Can't Knock the Shuffle

In this episode I’m joined by Sage Francis, a rapper who was independent before claiming indie was cool. A veteran of the underground battle scene in which he won the Scribble Jam emcee battle in 2000, Sage was early in adopting a tour-heavy business model that found him relentlessly doing shows and hitting smaller markets in the 2000s. From the jump, Sage has never been afraid to occupy his own unique space in the landscape of rap music, incorporating influences from different genres of music, a rotating cast of collaborators, and a writing style that ranges from the fiercely political to the vulnerably personal. He was the first hip hop artist signed to legendary punk rock label Epitaph, and he would later go on to launch his own Strange Famous Records, where he continues to release his own projects as well as the works of other artists. Songs discussed:

"Jah Didn't Kill Johnny" ('A Healthy Distrust', 2005)

"Grace" ('Copper Gone,' 2014)

"Doomage" feat. Brother Ali and Slug (prod. MF DOOM) (Non-Prophets "Damage" single, 2004)

"Whoremonger" ('Still Sickly Business,' 2005)

"Underground For Dummies" ('Human the Death Dance', 2007)

Sage Francis:

strangefamousrecords.com

cantknocktheshuffle.com

questionshiphop.com

instagram.com/seandammit

twitter.com/seandammit

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Open Mike Eagle has never been shy about getting personal with his music. After emerging from LA's Project Blowed collective, the rapper/producer released his first solo album in 2010 and has been dropping projects at a steady clip ever since. With a comedic wit and quirky eclectic nature to his songs, Mike has also been equally proficient in the worlds of comedy and television. He co-created comedy and music showcase 'The New Negroes,' first as a live event and later as a show for Comedy Central, which we discuss in this episode. He's also no stranger to podcasts – from his own Secret Skin podcast, as well as 'What Had Happened Was,' his acclaimed interview series with the legendary producer Prince Paul, all on his own Stony Island Audio podcast network, which is also home to 'Can't Knock the Shuffle.' Here are the songs that we dive into in this episode:

"Sounds Like Rap" (Thirsty Fish, 'Watergate,' 2011)

"Art Rap Party" ('Unapologetic Art Rap', 2010)

"Single Ghosts" ('What Happens When I Try To Relax', 2018)

"Woke As Me" feat Phonte Coleman ('The New Negroes' Season 1 Soundtrack, 2019)

"Leave People Alone" ('Hella Personal Film Festival', 2016)

"Overland" (Cavanaugh, 'Time and Materials', 2015)

"Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss" ('A Special Episode', 2015)

We also discuss the increasing difficulties for indie artists trying to navigate the music industry, the lessons Mike learned in creating a show (and accompanying music videos) for a cable network, and how his writing has evolved over the years.

Open Mike Eagle:

www.mikeeagle.net

instagram.com/seandammit

twitter.com/seandammit

instagram.com/thequestionshiphop

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dante Ross isn't an artist in the traditional sense, but the music industry exec/A&R/producer/engineer had a hand in dozens of classic records and is responsible for helping to cultivate the careers of some of hip hop’s biggest names. In the 90s, Dante was hired by Elektra Records as the first hip hop A&R man – not just Elektra’s first, but the record industry’s first. Dante signed artists such as Brand Nubian, KMD, Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, to name a few. Along with his friends John Gamble and Geeby Dajani, Ross was also one third of production group Stimulated Dummies, who worked with many of those acts behind the boards as well. Dante played a significant role in crafting the sound and songs on House of Pain leader Everlast’s breakthrough solo album, 1998’s Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, and would later co-produce the Everlast and Carlos Santana song “Put Your Lights On,” on the latter’s Grammy-winning smash album ‘Supernatural.’ Dante is still active in the business to this day, and has signed and worked with more recent artists like Lil Dicky, Made in Tokyo, and Marlon Craft. And this fall he will release ‘Son of the City,’ a memoir detailing his life as a crucial player in hip hop’s Golden Era. In this episode, we discuss:

3rd Bass "Kick 'Em in the Grill" feat Chubb Rock ('Derelicts of Dialect,' 1991)

Del the Funky Homosapien "Ya Lil Crumbsnatchers" ('I Wish My Brother George Was Here,' 1991)

Ol' Dirty Bastard "Brooklyn Zoo" ('Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version,' 1995)

Everlast "Tired" ('Whitey Ford Sings the Blues,' 1998)

De La Soul "Me, Myself, and I" ('3 Feet High and Rising,' 1989)

Pete Rock and CL Smooth "All Souled Out" ('All Souled Out,' 1991)

Brand Nubian "Step to the Rear" ('One For All,' 1990)

Dante Ross:

danteross.com

cantknocktheshuffle.com

questionshiphop.com

instagram.com/seandammit

twitter.com/seandammit

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with the rest of the conversation with singer/songwriter Esthero. In this episode, we talk about her work with Kanye West on his 808s and Heartbreak album, the making of her classic debut Breath From Another, and how she decided to only release a trailer of her new music on streaming services rather than put the whole thing online – a seriously revolutionary move that definitely caught the media’s attention in 2019. Songs discussed in this episode:

"Streetlights" (Kanye West, '808s and Heartbreak', 2008)

"Amber and Tiger's Eye" ('We R in Need of a Musical Revolution!', 2004)

"Breath From Another" ('Breath From Another,' 1998)

"Gimme Some Time" (2019)

Esthero:

esthero.net

cantknocktheshuffle.com

questionshiphop.com

instagram.com/seandammit

twitter.com/seandammit

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a member of the Newark, New Jersey group Artifacts alongside Tame One and DJ Kaos, El Da Sensei is responsible for some bona fide 90s hip hop classics, including "C'mon with the Git Down” and "Wrong Side of da Tracks," the group’s homage to the art of graffiti. After Artifacts split up following their second album 'That’s Them' in 1997, El went on to have a prolific solo career, releasing nearly a dozen projects and consistently touring the globe on his own as well as with Polish hip hop duo The Returners. El’s a true working class emcee, and his dedication to his craft as a writer and as an independent artist has granted him a pretty unique experience that we uncover throughout this conversation. We also talk a little bit about the impromptu Artifacts reunion in 2009 that brought El and Tame together and set the stage for their upcoming third Artifacts album, produced entirely by Buckwild and carrying the torch for DJ Kaos, who unfortunately passed away in 2019 ; the album is scheduled to be released later this year. In this episode, we discuss:

"Speakin'" ('Relax, Relate, Release', 2003)

"Live Noise" feat. Akrobatik (w/ The Returners, 'GT2: Nu World', 2010)

"Wrong Side of Da Tracks" (Artifacts, 'Between a Rock and a Hard Place', 1994)

"It Takes Two" (w/ Sadat X, 'XL,' 2018)

"Money" feat Roc Marciano and Reef the Lost Cause ('The Money EP', 2009)

"Got Fire" (w/ The Returners, 'Global Takeover', 2008)

"31 Bumrush" (Artifacts, 'That's Them,' 1997)

El Da Sensei:

instagram.com/senseifromnj

cantknocktheshuffle.com

questionshiphop.com

instagram.com/seandammit

twitter.com/seandammit

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices