Heat Rocks

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**Heat Rocks**

Scorching guests and sizzling records: join music writer Oliver Wang and music supervisor Morgan Rhodes each week as they invite their favorite artists, critics and scholars for in-depth conversations about the albums that shape our lives. Each week our special guests will take you deep into their heat rocks from the world of hip-hop, soul, dance, jazz, funk and more. Get with us!

Latest Episodes:

Bonus Beats: Alphabet Soup - B Jun 07, 2020

Show notes

Morgan continues the alphabet soup series and talks about her favorite albums that begin with the letter B

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Adam Mansbach on Black Sheep's "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" (1991) Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

When Black Sheep joined the Native Tongues family in 1989, they brought an irreverent and humorous tone to the hip-hop collective. Native Tongues had lighthearted rappers in the group to begin with, but Black Sheep took it one step further. They were witty, they teased, and they flipped some iconic samples. And oh yea, and they released one of the biggest hits of the '90s, The Choice is Yours (Revisited).

Writer Adam Mansbach sits down with Oliver to discuss Black Sheep's debut record, the gangsta rap blacklash happening at the time, and the more problematic parts of the record.

Show Tracklisting (all songs from A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing unless otherwise indicated):

Try Counting Sheep
Flavor of the Month
To Whom It May Concern
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass: In A Little Spanish Town
Flavor of the Month
U Mean I'm Not
Tim Dog: Fuck Compton
U Mean I'm Not
Butt in the Meantime
McCoy Tyner: Impressions
The Choice is Yours (Revisted)
Freddie Hubbard: Povo
Black with NV (No Vision)
Gary Bartz: Celestial Blues
To Whom It May Concern
Black Sheep: Without A Doubt
L A S M
Gimme the Finga
Have U.N.E. Pull
Shades of Brown: The Soil I Tilled For You
A Tribe Called Quest: Excursions
Have U.N.E. Pull
The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)
Strobelite Honey
Are You Mad?
The Choice Is Yours
KMD: Humrush
De La Soul: A Rollerskating Jam Named "Saturdays"
De La Soul: Skit 2

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find there

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Felicia Angeja Viator on Cypress Hill's "Cypress Hill" (1991) May 28, 2020

Show notes

In August of 1991, the LA rap scene was transformed by a trio of Latino rappers from South Gate. Cypress Hill was riding hot off the success of How I Can Just Kill A Man and found a huge audience in LA. DJ Muggs' production fit in perfect with B-Real and Sen-Dog's flow and together they helped create the blueprint for a more laid-back and smoked-out style of gangsta rap, a full year before Dre's The Chronic dropped

Professor and author Felicia Angeja Viator sits down with us to discuss the LA rap scene, B-Reals unique singsong delivery, and Muggs' talent for finding the perfect loops.

More on Felicia

Pick up her book "To Live and Defy in LA"
The Show Must Go On: Felicia Angeja Viator on “To Live and Defy in LA: How Gangsta Rap Changed America” and “The Batterram” (US History Scene)
Website |Twitter

More on Cypress Hill

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Cypress Hill unless otherwise indicated):

Break It Up
Latin Lingo
The Phuncky Feel One
Pigs
Hand On The Pump
Real Estate
The Phuncky Feel One
How I Can Just Kill A Man
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit
The Village Callers: Hector
The Funky Cypress Hill Shit
Hand on the Pump
Gene Chandler: Duke of Earl
Born to Get Busy
Hand on the Pump
Above the Law: Livin' Like Hustlers
The Psycho Realm: The Big Payback
Ice Cube: We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find there

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Bonus Beats: Alphabet Soup - A May 26, 2020

Show notes

On this week's bonus beats, Morgan plays her favorite music geek game and talks about her favorite albums that start with the letter A

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Bonus Beats: Sly's "Small Talk" with Michael Barnes May 22, 2020

Show notes

Professor and DJ Michael Barnes joins Oliver to talk about Sly & The Family Stone’s final album, “Small Talk” and in particular the Time for Livin’ drum break that can only be found on a specific Canadian pressing of the album. Michael also gets into the tiny but significant differences between this version and the mainstream LP. Be ready, crate diggers, this is a deep dive.

Havoc on Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" (1995) May 21, 2020

Show notes

When the Wu released their debut album back in 1993, fans were eagerly awaiting every member's solo record. Method's Man's Tical and ODB's Return to the 36 Chambers came out over the next two years and did not disappoint. Raekwon the Chef was up next , but no one was really prepared for what he was about to drop. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx stood out from from the crowd, not only because of the signature purple cassette tape, but because of its influence on mafioso rap, the introduction of Wu-Gambinos and the popularization of Cristal in rap.

The one and only Havoc of Mobb Deep sits down with us to talk about this groundbreaking album, RZA's masterful production and use of samples, and the New York rap scene at the time. Get ready, folks, this right here is a true heater of an episode.

