We dig into the recent trend of underground UK artists repping the British flag, including Jim Legxacy, YT and Skaiwater, as a way of reclaiming and crafting their own idea of Britishness. We discuss whether they need to dig deeper in order to portray the realities of Black British life and our personal feelings about the history of the Union Jack.
Later, we review Milton Keynes-born, South London-based producer afrosurrealist’s debut album ‘BUYBRITISH’ which features the likes of Ceebo, Zino Vinci, Tay Jordan and more.
We wrap up by naming our favourite hip-hop related films.
Music: afrosurrealist ft Ceebo & ehsi - wunblud
What we've been listening to
Peter
Venna - Malik
Jay Electronica
afrosurrealist - BUYBRITISH
Redman - Muddy Waters
Odeal - The Summer That Saved Me
Yemi
Venna - Malik
afrosurrealist - BUYBRITISH
Deftones
Nirvana
Turnstile
Natanya - Feline's Return
BINA - Chaos Is Her Name
Moe
Joey Bada$$ - Lonely At The Top
Clipse
YFN Lucci
Rich Homie Quan
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We have a little fun and pick the best rappers in their prime and who we prefer.Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod
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This week we’re in our album review bag and take a look at three of the most anticipated hip-hop projects of the year.
First, we review Clipse’s first album in over a decade, Let God Sort Em Out, following up with Little Simz’s new project Lotus and Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist’s collaborative tape, Alfredo 2.
We dive into our likes and dislikes and where the albums leave these artists.
Music: Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - 1995 (Instrumental)
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We’re joined by Jords, a Croydon-born MC whose music style blends several genres, including grime, jazz, R&B, garage, gospel and drill.
He went from just wanting to rap to becoming a multifaceted artist who made history in 2023 when he became the first rapper to be signed by the legendary Motown Records. His talents go beyond music and he's an active member of his community, having founded the ‘Pickni Uniforms’ foundation which aims to deliver free school uniform to disadvantaged young people, as well as running creative writing workshops within prisons.
Jords reveals his journey from the streets of Croydon to becoming one of the most respected UK MCs in the game, his experience with Motown and Universal, his new project Mixtape J, his past catalogue, being a target in his own ends, his community activity, his favourite rappers ever and more.Music: Jords - Fuji (ft. Kojey Radical & Bashy)Stream Jords’ new project ‘Mixtape J’: https://link.tldrecords.com/mixtapej Follow Jords:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordsonline/
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This week, we review two UK rap albums that recently dropped: 'HOME?' by Wretch 32 and 'Keep The Change' by Youngs Teflon. We dive into our likes and dislikes and where the albums leave both artists. Later, we do some fantasy rap booking and play a game of 'Guess Who Won A Grammy.'
Chapters
1:15 Wretch 32 'HOME?' album review
36:11 Youngs Teflon 'Keep The Change' album review
1:06:56 Fun topic
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We’re joined by Newham-based rapper Zino Vinci, one of the fastest rising artists in the UK rap scene, blending youthful exuberance, razor-sharp wordplay, piercing observation and a love of comic books and superheroes to create his own immersive musical world.
He's a few projects deep and his latest, ‘The Late Bloomer,’ is out now. He's had everyone from Complex to Dazed saying his name and he's only getting started.
Zino opens up about his journey, finding himself through comic books and superheroes, how experimental his music is, his new project and more.
Chapters
3:42 Zino’s favourite rappers ever15:37 Zino’s Mount Rushmore of Newham rappers28:33 Zino’s journey through music1:24:31 Zino ơn new project ‘The Late Bloomer’
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We're joined by the amazing Darcus Beese. Darcus is one of the most distinguished and successful record label executives in the UK, signing and developing the likes of Amy Winehouse, Jessie J, Florence + The Machine and Sabrina Carpenter, having also played a role in introducing the likes of Drake, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande to UK audiences.
He is the son of the honourable British Black Panthers Darcus Howe and Barbara Beese and brought that revolutionary zeal with him to Island Records where he begin his career in the late 1980s, moving up the ranks to eventually become the president and CEO of the legendary label, the first black person to do this, and he now heads up his own label Darco Artist Partnerships (DAP) and his memoir 'Rebel With a Cause,' a detailed telling of his story is out now.
Darcus breaks down his career in music and the machinations and major record labels, working with Amy Winehouse, his favourite rappers ever, his thoughts on the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef, his time in America, DAP and much more.
