What Had Happened Was

In this conversation, IDK and OME discuss his latest project, 'Even The Devil Smiles,' exploring the distinction between mixtapes and albums, the impact of his prison experience on his music, and the evolution of rap during his incarceration. He reflects on his influences, the challenges of navigating the music industry independently, and the importance of authenticity and significant collaborations with legendary artists (MF DOOM, Black Thought and more) and the journey of self-discovery and accountability in his life and career.
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Between WHHW seasons we're introducing What Had Happened Once, one-off interviews showcasing the history and legacy of rap music. This is a live conversation with Dr. Todd Boyd aka The Notorious PHD from the Chicago Humanities Festival 2024 on his new book Rapper's Deluxe, a full flavored re-contextualization of hip hop history.
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In our season 4 finale we conclude the story of The Roots' 4th studio album Things Fall Apart. In discussing the release and reception of that album we hear the story of the infamous Soulquarian photo shoot for Vibe magazine featuring Questlove, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Dilla, Erykah Badu and more. Where it may have looked like the start of a movement to fans of these artists, according to Questlove himself it was really the end.
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In this episode of our season-long sitdown with Questlove we dig even deper into the creation of Things Fall Apart starting with the conclusion of the You Got Me sage then unpacking album highlights like Act Too (Love of my Life) featuring Common and Doube Trouble featuring Yasiin Bey fka Mos Def. The latter story containing a retelling of the moment Questlove knew he needed to level-up his production following a link-up with Dilla, Q-Tip, DJ Premier and The Alchemist.
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In this episode of our season long interview with Questlove, we continue the story of Things Fall Apart. We hear the stories behind Table of Contents, Step into the Realm, Adrenaline featuring Beanie Siegel and the difficulty in constructing the hit single You Got Me. In the story of the latter we hear how The Roots encountered Jill Scott and the factors that led to her replacement on the song by Erykah Badu.
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