The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Top Shelf 1988

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

The masterminds behind Top Shelf 1988 join Team Supreme to discuss the most transformative year in hip-hop history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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West Love Supreme is a production of IHeartRadio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. Ladies and gentlemen, what's up? This is Questlove and you're checking out QLS Classic. So some time back, way back, I think around 2018, there was a mythical unearthed with quotations. The project called Top Shelf 1988. It featured like a lot of the all-stars of what I call the Latin Quarter era of hip-hop,

The Latin Quarter era, known as the classic hip-hop era. A lot of those songs that are now staples in hip-hop, they basically got their debut when DJ Red Alert was spinning at the Latin Quarter. Ruminaries like Chub Rock, also Grand Master Cass, Melly Mel, Smooth B of Nice and Smooth, Dresa Black Sheet, Master Ace, Grand Puba, Jungle Brothers, Dougie Fress, Special Ed, MC Light, Craig G, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Marquis, and of course, MC Search. What can I say, man? This is like one of those rare summit meetings that I've always dreamed about having a conversation with my, you know, my comrades, the guys that built hip-hop culture as I knew and love it.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's go back in time to a classic. era and Quest Love Supreme History. This is the Top Shelf 1988 episode. Let's go. Duluke that man hat. Let's just kick it off. Ladies and gentlemen, do not attempt to adjust your

your doll. Don't do it. This is probably my greatest dream manifesting right now in front of my eyes. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm surrounded

by all my idols. literally in front of me. This is Quest Love Supreme only on Pandora. We have the world's greatest right in front of me. I'm going to introduce you one by one. Starting up, we have Sir Kane,

Big Daddy King. Top show. Top show. King, Asiatic, top show. Craig G. Yes, sir. I want you, sir. This is amazing.

MC Light is in the house. Good evening. Hello. Special Ed is in the house. What it is like, Flatwood, Church, Stand Up, E. Hall. MC Search is in the house.

White people stand up. Oh, shit, I know. We also have Vinci Greenberg from Rostin Records. Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh. Did you bring me a Promonti

Brothers sandwich? I got to go back and get you on. Sorry about that. Brother A. A.E. L. Caharan. I know I'm going to put you your name, bro. It's cool.

It's cool. No, no. It's Ayah del Gare. Good night. I'm going to say it. All right. One more time. Ayed.

Al-Hare. Ayed-Hahir. Yeah. Get your Jew right. I know. I'm trying to. Hello? One more time.

Ayed. Ayed. Al-Hare. El-Hare. Yeah. I did it. It means we turned to goodness. The only Muslim with a Louis Vuitton's scarf.

Get a right. We are up. Sexy Muslim. We are here to, I guess, kick off or celebrate the top shelf project. I can't stress enough to our listeners. crucial the year of 1988 was for hip-hop history. And, you know, to hear of this project. First of all, this came out of nowhere, at least for me,

I'd never heard of this, the idea of, can you give us, who can best describe to me the history of the Top Shelf 1988 project, the genesis of it? I'll take that. Okay. So I had moved to New York in 2000, was working at a record company as an assistant. And I was working on producing and writing music at nights and on the weekends.

And so I started making beats and I was getting better at producing. And a mutual friend of me and Chris's introduced us. And Chris was big into digging for records and all that. And so he came over one day and we just made a track. And it ended up being the track. What was the first one we made? Grand Puba's. So we made a track and we're like, oh, this is really dope.

but it sounds like it's like 1988. This is in 2003. Okay. And he kept coming over and we kept making beats. And all of a sudden we had this group of beats that we loved. And we didn't know what to do with them because, you know, it wasn't like 50 Cent who was popping off in 2003 was going to get on these beats that sounded like 1988. So we came up with this idea.

Like, what if we got like our idols from 1988 to somehow get on these records? And we didn't, I didn't know anybody really. It was just like a dream. And then we came up with this whole backstory of top shelf studios and all the tapes were lost in the Tompkins Square Park riots. And we just sort of just, we were just dreaming in my bedroom literally just like coming up with this story to somehow give this project some context. And it wasn't even a project at the time. It was just a dream. And so a friend of mine introduced me to Fab Five Freddy.

And we went to his house and we played him a bunch of beats. and he really liked it. He loved the concept of it, which was basically, there was this studio from 1988 called Top Shelf. All the greatest artists came through there to record after shows, hanging out, whatever. And during the Tompkins Square Park rides, all the tapes were lost. And now...

Crazy backstory, by the way. Thank you. And now 15 years later in 2003, we find these records, right? But now it's 15 years after that, because I didn't have, I had, I was able to, we were able to make the record, but we, like, no one was interested in putting it out. And so it wasn't until we had success with Rostrum and were able to do it properly, that it's now properly coming out. Now 30 years after the fictional top shelf studios was looted during the Tompkins Square Park riots. Wow.

Well, yeah, I think it's only apropos that you do it on an even number, which is 30 years into it. So it seems like it's all come full circle. How did you pitch this idea to each? To the arts? Yes, to each member. Well, I thought that by having Fat-Fod Freddy on my side would help. Because if it's like 2003 and it's just like, hey, my name is Benji. and I want to make this record that's, you know,

so it was a lot more effective to be like, hey, me and Fab Five Freddy, because he came on as an executive producer of it back then. You know, we're making this record and blah, blah, blah, and people like the beats. I think that's what it came down to, is people were feeling the energy of the project. I mean, you'd have to ask them,

but to me it was like, you know, to me it was a celebration of the music that, that we grew up with and that we loved and what got me into music in the first place. And so I think people felt that energy, or I hope they did, which was just like, it was a celebration, and it was just like a cool concept idea and like, let's just all get together and make a record. So I have to ask, were the tracks initially made on an SB200 or did we cheat a little bit? We cheated a little bit.

We actually made them on an MPC. 2000 Excel. Okay, that's close. That's quasi close. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, but yeah, no, he didn't make it on an SP. Well, definitely the spirit of 88 is in there. Like, I'd never thought I'd see the day where, you know, someone's spitting over something that's 108 BPMs, which, you know, for me, like, I mean, I'm just a lover of fast rap. So even what we

Chub Rock's track, which I was like, whoa, like the second I heard, I was like, oh, there's no way he's going to match. And then he started like instantly out the gate. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So I have to ask this room, there's one sort of common thread that's on almost every Questlove Supreme show, which I feel as though the common denominator of all of you is, of course, the Latin quarter of which no one salivates more over Latin quarter stories than I do.

So yeah, without my my core horticier who will make fun of me of doing this, I have to ask questions about the Latin quarter. They literally, yeah, they made that jingle just for me because they know I ask too many questions of it. But for me, I mean, I'll be

remiss to not let any stories of 1988 go by without without any Latin quarter-tales. First of all, was this room at all, like, socially, because this is... Oh, yeah. I'll tell y'all, man, I'm too young to know what you're talking about. Yeah, I was going to say, I don't think you... No, but this room for sure.

I don't know what you're talking about. My pops told me about that spot. It's really funny. Actually, wait a minute. You two are actually. Actually, Juice Crew members. Juice Crew All-Stars. Oh, my goodness.

I was going to say to... I was going to say, was juice crew members welcome in the Latin Quarter to. To agree with Ed, I was really young. But I have, yeah, I mean, when the Symphony was out, I was 15. You had the Shout Join when you was 14 and... I was 12 when you made the Shale join? Yes. But here's the thing about Latin Quarters.

