Ice Spice slander these days warrants an eye-roll in the face of all her success, hits, and clear ability, whether you think she capitalizes on it or not. However, Rory and Mal recently opened up an important yet tough conversation on the circumstances surrounding her meteoric rise. Moreover, the podcast hosts debated whether or not she only got such success because she’s of a lighter skin complexion compared to other similarly talented artists. In fact, their producer Demaris argued that she’s not even talented enough to warrant all that attention.
“If we saying that colorism doesn’t exist, a dark-skinned girl could never soar the way that fucking Ice Spice did off having zero to no talent,” she stated. “Ice Spice has no talent?” Rory replied. “You think Ice Spice is a talented rapper?” Demaris clapped back. “I think she’s a talented person,” he said after a pause. “Rap wouldn’t be it, but there’s a talent there.” Further on, Demaris said that she’s not trying to hate on the “Princess Diana” hitmaker, just that she doesn’t like her music. “If she was dark-skinned she would not be as big as she is,” she maintained. “That’s what I said. That’s not taking anything away from her.”
Regardless of your take, it was quite the interesting debate that nonetheless had people advocating for her talent and skill. However, this wasn’t something that just came out of the blue during their conversation in the podcast episode. They addressed comments made online speculating on Ice Spice’s invite to the Met Gala as Anna Wintour’s special guest. Also, they brought up her recently formed relationship with Kim Kardashian. While it’s tough to toe these lines, there’s certainly a way to talk earnestly of the social and cultural context of the Bronx star’s success (especially when compared to other female rappers) while also not taking away from her positive and musically talented traits.
Meanwhile, we’re sure that such comments won’t faze the 23-year-old. In fact, even if she “doesn’t have talent,” she certainly has the will and ability to fix that. “He definitely inspired me to want to record,” she told Paper of his father, who was an underground rapper. “I remember being in the studio with him. I was a toddler, probably. And I remember little flashes. Of course, not every detail, but small things like that being shown to you at such a young age make an impression on you. Subconsciously, I ended up becoming an artist because I saw my father be one first. He’s a music lover himself. He’s a true hip-hop head, beyond me, honestly. He knows everything. He’s always educating me on hip-hop and s**t like that.” For the latest on Ice Spice and Rory and Mal, come back to HNHH.
Podcasting has existed since the early 2000s but is now bigger than ever. Hip hop podcasts have rapidly grown in popularity as many rappers and musicians have transitioned into broadcasting. Some were ahead of the curve, diving into podcasting before it became more lucrative, while others started fairly recently.
This is a list of the top 11 best hip hop podcasts. The shows, listed in no particular order, focus primarily on hip hop or are centered around music. Many explore other topics, but what makes them hip hop podcasts is that they are centered around music. There are a variety of different styles of podcasts on this list: talk, commentary, history, and interview-based podcasts. Take a look at the list below.
Perhaps the most popular hip hop podcast, Joe Budden has arguably been more successful as a podcaster than a rapper. His broadcasting history goes far back into the 2000s, landing a regular radio gig at Hot 97 in New York. Budden started his podcast, originally called I’ll Name This Podcast Later, in 2015. The podcast has rebranded a few times, changing names and co-hosts. It is a talk show that is centered around hip hop music and culture, but also discusses pop culture, sports, politics, relationships, and an array of other topics. The show is not guest-based but will have the occasional guest interview or phone call.
The prime era of The Joe Budden Podcast saw Budden making podcast history alongside Rory and Mal, landing a historic deal with Spotify in 2018. The relationship between Joe Budden, Rory, and Mal soured over time in a highly-publicized breakup, leading to The JBP rebranding again. Joe currently hosts his podcast alongside Parks, Ice, Ish, QueenzFlip, and Melyssa Ford.
New Rory & Mal
Following their departure from The Joe Budden Podcast, Rory and Mal quickly pivoted into their own independent venture. The New Rory & Mal podcast debuted in 2021 following their response video to Joe Budden. The podcast is a talk show centered around music, pop culture, and current events. Though not a guest-based podcast, they have interviewed musicians, comedians, and other public figures. They have also occasionally created short skits to go along with their content. Last year, New Rory & Mal toured North America, as well as a sold-out show in London.
Drink Champs
Drink Champs is one of the earliest and most prolific guest-based podcasts. Hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN interview their guests, drinking and taking shots throughout the lengthy show to loosen them up. Their guests are often high-profile figures within hip hop culture, including Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. The show often consists of funny banter and legendary stories from the guest’s past. Since the show began in 2016, Drink Champs has had its fair share of viral and controversial moments, such as their unhinged Kanye West interview.
People’s Party With Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli is among many rappers who have stepped into the podcast space. Unlike his contemporaries who have focused on talk shows, he has developed his skills as a journalist to create one of hip hop’s most fascinating interview shows. Alongside co-host Jasmine Leigh, Talib Kweli interviews actors, activists, comedians, and rappers, many of whom are his contemporaries. He often interviews people he has a relationship with, which allows the chemistry between him and his guest to shine. Kweli provides wisdom in his stories and experiences, while Leigh shines through her personable interview skills.
Rap Radar
The Rap Radar podcast is a masterclass in hip hop journalism. Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller manage to provide thought-provoking questions no matter who they interview. Most of their interviews happen during press runs, usually in the promotion of a new album. Wilson and Miller tend to combine questions about the artist’s new work along with a look at the general scope of their career. Rap Radar usually consists of questions about the artist’s work and some friendly jokes between the hosts and the guests. Some of their most well-known interviews include JAY-Z, Drake, and Will Smith.
