Sput is a drummer, keyboardist, and producer who consistently plays with the top acts in the world. Hip-hop fans have heard his work with Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, and Kendrick Lamar. But in addition to that, the Dallas native has played with everyone from Erykah Badu to Celine Dion to his main gig, the instrumental powerhouse band Snarky Puppy.

But back before all that, Sput got his start as a part of Kirk Franklin’s Grammy-winning group God’s Property, which he played in as a teenager - and whose lineup, incidentally, was a who’s-who of future star musicians.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/155/ for full show notes and comments.

F.A.B. is a Bay Area rapper who has been a key part of his region’s scene for well over a decade. His albums like Son of a Pimp and Da Baydestrian, as well as his successes as a freestyle rhymer and a battle rapper, have showed him to be an incredibly versatile artist. He’s equally at home writing tearjerking songs about his family, improvising for ten minutes at a time to whatever beat is thrown at him, or attacking an opponent with a vicious battle rhyme. He was also a key part of the Bay Area’s hyphy movement, which had a moment in the national spotlight in the mid to late 2000s.

Mistah F.A.B.’s brand new album is Son of a Pimp, Pt. 2.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/157/ for full show notes and comments.

Greg Nice and Smooth B came together to form a group in 1986. By then, the Bronx rappers already had music business experience that belied their young ages. But when they joined forces, things really took off. Their self-titled 1989 debut and its 1991 follow-up Ain’t A Damn Thing Changed are generally regarded as classics, and spawned hits like “Funky For You,” “Hip Hop Junkies,” and of course “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow.”

Nice & Smooth are currently celebrating three decades as a group with a 30th anniversary tour.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/158/ for full show notes and comments.

Ms. Jade is a Philadelphia-based rapper who first came to most peoples’ attention as a protege of Timbaland. She, along with other artists including Tweet and Bubba Sparxx, were part of the producer’s Beat Camp collective. Ms. Jade also worked closely with another one of Timbaland’s frequent collaborators, Missy Elliott, appearing on several of Missy’s hits like “Funky Fresh Dressed” and “Slap Slap Slap.”

Shortly after the release of her debut album Girl Interrupted, Jade parted ways with Timbaland and released several mixtapes that showed her rapping with an aggression and power that wasn’t always there during her time in the spotlight. Ms. Jade has released a bunch of recent freestyles, and is finishing up a new album entitled Beautiful Mess.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/159/ for full show notes and comments.

Adisa Banjoko is the founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, a non-profit organization that fuses music, chess, and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and non-violence. He has a new book about the history and philosophy behind the organization called Bobby, Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip Hop Chess. The book was originally titled Bobby, Bruce & Bam, but Adisa changed it – and very publicly resigned his years-long membership in the Zulu Nation – in light of the accusations of sexual abuse against Afrika Bambaataa.

With the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, Adisa has put on tons of workshops, seminars, and lectures to help children learn not only chess, but entrepreneurship, performing arts, and more. He has even worked with the World Chess Hall of Fame to put on one of their most successful exhibits ever.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/160/ for full show notes and comments.

David “Chino” Villorente is not only one of the foremost graffiti artists ever to pick up a spray can, he’s also a true historian of the art form. His work has been seen on television, in magazines, and in galleries. He has also written numerous books about different aspects of graffiti culture (including several with our Episode 124 guest Sacha Jenkins) , and served a huge role in popularizing the culture as the editor of The Source’s influential “Graf Flix” column.

To see all of the art we talk about during this episode, check out this episode’s image gallery.

In addition, Chino gave us a very special playlist of music that inspired him during his writing days. You can check it out on our YouTube page.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/162/ for full show notes and comments.

David Banner is a Jackson, Mississippi-raised rapper who started in the duo Crooked Lettaz, but first came to most peoples’ attention with his 2003 solo hit “Like A Pimp,” and the record that contained it, Mississippi: The Album. That LP, which also contained the hit “Cadillac on 22’s,” cemented Banner’s name and style in the minds of rap fans nationwide.

But there’s a whole lot more to Banner than a couple of hits. He is an accomplished producer who has made beats for T.I., Trick Daddy, RZA, and Lil Wayne. He’s also an actor who has been in the films Black Snake Moan and This Christmas. He has even recently hit the lecture circuit with his “God Box Lecture Series.” But most importantly, he has continued to challenge himself and his listeners with thoughtful, important music. His new album The God Box is coming soon.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/164/ for full show notes and comments.