I met searching for the Latin Quarters when you had the Hey Girl song. And the way I wound up in the... Latin quarters was I used to Hey boy my bad yeah I used to answer the phones at the rap attack for Mr. Magic Okay and some nights I would wind up in Latin quarters with Mr. Magic underage scared to death and I remember bumping in the search in front of there I remember seeing

A couple of shows there but I didn't go often but I would wind up there Coming from the radio station so it was kind of weird that New York didn't really care about your agent because I had to have been at least 14 years old. Well, they made sure that you got a wristband for alcohol. So I was at Latin quarters at 15. And it was okay. And I didn't even want to be near the bar. Like, it was so much going on just on a music front.

You're seeing all the dancers and everything that liquor was the last thing on my mind. I agree. I mean, I wasn't even, I think I maybe went to the bar. I can probably count on one hand. And it was all five times we were red alert to have poo juice. because he would call us all to the bar, all the violators, and have poo-poo juice, which was Myers-Rum, pineapple,

and I forgot the third thing. But, yeah, so that was his drink. And I've never been anywhere in the world where they know how to make poo-poo juice except the Latin Quarter and one bartender. Russ and peace, Chris Lighty. Yeah, definitely. Well, first of all, Search is being modest

because Search was the king of Latin Quarters. It's like, you know, when you come in Latin Quarter's, quarters, it's like just, you know, it's red alert, paradise gray, MC search. Really? Yeah, that's how it falls. I mean, it's like if you come in there and you don't see search, you got to think something is wrong. For real.

I mean, it was like he was the king of Latin quarters. That's where I met him first, like really like the hey boy song. Like I remember the night when search walked in and read through it. it on and gave him love and search ran on the floor and started breaking it down dancing and everybody was screaming for him i was like okay that's what i need to be doing you know for real yeah wait now you mentioned something great you said that when you would go with magic but i'm under the impression that latin quarter was more red alert house right red alert well now now the thing about it was is we're talking before the bridge was.

Like, we're talking when I had, like, the song Transformer out. That was a couple of years before the whole conflict started. So what was the official first year of the Latin quarter that we know it? Is it 86? Celebrity Tuesdays, 85, Tuesdays in 1926. So 85? Celebrity Tuesdays with Paradise and Lumoombo Carson. No, awesome, too.

Awesome, too. Right. And Paradise was working at the door. Yeah, yeah, parody. But it was special, right, that's exactly right. Special Kane and Teddy Ted had celebrity Tuesdays. That's exactly right, 85. Yeah, it was before, like, the whole drama started.

So I would go with magic. And the funny thing is magic would leave me. I'd be in Latin quarters by myself just like, what the hell's going on here? And I never went to the bar because I had my little rope chain on in the corner. And you know who I would see? I would see Hawk. And he would make me feel safe. Bark and dog.

Yeah, that was my brother because he would make me feel safe. And then I'd get a little confidence. and hang out for a minute. He's talking about the guy that I'm going against in the A. or a half-step in video with the Braves. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Is this the hawk that you gave a shout out to in Rathiff King? Yeah. That hawk. Okay. Tarreka, I'm about to play you out one second. For half a second before he was a black thought, Tarek was hawk smooth.

And his acronym was hype African war. He'd keep kicking his smooth. I'm sorry. I'm sorry to read. I'm sorry to read. I'm sorry. African warrior keeping it smooth. I'm sorry.

Good night. Good night. But it pre-dated the South Bronx bridge beef. So you know what I mean? But that was kind of Brooklyn's out. Yo, did you take the train from Far Rockaway there? I did. It took the 8 to 42nd Street.

I would take the 8 to 40 seconds. Was Latin quarter the, the, was before the Latin quarter, was New York just regional then? just regional then? Like, was this the first Manhattan party in which you had to leave your borough to come to it? For me, like, I was... So for me, 83 was Lindbrook, Hot Skates, Empire Roller Rink, United Skates of America and Queens. Like, the only place to really hear hip-hop was split between hip-hop and dance music and the five boroughs. Well, Roxy and Dance Atirio.

Roxy and Dance Teteria. They were like... They were before... But they were really... real strict about young boys going in there. Like they were real, like you, it was tough to get in there when you were young. And to dance a Terry?

Yeah. You were getting your hip hop from the roller rinks. You write about that. Skate key. Without question. My first show, my- USA, I got booed. What?

Yeah. I think I got my first show at Empire Roller Rink, I got booed. Because I had a trash record called Melissa, that was trash. The girl. is Melissa. But I could dance really good so that would save me. But that record was trash because you got to remember,

I went to high school with Dana Dana Slick Rick. So I thought if I came out with a British accent, I would be fly. Oh, my God. And it was terrible. So I performed at Celebrity Tuesday because the awesome two were playing the record. And I went there and I got on stage and people were looking at me like, I'm an alien. So I started dancing. And then they were like, go white boy, go white boy.

So I was like, oh, okay. Like, I'm saved. Like, I figured it out. Like, I could be whack, but I could dance. And then vanilla ice came and just, you know, took that whole stee. But I decided to kind of grow and have lyrics and, you know, become something better than just a dancing and emcee. I see. Wait, you said you got, how?

What song, though? Well, I'll never forget it. It was, again, with Mr. Magic. Joe's love was performing and I wasn't even supposed to perform and something happened technically when Magic just threw me on the mic and no DJ knew what was going on and nothing. And I had to kick an a cappella and they weren't really friendly with acapellas back then because it was dancers. So, you know, about eight bars in, I think I'm kicking some hard rhymes.

This is again before I heard Kane and I threw like seven rhyme books away. Yep. Right. So my rhyme was mad basic. And like I said, I mean, I just wasn't good. And I was nervous as hell. Again, I'm like 14 years old. I don't know no better.

But it didn't deter me. You know what I mean? But it was weird because when he mentioned USA, it was like one of the read, like in Queens, everybody came through USA. But growing up in Queensbridge, the Rees Center was almost like a celebrity spot. So you had mad people come through. I remember being 10 watching Grand Master. I mean, Grand Wizard Theater or a cut with handcuffs on.

And I'm like 10 years old. like with my sheepskin on just amazed at it so I seen a lot of stuff but my brother my grandmother lived across the street from Harlem World and forced the projects and my brother would come home the thing about New York back then is it wasn't as regional as you thought there was somebody from any borough at any show it didn't matter how far away it was Brooklyn was always somewhere so I would get firsthand copies of like the fantastic five crow crush battle so I would say like Even before Latin Quarter's, like, Harlem World was the spot. Like, you had to be nice to perform at Hall.

I wanted to perform at Harlem World when I didn't even write rhymes. I just was rhyming off the top of the head nonstop. And I was like, Harlem World's the spot until I wound up at Latin Quarter's scared to death or Union Square. Because I was always by myself, magic would, I'd get in his car with him and then he'd break out. Just leave it. Union Square was my first spot outside of Brooklyn. Really? My first hip-hop spot outside of Brooklyn.

That came towards the ladder part. Yeah. Yeah, Rakim. I used to just go to Empire. I ain't going nowhere. I was a kid. I walked to Empire and walked back home. Okay.

