The Opus

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we’re opening up The Opus podcast archives to re-release seasons focused on some of history's most legendary rap albums. First up, we revisit Fugees’ classic The Score, which comes in at number 15 on Consequence’s list of the 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time. You can see the full list on Consequence, and there will be loads of artist interviews, essays, and more coming throughout the month, so make sure to check it all out at Consequence.net.

You can also snag some of our exclusive Hip-Hop 50 merch at the Consequence Shop.

Here on The Opus, we’ll also be re-releasing our season about Cypress Hill’s self-titled record, so make sure to check back every Wednesday and Friday for fresh episodes from the archives.

Instead of returning to the studio with outside producers, the Fugees took their $150k advance from Ruffhouse Records and ventured off to ... the basement. Specifically, the Booga Basement in East Orange, NJ, where Wyclef Jean’s uncle and his cousin Jerry “Wonda” Duplessis lived.

Booga, along with The Dungeon in Atlanta (where OutKast cut their debut), were two of the most successful underground studios in the game circa the mid-90s. These locales came with a productive, family vibe and endless head bobs to judge the quality of work.

In this episode, host Jill Hopkins speaks to producer Jerry Wonda about building a studio and a sound that would continue the tradition of great New Jersey hip-hop. They also discuss why this kind of DIY ethos is so important to groups in the process of defining their sounds.

Also heading into the basement are special guests Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo of Ruffhouse Records, in addition to MTV’s Dometi Pongo and Genius executive editor Insanul Ahmed.

Original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a Fugees prize pack, which includes vinyl, a turntable, and headphones. (Note: If you’re having trouble seeing the widget, enter here.)

The series of events that had to happen to have Ten even exist is wild.

Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard were in Green River, but they broke up. Then, they were in a pysch-garage band called Mother Love Bone, whose singer, Andrew Wood, died right before their first album was released. The two of them, and a couple of members of Soundgarden put out a tribute album for Andrew, and this singer they’d heard about from Jack Irons, - the drummer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers - guested on one of the tracks. He’d gotten a copy of some demos Stone and Jeff were working on, wrote lyrics for it, sang over it, and sent it back. The guys liked it, so they hired him to sing in their new band.

That song was “Hunger Strike”, that tribute was Temple of the Dog, that guest singer was Eddie Vedder, and that new band was Pearl Jam.

This is all only scratching the surface of the strange series of events that had to occur for Ten to come into existence. In this debut episode of The Opus: Pearl Jam's Ten, host Jill Hopkins is joined by The Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, and Museum of Pop Culture curator Jacob McMurray to trace the unlikely origins of one of the biggest bands of all time.

Subscribe now so you can check out all episodes of Season 16 of The Opus. Also, grab yourself an official Opus hoodie or T-Shirt at the Consequence Shop.

Original music by Tony Piazza.

While Season 16 of the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus focuses on the unparalleled musical legacy Ten, it's important to note of Pearl Jam has been defined as much by their visuals as their sound. On Episode 2, we explore how bassist Jeff Ament not only contributed to the band's sonics, but their imagery as well.

Subscribe now so you can listen to all episodes of Season 16 of The Opus. Also, pick yourself up one of our official Opus hoodies or T-shirts at the Consequence Shop.

Original music by Tony Piazza.

Jazz can often be seen as a genre that challenges listeners, but one of the greatest jazz records of all time -- Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew -- was born out a need to challenge the genre, to push back on the establishment, and to break down old conventions and notions about what jazz could be. Davis saw the future of music coming fast, and it was in funk and rock. If he didn’t catch up, he and jazz would get left in the dust. What resulted from this future forward approach would not only change the genre, but launch Davis from the dark basements of jazz fame to the main stages of stardom. This season, The Opus has booked some time at Columbia's Studio B, where host Andy Bothwell has dialed things back to August 1969. His first night's guests include: Deantoni Parks (The Mars Volta/Technoself), Daedelus (Brainfeeder/Berklee College of Music), Loren Schoenberg (Julliard/National Museum Of Jazz), and writer George Grella. Together, they discuss the importance of challenging music like Bitches Brew and detail how this Grammy-winning album shook up the world of jazz and brought a legend into the mainstream. So, pull up a chair, make yourself a drink, and listen above. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, stream a legacy edition of Bitches Brew via all major streaming services. You can also enter to win the massive 43-CD The Genius of Miles Davis box set, which includes the four-disc The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions.

Fifty years later, there's something about Bitches Brew that still feels strange, wild, and unfamiliar. There's a magic in Miles Davis' cauldron that binds the ingredients to create a potion that is somehow greater than the sum of its exceptional parts. There's an almost indefinable something that somehow elevates the album to new heights -- and that mystery ingredient is what makes the brew so special. Today, The Opus attempts to chase that "something" in the second part of its Bitches Brew season. Join host Andy Bothwell in Columbia's Studio B, where he presides over an equally talented crew that includes: musician and professor Mark Gould (Julliard/New York Trumpet Ensemble); bassist and composer Ben Williams (Kamasi Washington/Pat Metheny); Sound on Sound columnist and author of Miles Beyond: Electric Explorations of Miles Davis 1967-1991 Paul Tingen; Brainfeeder artist and Berklee School of music Faculty Daedelus; and composer and author of 33 1/3: Bitches Brew George Grella. Together they dive deep into Miles Davis' stellar supporting cast and band, discuss the role of producer Teo Macero, and chart how it all circles back to the man of the hour. So, once again, pull up a chair, make yourself another drink, and listen above. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, stream a legacy edition of Bitches Brew via all major streaming services. You can also enter to win the massive 43-CD The Genius of Miles Davis box set, which includes the four-disc The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions.