The Questlove Show - DJ Muggs

Episode Date: July 27, 2026

DJ Muggs and Questlove link up in Hollywood, California for a deep dive into the creative vision that made Cypress Hill one of Hip-Hop's most groundbreaking acts. From SP-1200 grit and Psychedelic textures to Rock-infused boom bap, Muggs traces his journey from Queens to Bell Gardens, revisits the making of classics like "How I Could Just Kill a Man," "Hand On The Pump," and House Of Pain's "Jump Around." Along the way, he discusses his latest collaboration, Don't Call Me Lucky, with Los Angeles lyricist TF, mentoring The Alchemist, and why today's drumless, loop-driven renaissance feels like a continuation of ideas he was exploring decades ago. Still driven by curiosity over convention, Muggs explains why chasing dusty, unconventional sounds remains at the heart of everything he creates.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form. We're launching Podlandia, AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysler, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song about it. Well, I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia.

A.A.O. Rewatch on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Raiders of the Lost podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary. It was like the Jaws Shark. Didn't always work, came with its own problems. That's what made it great. The cast of obsession. On set, there was so much magic happening with each scene we were putting together.

Deep dives into classics like 2001 of Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on all industry news. Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow at Raiders of the Lost podcast and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports.

We're breaking down the biggest headlines. Naomi Osaka showing out. Shout to you, Naomi. The viral moments. I've been obsessed with Kashan Rock's boxing journey. She looks good. Her combos are swift. And the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports.

Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Jake Brennan, and on my podcast, Disgraceland. I tell the stories behind music's biggest names, the moments that changed music history forever. Sonic Youth was cool, but was the band cooler than the couple on the cover of their album, goo?

Cool enough to escape the glare of the international paparazzi, cool enough to escape murder? Disgraceland is part of the exactly right network. Listen to new episodes every Tuesday, bonus episodes Thursday, and rewinds on Sunday on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Questlove Show is a production of IHeart Radio. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Quest Love Show. I can't wait.

I kind of want to even skip the long accolades just so I can get started with the questions, but this interview has been a long time coming. Many of you asked about getting him on the show. It's the only right that I check in with him. For starters, you know, one of the founding members of Cypress Hill, not to mention for Cypress Hill 783, so many other associations, we can go to SoulSat. We'll be here all day if we're just doing the accolades.

I was about to say, you pioneered hip-hop at Geffen. Yeah. I have so many questions about that. Of course, he's keeping the Soul Assassin's brand alive right now. with a new sci-fi film and an album alongside the LA rapper T.F. Don't call me lucky. It's out now. Man, I've been waiting for this.

Thank you, brother. DJ Mugs. Thanks for having me, bro. It means a lot. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. All right, I will start with you as I start with most of my guests. What is your first musical memory in life? Growing up, my uncle was my mom's little brother was my roommate. I was about four, five, six, those ages. and he had velvet posters, black lights, eight-track tapes on the wall. Right.

And beads, incense, you know, he was in the rock. So listen to Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendricks. You know what I mean? That was like my intro to music right there. This explains the first Cyprus Hill record. Absolutely. Okay. Now I'll see where this is about to go.

First of all, where were you born? I was born in Queens. Okay. Yeah, Jamaica Hospital. All right. How long were you there before? Because, of course, now we associate you with California out here, but how long were you in?

I moved out here when I was 13 to go to high school. Yeah, the summer before high school. So for the first 13 years, like, have you had any hip-hop experiences whatsoever, like growing up in New York? Yeah, it was pretty much just the music. You know, I think I fell in love with hip-hop with rap as delight. Right. I caught the fever.

I was just sit by the radio all day waiting for the song to come on. Tape it. Got you, got you. Well, you mentioned the albums that were, like, in your household. Do you remember the very first album that you were, like, purchased with your own money. Own money. I think it was war.

It had lowrider on it. Why can't we be friends out? Yeah. And when I heard lowrider, I would just play lowrider all the time. My mom had got me to 45 and then, you know, I wanted that album. I wanted it to hear what else they had. Ah, man. All right, you mentioned that.

And I was four when that came out. And if you remember the album cover, that smiley face on it, if you're four years old looking at that smiley face, even though, like, it just looked. real evil to me. And I used to hide that record in the basement. My dad's got. So one of my first punishments. He's like, where's my war record? And like, I buried it. Like, I couldn't, I couldn't stand that smile, man. Like, ah, that and shame on the world by the main ingredient. Like, those two album covers, I'd always hide in the basement. So, like, my memories of the war were a little different. So what technically brought you to Los Angeles?

Angeles. My mother moved here about a couple years before. I didn't want to leave. So I stayed in New York, live with my aunt. Okay. And then, you know, I started just getting a little trouble. She was like, you got to get out of here and go live with your mother. The fresh prince. So I went from, you know, one of the most culturally diverse places in the world to move into a neighborhood called Bell Gardens where it was 99.9.9% Mexican. Okay. It was a culture shock for me. What was it like adjusting in this time period for you? It was hard, man, because, you know, I'm used to jumping on trains. and everything was right down the block. And in Bell Gardens, it was no trains.

There was nothing there. You know, you had to go to a whole other city to get anything. So, you know, I didn't like it at all. I would go back to New York, jump on a Greyhound, go back every summer, go back for Christmas vacation. Anytime I can get out of here, I would just try to get out of here. Okay.

What were your aspirations as a, well, I guess we would call them tweens now? Like in year 12, 13, 14th, what were your aspirations? What did you want to do? I wanted to play sports, football, baseball. I played football and baseball. Okay. And I was like, I'm going to play sports when I grow up.

So I just played summer leagues, you know, anywhere I can get on a team. I just pop Warner, baseball. That's all I did, Little League. So did you start out as a DJ? Like, how does music enter your life as far as like? I got the fever for breakdancing. So breakdancing came out. Okay.

We started break dancing. And then we was in the basement one time. and the homie had a little turntable, and we was all trying to copy rocket. Okay. DST. We was a little turntable with the cassette in it, you know, with the radio in it, all right.

So we didn't know what a scratch pad was. We was in there trying to cut it. The needles was jumping, and that's when I caught, started catching the fever a little bit. And then when I seen DST, I think it was the American music music, the Grammys.

That turned me out right there. Okay. I was like, oh, shit, what is this? It was like some futuristic shit. So that was your come-to-jesus moment with it. Did you have any experiences with any crews pre-7-A-3 or like? Well, Cyprus, I was down with Cyprus before. The crew was called DVX.

Okay. Devastating vocal excellence. Okay. And it was about seven, eight of us, mellow manace. Okay. Be real, Sand, T-bone, who actually ended up being in the funk dubious. So you were all a crew. He was a crew.

He was a crew. Even way before they got a stab. Before I met them. Okay. And then one of my boys was, went out to Hollywood. He's like, yo, I just met these two kids from. Brooklyn. You got to meet them. Came out to Hollywood, met them. And I was throwing a jam in a park in Bell Gardens.

And 783 had a record out of McCullough Records called 7A3 We'll Rock You, which is a remake of We Were Rocking. And I was like, yo, you guys want to come play my party? We didn't know nobody with a record out at that time. So that was big for us. So they came and the DJ didn't show up. So I DJed for him. And they said, you want to be our DJ? We're doing three shows with iced tea next week. And one was at Osco's, you know, a couple of them. One was, there was a club where the Beverly Center is now. Okay. We played there and we did the three shows. And then, um, about three months later, we was in the studio recording for colors to saw Mad Mad Mad World.

Okay. And that's how you guys become solidified. So you were saying you were throwing jams, like what, as a promoter or just as a DJ? DJ promoter. We got together with a couple of little promoters around in the neighborhood. And we knew the guy at the park. because we would always go to the park, you know, play caroms and basketball and dodgeball and, you know, playing Little League at the park and shit. And he gave us the little hall at the park. Okay. Five dollars to get in and through the jam and it was banging and that was the beginning of it all.

Okay, so I've always heard of the folklore of early hip-hop starting out in the parks and whatnot, police athletically, whatever, back in New York. But out here, like, because the only times I've heard of jams are, Literally like Uncle Jam's stories. Walk me just through like what a typical party is that's not in a non-club atmosphere in the 80s of California. Most of it was backyard parties, $2 to get in, a keg. You know what I mean? Everybody come in and all the little local promoters were thrown.

There was a lot of freestyle music. Nobody wanted to dance to hip-hop. It was too slow. You know what I mean? So it was that. And I used to actually go and go to Uncle Jams. I would go out by the airport. They'd have it in a hotel.

Anything I can. Please tell me what that was like. It was just a lot of gangsters. A lot of gangsters. Just pop locking. A lot of pop locking. And then, you know, and I would just sit in the corner and just watch and listen. And then I started going to World on Wheels.

Casa Camino Real is the other one. Lord on Wheels is a roller skating. Roller skating, yeah. Greg Mack used to do that with Tony G. And M. That's where Ice Cube and all the mixed masters. Yeah. There was World on Wheels.

