From the music, to the politics, to the bold aesthetic presentation that accompanies the music... Brooklyn-based producer/electronic musician DJ Haram and San Francisco MC SHA RAY were a match made in heaven. Their shared love for experimental, boundary-pushing sound, and radical political messaging coalesce beautifully in their amazing new album, Critical Thot, released on Backwoodz Studioz.

In this episode, we dig into the creative process and bold sound of Critical Thot, the strange discourse surrounding femme rap, the power of feminine sexuality explored through their album, and much more that will make you think, and laugh along the way as well.

Critical Thot is a serious AOTY contender for 2026. Make sure you stay tuned to learn more about it.

The Plug (0:45).

The Interview (2:10).

Haram and SHA RAY’s relationship beginnings (2:38).

Initial musical impressions of Haram and SHA RAY's music (4:16).

Expectations for the listener's reception of Critical Thot (9:03).

Experience of working together as two femme musicians (13:10).

Similarities between Haram and SHA RAY as artists and people (20:09).

SHA RAY’s artistic development (26:37).

The creative process of Critical Thot (32:30).

Feminine power and sexuality in Critical Thot (39:13).

Femme rap and misogyny (46:50).

Haram’s sonic approach to Critical Thot (57:58).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (1:10:49).

Rapping in a corset - patron q from Dan-O (1:14:02).

Buy Critical Thot here: https://backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/sha-ray-dj-haram-critical-thot

Follow SHA RAY on Twitter here: https://x.com/kanekalonia

Follow DJ Haram on Twitter here: https://x.com/premiumharam

Follow SHA RAY on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/kanekalonia/

Follow DJ Haram on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/djharam/

Edited by: Alyssa Rodriguez

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Few artists have a career as unique and prolific as today’s guest, Richmond Virginia’s own, Nickelus F. Over multiple decades, F has dazzled listeners with his ridiculous technical skills as an MC, the authenticity and honesty in his subject matter, and his production chops that feature a degree of stylistic variety that was always impressively pulled off.

With that said, he’s recently taken aim at carving out what will eventually be known as the “Nickelus F sound”. And in this episode, he talks about this pursuit through the lens of his terrific new album, The Undisputed, dives into his artistic process as an MC and producer, and reflects on key lessons he’s learnt from previous chapters in his career.

You rarely hear such wisdom, honesty, and genuine excitement from one of rap’s OGs. Don’t miss this.

The Plug (1:01).

The Interview (2:34).

Formative hip-hop connections (2:59).

Current chapter of F’s career and lasting legacy (7:03).

Learning from earlier eras of F’s career (14:42).

Improving as an MC over time (22:00).

Writing process (26:09).

Richmond music scene (33:47).

The Undisputed as Nickelus F’s “North Star” (41:35).

Honing in on the fundamentals of rap on The Undisputed (44:57).

The “Nickelus F sound” (47:37).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (59:53).

Support Trick Dice Records here: https://www.trickdice.co/

Buy/stream The Undisputed here: https://nickelusf.bandcamp.com/album/the-undisputed

Follow Nickelus F on Twitter here: https://x.com/NickelusF

Follow Nickelus F on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nickelusf/?hl=en

Edited by: Alyssa Rodriguez

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Separating the art from the artist is a conversation that has bubbled up a lot lately, with the release of the Michael movie, as well as recent albums from ye, JPEGMAFIA, and the focus of this episode, Drake.

A lot of this discussion revolves around the validity of separating the art from the artist, and I’m here to say that the conversation around this is a psy-op. Especially for artists that demand investment in their personal lives to engage with their art to the degree of a Drake, your opinion on them as a person is a direct factor in the process of engaging with their art.

The world and life of an artist, in which their art exists within, is precisely what makes art special… and unlike anything else in the world. The meta of it all is fascinating.

In this episode, I’ll be exploring this dynamic through my feelings on Drake and his trifecta of new albums, primarily focusing on the main course, ICEMAN.

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Today’s guest, New Jersey rapper, and co-host of radio show, Strangers LIVE, '89 the Brainchild, is as distinct an artist as they come - occupying a space in rap entirely of his own making.

