The earliest recorded podcast is credited to Adam Curry, who launched his show Daily Source Code in 2004. It was a show focused on chronicling his everyday life, delivering news and discussions about the development of podcasting, as well as promotion for new and emerging podcasts. Curry published it in an attempt to gain traction in the development of what would come to be known as podcasting, and as a means of testing the software outside of a lab setting. The name Daily Source Code was chosen in the hope that it would attract an audience with an interest in technology.
Fast forward 12 years and people are creating podcasts for anything you can think of. Fashion, sports, entrepreneurship; the options are endless. One of the most popular podcast outlets nowadays is Hip Hop podcasts. There’s a few major players in the rap podcast world, and they currently have a bit of a friendly competition going. Joe Budden‘s I’ll Name This Podcast Later with the assistance of Marisa Mendez and Rory, Taxstone‘s Tax Season, N.O.R.E and DJ EFN‘s Drink Champs and Elliott Wilson and B Dot‘s Rap Radar fight week in and week out to reign supreme as rap’s premier podcast (with special mention to the long-running Juan Epstein from Peter Rosenberg and DJ Cipha Sounds and The Combat Jack Show from Reggie Osse). Who’s really on top right now? That’s to be decided, we’re just here to shine light on the battle.
I’ll Name This Podcast Later
How much impact do Joe Budden’s words have on his podcast? They’ve already earned him responses from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill and Drake, just to name a few. Joe pushes people’s buttons. He’s a student of Hip Hop, and he won’t let any artist live if they aren’t delivering to the standard of I’ll Name This Podcast Later (and they have high standards). A lot of people don’t respect Joe’s stance being that he’s still an active rapper himself, figuring how can he critique rappers so harshly when it can be said he himself hasn’t put out flames in a long time? Meek has so far been the biggest figure to touch on this very fact, saying he won’t respond on wax to Joe because Joe is just a “podcast guy.” Understandable? Sure. But Joe’s podcast can compete with these other podcasts on the list because of its content. If we want to see the full version of Drake vs Joe or Meek vs Joe though, he might have to become a full time rapper again.
Tax Season
“The only show bringing you an unfiltered view from the streets of Brooklyn as only Taxstone knows them. Tax Season is upon us and anybody can get it. Come Say Hi to the Bad Guy,” says Taxstone’s bio. A perfect description, because anybody can get it on this podcast. Taxstone takes on guests you wouldn’t normally hear interviewed, then takes on convos you didn’t expect to hear. Taxstone’s niche in this podcast war is solidified. He has his respect and it’s only growing. The time Elliott Wilson thought that Tax was going to get a Jigga interview because of the famous “drug dealer” video that surfaced will always be a funny moment in the war. What made it real was the fact Tax could’ve actually gotten that interview, and it’s credibility like that making him a major player in this game. As for the actual podcast, there’s so much room to go up. Podcasts are about convenience, and they aren’t built for press runs. Because of this, the guests you book are important to your evolution. Tax Season’s guests are always envelope pushers: “should we have this person on our show?” “what’s the relevance?” but once the audio drops, the rap community embraces and Taxstone usually has another banging interview under his belt, where he’s discussed the most outlandish topics you can think of.
Rap Radar
Elliott Wilson and Brian “B. Dot” Miller have been the back court duo at Rap Radar for some time now. Starting with their website, the transition to the podcast game seemed seamless. The list of guests at their podcast has been extensive and legendary, and some may argue the best of this list. Elliott and B. Dot have become polarizing journalists—some love them, some hate them—it’s all about which day of the week it is, and who’s the guest on the show that day. What they provide to the podcast war is exclusivity. They can book guests that a lot of other podcasts can’t and honestly probably won’t even try to. The fact that Rap Radar looks at a movement, acknowledges it, then grabs the most influential but behind the scenes person of that movement shows their commitment to the game, and how much they’ve studied it. While some rappers may take their shots at Elliott or B. Dot, there’s no secret that when called, they’d rush to Rap Radar because of the platform and voice it provides. One of the greatest interviews they’ve done recently was with OT Genesis, which was super high risk, high reward in regards to OT’s hits maybe being bigger than his name at the moment. YN and B. Dot took a chance, marketed the conversation the right way and ended up delivering another banger. That’s what podcasts are about, taking a chance on a guests and turning the convo into a gem.
Drink Champs
“Legendary Queens rapper and one half of Capone-n-Noreaga N.O.R.E. alongside Miami Hip Hop pioneer DJ EFN come together as the Drink Champs. Listen in as N.O.R.E., DJ EFN and special guests talk over some drinks and discuss everything from current events to old school stories. Nothing is sacred when talking with the Drink Champs so this show is not for the easily offended!” By far the most entertaining podcast on the list, N.O.R.E. and EFN go in each and every time and listeners love it. Who doesn’t enjoy a conversation with their drunk uncle, right? That’s all the Drink Champs podcast is. Their guests are the most comfortable in this setting, which usually leads to the best conversations. Some of the best classic rap stories have been spewed on Drink Champs, and that’s what keeps the listeners coming back for more nostalgia. The battle of N.O.R.E vs. Elliott Wilson is hilarious as well and makes this podcast war a great part of rap. Friendly competition though, it’s obvious N.O.R.E respects YN as a journalist and that YN respects N.O.R.E as a major player in this game, and that respect makes the competition that much more entertaining. Numbers don’t lie though, Drink Champs has been killing it, topping the charts numerous times.
Podcasts are ruling the way music is talked about. Get your aux cords ready, because these convos are perfect for long drives. This is the future and seeing legends already onto it and looking to progress with each episode makes it even better.