There was Skatland USA. And then I would go to the Radiotron. RadioTron by MacArthur Park downtown and just absorb it because there was nowhere to see it or hear. You had to go, you know, so anywhere I can get there, I would just take a bus. And a bus would take me two hours to get there, you know what I mean? So I would just get on the bus and go to the, go to the shit. Okay. So in developing 783, for starters, I got familiar with these guys because, you know, once I heard nature to millions,

then I needed anything associated with the bomb squad. So they produced it. I brought the entire records and studied the mall. What's different about 73 is that, at least texture-wise, it was way ahead of its time. Like there's rock rap hybrid on there, which I'm assuming now that I know Joe Niccolo's associated with it. So wherever Joe goes,

I'm pretty sure Andy Kravitz is behind him. Yeah, when Andy was there. And all the usual suspects in Philly. I'm from Philly. So, like, drums of steel and all that stuff to me was, like, should that the goats wound up doing and then rage against the machine and all that stuff, were you guys, like, aware of how radical that record was in terms of a few things on that album will eventually become commonplace, like, 15 years from then or 20 years from them?

Like, I mean, at the time when, in doing, like, live hip-hop with, first of all, I know that's Andy Drumming because I know his drum texture. Who's on bass? Was it Mike? Mike? No, not blonde. Mike. Pop school love.

Yeah, yeah. He's on MTV and Plug with LL playing Mama Set Nakki. That was him? Yeah. I was going to say, what it is. Mike Tyler, yes. Okay. How receptive were you to those ideas when it was presented to you?

Well, it was interesting because I had all these ideas. I had records. And, you know, I was 18 and they wasn't going to give, I didn't produce nothing yet. How much agency did you have? suggesting. We was in Philly because Jeff Fenster signed us at Geffen. Then they was big, they was big fans of PSK. So got it. They want Joe to butcher work. And it was the first record. So the schoolie shoutout is from Schoolie D. Schoolie actually programmed drums on a couple songs. Okay. I heard the word. Schoolie. Cache, Wandi, um, jazz. Uh-huh. Jazz. Jazz. And I think

it was Robbie, Robbie, what was the rapper's name? Robbie G. Robbie B. Yeah, they all, they all programmed. They all would come in a program. And I was, I didn't, I didn't produce it. I I didn't have a drum machine. I just had all these ideas. So I just sat and watched and just absorbed everything and learned. I got a crash course and how to make music in a month. Back then, what was your weapon of choice? Based on the sonic of it, I'm assuming that's a 1200.

That's 1200. I didn't have a 1200 yet, though. So the 783 album, we worked on it. I had these ideas. I got back and I didn't love the record to tell you the truth because I wanted it to be darker and harder. You know, I was into yo bum rush the show. I was into Ultrammach, the show.

I was into ultramagnetic. Bebop was a big inspiration on me, the Ram LZ record. So this is what I wanted. So when I got home, I was like, fuck, man, I wanted the record to sound like this. So I saved up my money, saved up my money, and got me an SP-12. And then I just started a kid named Bilau that was down with Rhym Syndicate. He showed me, I'd call him up if I got stuck. And I made whack beats for about a year, you know.

And then one day we did real estate, and it just sounded like a record. That was the first time you were out to pay. And our demos, we had a big-ass-boombox with a double cassette. So I'd run the drum machine right into it. We put the mic right into it, push record on the cassette, and Bero just one take. And that was our demos, and that's how we started out. That's how you got the deal? Damn.

Okay. Well, no, that was how we made real estate. And I would send the demos to Joe, and Joe was like, oh, this shit's hot. And then we got a publishing deal with BMG, and they gave us some money to go in the studio. Then we recorded Funky Field one, light another. and Kill a Man and a song called Caliente, which was a Spanish song, that wasn't on the record. And that was a demo that got us the deal.

So you made all those even before, but once you got the deal, did you remake those records again or you just tried it? No, I think it was like a three-year period while we was working until we got the deal two years. So if you notice all the breaks and those songs, it was just me getting bored and just revisit them. We just keep adding and adding and adding over that period of time. Yeah, I was going to say, so what makes you guys unique,

at least in my opinion was that, you know, 91 was sort of the cutoff year where a lot of the hip-hop establishment was using primarily ultimate beats and breaks. Like, oh, I couldn't wait for the next one to come out. A different combination. See, I discovered it 89 when like all 20 were already out. But so you were getting them in real time and how long would releases be in between? I don't remember exactly, but I go up to 42nd. Street, there was a spot on 42nd Street, and I'll just go up there and, you know, just pillage

what's going, what's coming out next? When's the next one coming out? So I would just always look forward to the next one because, you know, digging, it was a little bit different back then. I didn't have the money for the record, so I'd be in the 99 cent Ben and just pulling out the 99 cent Ben and using breaks and beats. But, you know, also back then, you couldn't use anything if it was used, you was whack, you know. So if people used, use the sample before you, it wasn't something you'd want to put out. And I almost didn't put it. kill a man out because we had the demo and then EPMD came out with rampage and I was like man we can't put this shit out I'm glad we did though because I remember I remember making that record all the homies

was driving around bumping it every day you know we'd give cassettes out in the neighborhood yeah and I was like man I'm glad we put that shit out because uh would have been cold if we didn't I think the day that you guys mastered so I started interning at rough house right when um Black Sunday came out, or slightly before. But Hans Sol had gotten a copy of you guys' cassette. And this is right when Tarika and I were first just like busking on the streets or whatever. And so, you know, we saw Han Seoul. And that was like, oh, God, Philadelphia's celebrities checking us out.

And so he gave us a lift. And he played that entire record on the way home. We were just like mind-blown. Like, we just never heard no shit like that in our lives. you know, most people would credit 91 for being the kind of the hip hop Renaissance period. And a lot of your contemporaries went jazz. Pete Rock was going jazz, Premier was going jazz, Q-Tip.

You were going psychedelic rock and psychedelic soulwoman, especially blues. And I assume that's because of the influence that you grew up in listening to. You've grown up with that and all the Vietnam rock, Creedons Clearwater, you know, all that type stuff. And also, I tend to judge. people not on like the hit singles but the filler. So just all the crazy psychedelic shit you're doing on Stone is the way of the walk and especially at the end like just can you talk about the process of putting that record together because it just sounds like nothing that was ever released and a lot of rule breaking on it. Like yeah very unorthodox you know what I mean and

just trying to find our own sound because it was important then to have your own sound, your own look and have um your own slang too. You know, I mean. It was interesting because you have, I was inspired by New York production. So, you had a New York production with West Coast slang on it and West Coast MCs. So it was a whole new sound and style. And we'd do the demos at the house. By that time, I got a TASCamp four track. And if it didn't sound good on the four track, we wouldn't record it in the studio. And, you know, just piece in away, piece in away. And we almost didn't put hand on the pump on there. I was actually just going from couch to couch on my house.

homies and we were staying at the Oakwood with Brett from 7A3 and I played that beat and he's like yo I like that beat and I go I don't like it because let me write to it I'm like all right let you write to it he wrote hand on the pump oh word okay he wrote the first verse the hook and the second he goes and he wrote it for be real and um it sounded cool we recorded it but we went to the studio it came alive man and um I was high as hell in the studio and I didn't have patience to wait for them to hook the midi up to the drum machine so all the eight ohates I play live they was Some were a little in front, some were a little behind. And then going into the hooks, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

And all the little sounds, I'd play them all live. So I didn't really care about quantizing. I didn't care about it being a little off. I didn't care about sound quality. It was more about a vibe and what felt right to us. You guys came to Philadelphia to actually record it. How many weeks or months did it take to record the album? Most of it was recorded.

I think we was probably in Philly for about a month, staying at the comfort end. Right there. Delaware having it? Same place we stay with 7A3. Just walk over to 4444th Street, go down to the basement, get myself some chicken soup or something.

Right. The little stand they had right there. Yeah. Go downstairs and just lock in, man. And most of the record was done. We recorded, I think, Latin lingo in Philly, and then probably the only extra song we recorded in Philly was that one.

Then the album was pretty much done. I came back to L.A. and Joe's like, we need two more songs. And then that's when we did holding the head and we did a stone is the way to walk. I'm Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, OnCore. Check out our brand new episodes featuring music from the show that everyone is reheating as we speak.

Heated rivalry. Join me as I go behind the songs that brought Shane and Elia together. I'll tell you the stories of Fice, My Moon, My Man, wolf parades, I'll believe in anything, and tattoos all the things she said, and how they all became a part of this global phenomenon. Stream Encore on IHeart Radio, crave or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo roer to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rival.

The breakout stars, the moments to take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka showing out, she beat. Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that.

Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports. On the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you're. get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans.

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. You know us, or rather you know them. Tony and Candice, Nina and Lance, Spike, and yes, the chicken. We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast. Each week we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning,

breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life.

Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chryssel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Man, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song, a melody. I thought he was going to write. I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia.

