The Breakfast Club - Conversations About The 10 Greatest Stories In Hip Hop History

Episode Date: July 11, 2023

Glasses Malone discusses the 10 Greatest Stories in Hip Hop, the impact, the reverence for those songs and why they hold their place in the history of hip hop culture. Tune in and comment in the socials below. Rate, subscribe, comment and share. Follow NC on IG @GlassesLocSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey y'all, Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home,

workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. Story behind the Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie.

But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

your podcasts. On Thanksgiving Day 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him.

Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Exposed the culture of crime and corruption. That were turning her beloved country into a mafia state. Listen to Crooks everywhere. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up? And welcome back to another episode of No Ceilings Podcast with your host. Nah, fuck that with your low glasses Malone.

Great. Of an extent amount or intensity considerably above the normal or average. One more time, nigga. Great. Of an extent amount or intensity considerably above the normal or average. Great. The etymology means big and massive. I saw an interview on Drink Champs with Tony Ayo. And

one of the questions was asked to someone about their favorite rapper and the host answered back Ice Cube. And Ayo says to him, shout out to Tony yay yo what a big dog Tony L says cube not fucking with big and I heard that and I thought to myself

cuz like I'm not mad at no New York nigga not really thinking Cube with a whole career is not better than Big with two records. Because Big had two phenomenal motherfucking records. Ready to Die, Life Right to Death were phenomenal joints. But after that, he said something to the equivalent of, Cube ain't a better storyteller than Big. That's where I got a motherfucking problem. That's where I got a motherfucking problem, dog. What are we really fucking talking about? Cube is not a better storyteller than Big. So I asked a couple of my partners that's on the

island. Shout out to all my partners in New York. I call them niggas the islanders because it's like they kind of have this restrictive view of hip hop as the creators, which I respect. I'm not tripping. That's how we feel about gangbanging, you feel me? So I can relate. But then I do expect at times for them niggas to really see shit for what it is. And I realized in their mind that they had the same feeling about Big. And that's not to say much. Notorious B.I.G. is a fucking terrific storyteller, like fantastic storyteller. Like this nigga is incredible. But Ice Cube cuz is on another level. And I'm talking to Charlamagne and Charlamagne is telling me Big's catalog is all stories. And I'm like, you obviously haven't heard Ice Cube's catalog

because you just wouldn't have said that. You know what I'm saying? So I took it upon myself to compile a list, do some homework over a couple of days, compile a list and start figuring out. Damn, what are the 10 greatest stories in hip hop? That would be a real way to get into this, like to really take it well, because as a certain place in brand, you know, I mean, when you like an artist, dog, that's a preference. And you can say best. Best is a preference. Better is a preference. Great is measurable. Great is measurable because it's not like better or best. Great means there's analytics to back this shit up. So I took the time and I start going through joints and I was like, okay, let me look through these joints. So as I remember going back to records jamming, I was jamming for hours, jamming for hours.

And I came up with a few things. Before I get into the 10 greatest stories in hip hop history, I'm going to talk about some that deserve just a quick conversation. Art of Storytelling by OutKast. That's a fantastic story. I used to love her by Common. Even though it's a way of him shitting on gangster rap and West Coast hip-hop, it's a fantastic story. Shout out to Common. Six in the Morning by Ice Cube. While I might not have it as the greatest, it's probably the most impactful. It's shaped gangster rap the way we know it today. As far as West Coast hip hop goes with storytelling. One of the songs in here is actually a direct descendant of Ice T.

Six in the morning. Shout out to the OG. Love's going to get you by BDP. That deserves an honorable mention because that's a fantastic story. Kick Push by Lupe Fiasco. Barely missed it. That's a fantastic story. Lou is my man and this is what he does. He's a fantastic storyteller as well. Paul Revere by the Beastie Boys. I don't think it gets credit as the story it is, but it's a dope ass story. Gin and Juice and Murder Was the Case is tied. Now, this is the thing. While Murder Was the Case is a story that's really popular and spawned the whole album, I understand because they didn't necessarily decide to push it across the world. It was something that took a life of its own. Right. And gin and juice.