Yeah, so we just was in the hood local, local spots, little parties in the hood and stuff like that, block parties. But, yeah, Rakim was at Union Square. My brother won tickets on the radio. Yeah, we went. Yeah, we went. And, you know, we never stopped going. And we was like, oh, shit. So even after Youngness in Charge came out and legal,

I don't know what the last official year of Latin Quarter was, but... 1988. Damn. Okay. So... Yep, that was it. And it's really a very sad story because it's... I don't think I've ever told this story, but...

Don't cry, though, something. Yeah, nah. So me, Fat Raoul, who was the original DJ. We came in there on a Thursday night just kind of was me. Chris Lighty, may rest in peace, big Darrell, Red. And we just strolled up in there on a Thursday night. And Fat Raul was DJing. And we were going to turn it into a hip-hop night.

We were just like, yo, we're here, like, let Red get on the turntable. It wasn't a hip-hop night? No. Or for Thursdays? This particular Thursday was not a hip-hop night. It was a gay cabaret night. Who was you doing it? You just decided?

No, no, no, you don't understand. Like, we, we were just, we were just rolling around the city. I'm messing with that. I'm not saying. Like, be clear. Like, I'm verifying. I'm like, I'm like Twitter with a check mark right now. I need to be verified right now.

You ain't had to tell this story, man. No. No, I think it's important. I got you. I got you. We on, you know, we on Quest Love Supreme. We need to get Supreme. So, um, so I spazzed out.

Like, I was, I was. I think, you know, I'd been smoking or whatever, and I spazzed out, and I told all the people that wasn't B-boys to get out. And I said something real derogatory about gay people. Right. And I was like, if you ain't a B-boy, you need to get out. And Big Daryl, he just got charged, and he went downstairs, and there was this cocked-deasel dude with his man, and we went up to him, and this dude knocked Darrell out, laid him out, flat.

And baby Chris grabbed me, put me in Mike Goldberg's office, and he said, you stay here. And then things started flying. Things started flying. I was in there for like an hour, like an hour just sitting there. I came out, place was trashed, empty. Mike Goldberg was heated, told Red never come back, told us never come back. And I come outside. and Chris and Darrell and Ali and Red are just sitting on Chris's Maximum, just sitting there.

And on the corner of 47th the Broadway, they were like, search, go home. I was like, nah, they were like, search, go home. Damn. And that was it. That was the last night. That was the last night. Wow, that's crazy to even hear because, you know, we just knew that it was closed. It was like, what the hell happened?

And we knew at that point Union Square, the Sheraton Hotel, we knew that Union Square had kind of taken up, you know, a lot of the slack and it was younger and fresher and everything. But I didn't know that was the reason why. Yeah. Mike, Mike, shut it down. That's crazy. He shut it down. Jeez. I just thought it was all the stuff that happened when you left that closed it down. No, and you know, it's funny because you talk about hawk and dog cane.

Like, Hawk, Dog, A-Rock, the original fit. Original 50 cent, Killer Ben, Big Shy, Meal. All of those dudes, when I was in the quarter and they were about to do their thing, the one thing I loved about those dudes is they would tell me, search. Yeah, that's what Hawk would tell me. Like always protected me like I was a little cousin. Which leads me to this question. You knowingly would, I don't mean risk your life.

But hip hop was so potent back then. Yep. That even you're, I mean, basically you're playing Russian roulette. You don't know what's going to pop off. Yeah. Because what would happen, no, no, no. And I'm sorry, Paul himself. What would happen was the quarter got so big, right?

The rep got so big that the tunnel kids would come from Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island. It became a feeding market for Brooklyn and for uptown. And these girls from Hempstead would come in and they had the big errands and these, they were showing out. Right. And it was like, it was, it was a shop as paradise, man.

Like, hawk dog, decepticons, like they just, they went in. And they would just give you the high sign. And there were certain records when they came on, ultramagnetic, either ultramagnetic came on or rebel without a pause.

Ghostetza. Ghostsets. Ghosts. They do the day as number one change. They do. into the kick in the circle. Yep. That was it.

That was it. There was always something that was going to happen. You just wanted to get enough dance time in before it did. Quest. So when that drum roll comes in on Stetzer,

you knew it was like... Brooklyn's in the house. Or Top Bill and. Top Bill and you know to chuck your stuff. It wasn't even, you didn't have time to tuck it. Like, I owe you would be in the middle of the floor. So it would be Fatima and Shake and Stretch and all of them. All the Stretz's...

Stretch was J's. Right. Jayhs. That's school. School. School. Lays. Reggie.

What's the doing? Nicest move? Mike Swift. Mike Swift. Yeah. And as soon as that record came on, Pee-O-U was JAS gone. And what would come in the middle of that crowd was every hoodlum that we knew.

And we were already back. And you would just. And you would just. from their coat was flying all. Yeah, that's what I'm. Girls were running out screaming because they were bleeding from the ears because their bamboos got yanked. Yo, and I don't know who it was.

I'm not even going to point no fingers because I'm not getting thrown under the bus. But somebody from Decepticons, I remember when they went after Jam Master Jay, God bless the day. That's what I was about to bring up. Yep. Yo. Rest in peace, Jammaster Jay. Yep. Kept his.

Kept his. Word. They dragged them across the floor. They, yo. Kept his. Yep. He had the chain with the Adidas thing on. The Adidas sneaker saw another day.

And Marv, may he rest in peace. He was with him. Hollis crew was with him. And whoever tested him. Hurricane too. Hurricane. Yeah. And whoever tested him.

And I mean, that's one of the few times I remember bullets flying in a quarter. Like you would hear them like going past your ear. And you saw like, and he's holding on and Hollis crew and he's holding on. And they're trying to pull it off of his neck. And they're dragging him across the dance floor. It's done. I mean, there's nobody there except for Hollis crew and those dudes. And he kept his.

You remember when Jim Brown would run for a touchdown? And you see like four or five dudes on his back? Yeah. That's how it looked. Jesus Christ. Jake kept his, though. No, it was a rest of a piece of your message. Every week, y'all be like, we're going back to Latin to week.

Yes. But you know what's crazy, though, Quest? like you you wasn't at after midnight in Philly like you never let me tell you so I know yeah I know you listen because when they shut down New York that's where we went

Kane had to go to after midnight Kane had the anniversary show and he had divine sounds on it yep right right and I'd never forget this because I posted it the day after because I took a picture with them I was having a conversation and I heard the intro

5 plus 5 and whoever was talking to me I jetted off and ran on the stage because what I remember from that song was being at USA and they be fat so open for them and they came on and did that song and when they said where the fine sounds

and we're back again somebody started shooting and this is the crazy thing is this is not about being gangster and none of that I loved hip hop so much I wasn't mad at the gunshots I was mad I did not get to hear the song finished being performed that's exactly right or yeah like we

I was in a lot of dangerous places because of hip hop, you know, like, and I was totally oblivious to it because I just wanted to hear the music. That's exactly right. That's exactly. I remember going to Zanzibar to see you perform. It was a juice crew night. It was Chantay. It was you. It was Master Ace. It was Zanzibar. Y'all didn't even make the stage. They played, they played Lean on Me. And that place got shot. up before y'all even probably even got in the limo. How about sensations, though? It's a little small hallway.

That one hallway, sensations was... That was a nightmare. That was a nightmare. That was a night, man. Yes, the first... First place we ever performed the symphony, man. Like, a lot of stuff happened from that dressing room to the stage. None, yeah.

But... I remember all those places. I want to remember how you remember all that stuff, man. Like, I don't... It's in your heart. It's in your heart. It's in your heart. You can't forget it. I remember the venues.

