He is a man who goes by many names. You may know him as E-Double, you may know him as Easy Erick, or even the Green-Eyed Bandit. He is none other than Erick Sermon. Starting out in the late 80s as one half of the legendary hip-hop duo EPMD as well as the original member of Def Squad crew, Erick is currently working on a very exciting project featuring artists such as Pharrell, Ghost Face, Redman, and many, many others. In this episode, Zach and Steven have an in depth discussion on his upcoming album, the “golden age” of hip-hop, and his many collaborations with other artists.
Donate to his kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2019882704/a-new-erick-sermon-album
Zach and Steven are back from winter break, and discuss the two biggest albums of this past December: BROCKHAMPTON’s SATURATION III and Eminem’s Revival.
Music video for BOOGIE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cucHc2vef4
Revival but it’s actually kind of better: https://open.spotify.com/user/1229874405/playlist/7oJtBpzxAW3V2Xh4cV1CZE
In this episode, Zach and Steven have a talk with upcoming Atlanta rapper Shah, and kick some knowledge on advice for younger rappers getting into the game, what it means to be a “conscious” rapper, and the differences in the hip-hop landscape of his hometown of Toronto and his current home of Atlanta.
A little bit about Shah:
Described by Complex as Trap’s Newest Star, Toronto rapper Shah has found success with his vibrantly catchy music, subtly backed by thought-provoking bars and compelling lyricism. Shah’s latest single, Just Text, has thrived in trendsetting Atlanta clubs like Magic City and on Atlanta radio, becoming the first song by a foreign artist to win 107.9FM’s influential Battlegrounds. While Just Text provides the mainstream appeal needed to captivate new fans, its lyrics forgo rap clichés in favour of poetic storytelling, reminiscent of rap’s golden era. Shah guides listeners through his journey from Toronto to Atlanta, where music industry influencers such as radio personality Greg Street and Cash Money’s official DJ Swamp Izzo have embraced Shah. The support of Izzo – known for launching the careers of Gucci Mane, Future, and Young Thug – has allowed Shah to flourish despite rejecting major label deals, as he looks to become rap’s first truly independent international superstar.
Shah’s video for “Just Text”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcBJwdrPFkc
Follow Shah On IG and Twitter:
@dayofshah
Also, the recently released book featuring 2 chapters by Steven that was mentioned in the episode: http://www.palgrave.com/la/book/9783319592435
Happy Holidays from the Kick Knowledge crew! In this episode, Zach and Steven are once again joined by friends Frank Stevens and Gino Van Oostrom, and determine the end of the year bracket for our favorite album of 2017!
Happy Holidays from the Kick Knowledge crew! In this episode, Zach and Steven are joined by friends of the pod Frank Stevens and Gino Van Oostrom, and talk about some of their favorite Christmas-themed hip-hop songs, as well as some of their favorite hip-hop projects from 2017. Tune in to the next episode where we finish our end of the year bracket and decide our favorite album of 2017!