It should be top five, except most people don't know gin and juice is actually a story. Yes, gin and juice is a story. You hear the hook and you jam and you say the words, but you don't know you're you're listening to a story of a day with Snoop Dogg going into the night, right? Shout out to Tonight because I genuinely believe DJ Quick Tonight's inspired gin and juice. Now let's get to the shit. At number 10 on the top 10 hip-hop's greatest story. Boys in the Hood by N.W.A. Written by Ice Cube, delivered by Eazy-E. I don't got to tell you how great of a story the song Boys in the Hood is. You know the fucking song. You know the fucking story, right? What it did, how it impacted hip-hop, it launched the career of N.W.A. That's N.W.A.'s first hit. That's the reason why people started giving N.W.A. a chance. It's one of the only two records that

ever charted for N.W.A. as far as the big charts even go, that and straight out of Compton, it launched Eazy-E into stardom. Eazy-E was somebody who didn't rap before that. He took on that song and it changed him into a star. And NWA had a star to wrap their group around before Cube came into his own. When Cube was just a rider and a dope MC, you know what I mean? Eazy-E was their star because of Ice Cube's pen and Boys in the Hood. Obviously, everybody started to figure out how dope of a rider Ice Cube was because of Boys in the Hood. The word got around that Ice Cube was a fantastic motherfucking writer. It launched Dr. Dre into a gangster rap producer. Once that happened, Dr. Dre didn't look back until Dr. Dre presents Aftermath. Dr. Dre was committed to that hardcore style because of the success of Boys in the Hood. it's arguably the biggest NWA song. Fuck the Police may be the most impactful,

but I don't think everybody knows the lyrics to Fuck the Police. I think they know the movement that is Fuck the Police. They may have heard the hook and the beat, but they don't know the words. Straight Outta Compton obviously is a really special joint, But man, I cannot tell you how many motherfucking kids under the age of 20. No boys in the hood. Mind you, boys in the hood is a direct descendant of six in the morning. So that's Ice-T's influence on Ice-Q. The ironic part about the whole conversation is the song wasn't written for N.W.A. or Eazy-E. It was written for a New York crew called HBO Homeboys only. They did not like the song. They turned down a song that ended up being generational defining. Them niggas is not popping because of that shit. You cannot turn down the winners.

I'm sure they didn't know, but I bet you they know now. Number nine, Slick Rick's children's story. Slick Rick's children's story. Y'all all know this motherfucking song. Everybody remembered this song when they was a fucking kid. It's self-produced. Slick Rick himself produced it. That's something we don't gloat enough about when hip-hop artists produce their own shit and the records that are successful.

It spawned one of the greatest R&B hits to come out of L.A., a number one song. This is how we do it by Montel Jordan, because it was such a dope break and such a dope melody that Slick Rick made. It turned Montel Jordan's song into an even bigger song. It's the motherfucking story is if you listen to the lyrics, the little boy was surrounded and that ended his glory. And that's the way Rick had to end that story. He was only 17 in a madman's dream. The shot, the cops shot the kids still hear him scream. They shot the nigga after he dropped the gun. So in theory, it's one of the first motherfucking records that we can identify as somebody saying, hey, the police ain't right.

This comes out before NWA. There's another song on my list that actually brings up police brutality and excessive force too, but it don't get enough credit, but we'll talk about it when we get to there. What the fuck kind of story is that to tell your nephews and nieces? Remember about this slick Rick story, because this is something, a story he's telling his nephews and nieces before bedtime. And they sound like they was four. Rick, we got to talk about that. That's a fucking crazy story to tell somebody four or five. And the kids shipped off the shit, too. They thought this motherfucker was crazy. They was calling him weird. Uncle Ricky's weird. Rick, you can't be telling the motherfucking kids them kind of stories at that age, man.

Like I get it. We as black people in America, you know, we go out to deal with some shit, but that's a crazy bedtime story. Nigga. Most people is telling people about, you know, singing people merry-go-rounds and lullabies and shit. You tell a motherfucking story about kids and motherfuckers getting killed and shit by the police getting shot. We got to talk about that big dog. Number eight is one of the most underrated stories and disrespected stories in the history of hip hop. Number eight is Through the Wire by Kanye West. Through the Wire by Kanye West. Self motherfucking produced. I don't got to tell you about the production of Kanye West because we had already heard it before that. But we were introduced to Kanye West, we had already heard it before that. But we were introduced to Kanye West, the motherfucking rapper. This motherfucker rapping the story of his personal tragedy

as it happened. A wreck at 3 a.m. in L.A. while working on music, falling asleep on a wheel, getting into a car accident that fucks him up. I think he had to be, you know, let like they had to get him out the car through the jaws of life at three in the morning. The motherfucker ended up at Cedars Sinai. Word was when cuz was in the hospital, he started writing lyrics to this song. Like, like when he came out of his coma and I think either his face had the surgery, like the inside scope was cuz was starting to figure out the song. Like he already knew he was going to flip through the fire by Chaka Khan to make this song.