Jarobi White is the mysterious fourth member of A Tribe Called Quest. He was a founding member of the group with his childhood best friend Phife Dog. Jarobi appeared on the group’s debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, introducing the world at large to the group’s revolutionary vision. After that, his role in the group was intermittent - contributing ideas in the studio, showing up for some performances, and generally keeping people guessing about what he was up to.

During that whole period, and continuing until today, Jarobi was also pursuing his other passion, food. He is an experienced cook who has worked as a private chef and in Michelin-starred restaurants. He currently runs an events company called Eats, Rhymes & Life that brings together his passions for food and music in live events.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/165/ for full show notes and comments.

Scott Harding, better known as Scotty Hard, is a producer, engineer, and musician who has been behind the scenes for some of the most notable and boundary-pushing albums in hip-hop and beyond. He has worked on seminal albums by the Gravediggaz, Wu-Tang, the Brand New Heavies, Ultramagnetic MCs, Prince Paul, BDP, Tim Dog, De La Soul, and many, many more — and that’s not to mention his work with jazz, rock, and unclassifiable acts like Medeski, Martin and Wood, the Crash Test Dummies, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and tons of others.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/166/ for full show notes and comments.

Jermaine Dupri got his start in hip-hop very young. As a pre-teen, he was a dancer on the Fresh Fest tours of the mid-1980s. He went from there to rapping himself, but quickly found that his real talent lay in writing and producing hits for others.

J.D. had his first real success with the group Kriss Kross, who he discovered in 1991. He formed So So Def Records, where he guided the careers of Xscape, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, and Bow Wow. He also had many hits as a producer with the likes of Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child, and Usher. Dupri is now a key part of two unscripted TV shows, The Rap Game and Music Moguls.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/167/ for full show notes and comments.

Martha is the founder of the Hip-Hop Education Center, but that’s only the latest venture in a lifetime full of advocating for and advancing the culture. She began her career on the set of Yo! MTV Raps, and hasn’t looked back.

Martha is the creator of the H2O International Film Festival, a documentary filmmaker, a social entrepreneur, and, most importantly, a tireless advocate for hip-hop education.

Whether she’s working with institutions like Cornell University to archive hip-hop’s past; or keeping track of, connecting, and enhancing current efforts in hip-hop education with the Hip Hop Education Center, Martha is always playing a key role in advancing the culture, and in helping people learn while using tools they know and can relate to.

Martha also brought along a special guest for this episode, Sommer McCoy. Sommer is the founder of the Mixtape Museum. The Mixtape Museum is an archive project dedicated to advancing public understanding and appreciation of the art, history, and technique of the mixtape.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/169/ for full show notes and comments.

Suga T is a rapper best known as a member of the influential Bay Area group The Click. The group consists of her cousin B-Legit and her brothers D-Shot and E-40. The Click has been making music together since the 1980s, and released their debut album Down and Dirty in 1992. Suga T’s solo career quickly followed, with her album It’s All Good in 1993.

Since then, she has released music solo, with The Click, and in collaboration with E-40, appearing on such hits as “Hurricane,” “Sprinkle Me,” “Captain Save-a-Ho,” and more. But she has also found a second life as a singer, releasing albums of gospel, jazz, and soul music. Suga T was most recently one of the honorees for VH1’s Hip Hop Honors 2016.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/170/ for full show notes and comments.

Monica Lynch is a woman who truly was at the center of it all during hip-hop’s Golden Age.

Monica started out in late 1981 as the very first employee of a small record label called Tommy Boy, which was releasing early rap and electro singles by the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and the Jonzun Crew. She quickly worked her way up to becoming the label’s president, and oversaw its most fertile period during hip-hop’s golden age of the late 1980s and early 90s. Under her tenure, the label released classic albums by Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Stetsasonic, Paris, Digital Underground, CNN, House of Pain, and many more.

Monica was a key part of bringing Tommy Boy to the attention of the masses. She oversaw the label’s clothing line, its successful compilation albums, and also played a key role in the development of careers of artists, executives, and more ranging from The RZA to Dante Ross to Prince Paul.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/171/ for full show notes and comments.

TC is a DJ, emcee, and producer who began his career as a teenager in the mid-1980s, releasing several singles. But even back then, he was already an important member of the Zulu Nation, and eventually became a surrogate son, confidant, and musical collaborator of the organization’s leader, Afrika Bambaataa.

