The Cipher

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222: DJ Head Nov 06, 2017

Show notes

Kevin “DJ Head” Bell is a producer and DJ from Detroit who played a big role in that city’s scene during the mid-to-late 1990s. At that time, an insanely talented group of people were getting together for open mics, beat battles, ciphers, and shows. Among that crew were people who would go on to be some of the most popular and well-regarded rappers and producers of all time, including J. Dilla and Eminem.

DJ Head worked closely with them both. He was also tight with the late rapper Proof, a member of D12 and pillar of the scene, in addition to being best known as Eminem’s best friend and longtime onstage foil. DJ Head played a big part in Em’s meteoric rise—producing, programming drums, and DJ’ing for the rapper as he went from underground battle rapper to international superstar. He also produced songs for Xzibit, D12, Obie Trice, and more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/222/ for full show notes and comments.

221: Jack Thriller Oct 30, 2017

Show notes

Jack Thriller is a comedian who most people know from his time doing funny—and often outrageous—interviews on 50 Cent’s website ThisIs50. He’s talked to everyone from porn actors to fellow comedians to rap stars to athletes and beyond.

But in addition to that, Jack is also a talented sketch comedian and writer, stand-up, and even a singer. He got his start working as a writer, warm-up act, and all around right hand man to comedian Lil Duval, before breaking out on his own and moving from Atlanta to New York City. 50 quickly noticed his popular skits, and soon Jack had become the website’s breakout star.

He quickly moved from the computer screen to the television screen, starring in several seasons of Nick Cannon’s show Wild ‘N Out. And his latest venture is a singing career. He’s released a song with Nore, and has shared the stage with Musiq Soulchild.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/221/ for full show notes and comments.

220: E.S.G. Oct 23, 2017

Show notes

E.S.G. is a Houston rapper best known for his association with DJ Screw and the Screwed Up Click. He was the very first artist to have Screw remix a song on a commercially-available project, with a Screwed up version of “Swangin and Bangin” on his 1994 album Ocean of Funk.

E.S.G., a talented freestyler who can rap off the top of his head for hours at a time, found regional success with that album and its followup, 1995’s Sailin’ Da South, before legal issues stalled things for several years. But he returned stronger than ever in 1998 and, since then, has released a steady stream of solo and collaborative projects, including an influential duo album with Slim Thug that helped bring the warring north and south sides of Houston together.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/220/ for full show notes and comments.

Kurtis Blow show flyer — **219: Kurtis Blow** Oct 16, 2017
Show notes

Kurtis Blow was the first rap superstar. He was the first rapper to be signed to a major label and the first one to have a gold single with “The Breaks.” But his career is a whole lot more than just that song and “Christmas Rappin’.” Even before stardom, Blow was a busy DJ and performer who was sharing bills with the likes of old-school legends DJ Hollywood and Eddie Cheeba.
And after he broke big—with the help of his manager Russell Simmons—Blow stayed on top, releasing a long string of albums through most of the 1980s and also producing for other artists like the Fat Boys and Oran “Juice” Jones.
See http://theciphershow.com/episode/219/ for full show notes and comments.

Kurtis Blow in the early days — **219: Kurtis Blow** Oct 16, 2017
Show notes

Kurtis Blow was the first rap superstar. He was the first rapper to be signed to a major label and the first one to have a gold single with “The Breaks.” But his career is a whole lot more than just that song and “Christmas Rappin’.” Even before stardom, Blow was a busy DJ and performer who was sharing bills with the likes of old-school legends DJ Hollywood and Eddie Cheeba.
And after he broke big—with the help of his manager Russell Simmons—Blow stayed on top, releasing a long string of albums through most of the 1980s and also producing for other artists like the Fat Boys and Oran “Juice” Jones.
See http://theciphershow.com/episode/219/ for full show notes and comments.