So they said when they came to the studio, when they came to the hospital, cuz had like some ideas already for lyrics. He recorded the song only two weeks after. That's why if you listen to through the wire, cuz barely can open his mouth. As I said before, he sampled Chaka Khan's Through the Fire. Chaka Khan wouldn't even clear the motherfucking song until she saw that video. That video was one of the most brilliant and creative things I've ever saw in hip hop. If we keep it real, that video was crazy. Make sure you check that shit out. That shit was un-fucking-believable. And Chaka Khan wouldn't clear it until she saw the video.

She ended up regretting it and shit, talking shit about how he did the vocals, but he did Chaka Khan a favor because that shit is paying, and whoever wrote that song for Chaka Khan, they're getting paid because I know for sure them niggas, they make no money. I'm willing to bet there was no publishing to get on that song. I've never heard a story in hip hop that turns such tragedy into triumph. It's funny because that's one of the lyrics to the song, but I never heard that. Like a lot of hip hop stories that sad end on a sad note. This is one of the few that took a real underdog story, a sad story, and he won at the end and in real life. The whole time, Ye was trying to convince Rockefeller that he was going to be a successful

rapper. This was the song that proved it. I don't even think Rockefeller believed in it right when it was recorded, but they put it out and everything worked out. So shout out to Ye for that. But yeah, at number eight, Through the Wire, Kanye West. Respect that as a story it is. So y'all, this is Questlove and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast I've been working on with the Story Pirates and John Glickman called Historical Records. It's a family-friendly podcast. Yeah, you heard that right. A podcast for all ages. One you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nim podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Each episode is about a different, inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it.

And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was Claudette Colvin. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese investigative journalist who on October 16, 2017, was murdered.

There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate. My name is Manuel Delia. I am one of the hosts of Crooks Everywhere, a podcast that unhurts the plot to murder a one-woman Wikileaks. Daphne exposed the culture of crime and corruption that were turning her beloved country into a mafia state. And she paid the ultimate price. Listen to Crooks Everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha.

And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We're going to discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people to hopefully create better allies. Think of it as a black show for non-black people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. Exactly.

Whether you're black, Asian, white, Latinx, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, you name it. If you stand with us, then we stand with you. Let's discuss the stories and conduct the interviews that will help us create a more empathetic, accountable, and equitable America. You are all our brothers and sisters, and we're inviting you to join us for Civic Cipher each and every Saturday with myself, Ramses Jha, Q Ward, and some of the greatest minds in America. Listen to Civic Cipher every Saturday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jack Peace Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. I'm Jack Peace Thomas, and I'm inviting you

to join me and a vibrant community of literary enthusiasts dedicated to protecting and celebrating our stories. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while commuting or running errands, for those who find themselves seeking solace, wisdom, and refuge between the chapters. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Together, we'll dissect classics and contemporary works while uncovering the stories of the brilliant writers behind them. Black Lit is here to amplify the voices of Black writers

and to bring their words to life. Listen to Black Lit on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. From tips for healthy living to the latest medical breakthroughs, WebMD's Health Discovered podcast keeps you up to date on today's most important health issues. Through in-depth conversations with experts from across the healthcare community, WebMD reveals how today's health news will impact your life tomorrow. It's not that people don't know that exercise is healthy. It's just that people don't know why it's healthy.

And we're struggling to try to help people help themselves and each other. Listen to WebMD Health Discovered on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Number seven, my favorite artist in the history of artists, Scarface, I Seen a Man Die. Scarface, I Seen a Man Die. I don't know if you know the song, I Never Seen a Man Cry Till I Seen a Man Die. That's actually the title of the song,

because I Seen a Man Die. It's one of Scarface's only two top 40 records. This is the song that launched Scarface into solo stardom. N.O. Joe on the beat, Mike Dean. Mike Dean changes his trajectory. You know a lot about Mike Dean now because he works with Kanye. And Scarface is another person that produced on a song that really doesn't get enough credit as a producer. So shout out to Face for that production, right? If you heard Shed So Many Tears, I don't have to explain to you how touching the song is. Just go listen to it, dog. It's sad. That's a sad story where the dude dies in the end and regrets his circumstances. That's mostly how sad stories end in hip hop. It inspires Shed So Many Tears by Tupac.

