Even without the machine of a major label behind him, Brooklyn rapper Kota the Friend has managed to release three EPs, three mixtapes, and two studio albums in the span of six years, earning him more than 200 Million global streams and co-signs from everyone from LaKeith Stanfield and Lupita Nyong’o, to SZA and Erykah Badu. Kota is even dropping another stu ... Show More
Dec 16
“Get greater later”: Hit-Boy on growth, boundaries, and building beyond music
Grammy-winning producer Hit-Boy has shaped the sound of modern hip-hop—crafting timeless records for Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Nas, Kanye West, and more. But behind the hits is a deeper story about creative ownership, personal growth, and learning when to let go. Recorded live at Fast Comp ... Show More
34m 10s
Nov 11
Going Solo: Tracee Ellis Ross on the future of unscripted storytelling
Since its debut, Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross has become Roku’s most-watched unscripted original (show?) ever—igniting global conversations about self-discovery, independence, and the freedom of traveling alone. At Fast Company's 11th annual Innovation Festival this past ... Show More
35m 39s
Nov 10
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHASE FOR BUSINESS - The Small Business Surge: Why Entrepreneurial Growth Is Defying Economic Noise
Small business owners are staying optimistic — three-quarters expect revenue gains despite ongoing labor shortages, inflation pressures, and economic uncertainty. Their confidence, fueled by strong demand and increased clarity around tax policy, is driving investment and innovati ... Show More
15m 5s
Jan 2024
Logic on His "Farewell" Album and Retiring to Rural Oregon
Bobby Hall -- better known by his stage name Logic -- first started making waves in the rap scene with his 2010 mixtape "Young, Broke, and Infamous". In 2018, he blew up and received two Grammy nominations for a song he titled 1-800-273-8255, which is the phone number for the Nat ... Show More
55m 35s
Aug 2017
Episode 274 Side B: Jay-Z's Rap Radar Interview + Lil Uzi Vert
Armond & Doc continue on this week by discussing Lil Uzi Vert's new album before going in-depth on Jay-Z's Rap Radar interview - his spirituality, the debate over his catalog, the controversies, etc. Plus a random digression into Eminem's production discography, a conversation wo ... Show More
52m 7s
Mar 2023
Geoff Harkness, "DVS Mindz: The Twenty-Year Saga of the Greatest Rap Group to Almost Make It Outta Kansas" (Columbia UP, 2023)
99.9% of aspiring rappers never make it in the music industry. So why do we only hear the stories of the ones who do?
DVS Mindz might be the greatest rap group you've never heard of. Formed in Topeka, Kansas, in the mid-1990s, they developed a reputation for ferocious rhyming and ... Show More
49m 10s
Dec 2020
Chronic Issues: Dr. Dre vs. Eazy-E
Back in the late 1980s, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E were members of N.W.A., one of the most important and iconic hip-hop groups ever. But in the wake of their historic 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, the two fell out over business disagreements. Once Dre went solo, he proceeded to rip ... Show More
49m 23s
Mar 2019
Logic: Logic & Chris Zarou
In 2010, Logic the rapper, born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he poured himself into his music. Logic's career could ... Show More
1h 11m