TC’s main musical contribution is combining hip-hop with dance music to create a unique hybrid he calls “hipstep.” Hipstep, which has its roots in both UK dance music and Bambaataa’s early experiments with electro, takes the tempos and sounds of drum and bass, jungle, and other dance genres, and brings them together with TC’s inimitable rhymes and song concepts.

The Zulu Nation, of course, has been rocked by scandal ever since a former member, Ronald “Bee Stinger” Savage, came forward this past spring with allegations of sexual abuse against Bambaataa. We’ll get TC’s comments on that as well, and his thoughts on the inner workings of the organization.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/173/ for full show notes and comments.

Robert is a pianist and producer who has straddled the worlds of jazz, r&b, and hip-hop his entire career. He has toured and recorded with the likes of Q-Tip, Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, and countless others. He has also been a key collaborator with his college buddy, the singer Bilal, and has won several r&b Grammys. But he first earned his musical stripes as a jazz player, releasing albums on the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records.

But no matter what genre he’s playing in, or what band he’s working with, Glasper brings his unique style, knowledge, and passion to anything he’s working on. His most recent album, with the Robert Glasper Experiment, is ArtScience.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/174/ for full show notes and comments.

Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon is a Grammy-winning musician and producer best-known for his work with Timbaland. He got his start in Texas, playing gospel and jazz with people like Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, and Wayman Tisdale, while producing the occasional hip-hop record. But once he met Timbaland about ten years ago, his career took off.

Harmon has produced, co-produced, or performed on projects by Timbaland, Nas, Chris Brown, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Michael Jackson, and many more. He has won Grammys for his work with gospel icon Fred Hammond, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, and Beyoncé, and was a key player in albums like Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience, Jay Z’s The Blueprint 3 and Magna Carta…Holy Grail, and Beyoncé’s self-titled LP.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/175/ for full show notes and comments.

Sophia is a longtime music business power player who has guided the careers of many of your favorite rappers and singers, including a healthy percentage of the Wu-Tang Clan. She started in the music business working for a Graceland-era Paul Simon, but quickly moved into top positions at labels like Atlantic and Jive. But it was in artist management that she really found her stride. Sophia managed Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest, Blackalicious, Organized Noize, D’Angelo, and Raphael Saadiq. But the real heart of her career has been with the Wu-Tang Clan. She worked with RZA, GZA, and ODB, managed RZA’s label Razor Sharp Records, and even ran the USA Shaolin Temple. She now works with the company MedMen, a leading cannabis firm that just opened a flagship dispensary in Los Angeles’ West Hollywood neighborhood, and keeps a busy schedule lecturing at prestigious colleges and universities. Sophia’s fascinating new blog about her life and times is Raised By Wu-Tang.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/176/ for full show notes and comments.

Sean “Slug” Daley of Atmosphere is a proud son of Minneapolis whose devotion to that city shines through not only in his music, but also in the label he co-founded in large part to help bring shine to his city’s scene, Rhymesayers.

Atmosphere started when Daley was in high school (see above), but the group really started making waves in the early 2000s, with the release of music that would be collected on the album Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs.

The introspective, personal songs on Lucy Ford and follow-up projects like God Loves Ugly and Seven’s Travels struck a chord with a huge audience, and Atmosphere’s constant touring, of a kind much more akin to rock bands than rap acts, helped the group’s following grow to a point where they received airplay on MTV2, performed at large festivals, and received serious attention from big record labels. Rhymesayers, meanwhile, released well-regarded projects from the likes of Brother Ali, Eyedea and Abilities, Blueprint, MF DOOM, and many others.

Atmosphere’s latest album, released this past August, is Fishing Blues.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/178/ for full show notes and comments.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—if you love soulful Christmas music! We sit down with Bill to talk about the 2016 edition of his world-famous ‘Xmas Jollies’ mix, which you can stream EXCLUSIVELY from us here.

We also discuss Paul Simon, vaudeville, Atlanta, record shopping in Bayou country, the raunchiest Christmas song of all time, and much more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/181/ for full show notes and comments.

Adam Mansbach is a novelist and, of course, the author of the “children’s book for adults” Go the F to Sleep. But his new project is not a book—it’s a screenplay. Adam wrote the new movie Barry, available now on Netflix. The film is a fictionalized examination of Barack Obama’s first months in New York City, as he arrives at Columbia University in 1981.