If you go look at the Outlaws, the Outlaws have interviews where they say Pac was listening to Shed So Many Tears, and after that, he went to the studio to write, excuse me, he was listening to I Seen a Man Die, and he went to the studio to write. Excuse me. He was listening to I Seen a Man Die. And he went to the studio to write Share So Many Tears, which ended up being one of Pac's greatest songs in Los Angeles that launched him. Like all of my older homies, all the gang members before that, they might have played Pac a little bit when I get around. I mean, maybe a little bit of Dear Mama, maybe. But Dear Mama is after, you know, not so much. Keep your head up like niggas respected as a kid. I watched it because that shit was fire.

But she had so many tears is when my big homies and a lot of G niggas I know started really playing Tupac religiously. And it's probably the saddest story in hip hop. How a nigga get out of prison doing seven years and get into some shit, end up back in prison and commit suicide. And it's crazy because I think, I mean, Scarface is like one of them. I think it's like Edgar Allen Poe because of hip hop. Like that nigga shit is so heartfelt. And as I was talking to Charlamagne about Scarface, he said, man, it's people, other people have never touched you like Scar heartfelt. And as I was talking to Charlamagne about Scarface, he said, man, it's people, other people have never touched you like Scarface. And that's what makes Scarface brilliant. Like his richness, his texture as a storyteller. He's for sure my favorite guy of all

the guys in the world. Right. But again, it's like he has the work to back it up. I seen a man die as one of the most popular stories in hip-hop history. At number six is The Message. Yeah, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. It's the birth of conscious rap. This is the first conscious rap song. It's another sad story where somebody ends up dying at the end, and them niggas end up going to jail. And the crazy part is the owner of the label, Sylvia Robinson, is the only person who believed in the song. Mind you, nobody else from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is on the song but Melly Mel and the producer, Duke Booty. That's

the only people on the song. Melly Mel didn't producer, Duke Booty, that's the only people on the song. Melly Mel didn't even like the song because at that point, hip hop was all about partying. Like I always tell y'all, the hop is a party. The hop is like my father and them used to call a dance. Are we going to a hop? Hip is a cool thing. So hip hop is where it came from. So hip hop was about partying and being boastful about making yourself, why are you so fresh? Why are you so cool? Until the message came out. The message birthed dealing with the struggle completely different. You know what I'm saying? Not to mention most people don't know, but it was written as a theme to the 1980 New York City Transit strike. Like this was hip hop breaking barriers then. The message is a fantastic is probably the second greatest story to ever come out of hip hop.

So even though people didn't believe that this was going to be the wave of hip hop, Melly Mel and Duke Booty took a chance and in a birth in a genre. That's why what Melly Mel has, what he has to chance and ended up birthing a genre. That's why when Melly Mel has what he has to say about Eminem or any other rapper, I just listen. Even if I don't agree, I'll just disagree. You know, Mel, I don't know, but I put respect on the shit Melly Mel talking about because he birthed the genre of conscious rap. There is no Nas without Melly Mel. There is no motherfucking Tupac without Melly Mel. There is no conscious rap without fucking Melly Mel. There is no motherfucking Tupac without Melly Mel. There is no conscious rap without fucking Melly Mel. Ice Cube may check yourself from the message, which is another

fantastic story that we don't really give credence to. Can't nobody hold me down by Puff and motherfucking Mase is a flip of the message. That was a smash hit record. Coil of Rage just flipped it last year and made players. And that motherfucker was a number one smash. A huge record. It's just levels. Not to mention, this is most likely one of the most important, if not the most important reason that the Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five were the first hip hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

And it's most likely because of the song The Message. So it's weird that they didn't want to fuck with the song, but this song is probably the primary reason. No disrespect to the rest of their work. The rest of their work get off too, but this particular song is a game-changing song, and at birth, you don't get Kendrick Lamar without the fucking message. So shout out to Mel, shout out to Duke. At number five, we right back with my boy Scarface, mind playing tricks on me by the Ghetto Boys. The reason I give Scarface so much credit is Scarface wrote three of the four verses. It was a Scarface solo song.

J Prince thought it was a good idea and he thought it could break the Ghetto Boys. J Prince was right. Shout out to J Prince. That motherfucker don't be missing. It's the first song in hip hop to address mental health. Right now, all these motherfuckers is crazy on mental health. You hear all these motherfuckers talking about anxiety and all this shit, and this is the first song. See, it comes across as guilty conscious for being this way, but really it's a take on anxiety back in 1990 fucking what? Most people don't know Scarface wrote this song because he'd been through a lot of traumatic shit. There was a time Scarface tried to kill himself and got put into like an asylum. At least that's what I heard. Scarface is a deep person, and when you border

that type of deepness, I'm sure it's dangerous and it probably could be dangerous to your health and to your livelihood. Scarface is brilliant at a cost. He don't go to these places for free. This shit cost him some time before, I would imagine, because there's no way you could be that fucking deep and not been to those places where you thought about ending life. Mind playing tricks on me is just a simple old expression from Southerners. You know what I mean? When something is going on and they're like, ah, I'm tripping.

