Fresh off a resounding defeat in his beef with Kendrick Lamar, Drake has gone where no rapper has gone far: the legal route. He has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify accusing both of artificially boosting streams of Lamar's 'Not Like Us.' In a second lawsuit solely against UMG, the Canadian accuses them of defamation, …

We’re joined by Flashy Sillah, one of UK rap's most trusted voices and commentators, creator of The Block Report and an anchor at Complex UK who has worked with everyone from Link Up TV to Amazon Music. We dig into his journey, his favourite rappers and how he built a reputation in the scene, in the midst of HEATED chats about Future, Nas and 2Pac.…

Out of nowhere, Kendrick Lamar has a new album out! GNX is a surprise drop and features SZA, Roddy Ricch, SWV, Deyra Barrera, Dody6, AKChike, Lefty Gunplay, Wallie The Sensei, Peysoh, Hitta J3 and YoungThreat. Production comes from Mustard, Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Cardo Got Wings and more.We had a first listen and we had some thoughts.Follow Rhyme…

Back in the studio for episode 101! We recap our live show for the 100th episode and break down what we’ve been listening to recently, via a MASSIVE detour breaking down J. Cole’s track ‘Port Antonio’ and his position in the beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.Later, we celebrate Lethal Bizzle’s ‘Pow (Forward Riddim), which celebrates 20 years in…

It's a milestone episode, our 100th and it's in front of a live audience! We get into what we've been listening to before diving whether Drake can be the G.O.A.T and whether Kendrick Lamar can be the G.O.A.T, with a healthy discussion about J. Cole in between.We ask our audience which part of London has the best MCs with hilarious results, and give…

What is the best rap project from each of London's 32 boroughs? We find out with the help of writers Naz and Seth Pereira. Join us as we explore the history of rap, grime and drill in the UK's capital city and who comes out on top. Music: Skepta ft JME - That's Not Me (Instrumental)Follow Naz:Twitter: https://twitter.com/nazfromnewhamInstagram: htt…

What is the best rap project from each of London's 32 boroughs? We find out with the help of writers Naz and Seth Pereira. Join us as we explore the history of rap, grime and drill in the UK's capital city and who comes out on top.Music: Skepta ft JME - That's Not Me (Instrumental)Follow Naz:Twitter: https://twitter.com/nazfromnewhamInstagram: http…

We're joined by Jordy, an Essex-based MC who is one of the best and most consistent in the UK game right now, with songs and projects full of tight penmanship, addictive punchlines and absorbing storytelling. He's a man of many talents, hosting the Filthy Fellas podcast with a few other famous faces in UK music and culture and he's collaborated wit…

We're joined by a returning guest, Mega! He is one half of the rap duo S.A.S which broke down barriers between the US and UK rap scenes throughout the 2000s, working with and earning the respect of the likes of the Diplomats, Kanye West and many more. We chop it up with him about his new album 'Balance and Chaos,' his views on the industry, near-de…

It's the beef heard around the world between two of the biggest artists in the game right now. We've been mesmerised by Drake and Kendrick Lamar's epic beef. There have been crazy allegations, incredible bars and songs of the summer. But now the dust has settled, what do we think about what has taken place? How do we make sense of it?We get into th…

We chop it up with one of our favourite UK rappers around. Oscar #Worldpeace is an MC, producer and composer taking sounds like rap, grime and R&B to create leftfield bangers. He is a decade in the game, has toured everywhere from Paris to Tokyo and he's a member of one of the waviest collectives around, MINIKINGZ.We talk to him about his journey, …

This week, we're joined by Marvyn Harrison, a businessman, author, broadcaster, podcaster and founder of the community platform Dope Black, which aims to improve the outcomes of Black people globally through education and therapy. He is also an avid music fan and has immersed himself in the culture for a number of years, working with the likes of G…

In the early months of 2024, TikTok and the world's biggest music conglomerate, Universal Music Group (UMG), have been at odds after UMG pulled the plug on their global licensing deal with the social media platform. This means that all music by all UMG artists have been removed from TikTok. A simmering beef has followed, with TikTok officially stat…

Little Brother, the trio of Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh and 9th Wonder, is one of the most celebrated underground rap groups of all time. Their story has been captured in a new documentary produced. by the group, which tells how they got together, their music, their battles with the music industry and the tension between the three members. We had some …

In late 2023, Complex UK published it's list ranking the 50 Best British Rappers Of All Time and it's fair to say it caught a lot of controversy. We chopped up the list with special guest: writer and cultural commentator, Naz, who contributed to the list along with Yemi.The list (50-11): https://www.complex.com/music/a/joseph-jp-patterson/best-brit…

In our last episode of 2023, we do what we always do at the end of the year - a round-up! We assess the year that was, choosing our favourite albums, rappers and producers. We also name the rappers who surprised us the most, our most disappointing albums of the year and our favourite non-rap albums. We have enough time to make our predictions for 2…