Ayo rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier, and Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem. If you come over here to play games,

I'm a check you. Okay? If you do some in the news that don't sound good, I'ma play you. Join Yomeneika Saunders as she breaks down the week's those problematic stories on our new podcast. You're the problem with Yamanika. Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was?

New episodes weekly every Wednesday is part of my new network, the Dear Chelsea Network. If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less, so I don't have to do so much. So join Yamanika each episode as she answers one question. Who's the problem? I'm Yamanika, and I'm out. Listen to You're the Problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Could you talk about the after effect? Did you expect this album to do what it did in terms of not even the numbers, but just your neuriety, you're... Nah, man, I just wanted to make a record where all my peers gave me respect. That was the main thing. Make a record, I figured we sell about $100, $150,000 if we did. Everybody I love was selling about that many records. You know what I mean? So I was like, man, if we could do that, we're good.

And the record came out. We shipped 60,000, sold about two records. We came out the same time as Tim Dogg. He was signed. So we went on a promo tour with Tim Dogg. And he was, the fuck Compton was banging. So, you know, we was doing, going to one stops, playing in front of 20 people in the morning while they're eating eggs. We did playing in the clubs, 16 people, you know what I mean?

All right. Doing the morning shows, doing the mix shows, doing the local press. just doing everything, going city to city. And it wasn't popping, but everybody loved our record. We was like, what's going on? And then we had two days off on tour. We was on a naughty by nature tour. And we was doing BET in D.C.

Two days off, then we drove up to New York. We'd shot Killer Man, and we shot Hand on the Pump, back to back. That's why they're in New York? I was going to ask, why did y'all shoot New York? And this is another thing. I always thought the top of the second verse, I always thought that was Sindog.

Right. But I remember watching you, I'm like, wait a minute. I didn't know you rapped. But was that Sendog? It was Sendog on the thing. But Sendog had that backup voice. So he was like, let's just, I'll do the video. He was like, you do the video.

So it looked like, it threw it off a little bit. Right, right, right. You know, so then MTV Rap started playing it. Right. But they started playing it twice a week. And that was like the Bible. You couldn't wait to get home and watch MTV Raps every day because that was the only place you could hear.

issues. So the combination of that, stretching Bobito playing our record, and then juice, the juice soundtrack, and all those things coming together, we just, we went all the way up to number three. We started selling 60, 70, 80,000 records a week, touring like a punk rock band because we knew we had a tour to get in front of people because we weren't going to get radio with how I could kill a man. Right. Just the synergy between the three of you, at what point did you realize that a rapper's voice becomes an instrument. But clearly in this group, I mean, especially, I mean, Be Real, of course, he has a natural gift with his voice, but I know Flav has pioneered a second general role as in Hypeman

or the second guy in back of the captain, but in my book, like, Sindog is one of the greatest backing voices of all time that hip-hop. And you hear his confidence. each song, each step of the way, you hear his confidence get better. Why? Why would you guys? And I understand that Juice was a high profile thing,

but for me, like, shoot them up, deserved to be on an album so that people would know. I mean, Juice was successful so people knew, but why threw that away? Well, we made that specifically for the movie. Gotcha. So, you know, we went in and we was in New York. I think Chris Shaw from Public Enemy Engineer,

one of theirs. He was in the studio with us and we had to go make a song for the soundtrack. And then, you know, I think Hank did the, put all the music together and Hank picked that song for that scene

for the actual main scene in the movie, Killer Man. Yeah, but shoot him up was just made for the soundtrack. I would say, like, around the time that Black Sunday is coming out, would you say that there's such a thing

as being too successful? Because the thing is, I acknowledge you guys more than anything. as far as the groups that we look to, as far as touring kind of outside of the box in terms of like you guys were the first group that I was like, oh, I didn't know that hip-hop groups

could only be locked into doing hip-hop shows. Can you just talk about the whole experiences in doing like alt tours and with Lollapalooze and a whole different audience embracing you guys? Yeah, it was. We had that rock and roll energy, our bandit, which, you know, public enemy had that rock and roll energy. Beastie Boys had it. Run had it.

You know what I mean? So we had that energy. So the first thing was they started putting us on these different tours, you know, it was open up the fan base. And the first time we did it was Lollapalooza. It was the second stage. And we killed it. Everybody came, killed it, killed it. And then, you know, just started opening up things and just started putting us on with different people.

We played with Metallica one night. Next show, we're playing with Bjork. You know what I mean? So it was like we just, our music worked in festivals, which was because it had that energy and it had that rock and roll energy, but it was still hip-hop. But like I said, we came from the bands I just mentioned, them hip-hop bands all had that energy.

Right. You know, so that was a big influence for us at that time. Speaking of your live show, can you talk about bringing Eric Bobo into the fold and his energy as a percussionist and whatnot, like definitely brought the show up even higher? Like, talk about Bobo was with the Beastie Boys and he became our friend on tour. Beastie Boys didn't smoke. They was vegan and everything. So Bobo would come on our bus and smoke weed.

Right. You know, and then we was doing Woodstock and Beero invited Bobo to come play Woodstock with us. So that was the first time he was on stage with us like that. So he came and after that show, he pretty much told the Beastie Boys, I retire. I'm going to start rolling with Cyprus. We invited him in the band at that point. We liked the dynamics would have brought on stage.

The percussion was killing. It fit right into what we was doing and shit. So that was big for us to add Bobo. Since, you know, the days of Fat Fire, Freddie, trying to bring the punk thing together with the hip-hop thing in the village in downtown New York, there's always been a connection between the two. But I'll say that when we started entering the game

and doing the same thing, it's opening for the Beastie Boys and then doing stuff with Beck and certain rock groups rage against the machine and whatnot. Like, I always felt that you guys made it easier for us to get the lay of the land but how jarring was it to play these venues that weren't necessarily audiences

that were there to see a hip-hop show? Like, we loved it because they were wild. They started slam dancing. You know, the kids were just losing it. So they were open to it. Wide open to it. They loved us. Yeah, they loved it.

So we just embraced it, man. We just rode with it. Like, what's going on next? Let's go. You know. So can you talk about the pressures of the follow-up record? Now, I always feel like the sophomore record

is the album, which a lot, all the pressure in the world's on you to keep the momentum going. We was, um, torn, man. We toured like seven months for that record, the first album. The label hit us and was like, we need this album right now for the fourth quarter. So we was like, shit, man. We went in the studio. We worked on it for a month.

If you notice, like, three songs already came out, you know. A to the Muffin'A. A to the K was out. Hand on the Glock was a remix on the back, you know what I mean? And then, uh, we, uh, we, uh, went in, I think we recorded 10 new songs and quick. It was a little crazy, touring that much, because I was used to taking my time on beats and just, you know. Where did you record the second album?

New York. Okay. Yeah, the second album was in New York. And then, you know, went down to Philly and mixed it and recorded it. And I said I would never rush a record again in the rest of my life. Like, I'm taking my time moving forward. But at that time, you know, it was a new thing for us to hurry up and make a record. We was used to take the first albums, three years.

first album was pretty much our whole lives, right? Right. Every idea we've ever had. Right. So, you know, the second one was rushed. And history shows that rush jobs yield also the most successful. I can name you 20 songs that were literally made like on the clock. Like Isley brothers have the story of making shout literally in seven minutes.

They had seven minutes left. Like, let's do that church song real quick. And then they freestyled it. And I was listening to Black Sabbath a lot in a group called Ministry. you know, listening to ministry. And so that's probably a reason. The record got real dark on that second one. You know what I mean?

There wasn't a lot of experiment and trying different things. It was pretty much, I made this beatless rap on this beat. I made this beatless rap on this beat. What is your creative process in terms of putting things together? Because, I mean, you know, the foundation of your work is hip-hop.

But also your accessory noises, all those things are also just as important to your sonic overlay. Like the universe is that. you paint. Do you just listen to the records completely and then take notes on? I'll take that, I'll take that, or? I'll always take notes. I'd always go back, listen to things, write it down. I'd always like to bring a sound in, like halfway through the verse, like introduce a sound, always introduce a sound in the chorus that wasn't in the verses. Second verse comes in,

either put a break that you haven't heard yet or introduce a new sound that didn't play yet, you know what I mean? And then just try to keep them moving. And wherever I got bored, that's where you would hear me flip it. And that's just for me hearing the song over and over and over and over where, okay, I'm bored of this section right here. It needs some life right here, a little flavor. So then I would just start adding things on to it.

And the songs would change. They would change and change and change and change. And Beaver would, it wouldn't end like it started. You know what I mean? Some songs I'd remix and just, oh, can I add time? Can I make this better? And I'd just go in and flip it, put a new beat on it. I was going to say, the break and kill a man,

that eight-second or eight-bar break that you do before the last verse, the way we would just freestyle over that part and make pause tapes over that shit. That was a whole other beat that was good. Like for that eight seconds, it's amazing. But when you hear it for two minutes,

it was like, this is boring, you know what I mean? So I was like, I would just take these other beats that I thought were banging, but they weren't banging for a song, and then I would use those for the breaks. So a lot of those breaks were actually other beats I made. Like, especially with the Cypress Hill timeline, you hear the metamorphoses of the group.