Most people don't know it was self-produced. Scarface produced mind playing tricks on me. It's another thing. Again, Scarface is such an underrated talent in music, and that's saying a lot because Scarface gets a lot of props, but he deserves a lot more props. Shout out to N.O. Joe. Shout out to Mike Dean, but they will tell you that Scarface was just as vested in the production. That's why right now, when that motherfucker jump on stage to do a show, that motherfucker jump up there with a guitar and be playing that motherfucker. This song established the South in the gangster rap realm. This single song to the rest of the country.

I'm sure the South had more songs before this, but this was the first time to the rest of the country. The South planted their flag like, oh, we here. This is the real the South got something to say moment. Shout out to OutKast. Shout out to Dre. But ghetto boys mind playing tricks was the first time that the South put they they motherfucking flag in the sand in the West, the Midwest and the East collectively and said the South got something to say and everybody decided to listen kid cuddy personally says it inspired day and night so just like scar faces i've seen a man die inspired tupac's share so many tears

mind playing tricks on me inspire kid cuddydy's day and night. And I really don't fuck with Cuddy's music, but that might make me have to listen to it a lot more times because I've heard it enough times. And I do see the correlations, but if that's true, man, shout out to Cuddy because that's ill as fuck. You flipped the shit out there because that's player. I fuck with that. at number four, and a lot of motherfuckers is going to hate this, is Stan by Eminem. I mean, everybody fucking knows Stan. The term Stan is so popular. The term may have escaped the popularity of the song because a Stan is how you talk to somebody who just stalking you. That's an addition to the culture. Niggas is calling each other stands. That nigga's a stand because you are a stalker or you are a groupie to something somebody else is doing. The motherfucker had a clean version

to the lyrics and it still got over censored. Certain words got over censored because that's how scared and fearful they were of what Eminem's influence could be with his lyrics It's most likely Eminem's greatest song Eminem got number one songs I'm sure Stan didn't chart number one, but there's probably no greater hip-hop contribution than Stan Shout out to all the rest of the dope records, but Stan is that shit, and it's self-fucking produced. Nobody talks about it self-produced. He did that with 45 King. Shout out to 45 King because he's another motherfucking one. Do your homework on 45 King.

45 King is crazy. Eminem mixed the song himself. That motherfucker mixed the song himself. With Dre back there, he still mixed the song himself. That's pretty dope. Dr. Dre and Philip Atwell directed the video. And when I tell you they got that video right, man, I can't stress it enough. Dr. Dre is another guy to me who directs music videos that don't get enough credit. Dr. Dre actually also directed nothing but a G thing. Two iconic videos, Stan and nothing but a G thing. But again, Eminem at number four, you feel me, with Stan as one of the top 10 greatest stories in hip hop history. Number three, we right back to the East Coast and this is the greatest story ever told from a New York MC just a friend by biz mark rest in peace

that's right just a friend by biz mark rest in peace that was one of the earliest times we learned about skeezers at a high level through hip hop. Just a Friend by Biz Mark. For some reason, New York don't respect what Biz Mark do as an MC, even though his style burst, old dirty bastard. His style is influential with busting rhymes. But again, the biasness of what you think a punchline is versus the ability to deliver a message and get it across. Biz Mark at number three with Just a Friend is the third greatest story ever in hip hop history. It's self-produced with karma. Shout out to karma. Karma don't get no credit. Biz Mark DJ helped on it as well. I think the video was produced by Benny Medina, who later on goes to do Fresh

Prince of Bel-Air. I'm sure y'all heard of that show before once or twice. This is one of the earliest times someone in hip hop sang their own hook. And when everybody, I heard everybody was in the studio, they was like, man, you're going to let Biz sing the hook on this motherfucker? He's like, man, this shit feel good. Biz is not credited with his creativity. I heard somebody call him a one-hit wonder, and I get it because if they're talking about billboard charts, maybe that's a conversation. But within the culture, biz got a few joints, vapors being another one. But again, we live in a real world, so we live in a weird world. The fucked up is part about the idea is Biz never made a dime

off the record. Now, I'm not sure if it's the sample. I'm not sure if the label's holding the asset, but Biz and the producers never made a single cent off the record sales, royalties, or publishing. They had to go tour for that money. All right, P the biz, man. Nobody beats the biz, dog. Y'all niggas is tripping. Respect the big, respect the knives, respect the killer, ghost face killer, respect the rape, but let's be for real, man. It's the fucking biz, dog. Just a friend. Nigga, stop frontin' like this shit ain't the one. I don't give a fuck how many metaphors and similes you put in your fucking raps. When the message gets across, that's what this shit is about. So, y'all, this is Questlove, and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast I've been working on with the Story Pirates and John Glickman called Historical Records.

