Best We Cut No Culture Corners Podcasts (2024)

1
Watch the queen conquer: MC Lyte, Quay Dash, the cast of 'Rap Sh!t' 55:10

1y ago55:10

55:10

In the first nine episodes of our season, Louder has tackled the unwritten rules of rap. For the finale, we dig into the root of all those rules: the scarcity mindset. It's the belief that access and resources are so limited for those marginalized in hip-hop that you need to fight tooth and nail for them, and that only one can make it to the top at…

1
Like poppa, like son: Rodney Carmichael 56:47

1y ago56:47

56:47

For Louder host Rodney Carmichael, interrogating misogynoir in hip-hop means confronting some hard questions — as a man, and especially as a father. As Rodney thinks about raising the next generation without replicating his mistakes, he's looking more closely at how hip-hop shaped his definition of masculinity. On this episode, something a little d…

1
What doesn't kill you makes you a strong Black woman: Rico Nasty 50:58

1y ago50:58

50:58

Rico Nasty's music creates a haven for heavy emotions. And in a world that paints Black girls showing any emotion as too much, having a place to release anger and anxiety is essential. But when Rico joined the 2021 Playboi Carti tour, his fans harassed her repeatedly and that safety was stripped away. On this episode, we talk with Rico about keepin…

1
Stay in your lane, shawty: Saucy Santana 45:55

1y ago45:55

45:55

Saucy Santana is part of a new wave of queer artists pushing back against stale standards in hip-hop. Bolstered by the reach of short sound bites on TikTok, the "Material Girl" rapper is not shy about rocking a beat face, trimmed beard, acrylic nails and booty shorts that have become his calling card. But in an industry that values marketability an…

1
Real n****s go hard (pause, no homo): iLoveMakonnen 55:12

1y ago55:12

55:12

How has hip-hop affected perceptions of Black masculinity? We unpack that question through the story of iLoveMakonnen, a rapper who has navigated different realms of masculinity his entire life, and faced backlash from the industry for being unapologetically himself.

1
If you see something, say nothing: Kim Osorio v. 'The Source' 59:44

1y ago59:44

59:44

In 2006, Kim Osorio, the editor-in-chief of The Source, sued the magazine and its owners for workplace sexual harassment. Nearly two decades later, hip-hop still has not had a true reckoning around sexual misconduct. In this episode, former Source writers take us behind the scenes at the hip-hop bible and the environment that led to the suit. And a…

1
A Note on Episode 5 1:40

1y ago1:40

1:40

Louder was planning to drop a new episode this morning about a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and workplace discrimination at The Source magazine in the early 2000s. But, because of circumstances beyond our control, we need to delay it. Our next episode drops on April 27. Listen for our full statement on the status of Rule No. 5.…

1
It ain't trickin' if you got it: Trina, Trick Daddy and Latto 57:23

1+ y ago57:23

57:23

How did the "bad bitch" replace the "ride or die chick" in hip-hop? In this episode we talk to the original baddest herself, Trina, about how her career flipped the script on dusty old stereotypes of Black women in rap, and left men down bad. We also sit down with Trick Daddy, the man that put her on, to hear how he feels to see her shining; and ch…

1
Beauty is in the eye of the male gaze: DreamDoll, Doechii and Baby Tate 51:29

1+ y ago51:29

51:29

The male gaze looms over everything, but hip-hop is its favorite entertainment. Those under its watchful eye feel objectified or shamed if they don't give it what it wants to see. In this episode, we share the stories of three artists who are pushing back on the male gaze in their personal relationships, social interactions and even industry-wide.…

1
Baby girl, you're only funky as your last cut: MC Sha-Rock 46:45

1+ y ago46:45

46:45

Decades before hip-hop's current renaissance of women rappers, there was MC Sha-Rock. Despite her influence on future generations, her contribution to the craft of hip-hop is not widely known. In this episode, we break down legacy: who gets to leave one in hip-hop and who gets left out.By NPR

1
Megan's Rule: Being exceptional doesn't make you the exception 36:34

1+ y ago36:34

36:34

It felt like the December 2022 trial of Tory Lanez sparked a divide in hip-hop, but it just stoked the flames of a 50-year-long battle for Black women to be heard. In the first episode of our new season, we take you into Megan Thee Stallion's testimony to unpack the impact of misogynoir on rap.By NPR

1
Louder Than A Riot Returns Thursday, March 16 3:36

1+ y ago3:36

3:36

Inside all corners of hip-hop, Black women and queer folk have dealt with the same oppression the music was built to escape. Season 2 of Louder Than A Riot examines who hip-hop marginalizes, and how misogynoir — the specific racist misogyny against Black women — is embedded into the fabric of the culture that we love.…

