Last Updated on 05/12/2020
Podcasts have erupted exponentially over the last few years, which is a bit of a blessing and a curse. In 2020 there’s a show for literally everything, and while it’s great to have so much choice, the sheer magnitude of content out there can be a little overwhelming at times.
Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 hip-hop podcasts; whether you’re into album reviews, interviews, rap politics or activism, there’s something here for everyone!
5. Hip-Hop Can Save America.
In fifth place we’ve got Hip-Hop Can Save America. This choice is a little more left field, as it doesn’t strictly address the genre in a musical sense. Instead, the show spotlights the ways in which hip-hop is being used across America as an educative force for change.
Hosted by music journalist Manny Faces this show “explores the innovative, inspiring, and often surprising ways hip-hop music, culture, and sensibilities are being applied in areas such as education, science/technology, health/wellness and more”. This echoes the general goals of the Hip-Hop Centre for Advocacy, the organisation that produces this show: established in 2010, they run a think tank and produce academic research on hip-hop based education models.
The show’s had an impressive range of guests; from Dr Ian Levy speaking about hip-hop based counselling frameworks in schools, to Mark Katz discussing his U.S Department of State funded diplomacy program that sends hip-hop artists across the globe as cultural ambassadors, Manny covers education, theatre, activism and technology, speaking to the leading figures of these fields who are using hip-hop to promote sociopolitical education in all its forms.
4. Hip Hop Saved My Life With Romesh Ranganathan.
This one seems to be a bit of a marmite contender, but personally I think it’s great. If you don’t know, Romesh Ranganathan is a British comedian who loves his hip-hop. If you’re looking for hardcore musical analysis (which we’ll come to later this week!) then this probably isn’t for you, but if you want insightful, comic and often poignant insights into people’s personal journeys with the genre, then this is definitely worth a listen.
Romesh sits down with a different guest each episode, chatting to them about their experience of hip-hop. The show’s technically got quite a rigid structure (questions are broken down into “how did you get into hip-hop”, “what was the first hip-hop album you bought” and “what’s your favourite hip-hop album”), but it’s anything but formal: as cliche as it sounds, you really do feel like you’re in a room with some friends, talking about the first house party you went to, the first vinyl you bought, that one gig that really imprinted on you. You’ll be reminded of some classics you love, and most likely be introduced to some new stuff too. Ideal.
One of the show’s best qualities is its sheer range of guests (being an award winning comedian opens a few doors apparently). Romesh has chatted with his fair share of djs and MCs (Kano, Little Simz, Ocean Wisdom, Sampa the Great and Mark Ronson are just some of many music moguls who’ve been on), but there are also some iconic appearances from the likes of Louis Theroux, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Jamie Redknapp and Stephen Merchant. Just a really enjoyable listen.
3. People’s Party with Talib Kweli.
It would be hard to think of a more iconic host for a hip-hop show than Talib Kweli, the rapper and activist who rose to fame as half of Black Star with Mos Def in the late ‘90s.
Kweli’s had an elite career, collaborating with hip-hop’s creme de la creme (Kanye, Madlib, Dilla, Q Tip – the list is endless), and this is reflected back in the guests that appear on this weekly interview show. Some of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time have sat down with Kweli, but it’s refreshing to see these figures humanised and taken off their pedestal for a while. Instead of an adoring journalist probing one of their idols you’ve got two musicians talking casually and candidly about the hip-hop world. Chuck D, Method Man, Ice Cube, Common, Rapsody are just a few examples of the industry giants who’ve been on the show, and I’ve honestly never heard them interviewed in such an organic and lowkey way.
Talib’s clearly a graceful interviewer, but his co-host Jasmin Leigh can’t be overlooked – a comedian and presenter with an immense knowledge of the genre, Jasmin brings a subtle but important female perspective to many of the issues the show discusses. Kweli has dedicated much of his career to political activism, specifically working to address police brutality and the prison industrial complex, and this social consciousness permeates the podcast, as guests are invited into thoughtful conversations about these crucial issues, and the ways in which these integrate into hip-hop culture.
2. Dissect.
I honestly don’t know anyone who’s listened to this podcast without becoming OBSESSED with it. The only reason it’s not at numero uno is because it doesn’t exclusively cover hiphop, but apart from that technicality it’s basically perfect.
If you’ve never listened to Dissect before, you’re in for a treat. It’s a deceptively simple concept: “a serialized music podcast that examines a single album per season, one song per episode.” The existing 6 seasons have delved into Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN, Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange and Blonde (my personal favourite), The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and most recently, Beyonce’s Lemonade.
I was surprised when I saw a picture of Cole Cuchna, Dissect’s host, for the first time, as he was so much younger than I’d expected; in my eyes someone with that level of perception and insight had to be at least 40+. Apparently not.
The research that goes into the show is immense; the track by track musical and lyrical analysis is unparalleled in its detail and sensitivity, but it never feels like overkill. Whether it’s the cadences, the subtle but significant interval shifts or the myriad meanings lying behind a single phrase, no stone is left unturned, but somehow the magic of the music remains in tact.
You come away feeling absolutely submerged in not only the album but the person behind it. Couldn’t recommend more.
1. Hip Hop Heads Podcast.
The number one spot goes to Hip Hop Heads Podcast. This show basically just does what it says on the tin, but in a really enjoyable way. It’s woefully underrated in my opinion, with only 116 followers on insta, but we love an underdog.
The show’s run by Chris and Koopa, “just two friends with different hip hop experience that love discussing the culture and the music”. This lowkey feel definitely permeates the show, but it’s nice to listen to something that isn’t super professional for once.
Although they discuss current rap news, the show mainly focuses on album reviews, striking a perfect balance between iconic works and current releases. It’s a great way to find new stuff that you haven’t necessarily listened to before, but it also reminds you of some absolute classics that you haven’t listened to in far too long. Definitely worth a listen!