Juan Ep Is Life
Peter Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds were way ahead of today’s influx of hip hop podcasts when they started Juan Epstein in 2007. The two used to work together at Hot 97, and Juan Epstein was their way to nerd out about hip hop authentically, separate from their work in the music industry. Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds conducted many interviews, including Kanye West, JAY-Z, and Eminem. The podcast continued to grow and survived through many eras, proving that podcasting in hip hop was the future. The podcast took a brief hiatus in 2018, restarted in 2019, and rebranded as Juan Ep Is Life in 2020.
Questlove Supreme
Questlove of The Roots is known for his depth of knowledge in music, which makes Questlove Supreme so compelling. Alongside a multitude of co-hosts, including Phonte, Questlove expresses his love and knowledge of music as he conducts genuine interviews. The guests often have stories to tell, and Questlove often appears just as fascinated as the listener. The Questlove Supreme podcast is a crash course in the music lineage, often including hip hop. Some guests include Jill Scott and Solange.
The Combat Jack Show
Combat Jack was a seasoned hip hop journalist, attorney, executive, and broadcaster. These skills resonated in The Combat Jack Show, which launched in 2010. He was well-educated and tried his hand in many different career fields, enhancing his podcaster skills. He often provided his thoughts and opinions, and featured plenty of interviews, including J. Cole and Black Thought. Before Jack’s passing in 2017, The Combat Jack Show was highly influential for hip hop podcasts. Joe Budden had once cited Combat Jack as one of his inspirations for getting into podcasting.
Brother Ali is one of the latest rappers to tap into podcasting, starting The Travelers Podcast in 2021. Much like his rap voice, Ali’s podcasting voice is soothing. The conversation-based interviews that he conducts do not need to be overproduced. Ali provides wisdom as a seasoned veteran in hip hop, as well as a religious and politicized person. He has interviewed many rappers, some of whom include his labelmates, along with politicians, activists, and authors.
The Blog Era
The Blog Era is a brand new podcast that takes a deep dive into the history of hip hop’s “blog era” of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Eric and Jeff Rosenthal, writers and sketch comedians, among other things, look into the impact of the blog era on hip hop and the stories behind it. They explore the importance of specific blogs and rappers that sparked a renaissance in hip hop in the early days of the internet. The first season of the podcast began last month.
The Midnight Miracle
Talib Kweli had already proven his ability as a podcaster with People’s Party, but he expanded his repertoire with The Midnight Miracle. Kweli, alongside Dave Chappelle and his Black Star group member Yasiin Bey, explores a variety of concrete and abstract topics that make for a unique listening experience. The commentary podcast is produced in a way that weaves in conversations, audio excerpts they reference, and a wide range of guests contributing to each episode. The Midnight Miracle can be found on Luminary, the same platform on which Kweli and Bey released their long-awaited second album as Black Star.
Joe Budden fired back at his former co-hosts, Rory and Mal, on the latest episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, titled “To Whom It May Concern.” The pair had recently called Budden a “thief” and “cat burglar” after seeing Complex ranked him No. 1 on its “Hip Hop Media Power Ranking.”
“To whom this may concern,” Budden began. “This is not even on page one of the manual, ’cause you n****s ain’t in the bookstore. Instead of critiquing people’s placement on this list, we need more critiquing on why you’re not on it. To everyone not on it, shut the fuck up. There’s some steps that you n****s have missed. To whom it may concern, stop holding a microphone. I’m just giving out podcast advice. It’s certain n****s, y’all can’t speak to me, y’all didn’t do the work yet. You didn’t go to the bookstore.”
Joe Budden With Rory & Mal
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 21: (L-R) Mal, Joe Budden and Rory attend the Joe Budden Podcast Live at Highline Ballroom on July 21, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
From there, he called out Rory and Mal for not doing enough to promote their own content, calling them “the bare minimum boys.” Budden added: “Hire the editors. Get people to help. Invest in the staff. Pay the staff. Get more staff. Stop check chasing. Stop doing the bare minimum and expecting that to yield results. You n****s are the bare minimum boys.” Rory and Mal left The Joe Budden Podcast back in 2021 after weeks of disputes with the former rapper. They’ve continued to express disdain for each other in public in the time since.
In an aggressive mood, Budden called out more than just Rory and Mal. He also targeted The Breakfast Club for having not been “impactful in years” and that its “rotating seat garbage isn’t working.” He elaborated: “It’s not about radio, they breaking up all that shit over there, and we [are] getting podcast advertising dollars which says it don’t matter how powerful that one show was at some point, if the company is going in a different direction, n****s gone look like they’re going in a different direction.”
Joe Budden may be commonly known as The Podfather, but to Taxstone, he is a master manipulator. Speaking with Complex on the heels of the publication naming The JBP host No. 1 on their Media Power Ranking list, Tax gave his opinion on Joe, his past co-hosts Rory and Mal’s departure and his new cast.
“I think Rory and Mal finally figured out that Joe was a master manipulator,” Tax said when asked about Budden. “They was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and Joe manipulates everybody around him. Even them dudes sitting with him now are being manipulated. But you gotta understand some people are alright with manipulation as long as they get something out of it. So I think them dudes know that. But I think they just cool with the situation.”
He added, “Sometimes people don’t got nothing going on in their life. They need to be a part of something. I’m not one of those people. I always tell people if everybody jump on that ship, it’s gonna sink. So I’m always the person that’s like, I’m gonna stay with the land. When y’all get over there y’all write me and tell me what happened.”
“It’s such a weird place,” Tax said. ” Podcasts for hip-hop have become nasty. Everybody’s copying each other. Everybody’s following the same subjects. It’s no original voices. Like it’s corny.”
You can read everything Tax has to say on podcasts, Hip-Hop media as a whole, and more here.
