The real story behind the origin of gangsta rap is difficult to discern. Between the bombastic rhetoric and imagery, the larger-than-life characters, and the subsequent success of many of the individuals, it is hard to know exactly what to believe.
Ben Westhoff’s new book, Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur and th ... Show More
Today
Adrienne Domasin ed., "The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Last of Us" (Playstory Press, 2025)
The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: The Last of Us (Playstory Press, 2025) explores the psychological themes at the heart of The Last of Us franchise. Authors from media, culture, and fandom studies explore how trauma, grief, morality, survival, and revenge shape the story’s character ... Show More
15m 54s
Today
Jim Cullen, "1980: America's Pivotal Year" (Rutgers UP, 2022)
1980 was a turning point in American history. When the year began, it was still very much the 1970s, with Jimmy Carter in the White House, a sluggish economy marked by high inflation, and the disco still riding the airwaves. When it ended, Ronald Reagan won the presidency in a la ... Show More
41m 44s
Yesterday
Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy, "Videotape" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Over the span of a single decade, VHS technology changed the relationship between privacy and entertainment, pried open the closed societies behind the Iron Curtain, and then sank back into oblivion. Its meteoric rise and fall encapsulated the dynamics of the '80s and foreshadowe ... Show More
44m 53s
Oct 2020
Felicia Angeja Viator, "To Live and Defy in LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America" (Harvard UP, 2020)
In 1985, Greg Mack, a DJ working for Los Angeles radio station KDAY, played a song that sounded like nothing else on West Coast airwaves: Toddy Tee’s “The Batteram,” a hip hop track that reflected the experiences of a young man growing up in 1980s Compton. The song tells about th ... Show More
1h 17m
Mar 2023
DJ QUIK | Ep 173 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball
On the latest episode of ALL THE SMOKE, one of the most revered figures in rap since his early-'90s debut, DJ Quik, sits down with Matt and Stak to reflect on his career. The legendary producer and rapper discusses how he broke onto the musical scene, and shares epic stories from ... Show More
1h 44m
Mar 2025
JIM CARREY ARIANA GRANDE Academy Awards, Hollywood & Music Exposed by Professor Hamamoto Part 6 | AU350
Hamamoto on YouTube: / @professorhamamoto Watch part 5 here: https://youtube.com/live/TaF8EMyS4V4
Watch Prof Hamamoto Part 4 https://youtube.com/live/TkUr4CanA_k
Watch Prof Hamamoto Part 3 https://youtube.com/live/qUHdKtabgNo
Prof. Darrell Hamamoto, who is an American writer, ... Show More
1h 35m
May 2024
Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and the Benefits of Beef
<p>The rap superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been on a collision course for a decade, trading periodic diss tracks to assert their superiority—but earlier this month the long-simmering beef erupted into a showdown that said as much about the artists as it did about the art ... Show More
46m 16s
Oct 2024
#399: 13 Deaths Around Diddy: 9 Victims of City College Incident, Tupac & Biggie, Kim Porter, and more
<p>In September 2024, Eminem released a new song - the lyrics read:</p><p>“I’m like a R-A-P-E-R </p><p>Got so many SAs </p><p>Wait </p><p>He didn’t just spell the word rapper and leave out a P-Didhe?</p><p>RIP, rest in peace Biggie and Pac </p><p>Both of y’all should be living </ ... Show More
2h 11m
Jul 2025
#Throwback Episode - w/ Snoop Dogg | (Ep. 23 & 26)
N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs and we're taking it back to some of the most legendary moments in Drink Champs history Classic interviews, unforgettable stories, and iconic guests who shaped the culture.In this classic throwback episode of Drink Champs, N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN ... Show More
2h 23m