The film stars Ashley Judd, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Mitchell, Ellar Coltrane, Avi Nash, and the fantastic newcomer Devon Terrell as Obama. It’s been getting rave reviews and has garnered a bunch of award nominations, including NAACP Image Award and Independent Spirit Award noms for Adam. We talk to Adam about writing and filming Barry, but we also catch up about the election, his new TV show, Henny Youngman’s joke-telling philosophy, and a whole lot more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/182/ for full show notes and comments.

Salaam is a producer who is behind some of the most popular hip-hop, r&b, pop, and dancehall songs of the past several decades. His work with icons like Nas, Amy Winehouse, and The Fugees has been on the airwaves and on the charts consistently since the 1990s.

Salaam is the son of a musician, and got his start early, working on songs with the likes of Kurtis Blow as a teenager in the mid-1980s. By the early 90s, he was already producing hip-hop and dancehall. He did some remixes for an under-appreciated rap group called The Fugees whose first album was on the verge of flopping, and that quickly led to him producing the song “Fu-gee-la” on their monster hit follow up album The Score.

But it was in the early 2000s that Salaam really hit his commercial stride, as he began working closely with Nas on, including many others, the iconic single “Made You Look.” And Remi began working closely with a young singer from London named Amy Winehouse on her 2003 debut Frank, and also produced five songs on her smash hit follow up Back to Black. Miraculously, that’s only the beginning of Salaam’s track record as a producer, musician, composer, and executive.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/183/ for full show notes and comments.

Saba is a young rapper and producer from the West Side of Chicago who has been making a huge impact with his latest album, Bucket List Project. He got his start at open mics around Chicago thrown by Young Chicago Authors and YOUmedia, a scene that also produced talents like Mick Jenkins, Vic Mensa, Noname, and Chance the Rapper.

Saba really came into his own with his 2014 album ComfortZONE, a project that saw him get away from standard brags and boasts and develop a more personal and intimate style. Bucket List Project finds that style fully developed, and people have noticed. Rolling Stone even chose the record as one of its top rap albums of the year.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/184/ for full show notes and comments.

Ras Kass is a California-based rhymer who is one of the most well-respected and critically beloved artists in the genre. He has been wowing rap fans with his dense, complicated, literary lyrics - often packed with historical references - since the mid-1990s. His now-classic debut Soul on Ice was released in 1996, and he has put out a slew of extremely well-regarded solo and collaborative projects since then.

But right along with his talent has been a near-equal amount of record label issues - and occasionally legal ones. Several of his early-aughts albums remain unreleased to this day, and he also spent some time behind bars in 2008-9 for issues relating to a DUI. But all that is behind him, and today Ras is stronger than ever. His latest album is Intellectual Property, and Soul on Ice 2 is coming soon.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/186/ for full show notes and comments.

Stretch and Evan are the co-authors of the new book No Sleep: NYC Nightlife Flyers 1988-1999. The book, as its title suggests, is a collection of flyers from the prime years of New York City nightlife, mixed with recollections from people who were there.

But both guests are known for far more than the book. Evan was the driving force behind Evil Empire mixtapes, and currently runs the popular Up North Trips, which has a website, Twitter, and Instagram devoted to hip-hop memorabilia, anniversaries, and history.

Stretch, of course, was the co-host of one of the most influential radio shows of all time, the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito show. The show, co-hosted by Bobbito Garcia, ran on WKCR starting in 1990, and defined the sound of underground rap. Just a short list of artists who appeared on that show in the early years of their career would include Nas, Common, Jay Z, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Big Pun, Big L, the Notorious B.I.G., and the Wu-Tang Clan. Many of those artists, and a ton more, revisited their experiences in the 2015 documentary Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/188/ for full show notes and comments.

Brothers Eric and Jeff Rosenthal have been merging comedy and hip-hop since 2007, when they began by making short sketch videos poking fun at (and, in short order, with) rappers. They took their comedic vision and love of hip-hop culture through a bunch of different projects: sketches, absurdist interviews with artists, podcasts, and even their own original music.

Most recently, the brothers have their own podcast, A Waste of Time With ItsTheReal. They also have a brand-new album called Teddy Bear Fresh, and an upcoming live show at the New York City nightclub SOBs on February 23rd.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/189/ for full show notes and comments.