Chapters
4:31 Darcus' favourite rappers
11:05 Darcus on the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef
25:09 Darcus on the current state of music
43:26 Darcus on Amy Winehouse
51:26 Darcus on why the UK hasn't produced a superstar in years
1:04:14 Darcus on gatekeeping
1:11:54 Darcus on what a typical record label deal is
1:27:52 Darcus' beginnings as an A&R and time in America
2:07:03 Darcus on his parents, his book 'Rebel With A Cause' and DAP
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We’re joined by the incredible Tiffany Calver. Tiffany is one of the most recognisable DJs, broadcasters and personalities in the UK with over 10 years in the game, having gone from music journalism to becoming the host of her very own radio show ‘The Tiffany Calver Show’ on BBC Radio 1Xtra, having made history when she became the first woman to host Radio 1's ‘Rap Show.’ She throws parties and releases records under the No Requests banner and has DJ'd for the likes of Jay-Z, Beyonce and Drake.
Tiffany breaks down her career, from uploading her first mixes on Soundcloud and navigating the industry in the mid 2010s to landing at the BBC, via finding herself as a DJ and a commentator. She names her favourite rappers, has her say about the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef, reminisces about growing up in Telford and pinpoints the biggest no-nos she’s seen from DJs. Later, we play another game of hip-hop trivia, with CONTROVERSIAL results.
Chapters
2:54 Tiffany’s favourite rappers and thoughts on Drake-Kendrick and the new grime renaissance
50:15 Tiffany’s journey from Telford to the BBC
1:35:13 Tiffany on making music, her radio show and being a woman in the industry
1:41:07 Tiffany’s proudest career moments
1:46:09 Tiffany’s ‘No Requests’ party and record label and working with major labels
1:56:38 Tiffany’s thoughts on gatekeepers in the music industry + future plans
2:04:08 Hip-hop trivia
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We're joined by Ceebo, a South London-based rapper with bags of wordplay, storytelling and an expansive rhyming style that has marked him out as one on the rise. His 2024 project 'LAMBETHNOTLA' was celebrated as one of the strongest to come out of the UK, portraying his experiences with love, nostalgia and the anxieties of being a young Black man existing in South London.
Ceebo shares his journey through music, how he started rapping, his writing process, his favourite rappers, putting together 'LAMBETHNOTLA,' his thoughts on the UK rap scene, critical acclaim and more!
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We start by giving our flowers to Kendrick Lamar who won five Grammys for Not Like Us, including the coveted Record of the Year and Song of the Year. We give our thoughts on the track now and our feelings about a diss track becoming the most awarded song in Grammys history.
We then pay our respects to the one and only Irv Gotti, the founder of Murder Inc who sadly passed away at the age of 54. Providing a home for the likes of Ja Rule and Ashanti, we assess his impact on the game. Then, we break down the curious case of Joey Bada$$ and the smoke he’s been on since the start of the year. We end with a CONTROVERSIAL game of hip-hop trivia.
Chapters
1:00 Kendrick Lamar sweeps the Grammys
18:13 R.I.P. Irv Gotti
28:00 Joey Bada$$ is on smoke!
54:40 Hip-hop trivia
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This week, we gave our instant reaction to one of the most anticipated UK rap albums in years, Central Cee's 'Can't Rush Greatness,' giving our first thoughts on the project and reacting to Aitch's clap back to Cench. We then have a bit of fun and draft rap lineups with rappers that use 'Young' in their names and rappers who use their real names. Chapters 0:00 Intro 2:04 Central Cee 'Can't Rush Greatness' Album Instant Reaction 43:53 'Young' Rappers Draft 48:28 'Real Name' Rappers Draft 56:58 Outro Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod
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We're running it back with Kendrick Lamar's latest album, GNX, after recently listening to it together for the first time and giving our instant reactions. We're joined by Abiade as we take a deeper dive into the album, it's significance for the West Coast and where it ranks in Lamar's discography. Peep our instant reaction to GNX here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KkTRhjpUNv5cksp8tWtGa?si=uxWgmKAgRAaRpD4Z3NBqPw Follow Abiade: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abiade/ Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymesdimespod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhymesdimespod Listen to our weekly playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5UgEmgPF1WEVPGywTWI7HA?si=58b59e4496f34cde
It’s time to wrap up 2024 with our end of year episode! We’re joined by Chris The Capo as we recap our favourite albums and rappers from the UK and USA, our most disappointing albums, our favourite non-rap albums, how our predictions for the year panned out and our predictions for 2025. There’s Nas commentary, a SCORCHING HOT take about Rapsody, CONTROVERSY about Westside Gunn and a lot more!