Like I hear stuff that you make on 1,200. Like, is 1,200 still your favorite weapon of choice, but... I'm in the box now pretty much. I'm straight all in the box. Really? Yeah, just for time. You know, I got a lot of things to do so. I go in.

But I've learned. It took me a minute to just know how to manipulate it to get my sound, learning to use the right plug-ins and everything. How hard is it to let go of what you know, like the back of your hand, muscle memories? Oh, it was hard at the beginning. Like, you know, at the beginning it was hard, but I think on the third album, I started using the ASR 10, and I started using more live instruments as well, a lot of live fretless bases. What prompted you to make that change?

I needed more sampling time because at one point I was having three or four SP12 was lined up. You used to bomb squad style. I only had, you know, 10 seconds of sampling time, and I wanted like an eight second sample, like four illusions. It was a long sample. And I was like, how do I do this? You know what I mean? So Alchemist is the one who had an ASR 10. He was like, yo, you can loop it in here.

So you put it in there. And I was like, oh, shit, I could do that with this machine. So then I got that machine set it right by the SP-12. But all the drums would happen in the SP-1200. I don't like how the ASR sounded for the drums. But I'd put samples in the ASR-10, the long samples. Okay. So your musical stuff would go in the ASR-2, but you still kept your-

All the drums and the SPP. All right. So for you, what's your best? kick, your best dare. I know it's super nerdy, but trust me, we want to know these things. Like, what is your go-to, as far as, like, your best texture?

I had a couple kicks I would use on a lot of songs. I would use Tramp a lot. The kick from Tramp, and I put it underneath. A lot of those first couple records. Is there an isolated kick in Tramp that will... You know, there's 15 versions of Tramp, right? So I started... Oh, Otis and...

Otis and Carl's version. grab that one. I had one 808 I would always use. And then a lot of snares I would get from hip hop instrumentals. Okay. You know, I was like, oh, that's a hit song. That snares bang. So if it's a hit on that one, it's going to be a hit on this one.

You know, so I'd take your customer snare. Even for Killer Man, for the drums, I actually took the De La Soe had a little break from the Mansell record. I didn't have the original Mansell record. So I got it from the De La Sole and it still had the eight of weights in it, if you listen to it. Plug tuning was my shit. That blew my mind when I heard that.

So Killer Man started off, I wanted to make plug tuning. Word. So that was me trying to, you know, my version of plug tuning. Even you hear the bass. Doon, do, do, do, do, do, do. I hear it down. You know what I'm saying? You got to hear, I don't know if you recently heard it,

but, you know, because of the anniversaries coming up for, like, all the day-lost stuff, they put the original like muddy four track demo of plug tuning and potholes and all those Prince Paul records man that like the De La Sol changed my life when I heard it and you knew

in the 80s from 87 to like 89 every week hip hop was reinvented right you know and I was just like damn all right question I've been dying to ask you and this is strictly from this is a mirror the intern at roughouts asking you these questions. If you listened to the first Chris Cross record,

did anything like sound familiar to you at all as far as all those drums were concerned? Yes. Okay. It wasn't just me. There's even a little squeak in the record. Dog! You know what I'm saying? Literally.

Like, okay, at one point when we finally got a record deal, I think we made, I think we mixed like five songs in studio four. And I went to the back of like Andy's room, which is like all where all the tapes are. And literally I saw the first entire Cypress Hill record. And then I went and grabbed my keyboard player. I was like, I bet you any amount of money. This is where Jermaine got his drums for. Because literally it was like four songs.

I was like, wow. It was like, you know, Cypress Hill meets naughty by nature. It's like, you can tell all the naughty by nature and it was like... I wanted to know how you felt about that. Yeah, I'll tell you an interesting story though. I send Joe the butcher the Jump Around demo. Now, I want to get to that part too.

And they wanted to sign it. Before that, I had already heard I was going to Jack the Rapper and I heard the crisscross demos. They played them to me in the car and Jump wasn't on there on the demos. One day they go, oh, we don't want to sign House of Pain no more.

Cool. Then cut to a few months later, then I hit a jump demo. That's why you get, this is dedicated to Joe the Biden of Nicola. You know, I probably wasn't Joe, but somebody heard the record, you know,

and I was going to say, how awkward is that where it's like your label head is kind of your target, but you still have a working relationship with them, but. Well, that was Everlast. He's like, don't take that off the song.

I'm leaving that. What did Joe say to you? Joe was like, Mugsy, what's going on? I had nothing to do with it. It wasn't that. I was like, yeah, but Joe, it's kind of funny. We gave me the record.

It wasn't on their demo. You played me the demo, and all of a sudden you don't want to sign us, but now you have a song called Jump. Have you seen the recent commercial where they actually kept that part in? Which one? Ah, damn. Jump Around just recently got licensed for a commercial that I saw during the Super Bowl. Oh, right, for the Volkswagen.

Yeah. And in the fadeout, they still kept in. Oh, yeah. I was like, wait, they put that real shit. Yeah. I mean, they cut it off right before they say his name, but I always wanted to know how that went down. I forgot about the whole jump comparison. I just meant like your drums and your textures.

For the long as I would ask, like, I know the SB200 pads are here somewhere. Like, they got to be here. Let me hear his drums, but not the case. I'm Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Encore. Check out our brand new episodes featuring music from the show that everyone is reheating as well. we speak. Heated rivalry. Join me as I go behind the songs that brought Shane and Elia together.

I'll tell you the stories of Fice, My Moon, My Man, Wolf Parades, I'll Believe in Anything, and tattoos all the things she said, and how they all became a part of this global phenomenon. Stream encore on IHeart Radio, Crave, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist, Ari Chambers.

Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and I heart women's sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler,

she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire timeline.

And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports. Naomi Osaka. Show it out. She beat. Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. You get the palm for that.

Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports. On the IHeart Radio app. Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

You know us or rather you know them. Tony and Candice, Nina and Lance, Spike and yes, the chicken. We've played a lot of iconic. characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia, AEO rewatch, our brand new podcast. Each week, we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up

about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chryssel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song, a melody. I thought he was going to write. I thought you're all going to write a song for me.

I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia. Ayo rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nick Tuturo. You probably know me from NYP. Pee D. Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Leaves Black Klansman. But I'm also from Queens, which means I know pizza. And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Totoro, I deliver

pizza from Prince Street pizza to a new guest. Are you delivering pizza now? Then we sit down for a real conversation. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing my belt? To Alex Rodriguez. Just to let you people know, we're talking to one of the goats here. To Bill Burr.

I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind. Yes, I am. And now we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tuturo. It's called Happiness, delivering happiness. Mariano Rivera. Thank you. Oh, my God.

And many, many more. Open your free High Heart Radio app. Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Totoro. And listen now. What are the five records that 90s era Mugs would save in a fire in terms of just your all-time favorites that you would probably,

the Jimi Hendrix. Okay. If you hear Killer Man, I sampled them in the chorus. Of course. You know, that record. Tramp for sure at the time.

It was tramp. It was anything with a jazz stand-up bass, whatever that might be at the time. I was all about putting jazz stand-up bases in there. And then barquets. Barquets, I sampled a lot of barquets. Little pieces, though,

because, you know, with the SP-12, you didn't have a lot of sampling time. So it would be a lot of little pieces all mixed up in there. And then... Did you mind the digital distortion of a 1200? Or did you feel that that added to it? Like, if you had the machine that sort of made it perfect in Sheen,

would you have embraced that more? I kind of dug it because, you know, we didn't have no sampling time. So I would have the beat on. And then I'd match the sample perfect. And then I put it on 45, sample into the drum machine and had to pull it down. That's how we doubled our sampling time. So that was just part of it. I didn't care.

Because out here, we was listening to K-Day. And K-Day at night, a Spanish station would come on around 6 o'clock. So you'd hear, it's an AM radio, first of all. Right. And then you'd get the Spanish station. So it's dusty. It sounds like shit, so. You were used to that sound?

I was used to that sound. Yeah, because especially like, let me think of a good example. Oh, cold feet. Using all the stabs, like all of your, the, who did coal feet? Albu King. Yeah. Like, those stabs, you know, once processed. through the 1200, it's digitally distorted, which I always wanted to know if people

embraced the distortion of it all or if they were long and for a day, we're now, you know, sonic perfection. I didn't care about being sonic perfectionist at all. I was about vibe, just straight vibe 100%. Joe cleaned it up a little later, you know what I mean? He cleaned it up a little bit, but I was like, don't clean it up too much. I like, I want my shit dirty. All right, so your House Opinion production.

Did you do the entire first? No, I did about eight because we was on the road so much. Then their DJ didn't make beats yet. But he came over my house when I was doing the demos and he just watched. And he went home and started making beats. If you notice, a lot of that shit sounds like I did it. Did you come and get some of this? Yeah.

Shake kickers? Yes. All right. That's what I care about. Danny Boy? No. I knew it. I was like, Danny Boys is a little too clean for it.