Yeah, I remember the names of the venues, but I can't. I actually could have a memory like a small hallway. Yeah, sensations and newer. That one little with the glass mirrors. I mean, I got it. So vividly. I remember the staircase. I remember you performing at Hinchcliff Coliseum in Patterson, New Jersey with KRS,

boogie down productions, audio two, you, Roxanne. I got 34 seconds on stage to do a port. of something. Okay. I mean, and it was, the stage was on the 50-yard line. I was, like, a thousand miles away. It was like the Beatles at Shays Stadium. And there was like, there was like 2,000 people in this stadium of maybe 10,000 people.

And it was the greatest show. I mean, I thought hip-hop had reached its pinnacle. You know what I'm saying? Because it was like 87 or something. And there was actually like people in the middle of an outdoor stadium. coming to a show because, you know, we were doing like, you know, but we also doing the spectrum. We were doing Madison Square Garden.

Philly, New York. 87 was really starting, you know, to pop off like that. You know, run DMC and the BC Boys, they sold out the garden, you know. Fat boys. Right, all of that. But to see, like people in an outdoor, like a stadium, stadium, it was like mind-blowing. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win.

A win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

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And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man.

A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hip-hift. by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and The Big My Big My Many Players Network. It's Will Ferrell.

Woo. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day. And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah.

He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that.

There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

For you, what were the most notable performances that occurred? I've heard the Keros one versus Melly Mel thing, whatever. I've heard that story. But what were in your mind, like, what was the consummate unbe? beautiful performance at um i would honestly say to be honest with you it would be when i first saw a public enemy oh my god i was getting ready to say public me at latin quarters yeah that was the first time or the rebel without a pause time though was it rebel without a pause or was it or was it public enemy number one yeah it was that one and he said i remember he's i remember him saying

i feel like i'm on a goddamn shelf because the stage was so shallow. It was very high and it wasn't that deep. And the bass from that beat was rattling the club. I'd never... But what you guys don't remember, but you guys... There's two things. One thing was the first time they ever performed there

was for their Yo'Bum Rush to Show album. They got booed off stage. Like, we were throwing batteries at them. They were terrible. Yeah, no, no, no. No, no. And then literally a year later, it was a rap. But I remember...

Like for me, like to me, the shows that I remember were the transformation shows. I remembered the audio two doing, I like cherries. I like cherries because cherry stays better and grapes are sell. That was their first record. Was that a hit at the Latin Quarter? No. No, it wasn't. But they did that at Latin Quarter's?

Yes, the first time Audio 2 ever performed. Oh, before Top Building? A year before. Yes, absolutely before. A year before. They came out of the box with I Like Cherries. Yes. Oh, no.

Yes. They dropped I like cherries before I met them. Okay. And I'll accept that. I'll accept that. You don't co-sign I like cherries. That's fine. And that's fine.

But those transformations are the things that I remember the best because that was 87. And then they went to Top Bill and the place went bonkers. But you know what I'm saying? So out of the box, Top Billing was just an absolute foot. Top Billing is the second. Yeah. Oh, it was a killer. It was immediate.

It was a media. I got my deal because of top bill. That was immediate. But let me correct myself, honestly. It wasn't the public enemy show, and I keep it a hundred. The goddamn juice crew show at the Apollo. When Biz came out the nose. I think he used to my Latin quarters, though.

I meant, though. Oh, at Latin quarters, though, it was public. I thought you meant, period. Like, it might have been the juice crew show at the Apollo. Okay. Yeah. A biz came out of a giant nose. Kane came swinging down from a damn ivory bench.

I don't know. Remember when you came from the ceiling? This was the first time I seen a production, like, and I'm down with these dudes, and I remember them not wanting me to perform dropping science. This came out of a nose? A giant nose on stage. First, the boogers start dropping out, and then the biz fell out. I'll tell you another great show that I remember, it was winter.

It was cold. It was cold. And this was when Emerald City and Red Parrot were doing hip-hop nights. and they had a really interesting way to get to the club because the stairs came from the upstairs and that was really like a juice crew spot like that was magic's home that was like that was a juice crew house like they were there every week but Roxanne and Biz did their record I'm shantay and my right so they're at the red parrot and I'm like I got to get to the LQ I run to that OQ um you know having a good time blah, blah, blah, blah. And then everything goes dark, and we think, oh, power went out or something.

And then all you hear is vicar, fick, and then Biz walked out. And then Chantay walked out in a full-length fur. And it was a rap. It was a rap. It was a rap. There are very few shows that I remember where people went that crazy. That was a rap. Were these shows in which people would just perform their single and that was it? Or was it a full? Yeah, well, people would just show up and perform and leave. You would just come in and get busy. Max. And leave.

The B side than the A side. And you were happy. B, you were so happy. You were so happy. I mean, and I hate to parlay it into this and I'm not trying to. But like what makes 88 the golden era is because of this. It's because like everything kind of. of accumulated up. You know what I'm saying? Like 85 and 86 with Raq Kim and Kane and the

Kane and Raq Kim battles, you know, not battles like beef, but battle who is the better MC and G-Rap with I'm fly, rolling up my tinta window, raise my antenna because I'm not only fly, but I'm a breakbread winner. Like, oh my God, Queens represent you. You know, and it was like all of this movement, movement, movement, and 88, like, time to set it straight, you know what I'm saying? ain't no half-stepping word, I'm ready. Like when he said that, when Cainte said that, like, we were ready. Like, it wasn't just him ready.

We were ready. We were ready to be greater than the sum of what we were in the streets of our boroughs. I think 88 was like, you know, transformation, you know, period, you know. Like, during, like, the mid-80s, what was going on was, like, during the time of the show and a lot of that, it was, like, really like, the hip-hop party era,

where a lot of the hip hop dances played a major part and the whole crowd participation, that interaction thing. You know, it was that party feel. That like cats like your busy bee, DJ Hollywood, LaBostarsky, were doing it regular parties back in the days. Now it's like on wax that way. But then in comes, you know, brothers, I think, Rakim was first and Keras.

and then myself, and it started turning into a lyrical thing, you know. And I think at that point, you know, a lot of people were, you know, like really, like, stepping their game up lyrically. And the MC, his presence was really, really being felt, you know. Because, I mean, if you think about it, you know, back then, any artist that came out with his DJ, the DJ name came first. Right. You know, Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince, Eric B and Raquel.

Graham has a Flash and the Furious Five, you know. It was like the artist who's making their presence felt. Okay, so from each of you, what song during that period did you hear that just made you, that just transformed your whole artistic approach? Like, you hearing something, like, Jay will always till this day talk about him hearing who shot you for the first time. in his car and that totally transforming his life and his whole approach to how he was going to be as an MC. And I mean, I've heard this countless of times with different songs, but for you guys, which is the class of 88, 89, because me as a consumer, I cannot think of another year in which week after week after week was just some life-changing shit coming out. every week literally like i mean at least 24 25 classic albums like career defining albums that

year alone so for you guys that are actually participating in it was it was it a thing of like oh i'm a fan of it or were you like did you feel a certain way when you heard lyrics of fury or like damn like all right i got to come with it and like what what song from a peer of yours that made you feel a certain way like damn like i gotta come it's this damn guy right here man like i i being having access to molly you hear stuff early and i think he had that little silver cougar and i get in the car and he puts this tape in and i hear set it off and i was just like okay man um i got to go home just put burn all my rhyme books the old one two rhyme rhyme rhyme step and it's over it's done it's done it's done

And then I remember this dude I used to go out like I said I used to answer the phones at BLS And I would come in early and listen to all the new records I've never heard a special ed in my entire life then And I put his album on And the same way he was doing it with bars But it was like effortless like he was talking to you I was like holy shit man see

Now that I can't be Kane I can't be Ed but I could be myself Because Ed is being itself He's dropping ill bars but it sounds like he's not breaking the sweat. Exactly. Exactly. So there was a lot of moments in those times, not just 88,

but in those few, that little corner of years, 88, 89 and all. Like, MCs went from, you know, just the basic pattern of a regular bar in the cadences, rapping three words in one sentence. And it was like, okay, wait, you know, I started with shout, well, listen to everybody. My name is Craig G. I was like, okay, well, that style is done. I can't do that. When I heard set it off.