This week we're joined by award winning rapper, podcast producer and one half of the Breaking Atoms Podcast, Chris Mitchell. We go back to 2018 to evaluate Nas' album Nasir, produced by Kanye West, and our thoughts on the project five years later. Back in our fantasy booking bag, we imagine what hip-hop would look like if Busta Rhymes was a member …

This week, we get into our fantasy booking bag once again and head to 2007, when Kanye West and 50 Cent were engaged in the sales battle of the century. We imagine hip-hop if 50 won that battle, his legacy, and the fate of Ye. We assess the gift and the curse of being signed to another rapper, name our favourite hip-hop jewellery of all time, share…

Your boys are back! This week we dissect the current state of rap following the news that a rap single/album has failed to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 23 years, as well as recent comments from Ebro Darden that labels are now deprioritising signing rappers in favour of African and Latin artists. What is to blame f…

This week we're joined by Hamza Riaz, a UK-based journalist, writer and Editor In Chief of Mic Cheque, an online publication that bridges the gap between British and American hip hop.We spend a lot of time talking about one of UK rap's most anticipated albums of 2023, J Hus' 'Beautiful and Brutal Yard.' We review the album and where Hus stands afte…

This week, we're joined by Chiedu Oraka, a rapper who has pioneered the rap and grime scene in his hometown of Hull in the North West of England with his music, his label Room 73 and his Lockdown collective. He talks about growing up as a minority in Hull, bringing a new kind of rap to the city, his place in the scene, his clashes with major labels…

This week we're joined by Speech Debelle, a multi-talented rapper, artist, chef and activist who rose to fame in 2009 when she won the UK's most prestigious music award, the Mercury Prize, for her debut album 'Speech Therapy.' She talks through her journey, including rapping on buses in the 90s, going to Australia to record her debut, winning the M…

After J Hus' lukewarm reception to his recent comeback single 'It's Crazy,' we discuss whether fans expect too much from artists and how it may affect their opinion of the music (5:01).Later, we chop up an interesting 'what if' in rap history: the plan for Suge Knight, Irv Gotti and J Prince to form a black-owned music distribution company and unio…

This week we're joined by Abiade for a deep dive into the differences between 'elite' rappers and 'GOAT' rappers, a conversation we've been having off the pod for a while now (02:17). We attempt to clarify which MCs fit in which pile. Later, we talk sub-genres in hip-hop and whether classification is still necessary in 2023 (49:23). We then wrap up…

This week we have another special guest: Cee Valentina! Cee is a writer, content creator and Social Media Manager of Complex UK and she shares the story of her journey through the creative industry, her favourite rappers and what makes a good social media post. Later, after recent comments by Trillary Banks, we assess the current state of UK female…

This week we're joined by Cashh, a Jamaica-born, UK-based MC who burst onto the rap scene over a decade ago and has overcome personal obstacles to present a fluid and potent mix of rap and dancehall. He has collaborated with everyone from Ghetts and Krept & Konan to Kojey Radical and WSTRN and after being deported back to Jamaica and returning to t…

This week we're joined Manga Saint Hilaire, one of the most creative and consistent grime MCs of the last decade and one who made his name in one of the genre's most revered crews, Roll Deep, but has evolved to become a tour de force in his own merit. We get into his early days rapping in youth clubs, joining Roll Deep, the grime scene in its early…

This week we receive a topic from a fan, exploring whether nepotism is a problem in hip-hop, highlighting artists such as Coi Leray, Jaden Smith, King Combs, Oh No and Diggy Simmons and if they block paths for other artists to find success. We dissect consumerism in hip-hop and discuss whether the genre needs white consumption in order to thrive, p…

This week we celebrate the legacy and impact of one of hip-hop's finest female artists, Lil Kim. Joined by writer, podcaster and cultural commentator Eboni, we get into how we discovered the Queen Bee, how her content and presentation changed the landscape of rap, her underrated catalogue and the path she would create for the likes of Nicki Minaj, …

This week we assess the meaning of the word longevity in relation to rap, who are great examples of longevity and how it can both help and harm artists. We explore the development of music videos in the UK from the past to the present, from Channel U to GRM Daily. Then we ponder what could have been for grime collective Nasty Crew, once home to the…

In our first episode of 2023, we turn our attention to a UK legend, the genre-bending, indomitable artist known as Ms Dynamite! An artist who, in the beginning of the 2000s, arrived with such force that she rewrote the rules on how to be a musician from the UK, taking her blend of UK garage, R&B, ragga and rap to the world and back. We get into how…

We're back with our last episode of 2022 listing our favourite rappers, albums, producers and verses of the year. We also discuss the albums that disappointed us the most, the rappers who surprised us the most and look back on predictions we made at the end of 2021 about the state of hip-hop and rap in the US and the UK.Follow and subscribe to Rhym…

This week, we're joined by Louis Culture, a rapper, producer and DJ from South London making anthemic music for cool kids, outcasts and havenots alike. We get into his origins taking in music as a child, how he found his identity on the streets of the London, the meaning of the word 'alternative,' his favourite rappers, his collective Elevation Med…

