101 episodes

Sean Kantrowitz connects with hip hop's biggest fans – rappers, DJs, producers, writers, comedians, actors, and everything in between – to test their rap trivia skills, discuss their careers, dissect albums, and talk about how the music changed their lives. 

The Questions Hip-Hop The Questions Hip-Hop

    • Music
    • 4.8 • 51 Ratings

Sean Kantrowitz connects with hip hop's biggest fans – rappers, DJs, producers, writers, comedians, actors, and everything in between – to test their rap trivia skills, discuss their careers, dissect albums, and talk about how the music changed their lives. 

    Making Illmatic: Fat Joe 'Don Cartagena' w/ Zilla Rocca

    Making Illmatic: Fat Joe 'Don Cartagena' w/ Zilla Rocca

    Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop
    questionshiphop.com
    ORDER THE QUESTIONS HIP-HOP TRIVIA GAME
    Potential sacred cow alert: Sean and MidaZ return to the Making Illmatic format for De La Soul's fourth album 'Stakes is High' with special guest DJ Steve1der. Which 10 songs make the cut?
    The Questions Hip-Hop: Instagram | Twitter
    Sean Kantrowitz: Instagram | Twitter
    MidaZ the BEAST: Instagram | Twitter
    Zilla Rocca: Instagram | Twitter

    • 1 hr 37 min
    Diallo Riddle (Questions Classic)

    Diallo Riddle (Questions Classic)

    Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop
    questionshiphop.com
    ORDER THE QUESTIONS HIP-HOP TRIVIA GAME
    Originally broadcast on July 20, 2020
    A classic pull from the archives with writer/actor/producer/DJ Diallo Riddle. The brilliant showrunner ('Southside' and 'Sherman's Showcase') and host of the ONE SONG podcast geeks out on some hip hop minutia, shares his own perspective as a fan and DJ, and puts his trivia skills to the test.

    The Questions Hip-Hop: Instagram | Twitter
    Sean Kantrowitz: Instagram | Twitter
    Diallo Riddle: Instagram | Twitter

    • 50 min
    Making Illmatic: De La Soul 'Stakes is High' w/ DJ Steve1der

    Making Illmatic: De La Soul 'Stakes is High' w/ DJ Steve1der

    Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop
    questionshiphop.com
    ORDER THE QUESTIONS HIP-HOP TRIVIA GAME
    Potential sacred cow alert: Sean and MidaZ return to the Making Illmatic format for De La Soul's fourth album 'Stakes is High' with special guest DJ Steve1der. Which 10 songs make the cut?
    The Questions Hip-Hop: Instagram | Twitter
    Sean Kantrowitz: Instagram | Twitter
    MidaZ the BEAST: Instagram | Twitter
    Steve1der: Instagram | Twitter

    • 56 min
    Rjd2 (Can't Knock the Shuffle Classic)

    Rjd2 (Can't Knock the Shuffle Classic)

    Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop
    questionshiphop.com
    ORDER THE QUESTIONS HIP-HOP TRIVIA GAME
    Original Broadcast: October 28, 2020
    For nearly two decades, producer/musician RJD2 has put his own unique spin on the genre of instrumental hip hop. RJ's music has always been a compelling listen, with or without vocals – but he's also collaborated with a gang of artists, including rapper Blueprint (under the Soul Position moniker), as well as projects with singer Aaron Livingston (pka Son Little) and underground legend Aceyalone. Along the way, RJ has produced songs for commercials and TV shows – in fact, an instrumental of one of his songs was used as the theme to AMC's smash hit show 'Mad Men.' RJ's most recent project is 'The Fun Ones,' released on his own record label RJ's Electrical Connections. Songs we explore in this episode:

    "Indoor S'mores" ('The Fun Ones', 2020)
    "A Beautiful Mine" ('Magnificent City', 2006)
    "Wander" (Icebird 'The Abandoned Lullaby', 2011)
    "Someday" ('The Third Hand', 2007)
    "The Stranger" ('The Colossus', 2010)
    "Ring Finger" ('Since We Last Spoke', 2004)
    "Saboteur" feat Phonte Coleman ('Dame Fortune', 2016)

    Rjd2: Twitter | Instagram

    • 57 min
    Making Illmatic: Sticky Fingaz 'Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones'

    Making Illmatic: Sticky Fingaz 'Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones'

    Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop
    questionshiphop.com
    ORDER THE QUESTIONS HIP-HOP TRIVIA GAME
    Things take a conceptual turn in this installment of the Making Illmatic series, as Sean and MidaZ are joined by writer/journalist Kevito Clark to dissect Sticky Fingaz's debut narrative album 'Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones'.
    The Questions Hip-Hop: Instagram | Twitter
    Sean Kantrowitz: Instagram | Twitter
    MidaZ the BEAST: Instagram | Twitter
    Kevito Clark: Instagram

    • 2 hr 13 min
    J-Live (Can't Knock the Shuffle Classic)

    J-Live (Can't Knock the Shuffle Classic)

    Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop
    questionshiphop.com
    ORDER THE QUESTIONS HIP-HOP TRIVIA GAME
    Original Broadcast: October 14, 2020
    J-Live is unparalleled as a writer in the craft of hip hop. He first got his start in the mid-90s with 'The Best Part,' a classic debut that was shelved and eventually bootlegged to the masses. Since then, he's also developed more as a DJ and producer over the course of a dozen independent projects that he's since released. A true student of the game, J-Live's attention to detail makes him the perfect candidate to dive into the stories behind songs in his catalog. In this episode, we explore:

    "Ya Momma So Black" (How Much is Water?, 2015)
    "Braggin' Writes (Revisited)" (12-inch single/'The Best Part', 1996/2001)
    "The Upgrade" feat Oddisee + Posdnuos ('Then What Happened?', 2008)
    "Like This Anna" ('All of the Above', 2002)
    "Watch Sun Watch" feat. YC the Cynic ('S.P.T.A. Said Person of That Ability', 2011)
    "Walk Like" ('Around the Sun', 2014)
    "Anotha Hip Hop Song" ('At The Date Of This Writing', 2019)

    Learn how J-Live's trademark part of his stage show was created somewhat by accident, the story behind the delay and shelving of his classic first album, what motivates him to self-produce vs. working with other producers on his albums, and the process by which he constructs so many of his intricately-conceived songs.
    The Questions Hip-Hop: Instagram | Twitter
    Sean Kantrowitz: Instagram | Twitter
    J-Live: Instagram | Twitter

    • 1 hr 5 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
51 Ratings

51 Ratings

Eloquent305 ,

Funnest Podcast in My Rotation

Huge Making Illmatic fan. The albums they choose speak to me deeply as they were the soundtrack to my youth. Their Hip Hop knowledge is legit.

dykmanjames ,

Best Hip Hop content out

I mean yooo drink champs and jaun ep is nice and I love em hahah but these dudes are dope and deserve more credit, no random years ago references or being divorced or being Sifu yalla lol

Adam’sMyth ,

I LUV THIS PODCAST

Great insight into the artists and great trivia. I luv to watch these with my friends and seeing who can get the most correct. I check every week even though I have noti’s on.

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