1
Lyrics Still On Trial: Young Thug and Gunna 14:42

2y ago14:42

14:42

Last week, two of Atlanta's biggest rappers Young Thug and Gunna were arrested under the RICO Act. The DA charged their crew YSL as a gang and the indictment read more like a lyrical analysis than a police report. If this sounds familiar, it's because these same tactics were used in cases we explored with DJ Drama, Bobby Shmurda, and Mac Phipps. In…

1
Presenting: On Our Watch 48:33

3y ago48:33

48:33

What happens to police officers who use excessive force, tamper with evidence or sexually harass someone? In California, internal affairs investigations were kept secret from the public — until a recent transparency law unsealed thousands of files. On Our Watch is a limited-run podcast from NPR and KQED that brings you into the rooms where officers…

1
21 Years and 1 Day: Mac Phipps (Exclusive) 47:47

3+ y ago47:47

47:47

After 21 years in prison, Mac Phipps has been recommended for clemency, which could mean early release. As we reported in our first season, Mac was convicted in 2001 of manslaughter, for a crime he has always said he did not commit. Now, we follow the former No Limit rapper as he navigates the clemency process — and for the first time, we get to ta…

1
Making Revolution Irresistible 1:08:28

3+ y ago1:08:28

1:08:28

Yo Gotti grew up in Memphis just across the state line from Mississippi State Penitentiary (aka Parchman) — so this year, when he learned about the squalor its inmates were living in, he wanted to help. Gotti enlisted Jay-Z and Roc Nation to sue the department of corrections for human rights violations. In our finale episode, we ask how much celebr…

1
Captured By The Game: Nipsey Hussle 1:05:00

3+ y ago1:05:00

1:05:00

After LA rapper Nipsey Hussle was murdered in 2019, city officials praised him for his community advocacy. But NPR has learned that behind the scenes, some law enforcement officers branded Nipsey as a gang member, and that label meant another man from Nipsey's neighborhood would be sent to jail — just for interacting with him. So why did California…

1
'Prison To Prison Pipeline': Isis Tha Saviour 1:04:32

3+ y ago1:04:32

1:04:32

Hip-hop loves a hero's come-up, but the culture often has a hard time seeing women as heroes. Two years ago, when Louder Than A Riot editor Chiquita Paschal discovered she had a sister — who rapped — she quickly saw how that double standard can take shape. Chiquita's sister is Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, aka Philly rapper Isis Tha Saviour. In this…

1
My Brother's Keeper: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 3) 59:31

3+ y ago59:31

59:31

Six years after his arrest, Bobby Shmurda's fans are still anxiously awaiting his return. The rapper ultimately stayed loyal to his crew in court, but the chokehold of conspiracy law also left him with few other options. In our final chapter of Bobby's story, we follow his legal drama: cycling through defense lawyers, being strong-armed by prosecut…

1
'Stay In The House': Bobby Shmurda (Pt 2) 45:40

3+ y ago45:40

45:40

Two young men grow up just blocks apart, each with aspirations to make it big. But while Bobby Shmurda sees his dreams come true, Bryan Antoine is killed by members of Bobby's crew. This is the story that lingers between the lyrics of Bobby's viral hit, "Hot N****." We talk to the family grieving Bryan's loss and review hours of incriminating GS9 p…

1
The Badder, The Better: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 1) 52:31

3+ y ago52:31

52:31

Just like his legendary disappearing hat, Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda's career was on the rise in 2014. But so was the evidence in a murder case against his crew, GS9. In the first of three episodes exploring Bobby's story, we look at his come-up through the eyes of former Epic Records exec Sha Money XL, who guided Bobby on his tightrope walk fro…

1
The Day The Mixtape Died: DJ Drama 1:05:03

3+ y ago1:05:03

1:05:03

In the early 2000s, mixtapes transformed Tyree Simmons into DJ Drama and molded T.I., Lil Wayne and Jeezy into rap superstars. But in 2007, those same mixtapes landed Drama in jail with a bank account balance of $0.00. In this episode, we break down the raid that turned the mixtape from cultural innovation into criminal conspiracy, from the perspec…

1
Outsmarting The Devil: Mac Phipps (Pt 3) 1:00:50

3+ y ago1:00:50

1:00:50

Exploitation of prisoners. Sexual assault allegations. A Supreme Court ruling that could hold the keys to freedom. In the third and final installment of Mac's story, we follow the ripples of Mac's case two decades after the verdict was handed down. What do the roadblocks in Mac's fight for exoneration say about liberty and justice for all? And how …

1
Lyrics On Trial: Mac Phipps (Pt 2) 56:21

3+ y ago56:21

56:21

"A bullet in your brain." What right does the justice system have to decide whether a rapper's words are imagination or intent to kill? In this continuation of Mac Phipps' story, police pressure witnesses, while prosecutors use the artist's own lyrics to build a murder case against him. And Mac isn't the first: From a century-old folk tune to Ice-T…

1
The Camouflage Assassin: Mac Phipps (Pt 1) 57:18

4y ago57:18

57:18

When New Orleans rap phenom Mac Phipps signed with Master P's No Limit Records, he knew his dream of hip-hop stardom was within reach. But in February 2000, Mac was accused of murder and the dream became a nightmare. Over the next three episodes, we investigate this story of race, corruption and rap lyrics on trial.…

1
The Conspiracy Against Hip-Hop 51:55

4y ago51:55

51:55

In this first episode, a mysterious conspiracy letter sends us on a journey to find out just how entangled hip-hop and mass incarceration have become over the last 40 years. We travel back in time to 1980s Atlanta with Killer Mike, 1990s Oakland with Too Short and beyond. From Reagan's war on drugs to a secret NYPD dossier of the world's biggest ra…

1
Louder Than A Riot: Coming Thursday, October 8 2:46

4y ago2:46

2:46

Bobby Shmurda. Nipsey Hussle. Mac Phipps. DJ Drama. What happens when hip-hop stars come into contact with the criminal justice system? In Louder Than A Riot, a new podcast from NPR Music, hosts Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden explore the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration through the stories of artists at the center.…

1
Introducing: Louder Than A Riot 1:35

4y ago1:35

1:35

From NPR Music, Louder Than A Riot traces the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration. Hosts Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden investigate the criminal justice system through the experiences of rap artists. Episodes available starting Thursday, October 8.By NPR

1
We Cut No Culture Corners Episode 1: A Silent Voice and a Discussion of Celebrity 1:26:52

6+ y ago1:26:52

1:26:52

Our boys discuss A Silent Voice, Spirited Away, and discuss the idea of celebrities. Twitters:@Napsy743@Avakian_Spontex@NoCultCornerCutBy We Cut No Culture Corners

Podcasts Worth a Listen

We Cut No Culture Corners Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
We Cut No Culture Corners

We Cut No Culture Corners

1
Louder Than A Riot

NPR

1
Watch the queen conquer: MC Lyte, Quay Dash, the cast of 'Rap Sh!t' 55:10

1
Like poppa, like son: Rodney Carmichael 56:47

1
What doesn't kill you makes you a strong Black woman: Rico Nasty 50:58

1
Stay in your lane, shawty: Saucy Santana 45:55

1
Real n****s go hard (pause, no homo): iLoveMakonnen 55:12

1
If you see something, say nothing: Kim Osorio v. 'The Source' 59:44

1
A Note on Episode 5 1:40

1
It ain't trickin' if you got it: Trina, Trick Daddy and Latto 57:23

1
Beauty is in the eye of the male gaze: DreamDoll, Doechii and Baby Tate 51:29

1
Baby girl, you're only funky as your last cut: MC Sha-Rock 46:45

1
Megan's Rule: Being exceptional doesn't make you the exception 36:34

1
Louder Than A Riot Returns Thursday, March 16 3:36

1
Lyrics Still On Trial: Young Thug and Gunna 14:42

1
Presenting: On Our Watch 48:33

1
21 Years and 1 Day: Mac Phipps (Exclusive) 47:47

1
Making Revolution Irresistible 1:08:28

1
Captured By The Game: Nipsey Hussle 1:05:00

1
'Prison To Prison Pipeline': Isis Tha Saviour 1:04:32

1
My Brother's Keeper: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 3) 59:31

1
'Stay In The House': Bobby Shmurda (Pt 2) 45:40

1
The Badder, The Better: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 1) 52:31

1
The Day The Mixtape Died: DJ Drama 1:05:03

1
Outsmarting The Devil: Mac Phipps (Pt 3) 1:00:50

1
Lyrics On Trial: Mac Phipps (Pt 2) 56:21

1
The Camouflage Assassin: Mac Phipps (Pt 1) 57:18

1
The Conspiracy Against Hip-Hop 51:55

1
Louder Than A Riot: Coming Thursday, October 8 2:46

1
Introducing: Louder Than A Riot 1:35

1
We Cut No Culture Corners Episode 1: A Silent Voice and a Discussion of Celebrity 1:26:52

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