Take It Personal Podcast

Episode 32 has been long overdue. Pharoahe Monch is a part of the lyrical elite, and yet, still doesn't quite receive the props he deserves. After this tribute, that WILL end today! There has never been a Pharoahe Monch tribute of this magnitude before. We felt it was not only necessary, but equally important to do. Additionally, what would a Take It Personal tribute be without the man of the hour stopping by to share some stories? We talk Paul C., Extra P, and even Kool Keith. We find out what it was like being passed on by Russell Simmons (along with Nas) and signing with Disney. We break down the Stress: Extinction Agenda album cover. We touch on his relationship with O.C. and the fact he thought the Time's Up beat was pretty wack. We talk Rawkus, ghostwriting for Puffy, sampling, sports, what went wrong on The Equinox; yes, we went there. We asked everything and he answered everything, including the possibility of an OK reunion. We have 86 tracks displaying the brilliance of Pharoahe Monch; we

During our 2-part, 13 hour Native Tongues tribute, Mike G. of the Jungle Brothers stopped by to share stories about DJ Red Alert, Chris Lighty, Hip-House, the whole Native collective and even sheds light on a possible NT reunion.

As the summer comes to an end, we felt the best way to transition was to let the music do the talking. We have new joints by Redman, Westside Gunn, DJ Muggs, Redman, Dres, Blueprint, Apollo Brown & Locksmith, plus we sprinkle in smooth favorites by Little Brother, Hieroglyphics, Felt, O.C. and take it back to '93 with classics by Fat Joe, Ultramagnetic MC's, Brand Nubian, MC Breed, Tha Alkaholiks and KMD to name a few. We also catch-up with our longtime friend Supastiton, who shares some great stories and was kind enough to allow us to remix one of his tracks too. Sit back, relax and enjoy the musical journey and peace to all of the Stevie Wonder fans out there - this cover is for you!

Wrapping up the final installment of our Native Tongues Tribute, we bring you 7+ chock-full hours of classics, current jawns, remixes and even more collaborative efforts. Because a 7 hour show isn't ideal for streaming sites, we decided to turn Episode 30 into an A side and B side. This should also help eliminate the anxiety of having to sit through an episode 7+ hours long too. Special guest Mike G. of the Jungle Brothers stops by to share stories about DJ Red Alert, Chris Lighty’s OCD, the ultimate hip-house classic, touring the UK and Mike even sheds light on a possible NT reunion. We damn near cover everything imaginable our 2-part 13+ hour Native Tongue Tribute. On part 2, we've included progression mixes for both De La and Tribe. We dig deeper in the Black Sheep and J. Beez catalog. We’ve got gems from Queen Latifah, Chi-Ali with the help of The Beatnuts and we even delve in to the solo work of Phife Dawg, Dres and Q-Tip. Episode 30 has 121 tracks (210 total in the tribute), including a fresh DJ 360

Wrapping up the final installment of our Native Tongues Tribute, we bring you 7+ chock-full hours of classics, current jawns, remixes and even more collaborative efforts. Because a 7 hour show isn't ideal for streaming sites, we decided to turn Episode 30 into an A side and B side. This should also help eliminate the anxiety of having to sit through an episode 7+ hours long too. Special guest Mike G. of the Jungle Brothers stops by to share stories about DJ Red Alert, Chris Lighty’s OCD, the ultimate hip-house classic, touring the UK and Mike even sheds light on a possible NT reunion. We damn near cover everything imaginable our 2-part 13+ hour Native Tongue Tribute. On part 2, we've included progression mixes for both De La and Tribe. We dig deeper in the Black Sheep and J. Beez catalog. We’ve got gems from Queen Latifah, Chi-Ali with the help of The Beatnuts and we even delve in to the solo work of Phife Dawg, Dres and Q-Tip. Episode 30 has 121 tracks (210 total in the tribute), including a fresh DJ 360