More on Havoc

The Infamous 25th Anniversary available now
The Making of The Infamous (Complex)
Twitter | Instagram

More on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

David Ma talking to Raekwon about Only Built (WaxPoetics)
The Making of Only Built (XXL)
Raekwon the Chef Has The Hip Hop Recipe (The LA Times)

Song Tracklisting (all songs from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx unless otherwise indicated):

Can It Be All So Simple (Remix)
Spot Rusherz
Mobb Deep: Eye For A Eye (Your Beef is Mines)
Incarcerated Scarfaces
Criminology
Striving For Perfection
Mobb Deep: (The Infamous Prelude)
Ice Cream
Earl Klugh: A Time For Love
Incarcerated Scarfaces
Verbal Intercourse
Criminology
Knuckleheadz
Rainy Dayz
Shark N***** (Biterz)
Wu-Tang Clan: Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber
Heaven & Hell
Wisdom Body
Spot Rusherz
Guillotine
Ice Cream
Ghostface Killah: Poisonous Darts
Mobb Deep: Shook Ones, Pt. II
Ghostface Killah: Buck 50

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find there

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Jarrett Hill on India.Arie's "Testimony Vol. 1, Life & Relationship" (2006) May 14, 2020

Show notes

When Testimony Vol. 1 dropped in 2006, India.Arie was still riding the success of her previous album, Voyage to India, which helped bring neo-soul and acoustic R&B to the forefront. She stood out from her contemporaries with deeply confessional and introspective songwriting. India's lyricism was somewhat polarizing when Testimony Vol. 1 was first released, but something about it hit different, especially for those of us in complicated relationships.

Journalist Jarrett Hill (who cohosts FANTI here on Maximum Fun) joins us to talk about India's place in the neo-soul movement, what India's work meant to a college-aged Jarrett Hill, and what critics failed to understand when this album was first released.

More on Jarrett

More on India.Arie

Song Tracklisting (all songs from Testimony Vol. 1, Life & Relationship unless otherwise indicated):

Private Party
Heart of the Matter
India.Arie: Video
Wings of Forgiveness
*NSYNC: Selfish
I Choose
Better People
India'Song
I Choose
I Am Not My Hair
CeCe Winans: Let Them Fall In Love
India'Song
Nas: Bye Baby
Tweet: Complain
India.Arie & Joe Sample: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Anita Baker: Been So Long

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find there

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Bonus Beats: Originals vs Covers and Crate Digging Stories May 12, 2020

Show notes

On this week's Bonus Beats, Oliver talks about covers that are more famous than the original song and tells us his favorite crate digging story.

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Comfort Music #3: Audience Picks May 07, 2020

Show notes

The Albums:

Erykah Badu: New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)

Peabo Bryson: Crosswinds

De La Soul: De La Soul is Dead

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: Winter in America

Gino Vannelli: Brother to Brother

We wrap up our Comfort Music miniseries with picks from you, our audience. Thank you all so much for sending in your picks and testimonials. We couldn't possibly get through every submission, but know we read every recommendation and loved all of your albums. We hope you're staying safe and find some solace in the music we've discussed throughout this series.

Show Tracklisting:

Erykah Badu: Umm Hmm
Erykah Badu: Window Seat
Wings: Arrow Through Me
Erykah Badu: Gone Baby Don't Be Long
Fabulous Souls: Take Me
Erykah Badu: Love
Erykah Badu: Out My Mind Just In Time
Erykah Badu: I Want You
Erykah Badu: Green Eyes
Erykah Badu: Sometimes
Erykah Badu: Out My Mind Just In Time
Erykah Badu: 20 Feet Tall
Peabo Bryson: I'm So Into You
Peabo Bryson: Point of View
Peabo Bryson: Crosswinds
Peabo Bryson: Smile
Peabo Bryson: Love is Watching You
Minnie Riperton: Here We Go
Regina Belle & Peabo Bryson: A Whole New World
De La Soul: Ring Ring Ring
De La Soul: Bitties in the BK Lounge
De La Soul: Oodles of O's
De La Soul: Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa
De La Soul: Kicked Out The House
De La Soul: A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"
Jungle Brothers: Behind the Bush
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: Peace Go With Your Brother
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: Your Daddy Loves You
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: Rivers Of My Fathers
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: Your Daddy Loves You
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: H2OGate Blues
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: The Bottle
Gino Vannelli: Brother to Brother
Gino Vannelli: Appaloosa
Gino Vannelli: Brother to Brother
Gino Vannelli: Wheels of Life
Gino Vannelli: Living Inside Myself
Gino Vannelli: Love & Emotion

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find there

If you’re not already subscribed to Heat Rocks in Apple Podcasts, do it here!

Bonus Beats: Quincy Jones' "Summer in The City" with Thes One May 05, 2020

Show notes

Producer Thes One of People Under The Stairs talks about one of the most iconic samples of all time, "Summer in the City" by Quincy Jones. We discuss why the record is so ripe for sampling, how different artists have flipped this sample to fit different moods, and if that fantastic intro is off limits after The Pharcyde used it.

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