It's a family friendly podcast. Yeah, you heard that right. A podcast for all ages. One you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nimany, to tell you all about it. Make sure you check it out. Hey, y'all. Nimany here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone.

Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history, like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing.

Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We're going to discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people to hopefully create better allies.

Think of it as a black show for non-black people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home workplace and social circle exactly whether you're black asian white latinx indigenous lgbtqia plus you name it if you stand with us then we stand with you let's discuss the stories and conduct the interviews that will help us create a more empathetic accountable and equitable america you are all our brothers and sisters and we're inviting you to join us for Civic Cipher each and every Saturday with myself, Ramses Jha, Q Ward, and some of the greatest minds in America. Listen to Civic Cipher every Saturday on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese investigative journalist who on October 16, 2017, was murdered. There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate. My name is Manuel Delia. I am one of the hosts of Crooks Everywhere, a podcast that unhurts the plot to murder a one-woman Wikileaks. Daphne exposed the culture of crime and corruption that were turning her beloved country into a mafia state. And she paid the ultimate price.

Listen to Crooks everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jack Peace Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. I'm Jack Peace Thomas, and I'm inviting you to join me

in a vibrant community of literary enthusiasts dedicated to protecting and celebrating our stories. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while commuting or running errands, for those who find themselves seeking solace, wisdom, and refuge between the chapters. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Together, we'll dissect classics and contemporary works while uncovering the stories of the brilliant writers behind them. Blacklit is here to amplify the voices of Black writers and to bring their words to life. Listen to Blacklit on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. From tips for healthy living to the latest medical breakthroughs, WebMD's Health Discovered podcast keeps you up to date on today's most important health issues. Through in-depth conversations with experts from across the healthcare community, WebMD reveals how today's health news will impact your life tomorrow. It's not that people don't know that exercise is healthy. It's just that people don't know why it's healthy. And we're struggling to try to help people help themselves and each other.

Listen to WebMD Health Discovered on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. At number two, today was a good day by Ice Cube. This is why I laugh when people tell me Big is a better storyteller than Ice Cube. You can prefer Big stories. You can say they're better. I'm not even mad at that. If you like them better, fine. But when we talk about sheer greatness, today was a good day is possibly the greatest story in hip hop ever. Like people of all ages know today was a good day is possibly the greatest story in hip-hop ever like people of all ages know today

was a good day people know what happened to him when you got him on the court get when you got him on the court it was trouble you know what he did right now motherfuckers is still debating was he playing a game of 21 it's i seen this shit the other day on twitter mother was like well he's got a triple-double playing 21. He didn't say that in the song. Did he? I don't know. Shit.

Hold on. Did Ice Cube say that? I think he. Get me on the court and I'm trouble. Last week, fuck around and got a triple-double. It was a good day. And everything, hold up, there it go. And everything is all right. I got a beat from Kim and she could fuck all night. Called up the homies and I'm asking y'all, which point, which part are y'all playing basketball?

Get me on the court and I'm troubled. Last week, fuck around and got a triple double. Freaking niggas every way like MJ. And he's talking about Magic Johnson, nigga. I'm Michael Jordan, the original MJ nigga. Produced by DJ pool. So again, when I tell you ice cube is possibly in arguably the greatest storyteller in hip hop, they did go right Friday, which is another ice cube story. Then he wrote number 10 on the list, right? Which is boys in the hood. I'm not even talking about the fact we had to mention he wrote,

check yourself, which is another story. This is how popular ice cube stories are. This story was unique for Ice Cube because this is when he's finally winning. A lot of Ice Cube's music was angry and problematic because he was going through it, seeing stuff in his community he didn't like, falling out with friends, getting at the points. But this was when he finally was winning, which is the same story behind Friday. The hood wasn't always bad. He wanted to show people that niggas still get it on and have a good time.