Every once in a while, we hit you with a tribute that requires several hours of your time. This is one of them. The Native Tongues collective are comprised of some of the most important, most influential and some of biggest innovators hip-hop has seen. With the help and hustle of Red Alert and Chris Lighty, The Native Tongues were a force to be reckoned with. The Jungle Brothers paved the way for groups like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Black Sheep. Prior to The Flava Unit, Queen Latifah was this crew's Den mother. Along with her protégé Monie Love, they were both instrumental in helping the female movement in hip-hop. The Native Tongues provided plenty of classic albums, countless anthems and produced more offspring than Joe Jackson (RIP). The Natives helped jump-start the careers of Busta Rhymes, Chi-Ali, Mos Def, J Dilla, The Beatnuts and have influenced artists like Brand Nubian, K.M.D., Common, Bush Babees, The Roots, Slum Village, Little Brother, Kanye West, Kweli, Pharrell, Hieroglyphics, The

On episode 28, we discuss beef. Today’s beef ain’t what it used to be, so like Biggie said "What’s beef?" Pusha T vs. Drake is fun, but we remind you of when these battles meant something. And speaking of reminding, it’s time we remind everyone that Black Thought being a top 5 is no longer up for discussion. Seasons change mad things rearrange and with this summer heat we had to lace you with classics from Naughty By Nature, Heavy D, Slum Village, O.C., Main Source, Cypress Hill, KMD, Jay-Z, Big Daddy Kane and you know no TIP episode is complete without a DJ 360 remix! We also have new joints from Pusha T, Black Thought, J. Cole, Forever M.C. and an exclusive by Vanderslice & Conway. Producer extraordinaire and professional feelings hurter, Vanderslice also stops by to talk about his upcoming album The Best Album Money Can Buy and to debut of our new segment – The Happy Recap w/Vanderslice. This is the start of summer and Take It Personal plans to keep you entertained all throughout. Grab your drinks, smok

On episode 27, we’re joined by our close friend and former Philaflava Show member, DJ Krisis. We're all feeling good on this episode thanks to some incredibly strong edibles and the sounds of the 90s. For many, this show will take you right back to high school with classics and forgotten gems from King Just, Private Investigators, Now Born Click, Da King & I, Kurious, Gravediggaz, Organized Konfusion, OutKast, Big Mike, Cash Money Click, Boogiemonsters, Trends of Culture, World Renown, KMD, plus, DJ 360 laces us with a remix of Woo-Hah. We also got a little friendly DJ battle between DJ 360 vs. DJ Krisis on this episode. Trust me, you don't want to miss this! Track list: 1. King Just - Warrior's Drum 2. Private Investigators - Mash Up The Mic (Remix) 3. Trendz of Culture - Off & On 4. Now Born Click - Mad Sick 5. Da King & I - Krak Da Weazel 6. Poor Righteous Teachers - Nobody Move 7. M.O.P. - How About Some Hardcore 8. Nas - One Time 4 Your Mind 9. Intelligent Hoodlum (Tragedy) - Grand Groove (Remix) 10.

On episode 26, we’re joined by the man responsible for saving New York hip-hop, Mr. Roc Marciano. Fresh off Rosebudd's Revenge Part 2 (The Bitter Dose), we discuss the past, present and future with Roc Marci. We check the status of the Metal Clergy project with Ka. We dig into his production style and sequencing. We touch on his influence on today’s rappers and even find out his opinions on certain rappers like Black Thought, Eminem, Jay Electronica, Podsnous, Kool Keith and GZA. We learn he’d like to work with Rick Ross and that his pimp hand is very strong. We got a heavy dose of Roc jawns on this episode too, as well as music from Meyhem Lauren, Crimeapple, Apathy, Oddisee, Freeway, Breez Evahflowin', Brother Ali, Recognize Ali, Westside Gunn, Murs, Daniel Son, O.C., Showbiz & A.G. & Phonte to name a few. Plus, DJ 360 cooks up a marvelous Marci remix. Keep it locked! 1. Roc Marciano - Respected 2. Freeway & Jake One - One Thing feat. Raekwon 3. J.U.I.C.E. - It's All One 4. Roc Marciano -

