I ain't no joke
"Who's joking? Rakim never joked, so why should I, loc?" - Kurupt
This never gets old.
This weather got us feeling like Flavor Flav. Listen to this video while you read this newsletter. It’ll make you feel good.
What We’re Up To
Hey y’all,
Hope all is well wherever it is that you’re reading this. It’s April Fools Day, but no games are being played over here. We’re just enjoying this unusually warm weather, drinking peach Canada Dry and listening to Beyoncé. Since we last spoke, we dropped an episode about one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time, A Tribe Called Quest, so check that out if you haven’t already, and we’ve got episodes about New Edition and Outkast coming over the next couple of weeks. We’re staying busy over here. In the meantime, check out our most recent episode where we discuss the 20th anniversary of Usher’s album, Confessions:
What We’re Watching
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told on Hulu
If you’re of a certain age, then you probably fall into one of three camps when it comes to this topic. People who’ve been to Freaknik, people who wanted to go to Freaknik, and people who couldn’t care less about Freaknik. I fell into bucket number two. The rise of Freaknik in the early ‘90s coincided with Black Southern culture and HBCU’s becoming more popular through movies like School Daze and TV shows like A Different World. I don’t even remember how I initially became aware of it, because it’s not like social media existed. This was strictly a word-of-mouth situation, yet people from all over the country knew about it. But by the time we were old enough and had the (lil’) funds to get there, the Freaknik we wanted to experience had turned into something completely different, and was pretty much dead.
This documentary takes you on a ride through all of that. It starts with the organic beginnings of Freaknik and shows how it grew into a force that eventually burned itself out once it got too big to control. The film does a good job of presenting all sides of the story, the good, bad and ugly.
Check it out, you might see yourself or some friends and family in the clips.
Watch it on Hulu.
What We’re Reading
Regina King is featured in the current issue of Harper’s Bazaar.
Cord Jefferson has a conversation with Robert Townsend for GQ magazine.
The cast of A Different World are doing a 10 city HBCU campus tour.
William Stanford Davis from Abbott Elementary discusses his career journey in this Rolling Stone profile.
What We’re Listening To
Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé
Well, she did it again. It’s wild how someone who has had a career as long as Beyoncé seems to be getting better with each new project. Genres and content aside, the quality, production and craftsmanship on the back half of her career is happening at a time when most artists start to slip, but not Mrs. Carter. And as someone who isn’t a big fan of country music (even though these songs touch on blues, funk, soul, folk, tejano, hip hop and more) this album is a very easy listen, because of the quality of the production.
Listen to Cowboy Carter here.
Any guesses on what Act III is gonna be? Drop it in the comments.
You Down Wit’ O.P.P.? (Other Peoples Podcasts)
The Vault: Classic Music Reviews by IV Creative
We just did an episode with B. Cox on the The Vault last week discussing the 30th anniversary of the Above The Rim movie and soundtrack. We got into all of our favorite moments from both the movie and the album, including the hilarious edits of some of the basketball scenes. Check out the episode here:
And if you’re not familiar with B. Cox, or the show, here’s a quick intro:
The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast is a show hosted by 'Xennial' music fans that grew up during hip-hop's golden era of 1990s and the boom of the early 2000s. We review classic hip-hop, R&B and reggae albums 20, 25 and 30 years after their release to give our reflections and to see if they still stand the test of time. It's a personal perspective on classics from a fresh point of view.
Listen to more episodes of The Vault: Classic Music Reviews here.
Random Internet Shenanigans
This is wrong as two left shoes, but I can’t stop laughing at it.
Shameless Plugs
If you enjoy the content that we're making and you're looking for ways to support our independent podcast, here’s a little something that you can do:
Please leave us a 5 star rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser or Goodpods.
You can also drop a few coins in our tip jar here: https://ko-fi.com/troypodcast if you're feeling generous.
Spread the word about the show to your friends and family.
Check out our online store, Nuthin’ But A Tee Thang.👇🏾
If you’ve ever wanted to start a podcast of your own or know someone who does, drop your email address in the comments below to be notified about our Skillshare course when it goes live!
However you choose to support, know that it is greatly appreciated as always. 🫡
Closing Time
That’s all for April, we’ll be back with more goodies and new episodes! Until then,
