That's Hip-Hop

Send us Fan Mail Curtiss King, a hip-hop artist, producer, and YouTuber from the Inland Empire, gives That's Hip-Hop an honest look at what it takes to build a career on your own terms. He talks about the scene that shaped him, the creative crew that pushed him to raise his game, and why community still matters in a world that lives online. Along the way he shares the stories behind some of h...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the conversation centers on Czarface’s Meets Frankie Pulitzer and what makes the project stand out beyond its unusual collaboration with actor Tom Hardy. The hosts discuss Czarface’s signature blend of gritty boom bap, intricate lyricism, science-fiction imagery, and comic-book storytelling, exploring how Inspectah Deck, 7L, and Esoteric have built a distinctive i...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, the hosts revisit Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz’ 2002 album Kings of Crunk and make the case that the “he’s not really hip-hop” crowd got it wrong. They talk about how Lil Jon went from Atlanta club DJ to the man behind some of the biggest records of the 2000s. They also dig into a story most people never knew: the beat for Petey Pablo’s “Freek-a-Leek” is essen...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the raw grit of ’90s New York hip-hop collides with a new generation of razor-sharp lyricism? On Episode #202 of Sock It to My Pocket, the crew dives into Rome Streetz’s Socket to My Pocket, a hard-hitting album that proves boom bap isn’t just a sound from the past—it’s a tradition being pushed forward. Backed by legendary producers like Pete Rock, The Alchemist,...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to become one of hip-hop’s most technically gifted MCs without losing the personality, humor, and creativity that make you unforgettable? On this episode of That’s Hip-Hop, we sit down with legendary Fu-Schnickens lyricist Chip Fu to explore the mind behind the rapid-fire delivery, intricate wordplay, and Caribbean-inspired rhythms that helped make him one of the...

Send us Fan Mail Thirty years later, why does Tupac’s name STILL come up whenever the conversation turns to the greatest rapper of all time? On Disc 2 of All Eyez on Me, we dive into the side of Pac that goes beyond the hits — the paranoia, the vulnerability, the street energy, the spirituality, the contradictions, and the incredible ability to make all of it feel completely authentic. From “Can’t...

Send us Fan Mail What made Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez on Me more than just a legendary rap album—and would it have reached the same heights without Death Row Records? In celebration of their 200th episode, the That’s Hip Hop crew takes a deep dive into one of the most consequential albums in hip-hop history. They unpack Tupac’s explosive return from prison, his alliance with Death Row, the star-studd...

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Send us Fan Mail This lively album review explores why Digital Underground’s Sex Packets remains one of hip-hop’s most inventive and misunderstood debuts. The hosts celebrate the group’s fusion of funk, comedy, theatrical personas, musicianship, and experimentation, arguing that beneath classics like “The Humpty Dance” and “Do What You Like” lies a deeper philosophy centered on individuality, incl...

Send us Fan Mail This episode dives into WWF Aggression, the 2000 soundtrack that captured an almost perfect collision of two cultural forces at their peak: hip-hop and the WWF Attitude Era. The discussion explores how the rebellious energy, larger-than-life personas, catchphrases, storytelling, and swagger of wrestling naturally mirrored hip-hop’s emphasis on identity and mythology. Rather than s...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of #197 HEAVY MENTAL ALBUM REVIEW takes a deep dive into Killer Priest’s 1998 debut Heavy Mental, treating the album less like a conventional rap record and more like an intellectual and spiritual expedition. The hosts explore how Priest pushes beyond Wu-Tang’s gritty street aesthetic into philosophy, religion, ancient history, mysticism, astronomy, and metaphysics, m...

Send us Fan Mail What if one of the greatest underground hip-hop groups you've never heard of helped shape some of the most lyrical minds in rap? In this episode of That's Hip-Hop, we take a deep dive into MHz's 2001 compilation Table Scraps—a project packed with razor-sharp punchlines, mind-bending metaphors, and the early brilliance of Copyright, Camu Tao, Jakki tha Motormouth, Ta...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of That’s Hip Hop shines a spotlight on Lords of the Underground and their 1993 debut album Here Come the Lords, making the case that the New Jersey trio deserves far more recognition in discussions of golden-age East Coast hip-hop. The hosts explore how the group's identity stood apart from many of their contemporaries, arguing that while other high-energy acts...

Send us Fan Mail Beneath the aggressive bars, wild punchlines, and gunslinger imagery, Mercutio X reveals something unexpected: a self-described nerd obsessed with Shakespeare, psychology, mythology, and the power of storytelling. In this candid conversation, he unpacks the origins of his unique artistic identity, explaining how a shy kid from the Inland Empire transformed into one of underground...

Send us Fan Mail Fabolous has always been one of hip-hop's greatest enigmas—a rapper universally respected for his pen, punchlines, and effortless cool, yet constantly left out of conversations about the era's defining classic albums. In this episode, the crew takes a deep dive into Real Talk and asks the question fans have debated for years: is this the album that came closest to giving...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the biggest movie star on the planet decides to prove he can still dominate the rap game? In this episode, the hosts revisit Will Smith's Big Willie Style and unpack why the album became one of the defining crossover successes of the late '90s. From the unstoppable run of Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black to the chart-smashing hits "Gett...

Send us Fan Mail This episode revisits The Firm's 1997 debut album with the argument that it deserves far more respect than its reputation suggests. Rather than dwelling on the long-standing narrative that the project "flopped," the hosts examine the album's overlooked strengths—its elite lineup of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Nature, Dr. Dre's ambitious production, and the de...

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Send us Fan Mail In this unforgettable episode of That's Hip Hop, Inland Empire legend Dirty Birdie takes us deep into his journey from the streets of San Bernardino to becoming one of Southern California's most respected underground hip-hop voices. With trademark humor, honesty, and lyrical sharpness, Birdie reflects on the origins of his unforgettable name, his early influences, the ri...

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Send us Fan Mail What happens when hip-hop’s loudest era of rebellion collides with two artists who refused to stop having fun? In this lively deep-dive review of Too Hype , the hosts revisit Kid ’N Play’s 1988 debut and make the case that the duo weren’t just party rappers—they were cultural architects. From choreography, charisma, and playful call-and-response flows to breaking into movies, cart...

Send us Fan Mail This episode dives far deeper than a typical album review—it becomes a conversation about legacy, perception, and what happens when talent doesn’t always receive the recognition people expect. Centered on Wale’s Ambition (2011), the hosts unpack the moment he transformed from blog-era favorite into a mainstream force, blending lyrical depth, DMV identity, go-go influence, and radi...

Send us Fan Mail This episode dives into far more than an album review—it becomes a conversation about identity, artistry, faith, and what it means to exist between worlds. The hosts unpack Lecrae’s Anomaly as a landmark moment in hip-hop: an album that challenged the idea that faith-based music had to stay in its own lane while proving lyrical skill and mainstream appeal could coexist. Through de...

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