But despite his singular style, he embraces collaboration tremendously, bringing in different voices into his take on rap that integrates influences of jersey club, electronic, pop, and more.

This all creates a special concoction of music that we are blessed with on his latest album Not Who I Thought I was: the evil who brought us joy.

And in this episode, we dive into the long road 89 took in creating this new album, the lessons he learnt along the way, and how he developed his eclectic sound.

The Plug (1:10).

The Interview (2:23).

Releasing NWITIW after a long wait (4:06).

‘89 the Brainchild’s eclectic sound (7:20).

‘89’s songwriting process (17:43).

The recording process of Not Who I Thought I Was (24:14).

What ‘89 learnt from creating Not Who I Thought I Was (33:58).

The connection between Night Lives and NWITIW (39:31).

The sound of Not Who I Thought I Was (44:47).

The genesis of the Gangsta Boo feature (49:48).

Upcoming projects / merch / tour dates (1:00:08).

Buy/stream Not Who I Thought I Was here: https://89thebrainchild.bandcamp.com/album/not-who-i-thought-i-was-the-evil-who-brought-us-joy

Follow '89 the Brainchild on Twitter here: https://x.com/89thebrainchild

Follow '89 the Brainchild on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/89aintonthegram

Edited by: Alyssa Rodriguez

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

When I first heard that two leaders in the experimental rap space, in rapper Fatboi Sharif and producer Child Actor, were joining forces on an upcoming album, Crayola Circles, the stylistic fit was obvious. I knew immediately that Sharif’s unique vocal style would pair well with Child Actor’s decadent psychedelia. But what I wasn’t prepared for was just how much of a beautifully tender emotional experience this record would be.

I’m truly blown away by Crayola Circles, and so I’m pumped that I was able to chat with both Fatboi Sharif and Child Actor about the recording process, Sharif’s introspective lyrical focus, Child Actor’s delicate masterpieces of production, and much more.

Cannot stress enough how special this album is, so make sure you listen on to learn more about what inspired it!

The Plug (1:20).

The Interview (2:40).

Audience response to Crayola Circles (3:55).

The genesis of the Sharif x Child Actor collaboration (8:33).

The emotional lyricism of Crayola Circles (13:16).

The serene sound of Crayola Circles (17:33).

Sharif’s creative ethos (28:26).

Child Actor’s production process for Crayola Circles (34:57).

Impact of Child Actor’s beats on Sharif (42:18).

The power of art (47:20).

The circular structure of the album’s closer (56:15).

Upcoming music / tour dates / merch (1:02:36).

Buy Crayola Circles here: https://backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/fatboi-sharif-child-actor-crayola-circles

Follow Fatboi Sharif on Twitter here: https://x.com/fatboyprospect

Follow Fatboi Sharif on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/fatboi_sharif/

Follow Child Actor on Twitter here: https://x.com/chldactr

Follow Child Actor on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/chldactr/

Edited by: Alyssa Rodriguez

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Today’s guest, New York's yaya bey, is as talented as they come. Her unique take on R&B is propelled by a gorgeous voice, and the ability to shift to smooth effortless raps whenever she feels like it. But it’s the intangibles with her music that really make her art special to me.

Throughout her entire catalogue, she carries a grounded, worldly perspective to her music that feels both intelligent and authentically her own. She possesses an innate ability to infuse so much soul, vulnerability, and emotion into her songs - she really gets me in my feels to say the least.

In this episode, we discuss lessons she’s learnt about the industry so far in her music career, the public perception of her art, and the making of 2025’s do it afraid, and her brand new album, Fidelity, dropping April 17... two albums serving as companions to one and other, that are surely some of the best R&B I’ve heard in recent memory.

The Plug (1:20).

The Interview (2:49).

yaya’s musical background (4:12).

Most important lessons about the music industry (8:10).

yaya’s political consciousness in her art (13:01).

Key R&B inspirations (19:37).

Conveying emotion in music (24:28).

