unlocks a treasure chest of content and an exclusive membership in the most elite rap nerd club on the internet.

Oh, and because rolling with the posse is the only way to do it, DadBodRapPod is proudly part of Stony Island Audio. P.S. Cutso and I, the birthday twins, made the theme song.

Xiên chào, welcome to Đặc Biệt Rap Pod, a miniseries about music, food, and travel. Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc recently traveled to Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam. We received a grant to participate in a cultural exchange program, and since we are a hip-hop podcast, we decided to seek out the DJ and b-boy culture in District 1, Saigon. And here is what we found.

Part 3- A Saigon Travelogue

We were lucky enough to be able to make this trip and create this 3-episode miniseries thanks to a grant from the City of San Jose's Office Of Cultural Affairs. We flew halfway around the world in search of hip-hop in an unlikely location and to learn more about the cross-cultural conversation between our hometown of San Jose and the creative center of Vietnam, Saigon.

Today on the thrilling conclusion to our travel miniseries, we are back in our hometown of San Jose, California reflecting on our experiences, with some tips and tricks that may help you plan an excursion to this fascinating part of the world.

We are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted us in any way on our travels, especially DJ Style D, a true gentleman and a very good DJ who helped us gain insight into how the indomitable hip-hop culture is expressed in Ho Chi Minh City. Please check out our interview with him on Episode 1 of the miniseries for more on that.

We will be back to our regular programming next week, with a good interview with an underground MC/producer legend and some conversation about notable hip-hop second acts.

DBRP host Demone Carter spearheaded this entire trip, David Ma curated our experiences and translated things as they were occurring, and Nate LeBlanc produced this miniseries.

DBRP is merely a single stone on the island that gives Stony Island Audio network its name. Perhaps next time you're looking for a good rap podcast you'll give one of the others a try.

Xiên chào, welcome to Đặc Biệt Rap Pod, a miniseries about music, food, and travel. Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc recently traveled to Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam. We received a grant to participate in a cultural exchange program, and since we are a hip-hop podcast, we decided to seek out the DJ and b-boy culture in District 1, Saigon. And here is what we found.

Part 2- The Lady In The Alley Is A Mind Reader

Welcome to the second of three parts of our special miniseries about travel in Vietnam from a hip-hop perspective. This week we are diving deep into the endless wonders of South Vietnamese cuisine. We were in Saigon for a little under two weeks, and spent much of the time exploring the incredible street food, tropical fruit, juices, coffee, and restaurants that define the bustling city. Here we share some of the highlights of our trip, including some of the best versions of pho, vermicelli bowls, broken rice plates, and soft shell crab that we have ever tasted, and much more.

We hope you enjoy this thematic left turn for the show. Hip-hop heads have to eat too, and there are still the rap puns, camaraderie and banter that you have come to expect from DBRP tucked within all the food talk.

This miniseries would not possible without a grant from the City of San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs. Huge thanks to everyone behind the scenes who helped us make this journey possible. Huge thanks to our Patreon homies! Join the squad at www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod for much more content from our trip abroad as well as regular music review segments, exclusive playlists, and the only fake radio show that matters, Fly Sporadic.

DBRP host Demone Carter spearheaded this entire trip, David Ma curated our experiences and translated things as they were occurring, and Nate LeBlanc produced this miniseries.

We ride with Stony Island Audio, a fine purveyor of hip-hop storytelling.

Xiên chào, welcome to Đặc Biệt Rap Pod, a miniseries about music, food, and travel. Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc recently traveled to Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam. We received a grant to participate in a cultural exchange program, and since we are a hip-hop podcast, we decided to seek out the DJ and b-boy culture in District 1, Saigon. And here is what we found.

Part 1- Subcultural Exchange

We were lucky enough to be able to make this trip and create this 3-episode miniseries thanks to a grant from the City of San Jose's Office Of Cultural Affairs. We flew halfway around the world in search of hip-hop in an unlikely location and to learn more about the corss-cultural conversation between our hometown of San Jose and the creative center of Vietnam, Saigon.

We are thrilled to note that breakbeat DJing and B-Boying are alive and well in Southeast Asia, and in this episode we will introduce you to DJ Style D, an extremely influential DJ, record collector, and venue owner who is helping keep the elements of hip-hop at the forefront of the city's culture one record at a time.

While we were abroad, we were able to book a DJ gig with Style D at a really cool restaurant along the river and to bring our brand of curated funk, soul and hip-hop musical taste to a completely new audience.