This week we're joined by the family, Abiade, to discuss the undisputed era of UK rap mixtapes, what they meant to the scene, what happened to some of its major players and how that period has impacted the current outlook of UK rap (3:03).We ponder the lack of artist development in the UK, how online virality has affected it and the lack of mediums…

A bit of a freestyle episode, where we dissect whether Stormzy's first album, 'Gang Signs & Prayer,' is a classic, before breaking down what makes a classic album and whether achieving that distinction is difficult in 2022.We meander to talk about classic albums that shouldn't be, our favourite beefs, the modern music cycle, the 'sophomore slump,' …

Today we're joined by FLOHIO, a Nigeria-born, London-based MC who makes visceral, high-energy rap anthems for a generation and has worked with The Streets, Clams Casino and more. We get into her musical journey, including her come up performing at over 200 open mic nights, her favourite rappers ever, her writing and creative process, her debut albu…

This week we're joined by promising South London rapper-producer ayrtn for a deep dive into his musical journey. He picks his top five favourite MCs and beatmakers then we touch on his catalogue, initially only wanting to produce first, his days on Soundcloud, his new project 'TOO AWESOME' and his upcoming national tour.What we've been listening to…

Just the three of us this week! We start this episode by paying our respects to Chris Kaba, also known as Madix of South London drill group 67, who was recently shot and killed by the police. We get into what we've been listening before stumbling into a chat about JAY-Z's much talked about verse on DJ Khaled's 'GOD DID' album, Hov's mention of UK l…

This week we're joined by Novelist, a London-based rapper, producer and label owner who came in the game as a wonderkid of grime and has become one of the most essential voices in UK music, using his music not only as a outlet for his talents but also as a force for social change. We take a deep dive into his origins, rapping on pirate radio, how g…

We're back after a short absence and we're joined by one of the most consistent MCs to come out of the UK in the past decade, with one of the biggest catalogues to boot, West London rapper Lord Apex! We delve into his origins rapping in youth clubs with Lowkey, studying greats such as Nas and Big L, coming up via Soundcloud, social media, his music…

It’s a fiery one this week as we review Drake’s new dance album, ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ and assess how much longer he has at the top of the game (6:01). We ponder the perceived lack of UK rappers who are also label executives (38:31) and take a trip down memory lane naming a number of legendary rap tours we wish we could’ve gone to (58:58). We also …

We're doing things a little different this week. We start with dissecting journalist Brian 'B. Dot' Miller's Best Rappers of the Midyear list (0:36), before discussing Young Thug, Gunna and YSL's legal troubles and whether rap lyrics should be used in a police investigation(25:35). We talk sampling and whether it's becoming too simplified in commer…

A special one this week! We’re joined by returning guest and one half of the This Could End Terribly podcast, Abiade, to review one of the most anticipated releases of the year, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’ (4:41). Later, after Little Simz announced her inability to tour the USA due to financial reasons, we dissect the grind of i…

This week we’re joined by Asher Kosher, a London-based rapper, artist manager, community organiser and co-founder of Root 73, the artist hub and label that is home to one of the UK’s hottest young MCs, Enny. We take a deep dive into his career, including finding rap music through old skating videos, opening up for KRS-One and The Pharcyde, running …

The 70th! We assess the rap game and whether its going through a golden era similar to the late 1980s and early 1990s and what a golden era looks like in 2022 (11:45).We talk female rappers and why we’ve never seen all women rap supergroups over the years and the challenges they face in general (36:43). For fun we then name the part of New York tha…

We’re talking all things UK this week! We get into what we’ve been listening to this week (3:46) before analysing when might be the time British Rap is acknowledged by the Grammy Awards, following the recent ceremony (11:14). We get into one the UK’s most treasured collectives, The Movement, and why the team of Ghetts, Scorcher, Wretch 32, Devlin a…

Another week, another pod! We give some much deserved flowers to Kojey Radical by reviewing his debut album ‘Reason To Smile’ (6:47) before discussing whether Chicago’s very own Chief Keef is a hip-hop legend (31:15).We’re also talking producers by naming the best producer alive every year since 1990, thanks to the good people over at Complex (55:2…

This week we’re joined by Sian Anderson, one of the most trusted voices in the music industry, DJ, radio host and broadcaster for BBC Radio 1Xtra and A&R & Marketing Executive for Parlophone Records.She maps out her come up as a writer for Live Magazine and radio host for Rinse FM and 1Xtra as well as her transition to working for a record label, b…

We begin this week’s episode by paying tribute to the late, great Jamal Edwards, the founder of SBTV who sadly passed away last week (2:54). Fantasy booking is the wave as we imagine what hip-hop would look like if Roc-A-Fella Records hadn’t broken up (22:37). We then dissect whether mainstream UK rap has peaked (48:40).What we’ve been listening to…

This week, we salute Snoop Dogg on his acquiring of Death Row Records and send some love to Isaiah Rashad (16:00), before chopping up why some rappers that also produce can struggle to balance the two (20:49). We get into our conspiracy bag and ponder whether there has been a systematic attempt to dumb us down with the content of mainstream rap ove…