Finding her voice (28:09).

yaya’s rap abilities (33:09).

yaya’s headspace when creating do it afraid (37:43).

The mission statement guiding Fidelity (46:16).

Expressing ‘fidelity’ on Fidelity (49:47).

The bright and lively instrumentation of Fidelity (54:18).

One thing yaya is grateful for from her music career (56:17).

Upcoming tour dates / merch (57:52).

Buy/stream Fidelity here: https://yayabey.bandcamp.com/album/fidelity

Follow yaya bey on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/yayabeybay/

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

As soon as I first heard a beat from today’s guest, GAWD, off of MIKE’s Burning Desire… I was immediately intrigued.

I needed to hear more of this nutty, oddball, and infinitely creative sound. So over the past few years since, I’ve dove into GAWD’s catalog as both a producer and a rapper and mined some real gold, within a stupidly prolific discography under various artistic monikers (GAWD, 65 Cent, Trick Racer, and many more).

In this episode, we discuss the unique world-building in his art, his sense of humour and affinity for geese, his prolific output that has slowed in recent years, and some of his recent marquee releases in ONCE IN A PINK MOON as 65 Cent, and collaborating with the electric WiFiGawd on their latest collaborative album, Hot as Hell 3.

The Plug (0:56).

The Interview (2:36).

GAWD’s affinity for Quasimoto dolls and geese (2:45).

GAWD’s Virginia upbringing (7:32).

GAWD and Iceland (10:48).

World-building in GAWD’s music (14:08).

GAWD’s nutty production sound (16:37).

GAWD’s influence on Rage, and other high-distortion rap styles (18:58).

GAWD’s loose, unstructured style of rapping (23:52).

GAWD’s prolific creative output (31:33).

Inspiration for the 65-track opus, ONCE IN A PINK MOON (35:51).

Collaborating with WiFiGawd (43:40).

The sound and vibe of Hot as Hell 3 (48:14).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (52:07).

Buy ONCE IN A PINK MOON here: https://poswrkspc.bandcamp.com/album/once-in-a-pink-moon

Stream Hot as Hell 3 here: https://open.spotify.com/album/5z7rsu7bSReqnmhqNanBvt

Stream GAWD's music here: https://soundcloud.com/ohmygawd-5

Follow GAWD on Twitter here: https://x.com/6512GAWD

Follow GAWD on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/6512gawd/

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Today’s guests, E L U C I D and Sebb Bash may come from very different backgrounds. But they share one core thing in common. Both pulling from the fundamental tenets of the past, they push the art form to places it’s never been before.

E L U C I D and Sebb were born to make music together. And luckily for us, they finally delivered their new collaborative album, I Guess U Had to Be There on Backwoodz Studioz.

In this episode, we discuss what makes their creative chemistry special, Sebb Bash’s signature sound, and the mindset underpinning their joyful and triumphant new album, and much more.

The next hour plus features two of rap’s most creative minds chopping it up, with some laughs along the way... how could you possibly not listen?

The Plug (1:07).

The Interview (2:25).

“Farmer time” (4:24).

Sebb’s entrypoint into hip-hop (12:31).

The binding agent between E L U C I D & Sebb Bash (23:55).

The signature Sebb Bash sound (29:45).

The importance of taste vs. technical skill as a producer (44:32).

The recording process for I Guess U Had to Be There (49:50).

E L U C I D’s mindstate when creating I Guess U Had to Be There (55:20).

The inspiration behind the “you just had to be there” idea (1:02:09).

The musical vision for I Guess U Had to Be There (1:07:00).

E L U C I D’s place in an evolving rap zeitgeist (1:10:01).

The unique process creating 48 HRS (1:13:55).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (1:20:57).

Buy I Guess U Had to Be There here: https://backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/elucid-sebb-bash-i-guess-u-had-to-be-there

Follow E L U C I D on Twitter here: https://x.com/elucidwho

Follow E L U C I D on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cobratoof/

Follow Sebb Bash on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sebb_bash/

Edited by: Alyssa Rodriguez

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com