There are bloggers who to this day research to try to figure out the day that today was a good day. They're trying to figure out the good day that this shit happened on. And they have done work. They have came up with two days, January 20th, 1992, or November 30th, 1988. This is how fucking awesome the story of today was a good day. Prime example, like Big has a fantastic story, what I got a story to tell, right? And people spent a lot of time trying to figure out which one of the Knicks players wives that he sleep with or girls that he slept with and the end of finding out is Anthony Mason rest in peace to Anthony Mason's this is not this is what's been happening with cube the whole time right now they're still telling stories saying how did he get a triple double in a game of 21? Right now, this is a question. So it's not just one question is multiple questions about this.

Fast forward to 2014. They struck a deal with Goodyear Blimp for a motherfucking charity called a place called home that looks out for urban kids coming up in the streets, trying to get them a place together to chill and hang and get their shit on. And they did a deal with the Goodyear blimp. And it read Ice Cube's a pimp. That type of iconic shit don't happen from hip hop stories. That's how iconic today was a good day. I don't give a fuck if you think the game is about punchlines, assemblies and all that. The game is about motherfuckers getting the message. You could be as witty as you want if motherfuckers don't get the message. And when it comes down to getting the message today was a good day. It's probably the message that everybody understood. And it's still number two. That's the fucked up part. Even with all this discussion, it's still number two. That's the fucked up part. Even with all this discussion, it's still number two. The greatest story in the history of hip hop is regulated.

Regulate by Warren G and Nate Dogg. Regulate by Warren G and Nate Dogg. Regulate by Warren G and Nate Dogg. Everybody knows the story of Regulate. Everybody. We could talk about,

oh, well, I feel like Warren G, you know, the way he is. Shut the fuck up. They introduced Nate Dogg as a singing component. That changed the face of hip hop from that point on with how we did records, with singing back and forth, with the vocals. It's levels. It's self-produced by Warren G. Self-produced by Warren G.

It launched the career of Warren G and Nate Dogg. When Death Row, when Warren G couldn't get on with Death Row, he made a fucking song that was so big that it created his own lane. It turned Nate Dogg from some nigga singing on hooks on Dr. Dre and Snoop album into

Nate Dogg that we know. That's the reason we know Nate Dogg is because of Regulate at the highest level. Not Glasses. Glasses knows motherfucking Nate Dogg that we know. That's the reason we know Nate Dogg is because of Regulate at the highest level. Not Glasses. Glasses knows motherfucking Nate Dogg from all the Death Row shit and all the motherfucking Doggy Style shit. But the rest of you motherfuckers know Nate Dogg because of Regulate. And I don't got to tell you his contribution. Well, this is the single song that launched his career. That single song saved Def Jam. Def Jam up to that point had never had a song that charted as high as Regulate.

Now I don't wanna talk about commercial, fuck all that. But listen to the point of this. All of those records from Def Jam that go back from 80 to 1990 fucking four had never been as high on the chart as Regulate. So some niggas from the West came in and saved the pride and joy of East Coast hip hop. Def Jam, one fucking song. One fucking song. Def Row don't get enough credit because it did come out on Above the Rim soundtrack as well.

And it did well. It did fucking well, right? But this song had to be so hot that mind you, it pushed Afro Puffs to number two, which is another classic hip hop song, but it had to come second to regulate. Not to mention because it's the first single on the above the rim soundtrack. SWV is on that soundtrack. SWV was an established success.

Their song is not the first single. H-Town is an established success. Their song is not the first single. Dog Pound is out. Right. They're still figuring it out. Right. But this is the year before the next album come out. But Warren G is in front of them with this song. Second to None had a hit already, but their song wasn't the first single. Pac with Thug Life had a single on here. that song wasn't motherfucking the first single. I'll be sure who was an established success is on this motherfucking project. But that song wasn't the first single.

You know what the first motherfucking single was from the motherfucking above the rim soundtrack? You know what it is? Give me two seconds to think about it the first single is regulate so i don't give a fuck when you having these conversations and you start talking about your preference man it's hard to have these conversations if everybody gonna talk about they prefer their preference dub c the shadiest one is possibly the greatest storytelling album of all time. It's my favorite. It's one of the best ones, but I'm not going to argue with it against certain

things that have performed at the highest level. I can tell you what I prefer. Tonight by DJ Quick is one of my favorite stories. Just like Compton by DJ Quick is one of my favorite stories, but I'm not going to compare it to Biz Marquis, Just a Friend. I'm not going to do that. Not when we're talking about something we can have a conversation about. I don't got to like something because you don't have to like something to understand its greatness. This is silly. Everybody and their motherfucking mother knows today was a good day.