Oh, I know. Oof. I was like, okay, man. And even before set it off. I can't hold it back. That one, I was like, yo, these dudes is rhyming. And the funny story, I always tell the story. You know, I was at the studio when Rakim did Eric Bias.

president. Shan mixed that song. And we were laughing at him. Word. He was punching in each line. And I'm not saying that's anything against him as a rapper. Maybe he didn't know how to record in the studio then. And we were like, this is terrible. And then

when I heard it, like, a week later, Marley was turning records around in like a week. The next week on the radio, I heard it. I was like, that is not the goddamn same song. I was sitting in the studio listening to it. And I'll tell you, that moment, I used to hang out with Eric a lot in the quarter and I used to drive him out to wine dance. He had a

old little shorty that he had in wine dance and because he thought I lived in the five towns, I lived near Wine Dance in Long Island, which was like two hours out of my way. But I was just, you know, I just wanted to hang out with Eric B. Right. He gave me a white label of Eric B for president on Zekir Records. And I listened to it. And when I heard, um, sitting on the couch, my feet up you think I'm lazy you must be crazy thought I was a donut you tried to glaze me I threw every rhyme book I had in the in the trash and I'll never forget the next day I went to see some home boys that I just graduated high school with right and I said to him I said to my man g man holt me he rest in peace I was like yo you heard that eric be for president and we both said

thought I was a donut you tried to glaze me it was the craziest shit I ever heard and then a month two months later, this knucklehead comes out and changes the whole game. I mean, wrath of Kane was another point in my career where I just, for a minute there, I was like, yeah, I can't do this. Me personally, I can't do this. I've seen, I've seen Rath of Kane change Tarek's life. one of lady bee's apprentice was in high school with me

so he used to answer phones at Power 99 in Philly so he'd often bring in like promotional 12 inches and all that stuff so we heard like stuff ahead of time but man we were in fifth period

and he was at the door of school and he held up we saw the cold chilling um logo and he was like somehow we excused ourselves from English class went to the rooftop

and he says you got to hear this shit and he like I'll never forget the collective jaw drop of 12 of us cutting various classes or whatever like lunch period was different for something like 11th graders

We have a little blue school record play Yeah we had like a little preschool the preschool join Crosby Turntale Yeah And we were just just staring at, we did not know what that shit was like. We just.

I'll tell Light something that you don't even know. When you did, I'm not having it with Paz K, I cut off K Love for like the rest of my life. Because when I, yeah, because when Hey Love, when I did Hey Boy with K Love, like, I wanted to do a record like that with her. And she was front and like, she was like, yeah, I'm not, you know, nobody's trying to hear all that. And then y'all came out with that. And I was like, yo, chika, you guys. I can't fuck with you. Like, I can't fuck with you.

Like, see that? We could have done that. Like, we could have done that. That, to me, was the greatest duet, top five dead or alive. That duet is just still to this day, incredible. What was the B-side to Cramm to understand you? What was it calling in? Take it light?

No. No. Had the ill-bounce beat to it. I used to call Awesome 2 and request it. I used to call the Awesome 2. I used to call the Awesome 2 Request Records too. 4 o'clock in the morning

they came on Tuesday No, the B-side to a Kremlin understand you was take it light. Was it take it light with the ill Yo, I used to call Eddie Kendrick. Yeah, exactly.

I used to call an awesome too at 4.30 in the morning on a Tuesday morning When your mom's Right, take it light. If your mom's caught you on the phone she would whoop that ass I would be calling

and I'd be whispering into the phone Yo, Molly Maher lives in my building. Can I hear fresh by the fresh three MCs? Like hip hop, you know, you're drawn to it, man, like with the violence. All of that was like secondary. I just wanted to hear hip hop. I wanted to hear dudes rhyming to make me feel like I wasn't crazy for doing it. Is there a record?

Like, and I always wanted to ask you this, but is there a record that you wrote that you even stepped back and you were like, holy. Gave yourself a high five? Yo, that you were like, man, the most high gave me this right here, because this is crazy. No, I think he was too in it. You probably was too in it to know, right? Probably Mortal Kombat on my second. Mortal Kombat. Really?

Yeah, because it was just that one line that just had me like, okay, yeah, I'm in a special place right now. Yeah. Like, I remember being in the zone. When I wrote Gas Face, I was in the zone. When I wrote Black Caters Bad Luck, Bad Guys Wear Black Must have. been a white guy that started all that, I literally stopped for a minute. And I was like, yeah, I'm never going to write a better rhyme like the, the number of. None of them in front of, because every one of my adversaries lack your little son of obituary columns, a read your name.

Who? Quest, let me ask you a question, though. Yes. What is your favorite MC light song? I'm going to tell you something. I can answer that. No, I know. Do you know?

Yeah. Listen, I'm going to tell you something. See, as a drummer, I've never heard, I mean, Paper Thins, the first song with the rim shot was used. Everything was snare drum, hard snare drums. And again, it was, I mean, for me to get a, what I call a War of the Worlds moment, which is, Orson Welles is War of the Worlds, where people thought, I thought it was a real aliens attack and people staring at the radio like, what the fuck's going on?

When I heard that song, I was, yo, I, that was one of the, for me, even as a drummer, I was just like, yo, I didn't know you were allowed to do that. You can rhyme over. A rim shot. You don't have to play drums, you can play rim shots, that shit. And-

It's crazy. Literally. The rim was hitting hard though. I mean, yeah, they did them drums. And for me, the way that Tareke and I bonded, like, Tarek thought it was such a novelty for a human being to like recreate shit. So to like get girls, Tariq would be calling, like,

Torek would call my crib at like 11 o'clock, which is like way past high school hours for your parents. Like my dad was like Joe Jackson, drill sergeant. Nobody call this house after 9 p.m., like that sort of thing. Tariq would call like at 11, like, yo, like on three way. Have a joint on the other line. He'd be like, yo. run in the basement real quick and play on play setter off or quick i bet you he don't know play set

off yeah he can play set off like yo man my dad like my star riffing just play us off it's just good like literally that was his thing like i bet you can't play and he would call and be like yo play play play um play paper thin real quick like just call girls up like i'm gonna get him here to play break me even in school where we were he would battle emcees uh in the cafeteria on the sixth floor and all the instrumental majors were in the basement and we weren't

using the elevator and I had this little Cassio SK1 thing so the way that my Dwee Bass was allowed to sit with the cool kids was I provided the break beats and not the punching line they would take an order they'd be like all right run downstairs and play

play funky drummer real quick so I had to run are you serious? That was I was the apprentice Like, that's how I earned my way into, that's how Tariq and I became a group. And literally, like, you have, like, 1.7 seconds to get, like, a good four bar out of it. So you would have to pay it twice as fast. Okay, this is good.