We also participated in a few more relatively minor acts of cultural exchange, including an odd experience trying to buy records which gave us some insight into the gargantuan effort that hip-hop producer Onra put into crafting his masterpiece, Chinoiseries. We also briefly discuss Sublime Frequencies' reissue of incredibly rare 45s by Phuong Tam, a talented and courageous rock n' roll singer who began her career in Saigon and now resides in San Jose.

Huge thanks are due to the City of San Jose OCA, as well as our Patreon subscribers for their continued support. Shout out to all of the scooter drivers, kindly grandmothers, sullen teens, and clueless tourists who helped make this trip special.

DBRP host Demone Carter spearheaded this entire trip, David Ma curated our experiences and translated things as they were occurring, and Nate LeBlanc produced this miniseries.

DBRP is one of the many great hip-hop related podcasts on the Stony Island Audio network.

Please tune in next week for Part 2 of Đặc Biệt Rap Pod, with a focus on Saigon's justifiably legendary street food. Cảm un!

On this week's episode, DEM chops it up with Ant, the producer half of the iconic rap duo Atmosphere. His debut instrumental album, Collection of Sounds Vol.1, is the first release of a four-part series dropping via Rhymesayers Entertainment on September 6th. Ant talks about DJing, his obsessive record-collecting habit, and how he stays healthy on tour.

During the banter segments, we learn about Nate's L.A. food journey, the patron saint of lost wallets, and Nebraskan Reggae.

Dad Bod Rap Pod reps Stony Island Audio to the fullest.

Birthday twins DEM and Cutso linked up on the theme song. That's the late great Don Newkirk at the top of the song.

We'll be the first to admit it... the rumors are true, we do have a Patreon. Behind the paywall there is a shadow universe of exclusive audio segments, record reviews, polls, discussion, and one very special fake radio show. DBRP co-host Nate LeBlanc will occasionally reach into the record shelves to play some jams and talk about them a little. Today we pull back the curtain to bring the eclectic selections to the main pod feed. On this episode, we are focusing on features, sharing some songs with notable guest verses. In what was meant to be a clever twist, the show itself features guest appearances from the rest of the Dad Bod conglomerate. David Ma drops by to talk about the all time classic guest shots on Cuban Linx, while Demone Carter leads us on a reconsideration of a monster EPMD joint. If you like what you hear this week, please consider joining the Dad Bod Rap squad at patreon.com/dadbodrappod

DBRP is produced by Demone Carter. Theme song by Dem One and Cutso. We are in cahoots with Stony Island Audio in a podcast network type of way.

What makes a spy creamy? How important is it for lyrics to make grammatical sense? Has any record ever had a better vibe than this one? These among many other questions are answered by Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc on this week's look back at Digable Planets' 1994 album Blowout Comb. This record was the last official release for the Planets after their hit debut, Reachin' changed the sound of hip-hop briefly a few years earlier. Blowout Comb is another animal (insect?) entirely, a reflective, subtly swaggering tribute to Trouble Man-era Blaxploitation suffused with Panther politics and a warm, analog sonic palette. While reaction to the album was somewhat muted at the time, this album has become something of a cult classic for folks who like their rap records thoughtful and adventurous. Join us as we reconsider the themes, design, lyrics, beats, and messaging of an excellent slab of Brooklyn bohemianism.

DBRP is produced by Demone Carter and released by Stony Island Audio, a swell group of hip-hop know-it-all's. Theme song produced by Cutso, who is in our hearts this week. Love you, P.

Welcome to Dad Bod Rap Pod, a years-long hip-hop related conversation between three 40-somehting friends. This week the fellas Nate LeBlanc, David Ma and Demone Carter re-listened to Dare Iz A Darkside by Redman and were somewhat surprised by what they heard. In the 30 years since this record was released, Red has gone on to become a beloved character even outside of the rap realm, and we are huge fans of him and his work. That said, listening to this album with fresh ears, we found that we were not really able to tune into its very specific frequency. We digest all of this and discuss some of this challenging work's peculiarities over the course of a nuanced conversation. And in the second segment, we debut a new game we are working on to see how well we know each other after seven years of working together on the show. Please feel free to tell us how wrong we are @dadbodrappod on IG and Twitter, or to attain truly next level hating credentials, you can subscribe to our Patreon www.patreon.com/dadbodrappod and tell us that we are idiots to our digital face behind the paywall. Dad Bod Rap Pod is brought to you by Stony Island Audio, which is named after a street in Chicago but I always picture it like a bunch of rappers and rap writers all getting high together on a stereotypical desert island like the ones from the Far Side cartoons.