I was trying to differentiate between the two. For a jump around, at least, did you expect at all that that was going to take off as much as it did? Not at all, bro. It's forever. I had that beat. I would demo beats with different rappers and they come through, but if you didn't kill it, you couldn't have the beat.

Sandduby rapped on it. He used to rap on a lot of beats because he was just 16 years old. He was Sean's homie from 7-8-3. Okay. So he lived down the block. He'd come over and just rap on shit. So he rapped on it. I demoed it with Daddy Freddie.

Okay. Because I did like four joints with him because I was a big ragamuffin hip hop fan. And then I actually played it for Cube, passed on it. And then, you know, recorded House of Pain. And it was cool. I liked it. You know, we shopped it around. Nobody was biting on it.

And then flex hit me. He was working at priority. Flexing him wanted to sign it. Offered a $65,000. And then one day I got a call from Tommy Boy, which was Monica Lynch. And she's like Mugs. This reminds me my mom.

She's Irish. She goes, this reminds me of my brothers. They go to church, then they go to the bars and get drunk and get in fights. Right. And it was the perfect place. So I told House of Pain, you know, let's roll with her. And then we got the same guy to do their video, Shady Perez, the same Mike Miller to shoot their album cover, the same guy that did us. We got the same management.

And, you know, she knew what to do with the whole Irish vibe. And, you know, they went to the Irish day. parade and that song took off and you'd never expect nothing like that to happen. You know, I liked the record. I didn't think it was a great record, but I liked the record. I feel like that song is the September of hip hop. Yeah. Like Earth Wind and Fire had, you know, all these songs that identify them. But at the end of the day, it's like a filler song from the greatest hits album that winds up, same with Rund DemC, it's tricky. Like, that might wind up being their signature song once the smoke clears, even though

You know, there's Peter Piper and all that shit. And like, like when the smoke is clear, like jump around will never not be played at sports anthems, never not be played at celebrations, like to this day. It just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. It's crazy. All right. Question. I've been dying to ask you. Did you produce sometimes a neighborhood for called The Wild?

No, I didn't. And I remember you asked me one time if I, yo, I need that single. And I didn't have any. And you was like, yeah, right. You don't got any. I think we was on the smoking grooves. Yes. I think Sean C produced that record.

What? I think Sean C might have produced it. That and clouds of smoke. Well, I mean, I'm going to ask about Daddy Freddie and Funk Dube's also, but where did they come from? Call the Wild. Call the Wild is from the Polo Grounds, you know, 155th in St. Nick. And I had met them, and then I just started working with them.

And, you know, I was busy and stuff. We was doing demos, and then they was doing records with Sean C. He was up in their neighborhood. So they came with that one day. And I was like, yo, that beat is crazy. To this day, that beat rules my life. Shout out to Cosmickev in Philadelphia for put me on to that. He just spun the bejes out of it on radio one day.

And to this day, that rolling pianos down. Oh, man. And now flips the pitch change and comes back. Has ruled, yes. Drums and everything. I actually got to call the Wild album. We never put it out. I got a whole album.

It's banging, too. Wait. What happened? We signed to Chris. Chris Schwartz signed us. They were going to be on Roughhouse? Yeah. And then they wanted a commercial record.

We tried a couple. We tried a couple. some Marvin Gay or some shit. We tried to do some of those soul records that was out at the time. And it wasn't working. And then they was like, we don't want to do this. I go, hey, man, this is the record. We don't want to do a commercial record. And then we just asked them if we can get dropped. And so they let us go. Chris was cool as hell, let us go. Do you still have that record? Yeah. I got to hear that record, man.

I'll shoot it over to you. Please, yeah, absolutely. God dear. And the group broke up in the middle of all that and everything. And smooth, actually stayed with me for a while. He's out on the fourth Cypress album on like about four songs. Okay. That's a shame, man, because every day I was going to record, like, records,

anything new, anything new, and it never came out. What did that 12-inch come out on then? I started the labels as East Side Records, just printed up ourselves. make like a few hundred copies. Damn. All right, so I got lucky. Cool.

I'm down. Yeah, talk about like as far as building the arsenal of your sonic family. Like, how did Funkdubius come into to play? That was, so we had son who was trying to be Big Daddy Kane, dressed like Kane, rap like Kane. You know, he was Sean's little homie. And then we had T-Bone, who was down with Cyprus from the DVX crew. and then Ralph M was Kid Frost DJ.

And so we was like, let's put these guys together and make a group. Now, Biro had a song called The Funk Dubious that was actually on the A to the K beat before we did A2 to K. Okay. And we was like, let's call them the Funk Dubius from your song. So we gave them the name, put them together, and got them their deal. There wasn't a lot of rappers around us. Most of our homies didn't rap. So we was like, they rap, let's make a group of them.

I guess the unveiling or the unleashing of the mug sound in hip hop was your collaborative work with Ice Cube. Right. Which, you know, I'm dying for the day for someone to start playing tear this motherfucker up, which is definitely made for where we are now in these times. But I always wanted to know, and I don't know if they were added as an afterthought or whatnot, but do you know why Das never actually dropped a verse or. on, check yourself, like, you just had them for the course or... That was all Q. A Cube decision? Yeah, Cube was after he had, I sent him the beat.

He's like, I'm going to get DOS effects on this. Okay. So you would just send the beats out and then let them do it? I had nothing to do it. I mixed it, but that was it. Okay, okay. Normally when a DJ from a crew gets prominence as a producer, nine times out of 10, like, I'll see a situation in which they'll get a replacement

touring DJ, the tour. with the group, especially a group like Cypress Hill, which is always touring, so that said DJ producer can go home and make stuff. Like at any point did you consider just permanently leaving the group and just being... Yeah, I have about, probably about the last 12 years. I stopped touring. So you're not... I don't tour no more.

Okay. No, I just wanted to make sure, you know, I used to watch behind the music and everything, and I've seen every rock star's biggest regret was not being able to raise their children. I mean, so I was like, no, I'm going to make sure I raise my kids. Okay. I just like being in the studio and being creative. You know, because sometimes doing the same set list night after night and being on the road,

it just felt like a robot. I want to switch the set list up and, you know, do crazy things on tour. But I was just like, man, it's getting boring. And it was hard. How hard was that to? It's hard to make beats back then. Now it's easy with the computers,

but trying to compete with, you know, the biggest producers and be on tour for seven months a year was hard. And I, you know, I wasn't making beats fast. I make beats fast now. Did you feel competitive, especially in that era of like, Who's going to get this break first?

Yo, I'd be on tour and come home and be right in the studio. Go back on tour, come home and be right in the studio, doing that. There was never a break. So, you know, I wasn't used to moving like that. So six years of that shit, it was driving you crazy. I didn't know it was driving me crazy until I looked back at the time. There was no breaks.

And it was hard to, like, make beats, you know, I probably... Would you have a little operation on your tour bus? I tried, you know, but you're trying to play a record, and the bus is bouncing. He's trying to record everybody's on the bus. Right. We had 12 people on the bus, so it wasn't, and you're tired on tour and shit. So it was hard.

And, you know, I was making about a beat a week back then. So I'd have to come home and I got to turn this album in, you know, a month. So I just have to try to make, I learned to make beats faster. But at that time, it was a little bit difficult, man. Every producer I know has a one that got away in terms of like, well, you mentioned that you were almost not going to release Kill a Man. Right, right. been criminal. But has there ever been like a particular sample that you had something for that you held back

on the last minute because it's already out there in the... So after Black Sunday, after the record got so big and you know, Insane and the Brain blew the fuck up. Yeah. Then we started getting the backlash. Oh, they sold out. They did this. They went rock.

So I was like... But you were doing what you were doing. Exactly. But you know... Like Insane and Brain could have been on the first record. We never went out of our way to make a hit. It's the same records we made. And what I knew with Insane in the Brain,

I was like, they didn't get enough of that sound yet. So let me make another version of Killer Man, is what Insane of the brain was. Let me make, let me, if you listen to the bass line. Okay. So we put the brakes in it and shit. So I was like, they didn't get enough of this sound. So let me feed them a little bit more of this sounds.

You know what I mean? So when it was time for the third album, I was like, I'm going to make the darkest record I can make. You know, and so I just sat. But we did a song. That's a banger and I hear it now and I was like that was a hit single. That should have been the first single on Temple of Boom. Which one?

What's it? It's called in the city of angels. Okay. In the city of angels where the hustlers play and the ballers be dropping a vampist all day. It's a banger. You mentioned something about texture and you got to sell this once and for all. Jump around. What is the shrill noise for real?

there's there's there's this battle i never cleared the sample though so you want to beep it out look if it's who i think it is that person's long has been long gone for 10 years not it's not prince oh okay so it is indeed but you hear what we hear what prince thought it was prince too he came to you yeah when we was in minnesota one time they go hey we was playing in He was upstairs. We talked. We had a little conversation for a minute, but it wasn't Prince. And I told him who it was and he got it.

Wait, what? So how did he approach you about it? Well, he was downstairs and I guess he was upstairs and then somebody had, you know, boom, boom, boom. And I went upstairs and just talked to him for a second and let him know. And he just looked at me like, okay. I think once he heard, I think once he heard what it was, it made sense. You know what? Okay, so I went back and heard it.

But I couldn't mistake it. couldn't mistake it for that. I'd still love the lure of it being, we all thought that the get-off Yale was a distorted, whatever the distorted shrill is in jump around when, of course, it was just the... We just got popped for that sample, I think, about five years ago. Wait, so it's still... We just had to pay for it, obviously, but, you know, thank God the laws got changed. They only was able to go back three years and get royalties.

If they was able to go back 20 years, it would have been... and cold as ice for us. But yeah, it was Chubby Checker. For what song? I can't remember the song. That's it. That's Chubby Checker? Yeah.

It's that and then it just goes into a hole. It goes into some hole of the shit. Okay. Wow. I didn't know that. And it's the same drums from Hand on the Pump. Same tramp. It is.

Tramp drums and the same high hats at the whole same kit. Like, how exhausting was that period of hip-hop where, I mean, that's the period I missed the moment. where it was just the goal rush wild west of sample clearing and not sample clearing just putting records out just barrage of samples on top of each other which I miss it so much but how nightmarish was it just to make a record in say 1995 or 96 where your hands are sort of tied behind your back because what you're known for sonically you can't Well, the first album, when it was done, Chris Schwartz told me like this.

He goes, we ain't going to clear these samples. This record will never come out. We're just going to put this record out and deal with it later. And we got hit for samples for the next 15 years. You know what I mean? Oh, so you did have to pay a price. We played 50 grand for Duke of Earl. Ah.

You know, we paid for everything. And I told Ice Cube that one day. He goes, 50 grand for a hit. I'll do that any day. And then it made me, I go, oh, that shit makes sense to me. I never thought about it like that. But by the time I got the temple of. boom, I started implementing a lot of more live instruments.

So there's a lot of live bass lines on there with just, you know, live organ sounds and stuff all ran through the SP-12-hundred to give them that dust. But at that time, I just was like, then I had to start turning samples in. The B and Sam was looking at me like, better clear these fucking samples, man, this just costing us a lot of money. When we get another, you know, $50,000 lawsuit. Then we got hit for, um, Sil Johnson, Inelude on, um, on Black Sunday. Because I'm black? Yep, $20 million lawsuit. Wait, what?

$20 million. Froes everybody's publishing, froze everybody's royalties for a couple years. Where'd they get $20 million from? Some ambulance chasing lawyer from Chicago. And trying to say, the reason this album's a hit is because of that interlude. And I was like, no, it don't work like that.

The hit song's the single and drove it. I go, that's a 31-second record. Okay, I knew for a fact that I first heard, is it becomes something black on that record. Right. And I'm one of the dweaves and nerds that will read the sample credit or whatever or no and then buy Seale Johnson

and then buy more Seal Johnson. Me too. Absolutely. They logically can't see that that's benefiting them. I don't think he's seen it like that. I think he was just trying to get as much as he can. So thank God I've recorded. I got it from the 45, which I think the laws changed

by the time they started, by the time it was on the album for the songwriters. Right. They ended up getting 300,000. And then they appealed it. And then the judge got mad. He goes, you know what? Now you don't get shit.

Now you got to pay their law fees. So it ended up working out good for us, man. The guy, he got real greedy. And they was aggressive in the, in the, you had to sit down and give testimonies and all this shit. Lawyers were yelling at us. It was like three days of sitting down, deposition. and shit like that.

What you had to go through for an interlude. I was like, God, damn, with this shit I got to go through? And then, you know, and that's the, to answer your question, that's when it's like, I can't sample shit no more.

And then they was hitting you hard for samples at that time because they knew what they can get, you know what I mean? So, you know, then we just started having to figure other things out. I think it took away from the vibe, you know, moving forward

to like the fourth, fifth album, you know, not being able to just be free and sample anything you wanted at any time. You know, you had to be very cautious, especially once you get success. If you was putting, underground records out, it's a different thing. But at that point, as soon as that record comes out,

they're playing, they're looking for shit. Right. And the label don't want to give up their masters. You know, so the label is extra too. You know, they're writing that shit in the context. You are liable for all the samples now. I'm Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Encore. Check out our brand new episodes featuring music from the show that everyone is reheating as we speak.

Heated rivalry. Join me as I go behind the songs that brought Shane and Elia together. I'll tell you the stories of five. My Moon, My Man, Wolf for raids, I'll believe in anything, and tattoos all the things she said, and how they all became a part of this global phenomenon. Stream encore on IHeart Radio, crave, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J.

And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and Iheart women's sports. Because let's be real. Women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days. So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii. My first thought is, like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we eating? The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire timeline. And the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women sports.

Naomi Osaka showing out, she beat Sabalinka. Shout out to you, Naomi. You get the palm, Naomi. Calm for that. Because we're not just interested in what happened. We're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports.

On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Portlandia fans. Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. You know us, or rather you know them. Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance, Spike, and yes, the chicken. We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia, A.O. our brand new podcast.

Each week, we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process. How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life.

Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysler, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann and many more. Kyle is going for it here. You fully improvised, not just words, but a song. Well, I thought he was going to write. I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that.

Listen to Podlandia. Ayo rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier. And Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible your The problem. If you come over here to play games, I'ma check you.

Okay? If you do some in the news that don't sound good, I'm going to play you. Join Yomeneka Saunders as she breaks down the week's most problematic stories on her new podcast. You're The Problem with Yomeneke. Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was? New episodes weekly every Wednesday is part of my new network, the Dear Chelsea Network. If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less, so I don't have to do so much.

So join Yamanika each episode as she answers one question. Who's the problem? I'm Yamanika, and I'm out. Listen to you're the problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. In prime cypressile touring lore, how hard was it being advocates of cannabis use and weed use in kind of an outlaw? form like you know yeah yeah where there's some towns in which you guys knew you had to go dry and the cops they don't light up you're going to jail cops waiting on the side of the stage like a lot of that you know what i mean um that's when it was actually fun though when it was the outlaw shit you know

what i mean um that's when i actually dug it but um yeah there was times you know especially texas america there cops waiting for us waiting for us don't light up they were set they're standing there waiting for you to light up so we got a lot of that especially like in the Bible Belt. And how would you handle it? We just wouldn't smoke on stage that night. Really? Yeah.

Okay, so I directed the Saturday Night Live documentary about music acts on the show. And I had it been a multi-series, I would have definitely gotten to you guys because you guys are part of a very small club of people who got in trouble for certain acts on SNL. Can you talk about the whole S&L incident? Because you actually came from behind the turntables. Right. And set it off and said, we're not. New York, can I light my joint? You know, so we're in the green room doing rehearsals.

Right. And I'm just rolling some weed. And it don't light up on stage. And I'm like, of course, okay. Don't light up on stage 15 times. I had no problem. Then I was just like, you know what? I was planning on it, but after they was telling me,

I started second-guess of myself. Then I was like, man, fuck damn. I'm gonna light up on stage. But don't do it on the first song, because they're not gonna let us come back out. So I waited to the second song. That's when I go, yo, can I light my joint? They told me the phone line started going on crazy.

The crowd started looking around. Everybody's calling in, what the fuck they're doing? What the fuck they're doing? And, you know, we started smashing the turntables because we would smash all our turntables like the who? So, you know, on tour, smashing everything like insane in the brain. So, you know, doing all that.

And after the show, well, they let me have it. The label, the executives up there being insane was mad at me. And I was just like, man, fuck this shit. You know what I mean? Hey, that's what it is. So, you know, I never knew it would go this far and still be alive like this. You know, it was just something we did. Right.

Well, now that it's legal and like, you know. Now it's... Now it's corny. Everybody's smoking weed. Right. I was going to say, did you now feel it's boring now? I'm saying it was good when you was the bad guy and you ain't supposed to do this, you know what I mean? And, you know, we just took the torch from a Bob Marley from, you know, the Rolling Stones, all the rock and roll guys that was smoking. That's what that's what we came.

Have you guys over at a dispensary at least? Yeah, Biro has. Okay. I was about to say if there's not a Cyprus really dispensary, then this is all for naught. Yeah, it's called Dr. Greentham. Okay. And you know, it's just, we just took the torch from Bob Marley, you know what I mean, and all the acts of the 60s. And it was like, let's just bring this thing and let's try to make this legal.

So we was doing fundraisers for normal, the National Organization Reform and Marijuana laws, doing fundraisers, trying to get money so they can go to Congress with their lobbyist groups and, you know, get this shit legal. You know what I mean? So for years, we did that. And we pushed for that. And then once it got legal, I was like, all right, this is boring now. I figured as much. At the height of just the frenzy that was Cypress Hill, I always wanted to know,

has Hollywood ever come calling to you guys at all? Like, especially in terms of like what Cheech and Chong films meant in the 70s or whatever, that at any point? Nah, they haven't, they haven't. Really? No. The only thing we did close enough was we did,

I think we have a scene in How High. Yeah. And just doing the music for Fridays, but we never, they never approached us. to do a film, which in hindsight, if I would have known what I know now, we would have done a film back then.

