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  Jul 26, 2024

  Ep. B-Side: A Tribe Called Quest

  This week, we're dropping our first B-Side of 2024. A little quickie companion piece to episode 64, A Tribe Called Quest: Electric Relaxation. We didn't get a chance to talk about our favorite Tribe songs from each album during the episode, so you get to hear it now. We also drop our thoughts on which album that we think is better, The Low End Theory or Midnight Marauders.

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  Jul 12, 2024

  Ep. 72: Jeffrey Wright: This is Egyptian Cotton...

  In this episode we're discussing an actor who you may know from television shows like Boardwalk Empire and Westworld, or his film roles in The Hunger Games and James Bond franchises. You may know him from Angels in America, which earned him a Tony award for the Broadway show and an Emmy award for the TV adaptation. He's played historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and famed blues musician, Muddy Waters. Most recently, he was a Best Actor nominee for his role as Monk in American Fiction. When you talk about someone having range, this man should be in everybody's top 5, and for that reason, we're discussing our favorite Jeffrey Wright moments.

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  Jun 21, 2024

  Ep. 71: Teddy Riley: Teddy's Jam 2

  In our previous episode, we covered Teddy Riley's influential production career. In this episode, we focus on his journey as a performer, starting from his pioneering new jack swing days with Guy, a brief stop with his brother's group, Wreckx-N-Effect and finally to his Blackstreet era. Teddy's run as both a producer and performer is one that few artists can match.

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  Jun 7, 2024

  Ep. 70: Teddy Riley: Teddy's Jam

  On this episode, we’re talking about a producer, songwriter, sometime singer and rapper. He’s done songs for Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick, Heavy D, Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy Kane, Keith Sweat, Al B. Sure!, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and more. He's done albums for himself as a member of Guy & Blackstreet, and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame June 15, 2023. He's the King of New Jack Swing, Teddy Riley. His resume is so long that we had to break this up over two episodes. On this one, we're only getting into the production side of his career, so Guy & Blackstreet talk is at a minimum. For his career as a performer, you'll have to wait a couple of weeks for part 2 to drop.

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  May 24, 2024

  Ep. 69: Heavy D: Nuttin' But Love

  On this episode we’re talking about Mr. Big Stuff, The Heavster, The Overweight Lover, out of Moneyearnin’ Mount Vernon, the diddly, diddly, diddly, diddly, diddly D. One of a small number of people who have done a song with both Michael and Janet Jackson. The man who is pretty much responsible for kicking off Uptown Records, since he was the first act signed to the label, and as an executive at Uptown he's was instrumental in bringing Jodeci, Monifah, Soul For Real and others to the company. Along with DJ Eddie F, Trouble T-Roy and G-Wiz aka The Boyz, he brought us hit after hit. He could do new jack swing, boom bap, reggae, pop...he could do it all. There have been very few hip hop artists who could seamlessly maneuver through so many styles and genres at such a high level, all while never compromising his authenticity. Since his untimely passing in 2011, he's been sorely missed, and that's why we're talking about none other than Heavy D.

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  May 11, 2024

  Ep. 68: Hey Ladies: Total, Zhané, Deborah Cox, Tamia, Nivea

  It's been a while since we've dropped an episode about the ladies, so on this one we're talking about 8 of them. Yes, 8. We're diving into the world of R&B with a spotlight on some of our favorite voices. First up, we have the First Ladies of Bad Boy, Total. Kim, Keisha and Pam. Then we're heading north of the border to talk about two vocal powerhouses in Tamia and Deborah Cox. Next up, we're getting into the luscious harmonies of Zhané, and we close out the episode talking about a hidden gem from Atlanta, Nivea. This episode promises to reignite your love for classic 90's R&B.

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  Apr 26, 2024

  Ep. 67: OutKast: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik 30th Anniversary

  On this episode, we had a conversation about OutKast’s debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. This is an album that helped redefine the sound and identity of Southern hip hop, and played a significant role in introducing the world to the unique sound and culture of the “Dirty South.” This album laid the foundation for OutKast's legendary career and established them as one of the most innovative and influential hip hop acts of all time. When you're done with this episode, if you haven't already, you can check out our 6th episode, where we talked about Andre's “the south got something' to say” speech at the 1995 Source Awards, and our 10th episode, where we discussed the entire OutKast discography.

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  Apr 12, 2024

  Ep. 66: New Edition: Boys To Men

  On this episode, we are having a conversation about the 40+ year career of one of the greatest R&B groups of all time, and the inspiration for all of the boy bands that followed their blueprint. From direct descendants like New Kids On The Block and Boyz II Men, to current day acts like BTS, New Edition is “where it all started.” We talked about the early discography, Bobby Brown leaving the group after their 3rd album, the addition of Johnny Gill for the Heart Break album and the solo works of Bobby, Johnny, Ralph Tresvant, as well the Bell Biv Devoe projects. We also got into the many reunions over the years, including this current run with all six members participating.

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  Mar 22, 2024

  Ep. 65: Usher - Confessions 20th Anniversary

  On this episode, we talk about Usher's 2004 album, Confessions. It's been 20 years since the original release of Usher's Confessions album, so we're discussing the impact of the album, how it dominated the Billboard charts, as well as some of the misconceptions about the content. We got into Confessions a little bit in July 2021 in our Usher episode, but figured that we'd run it back and get a little deeper into it for the anniversary. 20 years, man. Time flies.

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  Mar 8, 2024

  Ep. 64: A Tribe Called Quest: Electric Relaxation

  On this episode, we're having a conversation about one of our favorite groups, one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time, A Tribe Called Quest. Join us as we discuss their body of work and their legacy. Head over to our website, troypodcast.com to check out footnotes, a playlist and a transcript for this episode. While you're here, make sure to vote for A Tribe Called Quest for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

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