Run upstairs. And then he'd be like, no, I'm going to do top billing real quick. Run down, sit. That was me every day at Performing Arts High School. Like, boys and men were in the bathroom, harmonizing. But me and Tariq were literally now. I met them in college. As an actual drummer, did you have Sin Sonic drums?

Did you have those? The Mattel Sinai. Yes. I got that for Chris. Yeah. I remember them. I was doing playing a rock on that day and night, night, night and day. You know what?

You know, you know my favorite song from your catalog, right? No. 10% Desmond. Oh, thank you. And yo, where is this intro, though? Who, was that Nat Robinson's in? Who's beat? No, that was Mr. Magic.

Really? Okay, can you explain the genesis of the impeats the president and Antoinette and how this whole thing started? Can I answer that quickly? Duck Alert, I always accuse her but being a beat biter because when Kane did raw, I felt like Kid and Play did do this my way. And we used to talk about it on the radio. I know you did. Yeah, I did that hard.

In Kid and Play defense, though, they picked. I picked up that record, I think, the same day I picked up the beach of the ball. Okay, yeah. See. But I said it in Doug Ler. I was like, Herb's a beat bit biter. So we always made fun of it, and maybe that's where you got magic saying it from. Oh, no, that's where we got it.

Yeah. So you guys must really be perplexed now in 2018 where it would behoove the artist to actually mirror a track that sounds similar to what came out before. I would welcome it now, actually, because it all sounds like one record to me. Yeah. I mean, you know, the one thing that I love about this top shelf record when I heard it, when I heard Lights record on this record, listen up everybody at night to MC. Five foot.

And I'm, you know, I started crying. Like, I started literally crying because it was like, oh, my gosh, she took me to 88. And like, there's very few times this year I got like emotional over records. And one of them was watching Nas do Elmatic with the Kennedy, you know, Philharmonic. Right. Like, I lost my shit when I watched Elmatic and a 300-piece orchestra. But that simple little record, like her rhyming, like she was 17 again on a record that just came out like five days ago. I was like, like the Indian man in the garbage commercial.

With a single tier. Yeah, I was. The first is like. First of all, still to this day, you know, I mean, how many people can you say still sounds that hungry on the mic? Yeah. You know? But only y'all, but I mean, with all due respect, your record on this, it'll be, you went in, man.

You went in. Thank you, my brother. You went in. Ed went in. Dres went in. Doug's record's incredible. And they were dancing and singing and move in. I mean, you know, every record.

It sounds like this celebration of 88. And it's why I went so hard. You know, I mean? Like just from a marketing and promotion perspective, it's like, yo, it just sparked something in me and put a battery in my back. I'm like, yo, there's a wealth of opportunity here for these brothers, for these icons,

and these legends to get back out there. So what's the plan now that the album is out? What's the ongoing future plan for this project? Is this just, Well, Good Morning America. I mean, you know, I told Light this and I didn't tell you this. Well, I told you over the phone a little bit. But you'll hear now on the air.

Yeah. No, no, no. But my concept for the performance on Good Morning America is a small sample of what I want the tour to be. Because how we listened and absorbed hip-hop is way different than rock guys did. because rock guys had radio 24 hours a day. The Beatles could, you could hear the Beatles 600 times a week on 52 stations between New York and in Philly. So the music was absorbed by that boomer generation

in a way that was very traditional. So when they continued to kind of repitulate that music, it was, it was easy. It's not easy for us. was nothing easy about 85 to 92-93 it was three-hour spurts and the only time you really heard music was how it was blended together you'd go from cane to audio two to rob bass and easy rock to mc light to a promo to da da da da da da so i feel like it's time to engage that essence if i can't like and bring that out on

the road and that's kind of the top shelf tour and how I see it you know in the spring and and again not to blow these two knuckle heads up that are right here but Benji like he's spending money like it's a Wiz Khalifa record I mean

would all do and I'm not trying to dig in his pockets I'm really not but like the patience and the presence of mind to do what he's doing on the level that he's doing it, no one's done it for these icons. No one. Like never, it's never happened. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagine. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. If you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.

And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands.

I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Ago Wode.

My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo! Woo! My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day,

and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the good. groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place they come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't

feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft.

And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your

podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I got a question for Benji. Yes. Being from Pittsburgh, right? Mm-hmm. What was y'all, your inspiration behind the beats? Like, did y'all get tapes from New York?

Or, like, because a lot of the beats are in the pocket in that 88 town. Yeah. Like, you know what I mean? So what was your inspiration behind the beats? Like, I was from New York. I was born here, and I grew up in Jersey. Okay. So you had heavy ice.

access to it. Yeah. I used to watch video music box every day after school. So, I mean, it was part of my childhood. And, you know, for me, from Pittsburgh, we didn't have video music box, but we had... Pramani sandwiches. Sorry,

I'm sorry. No, you had a local video show. I forgot Homeboy's name, but you had a local video show. The kid that was on Buzz, BZZ had like a video show. Not Reggie, the DJ that was on. Not Z.A.K.

That's on Cleveland. There's a dude in Pittsburgh. I don't know if you remember him, Cain, but he had a video show. This guy's a wealth of knowledge. I was just one guy. You remember all the search? You write it down? No, no, no.

For me, like, that I got this ghetto pass, that these black men and women allowed me to make this music. Like, if I don't remember everything, it would be a disrespect to the people that allowed me. people that allowed me to go into the quarter, that allowed me to go into Union Square. I mean, turn it, like, turn it just to 180. Like, Hawk could have just snuffed me the second I walked in there. Fuck out of here, white boy. It would have been simple. Yeah, but you know what?

In the beginning of hip-hop, man, hip-hop was for not black or white or Puerto Rican. It was for everybody. We was all involved in it because it was music. It was a rhythm. It was something that brought together all the people from the hood that ain't have no where else to go or something to have in common. It was a way to communicate and a way to party together. Y'all had your different crews coming together, partying together without beef. And I respect that, but B, I ain't seen Nan White Boy in any park jam that I ever went to from 1980 to 1986 except for vanilla beef.

a.k.a. Blake Latham, aka Lord Scotch, aka Kiway K. Like, I saw NAN white people anywhere. Even him, you were literally the one white person at Black. The only white person.

There was a joke. Understanding and mathematics, who used to do the big parties in Prospect Park, when the five percenters used to get together. Do you remember that? Understand that had this big book of life and he'd come on in. I used to sneak in the Prospect Park and watch the Five Percenters.

break. Yo, he would say that search is the only white person except police at the park, Jen. Okay. I mean, yo, there were men white people. And that's why I got so mad. I would, I mean, I got mad.

Like, 86, like a group came out on select records called BMOC. And it was a guy named Shecky Green and this other dude. And I'm like, they weren't. They weren't a capital, actually. No, no, no, no, they weren't. They weren't select. Is you talking a prospect or for a Green Park? I'm sorry?

You took a prospect or for a Green Park? Prospect. Yeah. Yeah, I think they was on Capitol. No, they wasn't. The BC boys were on Capitol. Second year's first. Yeah, it was called BMOC.