Probably been on Volume 5 by now. Were you involved at all with the, okay, as a longtime Simpsons fan? Of course, Simpson's heads know that there was a Cypress Hill joke made with the Londonville harmonic, whatever, and then I think recently or maybe a year ago or two years ago,

that joke finally came to life with it. Yeah, Cyprus, the, the, I wasn't there. DJ Lord tours with him now from Public Enemy. Okay. Okay. Yeah, he's dope. Okay.

Damn. See, you didn't have to do with that. I want to talk about your collaboration, Alpree's that you've done. Soul Assassins was your very first outing outside of the group as far as? Soul Assassin is a crew. Like, so once we start putting out albums, we had. Or met the compilation LP. Oh, yeah, that was my first thing outside the group.

And, you know, I was never, I went to, I didn't like selling beats to people because I went to a couple of those studio sessions. there's 10 producers waiting for their turn to go play beats. Catacall. And I walked into one of those and I looked around and I was like, I'll be right back. I'm going to go to the store and I never went back. You know, and I was talking to a famous producer one day. I go, man, I love your shit.

He goes, nah, man. He goes, you're doing it right. He goes, I'm waiting for the next phone call to sell a beat. He goes, you build your own world. And then at that point, I was like, you know what? I just want to build my own worlds and being full control of my worlds. So that's a reason I didn't do a lot of production outside. I've done records, but I just said,

you know what, I'm going to build my own worlds for now on and work with artists and produce the whole record and do the Soul Assassin's records now. In the cattle-called era of, you know, make me beat, make me beat like who. Well, I know you got something on Goody Mob. Well, there was my friends. That was what to say.

That was a very random... I used to go to Atlanta and just rent a studio for a week and record. Like, I probably got five or six more Goody Mob songs, you know. What was it about Atlanta that called you there? I just connected with... I met Goody Mob. We just became friends. friends automatically.

So I would go down there just to go fuck with them. Okay. I'm right in the studio. Y'all in town. Just go down. I'd make beats. And then they'd pull up when they could pull up and just record. Okay.

When we ended up doing one record we did was just a song. It was on... Still standing. The second album? No, that was in Shala. Yes. No, but we did just a song for a Spike Lee movie, Bambuzzle. Ah.

Okay. Oh, shit. Yeah, I got to play you the original. It's fucking fire. Okay. If anything, I always felt that you were... the next logical step, your sound, like between, especially between 91 and 94, your sonic texture would have been the actual place where PE should have landed in terms of what to do next after

Apocalypse 91? Like, what are some of the nose that you didn't do as far as, like, collaborations? Wasn't a lot like What wasn't a lot Because I just wouldn't even put myself out there like that You know what I mean I just made sure I stayed in I did what KRS won You know what

While we're talking about this You did a remix for you two once And Numb It was actually first song Edge ever Edge wrapped on it Yeah dude I was gonna say That I always knew the album version

Got my Edge hat on Yeah facts I was going to say that when I got got that 12 inch, I was like, yo, like, now this sounds, this sounds official. Like, their version was more like alt rock or whatever. They were like switching their style up for that particular album. But, yeah, I was going to say that that was an incredible remix that I felt that should have gotten.

Yeah, that one was banging. That was a banger. I like that one. Got further into it. And he kind of rapped on it. Yeah. So I made the beautiful. And you definitely made it.

You brought out more, at least as far. far as your collaborative projects that you've done. I mean, you've done stuff with the Jizzah. Dude, the Rock Marciano album is, like, definitely one of my favorites. You work with, O'Bill, like all these acts, Planet Asia, Sick Jack and all these, like, of all the collaborative projects you've done, like, would have been, like, your favorites as far as your highlights. The rock record, the Makami records I did. Rome Streets. Yeah. For where hip-hop is now, like the post-Rock Marciano. Griselda, we could put Action Bronson's last three or four records into there.

I love where it's going, which is weird because I'm a drummer and kind of the one thing, thanks Alchemist, the one element that's missing is it's drumless, but somehow I feel like it fits into your world perfectly. Like how do you feel now about, and I know every, you know, this sounds morphing. And even when there are drums, they're mixed lower now. And it's funny, when you mix them higher, it just sounds like boom bap from the 90s. Right.

But when you bring the drums down a little bit more and let the music shine, it's what the sound of now. You know what I mean? I've been drumless. I've done, born and get busy on the first Cypress album, didn't have no drums. The song with Under Soul Assassins We'll Call the Wild.

No drums. You know, Scooby-Doo with Cypress Hill, no drums. So we tapped into that now. But now it wasn't a thing then, but now it's a thing. Is it odd for it not to have that? Because even what I'm trying to make now, I'm like, Jesus, like the louder turn my drums up.

I'm like sneaking back to my 96-97 thing, and I'm trying to figure out like how to re-consectionalize the music. But for you, now that we're in loop-based era hip-hop, like how do you feel like, is this right up the alley? Yeah, yeah, it's right on my alley. sometimes you got a loop and you try to put drums on them and it just fucks it up. It don't sound good, you know.

So a lot of times I would just put drums in there even with Cyprus and put the drums low so it doesn't mess up the loop, you know, especially if you're trying to put a snare on the snare and it just takes the vibe. So if it works, it works. And I make sure half the records usually have drums and then, you know, parts of the records don't have drums

and what I'm working on these days. You know what I'm saying? And I don't pick the beats for the rappers. I give them a folder. Like here's the 30 beats I like You know pick what you like Sometimes they was like man I didn't like those beats

I didn't pick them Nice Alchemist right now is like Killing the game You just talk about like Just mentoring him And from the days of the hooligans To where he is now as a producer

And developing him How would you first meet him? I met him Because Actually our fire manager back then Call me one day He goes mugs You want to make a lot of money

And I'm like Why not? I got this rap group, two little white kids from Beverly Hills. I said, get the fuck out of here. I don't want to hit TalkShall. Get out of here with this shit. And so they called B-Rail next. They want to affiliate with Cyprus.

So B-Ril ended up working with him. And the executive produced the first album. And got some producers that were down with the management team to produce their first record. Right. So during that, I met Al. And then Al realized during that record, like, Oh, Mugs is the sound beside Cypress Hill. So I seen him, he was about 14, and I seen in him what I seen in me at that age,

like, man, just his hunger and his dedication. And I was, but, you know, I was, I didn't have nobody to show me like, how this shit works. I remember walking in the studio the first time when we was kids. I walked to the studio on Hollywood Boulevard and we want to make a record. I thought the music was already in the studio for you. I didn't know how to make the music and bring it there. So I was. like all this kid needs to be exposed and be around it. So him being in a studio, I take him on tour

with us every place we can go. He went to Atlanta with me, you know, and I just take him around. And anything I did, I just brought him with me and just exposed him. And he's a sponge and he's a little genius, you know what I mean? And I just knew he just needed to be around it to soak it up because that's how I learned with Joe the butcher just being in the studio. Oh, that's how you do it. That's how this is. And you know, it's just a, it's just a fucking. quantum leap, you know, into the future. So all those, all the shit you might have had to deal with, you can just kind of like, just learn from being around the shit. Now that you're almost four decades into making music, where does the passion still alive? Like, what is your process today?

Like, tomorrow, when do you normally make beats? Are you a morning person, are you a night person? I flip it up because sometimes I get up at six and just go to the studio. But then after three or four days, I'm bored of that. You know, so I might do that. Now I just try to make, I'll go in for six hours and make a beat every half an hour. But I don't finish beats no more because I remember sitting down and listening to about 50 beats I never used. And I spend fucking days on them. And I go, how much time that I just waste on these beats that never came out?

So now I just ideas. I don't finish the beats. I come up with ideas. So I'll go in three days a week, make 12 beats a day. and then when somebody wants to use it, then I finish it. So I get the scratch idea. Where is the sort of the pile up? How many would you reckon are in your canon right now as far as,

like, do you have an entire collection of every beat that you've ever made? From the last 10 years, yeah. I got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of beats. Have you kept the original SB200 discs from the... Got all those discs still. Okay. You know, and they work. All right.

No, that's important. That's important. Creatively now, what still motivates you? I think now it's like working with younger artists and being able to just inspire and maybe help, like, you know, oh, I like this motherfucker. Oh, but if he did this, I could take him to the next level, you know. And then you got to put the working obviously. But just the kind of music we love, I just want to keep inspiring the next generation. kids to keep doing what we love.