Writer, actor, A&R, sneaker addict and all-around amazing story-teller, Bonz Malone joins Take It Personal on our Prodigy tribute show. There are people in this world that talk about it and then there are those who live it. Bonz Malone does both. After 3+ decades of contributions, Bonz has been apart of some of the greatest hip-hop stories, movements and even movies. Whether it was his time penning acclaimed features in The Source, Vibe and Spin, appearing in the movies Whiteboyz, Brooklyn Babylon, Life, consulting for Juice or even winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his own movie Slam, Bonz has done more than most people. In this interview, he entertains, informs and shares some great stories about Wu-Tang, the time he lost the chance to sign Biggie over a friendly dice game, and of course, signing Mobb Deep to their first record deal.

When the teacha talks, you listen. KRS-One stopped by Take It Personal to discuss, well, everything. This isn’t just our best interview, it’s our most favorite! KRS-One is not one to shy away from any topic, so we covered his beef with MC Shan, politics, working with R.E.M., Ced Gee’s involvement on Criminal Minded, working with DJ Premier again, his musical influence, his fame and he even laced us with an off-the-top freestyle. Don't forget to check out the full tribute episode if you haven't already. It contains countless classics, unreleased gems, remixes and stellar guest spots. This interview is so good, by the time that 60 minutes is up, I'm certain you'll be wanting more Blastmaster.

Episode 25 was a dream come true for us. If you've listened to our Wu-Tang, DJ Premier, Prodigy, Atmosphere and Pete Rock tribute shows, you know we're like Steady B and take these tributes seriously. On this 5+ hour tribute, we take you back to the days of Boogie Down Production all the way to the Blastmaster of today. We sprinkle in boom bap classics, underground anthems, guest appearances, remixes and personal favorites throughout this musical journey. It's sometimes easy to forget greatness, but after this episode, we're certain everyone will remember just how important, influential and accomplished KRS-One is. We're also certain after listening, it's going to be difficult not to reconsider your greatest MC's rankings. We have a brand new website TakeItPersonalRadio.com where you can stream, download and view playlists for every episode we release. Enjoy our KRS-One tribute and keep real hip-hop alive! Playlist: 1. Rappaz R N Dainja 2. Criminal Minded 3. My Philosophy 4. Outta Here 5. Sound of The P

Apathy of The Demigodz joins us, and what was supposed to be a 20 minute interview turned out to be an hour. Ap gets personal with us, holding nothing back, while discussing everything from his come-up, the trials and tribulations of an indie rapper, being courted by Jimmy Iovine, signing with Atlantic records, being a Freemason, his production process, his mental health, his love for Don Mattingly, all the way to his future projects, including his collaboration with O.C., Perestroika.

Part 2 concludes our 8-hour Pete Rock tribute. It was a daunting task to properly celebrate Pete’s astonishing career but after two episodes and 480 minutes of music, we think we got it right. Part 2 focuses more on Pete’s work from the late 90s all the way to today. Besides the solo work, we have music from Rakim, Raekwon, Bumpy Knuckles, Phife Dawg, Black Star, Guru, Ghostface Killah, Ill Bill, Big L, Roc Marciano, The LOX, Redman, Planet Asia, Cormega, Sadat X, Termanology, Grap Luva, Nature, Torae, Smoke DZA, Cypress Hill, De La Soul & Apathy to name a few. Don't forget, we just relaunched our new website TakeItPersonalRadio.com, where you can stream, download and view all playlists for every episode, including this one. Please join us as we continue to celebrate one of the greatest producers to ever do it – Pete Rock!

Pete Rock was the honored guest on our Take It Personal Pete Rock Tribute. In addition to celebrating his catalog for over 6 hours, we got to chop it up with the man himself. We talk Heavy D, DJ Premier, the new De La Soul album, Dilla's influence, chilling with Redman, working with Kanye all the way to his top 5 producers. He also shared his thoughts on drumless beats phase and we even find out if they'll be another reunion with CL Smooth. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Pete Rock Tribute scheduled to drop late March.