Paradise Gray began his career in hip-hop under the tutelage of masters like Pete DJ Jones and Disco King Mario. However, he really hit his stride when he began booking hip-hop acts and hosting in 1986 at a nightclub in the heart of Times Square called the Latin Quarter. While at the club, he would have a front row seat to the introduction of a new generation of hip-hop artists—the key acts in what would come to be called the genre’s Golden Age.

After the club closed in 1988, Paradise would form the group X-Clan with some friends, and deliver some of the most powerful, conscious rap records of all time.

Paradise has a new book about his time at the LQ called No Half Steppin’: An Oral and Pictorial History of New York City Club the Latin Quarter and the Birth of Hip-Hop’s Golden Era.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/190/ for full show notes and comments.

Faith Newman is a longtime music executive who got her start—while still in college—at Def Jam Records in 1987, back when you could count the number of employees on one hand. But she is most remembered for her time at Columbia Records in A&R, where she discovered and signed a young rapper from Queensbridge who had all of New York City buzzing. She then played a key role in creating that artist’s debut album. That rapper—Nas—and the album—Illmatic—would change hip-hop forever.

But that’s only part of Faith’s story. In addition to playing a key early role in Def Jam, she also signed or oversaw albums by the likes of LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Jamiroquai, Big L, and even Miles Davis. She is now the Senior Vice President of A&R and Catalog Development at Reservoir Media, a music publishing company.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/191/ for full show notes and comments.

Boldy James is a Detroit rapper who first came to many peoples’ attention in 2009 after appearances on songs by his cousin Chuck Inglish’s group, The Cool Kids. But Boldy took that initial burst of interest and ran with it, releasing a slew of mixtapes and guest appearances leading up to his 2013 debut album My 1st Chemistry Set, produced entirely by The Alchemist.

Just over a year later, Boldy was signed to Nas’ then-new label Mass Appeal Records. Boldy’s latest project, out this past February, is House of Blues.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/194/ for full show notes and comments.

Martin is the brains behind the website Rap Analysis, and the author of the upcoming book The Artistry of Rap Music. He’s a trained composer and musician who looks at rapping from a perspective that should be common but sadly is all too frequently missing from discussions around hip-hop: as music.

Martin’s examinations of rappers’ deliveries, phrasing, and styles are second to none, and will have you listening to your favorite artists in a whole new way.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/197/ for full show notes and comments.

Skeff is a producer and engineer who worked on some of the best hip-hop to come out of New York in the 1980s and 90s. He started out as the in-house engineer for the label Strong City Records and its associated recording studio, both of which were run by the legendary Bronx DJ Jazzy Jay.

Skeff has worked on records by Brand Nubian, De La Soul, Mos Def, Heavy D, MC Serch, D-Nice, Busy Bee, Diamond D, Tragedy, and countless others. But he is perhaps best known for his work with A Tribe Called Quest. On the group’s classic second and third albums, The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders, Skeff was one of only two non-group-members to produce songs—the other one was Large Professor. Skeff also worked very closely with the late Phife Dawg in the vocal booth, helping to turn Phife into the iconic rapper he is remembered as today.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/198/ for full show notes and comments.

Shawty is an influential producer best-known for his work with Jeezy and Gucci Mane. He has been one of the most important beatmakers ever to come out of Atlanta, and he played a key role in developing the sound of trap music - a sound that is as now close as the nearest radio station or passing car.

Shawty started out as a part of Atlanta’s bass music scene, but his diverse influences (and a mistake in the studio) changed his sound, and he developed a new style that would blossom into trap. While you can hear the beginnings of his style early on, it was his work with Jeezy, starting back when the rapper was still called Lil’ J, that pushed Shawty into the spotlight. In addition to his work with Jeezy and Gucci, Shawty Redd has made beats for Lil Jon, Pastor Troy, Snoop Dogg, Pusha T, and many more.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/199/ for full show notes and comments.

This is episode 200, and features a return from Kevin Coval. However, since it is our 200th, our producer Josh got Kevin, who’s also a big fan of the show, to turn the tables without us knowing and interview the show’s host Shawn. So if you’ll excuse a little self indulgence here’s the episode 200 with Kevin Coval, Shawn Setaro AND Josh Kross.

Kevin is a poet and educator who is the artistic director of Young Chicago Authors, and the author and editor of a whole bunch of great books. The latest of these is A People’s History of Chicago. The book, true to its title, covers the entire history of the city, while focusing on the experiences and victories of its working people and those struggling for justice. The book’s foreward is by a young artist who has learned a lot from Coval, Chance the Rapper.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/200/ for full show notes and comments.

