The Rap Music Plug Podcast

Musical collaborations can be successful for a myriad of reasons. The artists in question can have similar life experiences, musical influences, styles, or differ tremendously within those same categories, and complement each other in unique ways.

But with today’s guests, Nappy Nina and Swarvy, their secret sauce revolves around their friendship, mutual trust, and a shared versatility that allows them to make remarkably fresh music from track to track, album to album.

In this episode, we explore their musical chemistry, the LA beat scene, the making of their 2nd collaborative album, Sow & So, and much more.

The Plug (0:52).

The Interview (2:02).

Genesis of Nina and Swarvy’s creative relationship (2:32).

Match between Swarvy’s production and Nina’s raps (3:53).

Impact of the LA beat scene on Swarvy (9:45).

Swarvy’s formal musical education and multi-instrumentalist background (13:31).

Nina’s take on the current scene of femme rap (18:30).

Nina and Swarvy teaming up for a 2nd time on Sow & So (23:30).

The refreshed sound of Sow & So (24:47).

Lyrical focus of Sow & So (29:27).

Notable differences between Sow & So and its predecessor (33:42).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (40:23).

Buy Sow & So here: https://nappyninaswarvy.bandcamp.com/album/sow-so 

Follow Nappy Nina on Twitter here: https://x.com/Nappy_Nina 

Follow Swarvy on Twitter here: https://x.com/Swrvy 

Follow Nappy Nina on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/nappy_nina/?hl=en 

Follow Swarvy on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/swarvy/?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

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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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

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