It was the 3rd of September
That day I'll always remember.
Yeah, we know that was the opening to “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” but we’re not waiting until the 21st to get this Earth, Wind & Fire off. You get it today.
What We’re Up To
Hey y’all!
Hope your summer has been going well. We just got back to Toronto after a couple of weeks in California, and it was amazing as always. Can’t wait until we’re on the west coast full time.
So, on Monday we dropped our most recent episode. It’s one we pulled from the archives and touched up a little bit. We had no idea that it was the anniversary of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s debut album when we decided to put it out. It was literally 10 seconds of looking at our old episode titles like this:
And randomly picking one. You wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve released an episode and find out later that day that the date is significant to the person’s career. Album and film release anniversaries, birthdays, new projects coming out, etc. If not the exact date, it’s a day before or after.
Side note: If you ever see “One Hit Wonder?” in an episode title, just assume that our subject has multiple hits.😉
Shameless Plugs
If you don’t already, don’t forget to follow us @troypodcast.bsky.social on Bluesky, @troypodcast on Instagram and on YouTube.
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However you choose to support, know that it is greatly appreciated as always. 🫡
What We’re Watching
Hip Hop Was Born Here on Paramount+
Any time a documentary drops about the early days of hip hop, you can guarantee that I will be there to watch it, and this is no different. I love documentaries in general, and if you sprinkle some childhood memories in there, you got me.
Hip Hop Was Born Here is a Hip-Hop themed documentary series hosted by LL COOL J. The series will go beyond what you think you know to explore the creation, the evolution, and the ongoing legacy that Hip-Hop culture has cemented into our modern society. As we celebrated the 50th anniversary in 2023, the legendary LL COOL J will document how Hip-Hop has become more than a genre. It's a culture. We will meet OGs and future icons, visit the neighborhoods. Studios, and places that fostered early styles, and watch beloved artists analyze their favorite tracks. The show will follow LL COOL J as he travels through Hip-Hop history, highlighting the most important songs, performers, and cultural influences that shaped the genre into the sensation that it is today.
Check out Hip Hop Was Born Here here.
What We’re Reading
Mariah Carey covers the most recent issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK.
Steve Lacy is Rolling Stone’s cover story for this month.
Funkmaster Flex announced his last show, but left out a few details.
Janelle James discusses her career path with The Hollywood Reporter.
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis’ 40th anniversary concert photos.
Billboard’s Hip Hop/R&B Power Players 2025 list.
What We’re Listening To
The Different Kids by Kwamé
“Your life is played out like Kwame, and them fuckin' polka dots.”
- The Notorious B.I.G., “Unbelievable”
Remember Kwamé? Well, last week he dropped his first album since 1994, and it’s damn good. It’s been 30+ years since we’ve heard from him, and he kinda faded away around the time that the Biggie line hit. Did that have anything to do with it? We’ll let him tell it. To be fair, even though he hasn’t released any music as a rapper, he’s been behind the scenes producing for Mary J. Blige, LL, Will Smith, Tweet, Pussycat Dolls and more.
I wasn’t the biggest Kwamé fan back in the day, but I had his first 2 albums and they had some bangers. This album shows that he hasn’t lost a step, because the beats and lyrics are both on point.
Like the Slick Rick album we posted a couple months back, this is another short one, coming in at 25 minutes, but it’s perfect for a quick drive to the mall and back.
Check out The Different Kids here.
You Down Wit’ O.P.P.? (Other Peoples Podcasts)
We Sound Crazy
We randomly came across this podcast while we were looking for SWV interviews for the episode that we were doing on them and stumbled onto this one. It was hilarious, but at the same time informative, because they got into a lot of details about their career that we hadn’t heard before. You can tell that the ladies were comfortable with them as well, as evidenced by Lelee’s shenanigans once she arrived.
We Sound Crazy is your backstage pass to music and culture. Three music industry veterans and a music aficionado unlock the secrets of your favorite moments in entertainment and have one-on-one conversations with household names.
Check out more episodes of We Sound Crazy here or watch here.
Random Internet Shenanigans
Get into this new Trinidad James song. He pops up every couple of years with a bop and a wacky video, and this is the one for 2025.
Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky & Spike Lee have an Epic Conversation with GQ.
Closing Time
All right, time to go. Let’s meet back here next month!