Jay is the host of the longest-running hip-hop radio show ever, The Underground Railroad on New York City station WBAI. He’s had the show since 1991, and helped create the template of what an underground mix show is supposed to be. He also had arguably first hip-hop blog way back in 1997 with hiphopmusic.com.

But Jay is perhaps best known as a pioneering video blogger. His video series Ill Doctrine, which deals with hip-hop, politics, cats, and lots more, has garnered millions of views, and many of the entries have gone viral, including now-classic video essays like “How To Tell Someone They Sound Racist.”

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/201/ for full show notes and comments.

Rocky is the head of the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, a new and exciting project to share the history of hip-hop both in real life and in the virtual world. But his history goes way deeper than his current efforts.

Rocky learned to DJ in the Bronx of the 1970s, as hip-hop was coming of age. His cousin, the great Pete “DJ” Jones, gave Rocky his start, and Rocky ran with it. He moved from DJing to promoting parties to getting into the record business, discovering talents like Teddy Riley and Grand Puba.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/202/ for full show notes and comments.

Alan is the head of rock and urban at Entertainment One Music, a record label you may know better by the name it had until 2009, Koch Records. Koch is a label that had hits with veteran artists like Fat Joe’s Terror Squad, KRS-One, The Game, and Snoop Dogg; while also breaking new artists like Unk, Rich Boy, and even a then-new DJ Khaled. Hip-hop fans will remember the period in the mid-2000s where they had huge hits with Jim Jones, the Ying Yang Twins, Unk, Khaled, and more.

But Entertainment One is only a part of Alan’s story. He started out at Sony getting the Fresh Prince his first millions, and then worked at Relativity Records in the early 1990s just as the label was first getting into hip-hop, with artists like Fat Joe, the Beatnuts, and a young guy out of Chicago who called himself Common Sense. Alan was also responsible for helping to make then-regional acts like Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJB rise to national prominence. He even played a key role in Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records during the period of its greatest success.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/203/ for full show notes and comments.

Nana Ashhurst, formerly Carmen, played a key role in the history of hip-hop’s most iconic label, Def Jam, and in the career of its co-founder Russell Simmons. Of course, before that, she met Malcolm X through her activist parents and ran revolutions in Grenada—no big deal.

She joined Def Jam in the 1980s as Russell’s assistant, but quickly worked her way up to president. While there, she also oversaw Russell’s expansion into fashion, movies, and comedy with properties like the fashion label Phat Farm and the TV show Def Comedy Jam.

Nana oversaw Def Jam in the early 1990s, right as gangsta rap was beginning to take over the industry, and she has some valuable insights into how and why that happened. She also, as you’ll hear, has a fascinating political background and family history that informed her work in hip-hop.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/206/ for full show notes and comments.

Ron is a producer who is best known for his time as part of Bad Boy Records’ Hitmen production collective. Ron teamed up with Deric “D Dot” Angelettie, Diddy, Stevie J, and Nashiem Myrick to create iconic hits for Biggie, Mase, Diddy, Faith Evans, Mary J Blige, The Lox, and many more. After that run ended, Ron made beats for the likes of Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, and Luther Vandross.

Ron is also a hip-hop historian and documentarian, and has made several films dealing with unjustly ignored aspects of hip-hop’s history. Most notable among these is the documentary Founding Fathers, which deals with the mobile DJ scene of the 1970s in Brooklyn and Queens. Any fan of the genre needs to see the movie in order to understand that there was a lot more to DJing in that era than just what was happening in the Bronx.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/207/ for full show notes and comments.

Tom is the “Tommy” in Tommy Boy Records—he founded the label in 1981. After several early hip-hop and dance records, the label found success with “Planet Rock.” But it was in hip-hop’s Golden Age of the late 1980s and early 90s that the label would really blow up, signing acts like Queen Latifah, Digital Underground, House of Pain, Coolio, Naughty by Nature, and De La Soul.

Silverman also founded the New Music Seminar, the influential and long-running music conference whose annual rap and DJ battles would become the stuff of legend. His latest project is Tracklib, a whole new way of dealing with sampling.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/208/ for full show notes and comments.

Orville “Shaggy” Burrell was raised in Jamaica, but started spending most of his time in Flatbush, Brooklyn starting in his late teens. It was in the streets of Flatbush that he began to turn his talent for creating on-the-spot rhymes into a career, performing at block parties and clubs and recording his first few singles.