Bad men on campus. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. They were before the white boys. He was on the same time. I'm about to look it up. And then the white boys and I'm like, all this corny shit like,

yo, fuck out of here. Excuse me. They had the rugby shirts on. You know what I'm saying? Like, yo, it was. No what I said, shut the fuck. No, I know you did, but I just, you know, it's disrespectful. And my daughter, Mia's here.

Like, I don't, you know, but it's like, you know, like, I just don't want, I was mad. Like, I was mad. Like, you can't come in here. Like, you don't know what I went through. Like, I was battling in Vandemere projects. I was vand, I was pink houses. Like, I was tearing dudes down for money and, like, getting shot at. Like, don't come in here with some Connecticut nonsense and call yourself BMOC.

Like, I'm not seeing you. So when did you When did you guys feel that the spirit of hip hop At least the transformation of it was slowly eroding? Like what was your first uh-oh moment?

And I don't mean like when this guy rose to prominence or whatever but like when when I heard women refer to as bitches by NWA I was like something something's about to happen. Something's different because I had never heard in Kane, KRS 1, Slick Rick, Heavy

D, Fresh Prince. I'd never heard any of them to refer to a woman as a bitch. Even go see the doctor was like respectful. Right. The word was skeezer. Yeah. And that was really shady. Like my mom would not let me say skeezer in the house. You know what I'm saying? But I will tell you For me, I went to, I'll never forget this. I went to Roanoke, Virginia on tour with Kane. We went back to back. And the first year we went, it was Kane, Queen Latifah, Digital Underground, Third Base, nice and smooth.

89 Roanoke. Black crowd, college crowd, felt good. You know, it felt like any other place. We went back a year later. Carol Lewis booked us a year later in Roanoke. It was all white people. All, and screaming for Kane and screaming for digital underground and screaming for all of that. So was that the MTV effect?

Totally. Totally. And for me, like I was through when we did Pop Goes the Weasel and we went out on our tour, you know, and we took Cyprus and Naudy and Tim Dogg and all that. And we would get to Pop Goes a Weasel and these drunk, frat white boys would come on our stage and try to do stage diving. And our dancers were from... Long Beach, we weren't having that. We would body slam these dudes. Like, they were rushing the stage.

Like, we were snuffing them. Like, we didn't know what they were doing. Like, I was done. Like, for me, I was done. Like, I was like, this is just not, this is not what I expected. Shout out to ADA for you saying snuck. I know another moment.

Another moment that was different for me was... I could have said duff too, right? Duffling out. Seeing all of those women in the hot tub with Puffy and Biggie, I was like, wait a second. What's happening? here. It was a lot. You know, as a woman looking at these visuals, it was like I was really confused as to where we were headed. But you try to flip it on them with dead of the road.

You try to flip it on them. You try to flip it on them. You try to flip the sexuality on them. You try to take your sexuality and you were saying what kind of guy you liked. Oh, yeah, that's fine, but they wouldn't make, I didn't, I was, wasn't in a hot tub with four or five. No, no, I'm not saying that. It just, it rattled me. Maybe they needed a bath. I don't know. For me, it wasn't the music.

It was when they started first week sales. Huh. All of a sudden, all of a sudden, they stopped developing artists. And all of a sudden, it just jumped into who could say the craziest thing and get the most, like, pre-social media, pre-going viral. It was what you could say on record to get the most attention. and the first week sales kind of like took away from artists being developed where you had to go open up for somebody

you had to follow the tour bus in the van you know what I mean it turned into something else where if your album didn't pop in like three weeks it was over you know what I mean like not even in hip hop there was other genres of music where the album

had been out for a year and didn't catch on and then it caught on so to me the first week sales kind of ruined the chance of growth. I remember me and Pete and Clark Kent were doing a party at Irving Plaza when Palladium was open. And a young group got on stage in 1986. Nobody knew of them.

A group called Rob Bass and Easy Rock. They were on profile. My man Steve Plotnicki, who was head of retail, said, hey, can you get these guys a slot on your night? They came on. They did a song called It Takes Two, did move. Nobody. What? Didn't move nobody.

Didn't Clark Kent played it. Easy Rock got on the turntables. He was rhyming. No one could care less. A year later. Was it the sound system? Nope. Sound system was bumping.

They was unfamiliar with the song. I want to rock right now. I'm rap bass and I came to get down. Not internationally known. Nobody was trying to check for them lyrics. A year later, it was a rap. Popularity, man. But none of no, but I'm talking about the timeline.

You know what I mean? Like if that record can, came out now and it didn't pop in eight weeks, it'd be a rap. Be a rap. This record developed over a year. That's a long pan. You know when I noticed a difference, I noticed a difference listening to radio and seeing what was in heavy rotation.

Because, like, you know, I remember, like, when we came out, NWA, EZ, they was popping and they were selling a lot of record. but didn't get no radio play. Was Skywalker, same thing. Was New York, I don't know in Philly, we had a sort of no rap work day, like suddenly in 90, 91, suddenly it was no rap work day.

Like, they took away Lady B Street Beat for like a good two years. It was like hard as hell. Then we had to depend on college radio. What I'm saying, what I'm trying to say is, like, you know, even on like. Did New York never have that at all? I don't think so.

I'm saying you didn't hear no NW on the radio. You didn't hear Luke Skywalker on the radio. You didn't hear the ghetto boys on the radio. We didn't hear no too short either. But they were selling a lot of records and they were popping. Millions of copies. You know what I'm saying? Hammer.

But when you started hearing all the vulgar lyrics and the gangster rap being the main thing, becoming mainstream on radio, that's when I felt like, Okay, something's something's about to happen. It's not ours. That's the agenda. How easy or how hard was it to rock different marketplaces that weren't New York based? So if set it off could move you in 1988 in New York, when you guys would go to Phoenix or something or like...

You had to understand your catalog. You had to understand your catalog and knew what worked with certain crafts. You know, certain places I knew that, you know, I could end with raw. I could end with warm it up. And usually the video, because by then, Yo MTV Raps was rocking all over the nation and you knew that the song you had with your video you could do. Yeah, it was a high joint. I would cheat because I knew how to freestyle.

Like, I remember doing a show in, like, Houston and they had no clue I was, but I freestyled off a ghetto boy's beat and won them over. that's because my songs were really regional so you know what i'm so glad you said that shit before anything we were living in london at the time so we had to go on 9th hand information what happened that night of the freestyle between you and supernet oh that was just in 94 that was a situation where um you know i was known for freestyle and you know on the radio and all of that. And a lot of people knew that I could freestyle and

I was cool with organized confusion and they were working with Super Nat and he was in the studio talking about how he was the greatest freestaller. And they were like, well, yo, Craig Gee could probably take you. So we were supposed to battle on Bobito. Okay. Live on the radio and I think

Buck Wild and a few other people were going to bring their drum machines and Nat didn't show up. So I'm at the new music seminar and I'm just chilling. I'm with like Diamond D in them and he was on stage and they just asked him. They were like, yo, what's up with the battle? What you on Craig G?

And if you ever see the video, he kind of looks out into the crowd. Yeah, they have like clips of it on video, yeah. Is it on YouTube? Yeah, it should be. Oh, God. Yeah, it's like clips of it. It's probably from the freestyle or the rap movie. Okay.