Crazy Legs signs our guestbook — **218: Crazy Legs** Oct 09, 2017
Show notes

Richard “Crazy Legs” Colon is a b-boying pioneer and the longtime president of the Rock Steady Crew, arguably the most famous b-boy crew in the world. He joined the Rock Steady crew in its early days, and quickly rose to become its leader. As early as 1981, he was already getting press attention as one of the best dancers out there in the still-new form of b-boying or breaking, and he invented many of the moves we still associate with breaking today.
Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew would make a series of genre-changing appearances: in movies like *Wild Style*, *Beat Street*, and *Flashdance*; bringing hip-hop to Europe as part of the historic New York City Rap Tour; and even recording a hit album.
After b-boying’s popularity dipped and many of the original dancers retired, Crazy Legs reinvigorated the Rock Steady Crew in the early 1990s, spurring them and b-boying on to even greater heights - performing at Lincoln Center, winning a prestigious New York Dance and Performance Award, and much more.
We spoke to Crazy Legs at on on the playground AND in the Principal’s office at PS 163 in on the Upper West Side, the home of Rock Steady Park.
See http://theciphershow.com/episode/218/ for full show notes and comments.

217: Fred the Godson Oct 02, 2017

Show notes

Fred is a rapper who can say that hip-hop is in his blood, literally. Not only is he from the home of hip-hop, the Bronx, but his father also used to work at the NYC nightspot The Tunnel, whose hip-hop nights on Sundays, presided over by Funkmaster Flex, were legendary.

So it only makes sense that Fred would grow up to become one of the best rappers out there. His intricate punchlines and metaphors are the stuff of mixtape legend, and his talent has led him to collaborate with some of the biggest rappers, DJs, and producers in the game. Fred’s talent has also been recognized by XXL, who annointed him one of their Freshman class in 2011, alongside Mac Miller, Meek Mill, Yelawolf, and some guy named Kendrick. Fred’s newest project, out this past August, is Gordo.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/217/ for full show notes and comments.

**216: Rock** Sep 25, 2017
Show notes

Rock is best-known for being one half of the seminal rap duo Heltah Skeltah, along with his partner, the late Sean Price. The duo, also known as Rock and Ruck, released three albums and were a key part of NYC’s influential underground rap crew the Boot Camp Clik.
As a solo artist, Rock has released a number of great mixtapes - including our favorite, 2010’s *Rockin’ Out West*. But despite several record deals, he’s never released a proper solo album, until now. Rock has just released ‘Rockness A.P.’ on Digital Deja Vu Records. The “A.P.” stands for “after Price,” and the album shows Rock making his way in the world after the 2015 death of his partner.
See http://theciphershow.com/episode/216/ for full show notes and comments.

Lecrae signs our guestbook — **215: Lecrae** Sep 18, 2017
Show notes

Lecrae is a rapper whose Christian faith is central to his music and his message, but don’t dare call him a “Christian rapper.” From the very beginning, as you’ll hear, Lecrae was determined to be both, as he frequently puts it, “authentically hip-hop and authentically Christian,” and his music, which has incorporated everything from Southern rap sounds to soul samples to rock guitars, shows that he has stayed true to that aim.
Lecrae has managed to expand far outside the confines of religious music in order to bring his message to a mainstream audience—as you can tell from his number one, gold-selling album, two Grammys, and best-selling memoir.
Lecrae’s brand-new album, *All Things Work Together*, is out September 22nd.
See http://theciphershow.com/episode/215/ for full show notes and comments.

214: Trae Tha Truth Sep 11, 2017

Show notes

Trae is a true Houston rap legend who got his start as a member of DJ Screw’s Screwed Up Click. Since the late 1990s, he has been sharing his street stories using his one-of-a-kind voice. Through countless mixtapes and albums, he has helped shape the sound and focus of his hometown scene, and played a large role in bringing it to the attention of the wider world. But Trae is not only notable for his rapping. In 2008, the city of Houston awarded him his own day, and Trae Day has become an annual tradition.

His latest project is Tha Truth, Pt. 3.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/214/ for full show notes and comments.

213: Hurricane Harvey Special: Trae tha Truth, Killa Kyleon, & Z-Ro Sep 04, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to a special episode of The Cipher. This is an episode dedicated to Houston. Like countless people around the world, we were devastated by news of Hurricane Harvey and its effects on the city. If you’re a regular listener, you’ve noticed that we have many episodes discussing Houston music and culture with the city’s artists, businesspeople, and authors.

So, because of that love for Houston’s music, culture, and most of all its people, we decided to reach out to three H-town rap legends and find out what’s really going on in the storm and its aftermath, and to find out what you can do to help. We caught up by phone with Trae tha Truth, Killa Kyleon, and Z-Ro. All three have been involved in recovery efforts —in fact, you may have seen Trae on the news, rescuing people by boat. And all three have seen first-hand the devastation the storm has caused.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/213/ for full show notes and comments.

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