One of those early songs, a cover of the Folkes Brothers’ “Oh Carolina,” became a huge hit in 1993, particularly in the UK, and really launched Shaggy’s career. He went on to have a giant hit in 1995 with “Boombastic,” and then had world-beating success with his 10 million-selling 2001 album Hot Shot, which contained the hits “Angel” and “It Wasn’t Me.” Since then, he has continued having big songs, experimenting, and making great music. His latest hit is the song “Seasons,” featuring OMI.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/210/ for full show notes and comments.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mathematics, or Allah Mathematics, is a DJ and producer who has been part of the Wu-Tang Clan since before there was a Wu-Tang Clan. He DJ’d for GZA in the early 1990s, back when the rapper was known as “The Genius.” At the same time, Mathematics kept seeing a young rapper named Rakeem around town. That guy, Rakeem, would soon become the RZA, and would assemble an all-star team of MCs to form one of the most influential rap groups of all time.

Mathematics DJ’d for almost all of the Wu members at different points, as well as spinoff groups like Red and Meth. But starting in the mid-1990s, he really made his mark as a producer. Mathematics produced some of the best-loved songs from Wu-related projects, including “Mighty Healthy,” “Cobra Clutch,” “Wu Banga 101,” and more. He also designed the crew’s famous “W” logo.

In recent years, he’s been heavily involved with group albums like Iron Flag and A Better Tomorrow. All of this culminated in his new album, Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues. The record features contributions from almost every member of the Clan, and is executive-produced by RZA himself.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/225/ for full show notes and comments.

DJ Statik Selektah has been on his grind since he first started DJing in his very early teens. He made a name for himself as a mixtape DJ, but really broke out once he started making beats on his own. He has released seven solo albums, with his latest, 8, coming out this Friday, December 8th. Those records have featured guest appearances from almost everyone in hip-hop, from Kool G Rap and Bun B to Smoke DZA and 2 Chainz. In addition, he has released collaborative albums with Bumpy Knuckles, Termanology, Freeway, KXNG Crooked, Freddie Gibbs, and others.

As an artist and producer, Statik has played an important role in the careers of Mac Miller, Action Bronson, and countless other up-and-coming stars. And he has had a special role as a big brother for Joey Badass and his Pro Era crew, serving as the collective’s tour DJ for years and producing many of their best-loved songs.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/226/ for full show notes and comments.

Bill Adler is…well, you probably already know who Bill is. Publicist, journalist, author, gallery owner, archivist - Bill has done it all. From helping to popularize acts like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to defending free speech alongside Luther Campbell to boycotting the Grammys with Public Enemy and the Fresh Prince, there’s very little Bill hasn’t done.

But most importantly, Bill Adler is a Christmas music obsessive. Every year since 1982, he’s created a mix of seasonal music that he actually likes, called the Christmas Jollies. And the past five years, we’ve been lucky enough to sit down with him to discuss the music on it.

You can find this year’s collection here, and several other past volumes can be found elsewhere on our SoundCloud page.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/228/ for full show notes and comments.

Reggie “Combat Jack” Ossé was a lawyer, a blogger, a music executive, a father, and much more. But most people will remember him as a podcasting legend. The host of the eponymous Combat Jack Show raised the bar throughout his time as a media figure, becoming the most influential hip-hop podcaster and even the co-creator of an entire podcast network.

Ossé died on December 20, 2017. To celebrate his life, this is a revamped version of an interview we first did with him that aired in early 2013. It also includes tributes to Combat from some of the people who worked closely with him over the years.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/229/ for full show notes and comments.

Skyzoo is a fantastic Brooklyn rapper whose sophisticated lyrics and ear for soulful beats has long made him one of our favorites. Longtime listeners will no doubt remember that he’s been a guest on the show twice before. But this is different.

Sky approached us last month with the idea of having an in-depth conversation to tease out the themes and ideas in his awesome new record. In Celebration of Us, easily his most topical project to date, deals with police violence, gentrification, discrimination, validation, and ultimately what it means to be, as Sky is, a black man raising a black boy in America today.

He wanted to have the talk at a place near to his heart, so we met at Mike’s Coffee Shop. Mike’s is a Brooklyn diner that has been a staple of the rapper’s life since childhood, and remains one now that he has a child — his newborn son Miles — of his own.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/231/ for full show notes and comments.