Chapters
Intro (0:00)
Review of 2024 in rap (9:04)
Favourite UK albums of 2024 (15:07)
Favourite UK rappers of 2024 (44:35)
Favourite US albums of 2024 (54:36)
Favourite US rappers of 2024 (1:31:16)
Most disappointing albums of 2024 (1:37:55)
Favourite non-rap albums of 2024 (1:58:26)
Were our 2024 predictions correct? (2:15:04)
Predictions for 2025 (2:17:50)
Outro (2:25:58)
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Fresh off a resounding defeat in his beef with Kendrick Lamar, Drake has gone where no rapper has gone far: the legal route. He has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify accusing both of artificially boosting streams of Lamar's 'Not Like Us.' In a second lawsuit solely against UMG, the Canadian accuses them of defamation, claiming it could have halted the release of a song "falsely accusing him of being a sex offender". We had plenty of thoughts about this, and Drake's status in rap right now. Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymesdimespod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhymesdimespod
We’re joined by Flashy Sillah, one of UK rap's most trusted voices and commentators, creator of The Block Report and an anchor at Complex UK who has worked with everyone from Link Up TV to Amazon Music.
We dig into his journey, his favourite rappers and how he built a reputation in the scene, in the midst of HEATED chats about Future, Nas and 2Pac. After Skepta’s recent comments about the UK scene, we discuss whether the scene itself is dead and what it needs to improve. Later, we chop up whether hip-hop artists feel they’re too big to be interviewed by figures within the culture, before naming some of our favourite hip-hop conspiracies. Follow Flashy Sillah: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashysillah/
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Out of nowhere, Kendrick Lamar has a new album out! GNX is a surprise drop and features SZA, Roddy Ricch, SWV, Deyra Barrera, Dody6, AKChike, Lefty Gunplay, Wallie The Sensei, Peysoh, Hitta J3 and YoungThreat. Production comes from Mustard, Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Cardo Got Wings and more. We had a first listen and we had some thoughts. Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymesdimespod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhymesdimespod
Back in the studio for episode 101! We recap our live show for the 100th episode and break down what we’ve been listening to recently, via a MASSIVE detour breaking down J. Cole’s track ‘Port Antonio’ and his position in the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Later, we celebrate Lethal Bizzle’s ‘Pow (Forward Riddim), which celebrates 20 years in 2024, assessing its impact on us and UK music as a whole. We wrap up with a healthy game of rap word association. Chapters: Intro (0:00) Live show recap (2:28) What we’ve been listening to / J. Cole ‘Port Antonio’ Review (16:25) 20 years of ‘Pow (Forward Riddim)’ (48:38) Rap word association (1:02:58) Outro (1:11:33) What we’ve been listening to: Peter Kofi Stone - AMAGOH Willie The Kid & V-Don - Deutsch Marks 4 Earth, Wind & Fire - Spirit Tay Jordan - Player of the Year Moe J. Cole - Forest Hills Drive J. Cole - Friday Night Lights J. Cole - The Warm Up J. Cole - Born Sinner Yemi Tay Jordan - Player of the Year Lord Apex & El Lif Beatz - Where's Your Feet Kofi Stone - AMAGOH Lex Amor - Forward Ever Tommy Richman - COYOTE Maeta - Endless Night Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymesdimespod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhymesdimespod
It's a milestone episode, our 100th and it's in front of a live audience! We get into what we've been listening to before diving whether Drake can be the G.O.A.T and whether Kendrick Lamar can be the G.O.A.T, with a healthy discussion about J. Cole in between. We ask our audience which part of London has the best MCs with hilarious results, and give them a chance to ask us their most burning questions. Chapters Intro (0:00) What we've been listening to (3:32) Can Drake be the G.O.A.T.? (7:58) Can Kendrick Lamar be the G.O.A.T.? (30:11) Which part of London has the best MCs? (59:20) Audience Q&A (1:03:39) Outro (1:27:10) Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymesdimespod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhymesdimespod
What is the best rap project from each of London's 32 boroughs? We find out with the help of writers Naz and Seth Pereira. Join us as we explore the history of rap, grime and drill in the UK's capital city and who comes out on top.
Music: Skepta ft JME - That's Not Me (Instrumental) Follow Naz: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nazfromnewham Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nazfromnewham/ Follow Seth: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SethJPereira Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seth_est88/ Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymesdimespod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhymesdimespod
What is the best rap project from each of London's 32 boroughs? We find out with the help of writers Naz and Seth Pereira. Join us as we explore the history of rap, grime and drill in the UK's capital city and who comes out on top. Music: Skepta ft JME - That's Not Me (Instrumental) Follow Naz: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nazfromnewham Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nazfromnewham/ Follow Seth: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SethJPereira Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seth_est88/ Follow Rhymes Like Dimes: https://linktr.ee/rhymesdimespod Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhymesdimespod/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymesdimespod Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhymesdimespod