Episode 76 - August 4, 2015

Reasons Are Several

We spend an extended episode chronicling 30+ years of hip hop and how it all affected us.

• When did we fall in love with hip hop? (3:41)
• 1985-87: Beasties, LL Cool J and Run DMC get us started (5:21)
• 1988:Public Enemy, NWA, Big Daddy Kane, and Erik B and Rakim take us to the next level (22:16)
• Matt's crew gets hosed at the 8th grade lip synch contest despite a rousing performance of 'A Fly Girl' by Boogie Boys (30:23)
• 1989: Paul's Boutique is the Beastie's best, De La Soul arrives and then a slew of big hits by short-lived acts: Tone Loc, Young MC, Biz Markie, Special Ed, 3rd Bass, etc. (36:36)
• 1990: A Tribe Called Quest blows off our doors; Digital Underground; PE - Fear of a Black Planet (47:54)
• 1991: Tribe - Low End Theory; Cypress Hill blows up; Tupac's debut; Ice Cube - Death Certificate; Geto Boys; plus some hit and miss artists - Black Sheep, Del, Marky Mark, Fresh Prince, etc. (56:53)
• 1992: Deep Cover is incredible as Dre and Snoop dominate; Das Efx; Beastie Boys - Check Your Head, Ice Cube - Predator, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Geto Boys (69:49)
• 1993: Party songs - Hip Hop Hooray, I Get Around, Whoomp there it is, Slam; Tribe - Midnight Marauders; Snoop - Doggystyle (80:44)
• 1994: A huge year - Nas and Biggie debut in a big way; Gangstarr - Hard to Earn; Beasties - Ill Communication; Common - Resurrection; Outkast and Craig Mack debut (85:10)
• 1995: The Roots - Iladelph Halflife, Mobb Deep - The Infamous; Group Home - Supa Star; Raekwon - Only built 4 Cuban linx; and Skeelo wishes he was a little bit taller... (93:01)
• 1996: Jay-Z - Reasonable doubt; Tupac - All eyez on me; The Fugees - The Score; Outkast - ATLiens; and Matt went to Wyclef Jean's brother's birthday party in 2002 (97:22)
• 1997: Biggie - Life after death; Common - One day it'll all make sense (103:18)
• 1998: Blackstar debut is incredible; Gangstarr - Moment of truth; Outkast - Aquemini; DMX - It's dark and hell is hot; Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty; Fat Joe - Don Cartagena (107:23)
• 1999: Eminem arrives; The Roots - Things fall apart; Ludacris - Incognegro; Rakim - The master (115:06)
• 2000: Big L; Common - Like water for chocolate; Nelly - Country grammar; Talib Kweli - Reflection Internal; Outkast - Stankonia; Snoop - The Last Meal; (124:39)
• 2001-02: Jay-Z - Blueprint; Dilated Peoples - Expansion team; Ludacris - Move Bitch; Eminem - the Eminem Show; Common - Electric circus (sigh); Scarface (128:44)
• 2003-04: 50 Cent; Jay-Z - Black album; Dizzee Rascal - Fix up, look sharp; Kanye West - College dropout; De La Soul - The grind date; The Roots - Tipping point (131:56)
• 2005-present: Kanye - Late registration; Nas - Hip hop is dead; The Roots - Game theory; Rakim/Nas/KRS-One - Classic (137:43)