And I think they got to, you know, go and do this style or I got to do trap records or nothing like this style right here is this shit. So, you know, I see me now as just being an inspiration to the next generation. Has there ever been a time period where you thought you might have to be a suit, an executive, never. Working at a, I always want, all right, so this is the thing. Artists often complain about suits and just the politics. of the industry, but I always said that I can't wait for the day in which, like,

music cats actually run the music business. It would be so much different. Like, your version of what you think is dope. Right, right. Could mean the world of difference for at least, like, five or six quality records to come out because I know that you least have immersed yourself and dipped the toe inside of actual music, whereas, you know, your average A&R. Well, Andrew Shaq, a priority, actually brought me.

to run the A&R department, but then priority went out of business like two months later. They sold. But that's, I feel the same way about, um, press and, um,

what you guys are doing is great, because it's actually musicians, what Norrie's doing is great, what Cam is doing great, you know, I'm glad that's happening, because there was a lot of people over here judging your music that never went on tour.

They didn't know how hard it is to have a relationship. Oh, you need, to go on tour and then be on tour for seven months. And then, you know, fighting with your wife. and then having the pressure to go make a hit song. Like, they're just going to sit back and talk about your records. And it's like, you know, so when I did the Bullworth record,

Methamann had a line. They talk about it while we live it. You know, and it's like to be able to sit down and talk to journalists who actually do this with us. It's like, oh, fuck yeah, it's refreshing. Just when I, even when I watch sports, and there's sports guys that are the journalists now, it's like, oh, this is the shit, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, I've been blessed to be able to save my money, make a lot of really good investments. So I don't make music for money no more.

just strictly being creative. And, you know, there's a few times a year. I go, I never want to do this shit again, you know. But then I just go on vacation. And then it's as funny, as soon as I get out of my comfort zone and I get somewhere, I'm like, all the ideas start coming. And they just start piling and I, you know what I mean? Right.

And then I just get home and I got the fire again. But I know myself well enough. I go, oh, here, I'm here again. I need to, let me get out of town for me. Let me go do something else. So you have a self-care routine where you believe in vacations and timeout and definitely. It's necessary.

You know, and I end up making beats in the morning. If I'm in Hawaii, I'll get up for an hour and just bang out a couple of ideas and then just go swim all day. You know what I'm saying? So I mastered myself as a man to understand like my ebbs and flows, but now I'm not a producer. You know, I'm more of an artist where I'm going to sit down and make full projects and try to teach these dudes, find out what the best thing is for them. Some people don't want to listen. I'm like, I'll give them some advice. They don't want to listen.

I'm like, cool. All your ideas, all your thinking guys. That's you exactly where you are today. If you want to stay where you are, keep going. But if you want to listen, I could help you get to that next place where you want to get, you know what I mean? And level up a little bit. So the motherfuckers who want to listen. And then after they're done work with me and they actually put the work in, I see the jump.

And I appreciate it. My life changed after I worked with you. You know, and other dudes who are just like, nah, this is how I do my shit. And this is who I am. Oh, cool then, homie. Yeah, there's the record. We're done. God bless you.

anything left on your bucket list as far as things that you want to achieve creatively? I'm doing films now, so this is my second short film. Okay. So I think next year I'm going to get into some features. That's the next move. And that actually made the third soul assassin album. We made fun because I was like, man, I've done 150 music videos.

I'm tired of doing videos. You know, I'm tired of this. I was like, what else can I do, man? So Death Valley, I got with Jason Goalwatch and did Death Valley, which actually started inspiring a couple of different people to make films. You know, Al told me he's like, man, you inspired me to make the film he made last year with, was it Gibbs?

It's just being able to just something that just keeps my brain ticking and stuff. You know, so sometimes I'll go in and bring my musicians in and be like, all right, let's play some shit like this. I'll play records and we'll just flip them in and I'll just, he'll play me shit and I'll just flip the samples. And other days, I just go in and sample. And yeah, man, it's just, shit's got to come out. I just enjoy going in the lab.

just making music still. What was the advice that you're glad that you didn't take it? Make your shit on the metronome. Your shit's dusty. You need to clean it up. You don't quantize sometimes? No. Ah, nice.

You need your shit's offbeat. It's dusty. It's not quantized. And, you know, and I was like, fuck it. I like it. I like an orthodox shit. That doesn't make sense. You know what I mean?

And that's been, I live by that and die by that shit. Who is your longest friendship? in this industry, as far as your journey as DJ Muggs? Oh, shit. Probably my Cyprus boys, you know, me and B's still tight, you know what I mean? And just my regular homies, you know what I mean? Met a lot of good people along the journey, you know what I'm saying? But yeah, just the fact, we still got a good brotherhood.

Anybody's cool. Who's the one person in your life that keeps you in check? Keeps me in check? I mean, a lot of times, I think when you get status, you go into can't tell me nothing. territory. Just my regular friends. Just my regular friends. We clown.

You know, if I walk in with some funny ass socks on, you know, they let you have it. You know what I mean? So, you know, just my homies are just some regular motherfuckers. They don't make music or nothing. You got you. So it's just keeping your core group of homies around all the time. All right.

I'll close with this. Why do you still do it? Why do you still want to make music? Why? What keeps you going? You know, I think my biggest fear is waking up one day and just not having inspiration. Like, not having that no more. You know what I mean?

And so I just appreciate the blessing I was given. You know what I mean? And I would never disrespect this blessing. So I actually enjoy it. You know what I mean? Right. And earlier my career was about the ego and about me and being successful, you know what I mean? And getting out there and, you know, trying to be one of the best producers.

And then, you know, you achieve that. Now it's about finding the next generation and finding little diamonds in the rough and shining them up a little bit and getting in the lab with them, you know, like the kid T.F. I'm working with now. I thought he was one of the best dudes that I like in L.A. So I was like, I could take, watch when this album's done. You're going to start touring in Europe. You're going to start seeing a lot of doors open for it that didn't open, you know. Hence, you know, Rome Streets, same situation. Raz Fresco from Canada, you know what I mean? Just working with these kids that are. They're open and they're excited and they're just, they're hungry. And I'm like, oh, that's how I felt in 1988, you know what I mean? And being able to help them achieve their dreams and all their goals and their ambitions, you know, and when you see the light on them that they really want to work and do this and put more energy into the project than you'll put. I'm like, yeah, okay, that that's what I feed off of now. I know, you know, people will come up to you say, wow, this is a classic, this is a classic. Oh, it was the movie with Hit Boy, Goldfish.

Yeah, when I was at the screening, Al gave me props. He was like, man, we did this because of mugs. I got inspired by Death Valley. Oh, okay. So, you know, those are the things. Those are the things that keep me doing. And I think, you know, I'm still trying to push the limits and the underground music and try to push things.

So, like I'll get into features and just do different things. And hopefully I could inspire, like I said, just keep inspiring motherfuckers to keep doing what we like. Because there was a minute there with this kind of hip hop was kind of, it was getting less and less. You know what I mean? It was hanging by a string, you know what I mean? you know and just you know seeing shit like nah's coming back and doing his shit and everything he's doing with mass appeal like that's inspiring you know coming back and bringing all the ogs back and everything so that's what we got to do this game gave me a lot man you know i mean

people i met places i've been things i got to do and um so i just want to keep giving back to it and you know well sir i thank you for coming on the show man oh yeah bro thank you i appreciate your artistry thank you very much brother everything you should everything dj mugs on the quest love show yep and we're We will see y'all on the next go-round. See you all later. The Questlove show is hosted by me, Amir Questlove Thompson. Executive producers are Sean G., Brian Calhoun, and me.

Produced by Brittany Benjamin and Jake Payne. Produced for IHeart by Noel Brown. Edited by Alex Conno. IHart video support by Mark Canton. Logos, graphics, and animation by Nick Paloey. Additional support by Lance Coleman. Special thanks to Kathy Warran.

Special thanks to Sugar Steve Mandel. Please subscribe, rate, review, and share the Questlove show wherever you stream your podcast. Make sure you follow us on socials. That's at QLS. Check out hundreds and hundreds of QLS episodes, including the Questlove Supreme shows in our podcast archives. Quartzlove shows a production of IHeartRadio. Hey, Portlandia fans.

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here. The Dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form. We're launching Podlandia, A.O. Rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made. And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Chrysall, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it here.

You fully improvised, not just words, but a song. Well, I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia, A.A.O. Rewatch on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On Raiders of the Lost Podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary. It was like the Jaws shark.

Didn't always work, came with its own problems. That's what made it great. The cast of obsession. On set, there was so much magic happening with each scene we were putting together. Deep dives into classics like 2001 of Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on all industry news. Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get,

your podcasts. And for more, follow at Raiders of the Lost Podcast and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers. Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your girl, Sam J. And we're the host of everyone watches women's sports, a new podcast from Together and I Heart Women's Sports. We're breaking down the biggest

headlines. Naomi Osaka, show it out. Shout out to you, Naomi. The viral moments. I've been obsessed with Kashan Rock's boxing journey. She looks good. Her combos are swift. And the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's sports on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is Chelsea Hanel from Dear Chelsea. Every week, the news gets worse. The world gets crazier and Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible,

you're the problem. Do you know I just found out who Sidney Sweeney was? If he got a bunch of women, then I should have a bunch of men. Do better or do less so I don't have to do so much. I'm Yamanika, and I'm out. Listen to You're the problem with Yamanika on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.