But he called me out and I remember- He called you out. Yeah. You know, Craig, where you at? What is that? That's a call out, right? Yes. And then imagine him saying that and you turn around and Grandmaster Caz is. standing next to you who's like part of some of the most legendary battles i walked on stage

with a 40 ounce in my hand i wasn't prepared to battle him but i did know and i knew i was the underdog and i used it against him basically that's pretty much what happened like i bated him i said a regular rhyme i knew some information nobody told me i researched everybody i knew you some indiana and it was perfect timing like i said when you go back home to indiana get Mike Tyson out the slammer, and he couldn't recover, basically, is what it was. I talked to him a lot. Like, you know, he lives in Cali, and we might work on some music at some point. We don't have the scheduling like that, but, you know, to me, it kind of helped me

because it took me from being this old school rapper to being able to work my way into the underground and have, like, a slightly second career from it. Yeah, the ripples that that caused. Yeah. I don't know. I forget. I think Tim Westwood was talking about, like, and this is before the internet.

So it was such a viral moment. Yeah. That it just became something on its own. But I never knew. Sometimes I could be an asshole, and I remember at the end of the battle, I had a stack of cards from record labels, and I threw them all in the trash.

Really? Yeah. I threw them all in the trash. Because I was like, nobody was checking for me. So if it ain't genuine, And I don't want to be the flavor of the month. Right. So, you know, I threw them all in the trash.

I had rowdy records. I had a stack of cards from labels. I threw them all in the garbage. Kane, did you ever have any battles of note on, I mean, during that, the period of where you're coming up, like, did any emcees ever try to challenge you? I mean, that's, I started as a battle rapper. That's all I did. Really? Yeah, that's all I did until I met biz.

And that's how I met biz. I met biz battling. I asked them for a battle. You never saw him with Keith Murray was rapping for him? No. Cut it out, man. Cut it out, man.

You don't know, what are we talking about? You ever saw that? Keith, yeah. Now, Keith was 15, man. You know, he was 15 just really getting started, man. Cut it out, man. Nah, man.

You did it to me, man. You say a rhyme in front of cane. A can to just say a rhyme at the top of your rhyme by 95 decibels of a bar and you just, you're like, okay, let me just go. back home and throw those other rhyme books away too. Keith was like,

but his name wasn't even Keith Murray. His rap name was due damage at the time. Dude damage. What year was this? I don't know, 88 maybe. But you know, coming up during that time, like if you lived in a certain neighborhood and they knew you could rhyme,

you couldn't lead a house without battling with somebody. I mean, that's all I did. Do you remember the whole Jazz Fresh situation? I hear of it in Philly, but I don't, what was, did you and Jazz Fries? know each other from Philly or just? No, you know, I just found out maybe like two years ago that we had battled prior to after midnight. Really?

I didn't even know that, yeah. Okay. Because I remember battling someone at the rooftop that had dis Bismarkey, and I stepped up and battled them there. Okay. I didn't know that that was the same dude from after midnight. Okay. I remember the after midnight thing, and I know it was a time issue. I don't know whether I got there late or what was going.

I can't really remember. And then we got on and I guess dude asked for the battle. We came up and we went. And we, I don't know if we went on maybe two rounds maybe. Right. And dude didn't want to stop. And then Lady B told him, listen, you need to stop. Because first she said it to me like, yeah, we need to finish the show.

and then but dude didn't want to stop. Oh, just Mitch Joe, he was like, I'll battle you. Yeah, this was during the show. Oh, God. Okay. And then, um, first lady B told me, you know, so I was ready to go on with the show. Right. You know, because I, I knew that, because I already, at, at the rooftop, I already gave it to him.

Right. And it was happening again. But dude, you know, this dude, you know, he didn't want to stop. And then Lady B told him, like, you really need to stop. Like, I'm, like, giving that look, like, you know, I'm doing you a favor. Right. But dude, dude was relentless with it, you know. I see.

And then I threw, I think $100 at him. I was like, I was like, yo, here you go, man. Here you go something for your troubles, man. Something like being arrogant, you know. But yeah, I mean, I'm just finding out that it was the same dude, you know. I tried to, me and Charlie Mac was talking about him. Just performed by Ultramagnetic Friday in Philly. Yeah.

Did you screwing? We did, though, for Charlie Mac. Yeah. Because I was telling Charlie Mac to bring up, because he said the dude still talks about. I was like, yo, dude. I'm like,

I'd love to see this guy, man. The legend of Kane versus Jazz Fresh is like bigger than what actually happened. I'm glad you told me what actually happened. Like the locket. Yeah, I've yet to hear. I don't know if it's on tape or video or anything. No, like Charlie Mac says that he's like still today.

He'd be like, y'all know I won. Y'all know I won. Oh, my God. That I get to test you. Yeah, that's like the garbage man. I mean, you know I ran for 150 yards in high school. Oh, Polkai. Yeah.

Well, I mean, I give Duke credit. He didn't back down, you know what I'm saying? And he wanted to keep it on. But what it was, it was like we was in the middle of a show. And I mean, it was like you're not winning right now. It was unprofessional. Yes, I see. You know, you know, but I mean, but, you know, yeah, that's what that was.

Wow. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I can go on forever. It's about to be like zero o'clock of the morning. Top shelf. I will say, yes, ladies and gentlemen, please support Top Shelf, 1988. Can we expect any other offspring videos? Oh, yeah, definitely. Definitely want to have some visuals in the future.

We're going to have some crazy vinyl next year. Yeah, will it be available on heart? That's the most important. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. On wax. Absolutely. Super important. Yeah, absolutely.

Can I just say one thing? Yes, absolutely. So in 1988, I was 10 years old in Pittsburgh. I was a paper boy, like a real paper. Like I delivered newspapers. And I used that money to go to the record store to buy tapes. And they were tapes of everyone that's in this room. And then I flash forward to 19.

1990 at the Syria Mosque when third base and Big Daddy Kane digital underground were performing. And I was there with my brother and one of his friends. Kane, you came out in a hot tub. They pushed you out in a hot tub. That's why I'm telling you like to chill. Ladies, y'all forgive me, ladies. Ladies, do you all forgive me? The old time, when I was a show of a song, I'm sitting here like,

Spitos. He had the bikers shorts on. Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, you know, I mean. Sexual chocolate, ladies and gentlemen. Sexual chocolate. That should work back to now. Oh, my goodness, it worked.

But let me tell you how much of an honor it is to just be here with you guys. It's like really sort of a surreal experience for me. So it's an honor to be here and to have worked with you in some capacity and to, you know, bring this project to light. And, you know, one of my main things with this project is not. not just like, yeah, go listen to Top Shelf, 1988. Like, definitely do because it's super dope. But also listen to everything else. Listen to Long Live the Cane, listen to Light of Rock,

listen to all the different records that came out then. And it's like a celebration of that time. And it's a reminder of, like, yo, shit was dope. You know what I mean? And that's like what I came up listening to. Like, that's like basically all I listened to. And so to me it's important to always shine a light on it. We have to invest.

and our art and our artists. Yes, you're right. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for coming to. Normally I tell my crew to give it up, but I'm the only person here. Go give it up to each other. Give it up to each other. So on behalf of the top shelf,

1988 crew, and the QLS crew, this is Questlove. Thank you very much for joining us. This was a special edition of Questlove Supreme. I'll see you on the next program. Peace. Quast Love Supreme. is a production of IHeart Radio.

This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from IHartRadio, visit the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

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This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct?

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