Episode 24 was an idea we had for a while. We all said Pete Rock deserves a proper tribute, so we’re proud to finally present the first of two installments of this Soul Brother #1 tribute. If you had asked us a little over a year ago when we started Take It Personal, that we’d have two of the greatest producers of all-time as our guests, we wouldn’t have believed it. This is truly a case of dreams becoming reality. It was an honor celebrating Pete Rock’s distinguished catalog and even a bigger honor having him as a guest on our show. We talk with Pete about Heavy D, DJ Premier, De La Soul, Dilla, Redman, Kanye all the way to his top 5 producers. He shared his thoughts on drumless beats these days. We even get the answer to a possible CL Smooth reunion. Please join us as we celebrate one of the greatest producers to ever do it – Pete Rock!

Evidence stopped by Take It Personal to discuss his new album Weather or Not. We get into his passion for photography to growing up with QDIII and Red Foo (LMFAO) as well as memories of making scrambled eggs with James “Sonny Corleone” Caan. We talk Rhymesayers, Kanye West, Dilated and Alchemist too. We find out if there another Step Brothers album in the works, who are his favorite producers of all-time and what's it really like working with DJ Premier. As an added bonus DJ 360 remixed Dilated Peoples "Marathon," which can be heard at the end of this interview. Thanks to Mr. Slow Flow and be sure to check out the latest album Weather or Not on Rhymesayers Entertainment.

Our close friend, James Murphy, and one of our biggest show supporters unexpectedly passed away on January 26. Just 3 days after his 44th birthday. James was great person who made it his purpose in life to bring joy to others. I first met him in gym class my freshman year while discussing Brand Nubian’s In God We Trust. It was hip-hop that brought us together. Hip-hop was his passion, as it is for many of us. I was fortunate to experience many great concerts with him: A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Run-DMC, Brand Nubian, Heltah Skeltah, all the Rock The Bell tours too, but the one I'll never forget was Gang Starr. Guru was his absolute favorite. After the show he walked up to Guru, called him by his real name (Keith) and Guru was like, "you don't know me like that cousin." Of course, Guru was smiling, signed an auto and we all had our moment- a special moment we never forgot. They called James "MC Murf," even though he was far from an emcee. He reminded a lot of us of MC Serch. James was born and raised in

On episode 22, we’re joined by hip-hop historian, journalist and Boston native Dart Adams, as we discuss, dissect and disagree what makes a classic hip-hop album. Are there modern day classics? Are the standards different these days? Speaking of classics, we got a few from Redman, Main Source, K-Solo, Outkast, Rakim, EPMD, Brand Nubian, Double XX Posse, Da Youngsta’s, Smif-N-Wessun, Big L, Ill Al Skratch, plus some new music from both Planet Asia and Evidence. Thank you for tuning in, we know you're gonna love this one. Fly, Eagles, Fly!

Season 2 kicks off with special guests Apathy and Vanderslice. We talk classics, dickhead rappers, Griselda rappers and drum-less beats. Ap touches on his upcoming project Widow's Son, his collabo with Pete Rock and also shares some feelings about the Perestroika support. Vanderslice, an extremely dope beat maker himself, is brutally honest and brutally funny too. Nobody is safe when he is on the mic, not Talib Kweli, not Q-Tip, not Pete Rock and not even our homie Big Ghost. Episode 21 sounds like Stretch & Bob meets Viva La Bam. We pay homage to graffiti and have bangers on this show from Smoothe Da Hustler, Das EFX, Company Flow, Lord Finesse, Artifacts, EPMD, Conway, Roc Marciano, Real Live, Jedi Mind Tricks & Red Hot Lover Tone. Strap on the seat belt, cuz '18 is going to be one hell of a ride on Take It Personal.