Is it not lyrical enough for you? What kind of dumb ass shit are you talking about? This shit be stupid. There's greatness and then there's not greatness. It's as simple as that. Greatness is when it's quantifiable. We could talk about preference all day. I prefer this. I prefer this. I don't mean something is greater. In and out. Listen, five guys makes a better burden than McDonald's. But five guys ain't greater than McDonald's. It's just not true. Y'all got to start having these conversations from places that exist just out of yourself. Hip hop is a representation of us. I was talking to one of my little partners,

my little partner, Real, feel me, from out of DC. And he was like, well, you know, there's no way nobody going to give props to Cube over motherfucking Biggie. And I'm like, you don't have to take props away from Biggie to give him the cue. You can honestly just tell the truth. That don't change the fact that motherfucking Big was the guy. I'm not going to honor the conversation of who's a better artist. That's just ridiculous. Big didn't even have enough albums. You know what I mean? For us to see his full potential, we can just enjoy what he's done. It's like arguing if Bo Jackson is the greatest running back. He don't have the career enough to motherfucking quantically, you know, we can't

quantify. He don't have enough motherfucking seasons. You can't compare this motherfucker to Emmitt Smith. Emmitt Smith carried a fucking franchise. Some of these conversations, and it ain't just about sales. It ain't just about chart positioning. But those things matter because that's how people find a song. That's how people find a song. If you have a fantastic story that only three people have heard versus somebody who has a fantastic story that 30 million people have heard. It don't matter how much you prefer the story of that three people heard. Greatness is being there. Somebody at the park probably better than Michael Jordan. There's somebody probably at the park better than LeBron James. That don't change.

LeBron James is the greatest small forward in the history of basketball. I don't get how you don't get these conversations when we talk about great things like you don't have to be skewed. It don't have to be biased. And it's weird when I hear people say that my generation or people my age can be biased. Everybody above 35 grew up. If you were in L.A., you grew up off of East Coast hip hop. When you first heard hip hop, most likely it came from somebody from the East Coast. Most likely it probably was L.L. fucking Cool J. If you was born in 82, most of the hip hop you first heard was going to be LL fucking Cool J. Maybe run DMC.

You heard Jay-Z as much as you heard everybody else. You heard Big as much as you heard everybody else. Because in Los Angeles, they play everything. During the East Coast, West Coast, Opposed War, they played Biggie. Biggie still had the number one record at all the radio stations in L.A. Because it was never a real war. This is not the island, bro. This ain't New York. This ain't over there. They play all the shit here. We well-vested in the fucking culture.

We hear everything. We got Outkast early, first album. We got Big, first album. We got LL, all the albums. One of the earliest radio stations LL Cool J got played on was K-Day. So we grow up with an understanding of hip hop that most people stuck on the island. As I say, have island fever. They don't have. You guys only know what's going on on the island. You don't know what's happening off the island. You just don't know. You just don't know. And I'm not mad at you. But you motherfuckers can't talk hip-hop with the motherfuckers that grew up off the island because we heard it all. We heard the shit that was little in New York. Y'all don't know shit about the Shady Isle. Shit. So it's weird when you start comparing motherfuckers with the greatest stories

in the history of the genre. To motherfuckers you just like. Respect the big, but it's just levels. Respect the Nas cuz, but it's levels. Respect the Ghostface cuz, but it's levels when you're talking about a motherfucker that got some of the most popular stories in the history of the fucking world. It's one thing motherfucking to like, you know,

it's one thing to like a rapper. It's another thing to know Dr. Seuss. It's another thing. Ice Cube is the motherfucking Shakespeare of this shit. This is how much motherfuckers know his stories. I gotta get y'all shit together, man. Good looking out for tuning in to the No Ceilings Podcast.

Please do us a favor and subscribe, rate, comment, and share. This episode was recorded right here on the west coast of the USA and produced by my homeboy, A. King, for the Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Yeah. Hey, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records.

Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. brings history to life through hip-hop. Each episode is about a different, inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me.

Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was called a four-month. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward.

And we'd like you to join us each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other.

So join us each Saturday for CivicCypher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Muhammad Ali, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie.

But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Thanksgiving Day 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida.

And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home, and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese investigative journalist who, on October 16th, 2017, was assassinated. Crooks everywhere unearthed the plot to murder a one-woman WikiLeaks. She exposed the

culture of crime and corruption that were turning her beloved country into a mafia state. Listen to Crooks Everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.