Why Hip-Hop Needs Adult Rappers
How old is too old to be involved in hip-hop? If you let the hip-hop press tell it, anything over 25 years old is probably considered over the hill. But considering the big year that old school artists like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul have had in the last year, it’s clear that older artists have a spot in hip-hop. In this episode of the most infamous podcast, we dig deep into ageism and why hip-hop needs the adult rappers and the older generation.
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Ten Reasons Rappers Have Bad Performances
If you’ve been to a rap show, then chances are you’ve probably been to a bad rap show. It seems as though no matter how far we advance in terms of knowledge, the level of showmanship in rap shows is always inconsistent. This week was no different when news broke of of Lil Yachty almost getting into a fight with a fan who told him his stage show sucked. This week we list the ten most common ways rappers ruin their own shows. This week’s topic was submitted to us by our guy Cesar Comanche from North Carolina a couple weeks ago and I’m glad we finally get to talk about it.
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Four Reasons We Must Challenge Ourselves
Anybody who’s a fan of sports is familiar with the term “strength of schedule.” Strength of schedule refers to how good or bad the opponents of a particular team were at the time that they played them. So, for example, if my team was 1-1 and played against one team that was 2-0 and another that was 1-1, my strength of schedule would be considered stronger than another 1-1 team who played against teams that were both 0-2. The teams I played against had better records, so my team had a better strength of schedule.
Was Chance the Rappers Million Dollar Donation a Mistake?
Last week, news emerged of Chicago rapper making a 1 million dollar donation to Chicago Public Schools. People everywhere were unanimously excited about it, but we wouldn’t be the most infamous podcast if we didn’t discuss whether or not he made the right decision. In this episode, Illogic and Blueprint debate five reasons why it his donation was a great move and five reasons why it may have been a mistake. This one gets pretty deep.
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Tools of the Trade: Shure SM58 Microphone
One of the most frequent questions I get when I meet other artists is about the gear I use to make music with. It might even be the most frequent question I ask other artists as well. I think the reason we are fascinated with this is because it gives us an inside look into another person’s process. It also allows us to learn about new gear without using or purchasing it.
By no means do I consider myself an expert on gear, but I would like to start blogging more about specific gear I use frequently. I will call this series of short blogs Tools of the Trade.
The first piece of gear I would like to review is the Shure SM58 dynamic microphone.
The Violent Side of Online Beef
In most instances, most people don’t take the words, threats, or insults from people on-line seriously in this day and age. But there are occasions where what’s said online will escalate and spill out into the streets. After hearing a news story about two young men from St. Augustine, Florida who killed each other after they met up to resolve their internet beef, we had to have a frank conversation about it internet beef and how to avoid it’s sometimes fatal consequences.
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Why You Should Avoid People Who Push Doom and Gloom
The first time I ever messed with real estate was in 2006. After saving up some money, I decided to buy a distressed property. My plan was to take a few months while I wasn’t touring to have it rehabbed, then rent it out for some future passive income.
The plan seemed simple enough but there was one major flaw: I had never rehabbed a property before in my life. I had completed several smaller remodeling jobs in my own house, but nothing on the level of what would be necessary to finish this project alone. Thankfully a friend of mine, who had mentored me through the purchasing process to that point, had a contractor that he worked with and recommended me. This contractor had helped him with his previous property and was said to have been a good guy.
Unfortunately, the experience I had with that contractor was nothing like his.
How To Lose a Rap Battle
This past weekend, Remy Ma released an intense diss record aimed at Nicki Minaj. The seven-minute track took over the internet and has gotten almost 3 million plays in just two days on Soundcloud alone. Although it’s still early, nobody has heard a peep from Nicki Minaj and it appears she wont respond. With Remy Ma’s track getting that much attention, it’s hard to not call this a L for Nicki Minaj. This week we break down why Nicki Minaj is wearing this loss and how it could have been avoided.
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Ten Benefits of Blogging
I started blogging around 2008 or 2009, first on the Blogger platform before getting more serious and moving over to WordPress. Since that time, blogging has become a great tool for me. Although there are periods where I am too busy with other projects or touring to do it with regularity, it’s still had a strong presence in my career.
Over the years, I’ve met many people who have told me they appreciate my blogging. I’ve also met many other people who have been thinking about getting into blogging, but haven’t made the dive yet. These people, not totally sold on it, often ask me what the benefits of blogging are. So I want to take a quick second to talk about the benefits of blogging. While everybody may do it for different reasons, I will list the ten benefits of Blogging in hopes that it helps others understand how it might become helpful to them.
So, here are ten benefits of blogging:
Why College is a Scam and Why You Should Still Go
Is college worth it? For centuries that question has remained one of the most complicated in human existence. What started as just a casual conversation about how Illogic’s college classes were going turned into one of our funniest impromptu conversations to date. Regardless of how you feel about college, there’s something in this one for you. We give you ten reasons why it’s a scam and five reasons why you should still go!
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The Four Secrets of Seizing Opportunities
It’s no surprise that, while calling ourselves the “most infamous” podcast, we are actually very optimistic guys. It’s not that we don’t see the negativity going on around us, but more that we choose to not give it any of our energy and focus on the positive. But we have noticed that many people are having a hard time with this because they cannot see or take advantage of the opportunities around them. In this episode, we talk about opportunities and explain what must be done to not only see them but to seize them when they present themselves.
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The Importance of Appearance
There’s a Kroger grocery store I go to all the time that’s about five miles from my house. The store itself isn’t located in a great area. In fact, it’s in an area that most might consider sketchy. For those who have listened to my podcast Super Duty Tough Work, this is the same Kroger that I mentioned has prostitutes near it and where I almost had to pull a knife on a guy for messing with me.
At any rate, I go to this store all the time. Aside from a mild argument between hood-rats and panhandlers, I have never had any real problems there. No fights, not much (if any) police presence there. The people haven’t necessarily been mean to me, but they’ve also never been nice. If I had to describe the people working there and the customers it would as indifferent; they really don’t speak to each other and don’t care about interacting one way or another. It’s just a grocery story in the hood where people buy their groceries and keep it moving.
Is Speaking on Social Issues Worth it?
On the heels of one of the biggest upsets in political history, there is understandably more public conversation about politics and social issues than usual right now. Every week, another corporation is either boycotted or praised for their political allegiance. Many artists are finding that speaking out on issues is more complicated and not sure what to do, if anything. This week, the most infamous podcast dives into the question, “is it worth it?” As an added treat, our long-time friend and fellow artist Slug of Atmosphere joins us this week. Let’s go!
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Five Simple Hacks To Read More
Although I hadn’t been a heavy reader until I stopped drinking, my reading habits have picked up every year since. Over the past few years I’ve gone from reading a book a month, to two books a month, and I just set my own personal record by finishing seven books already this month.
As I was knocking out the last two books, it started to really hit me that there was something different about what I was doing that allowed me to read so many more books than usual. So for everyone out there that is looking to increase their reading output, I want to share a five simple tricks that will allow you to read faster and finish more books.
The Birth of A Salesman
If there’s one thing creative people love to do, it’s creating things. And if there’s one thing creative people hate to do, it’s selling what they created. For many, the fear of selling themselves and their ideas to other people seems to rank right up there with the fear of public speaking. And while it’s the part of the process that causes the most anxiety, we can all become better at selling with a few solid tips. In this episode, Blueprint breaks down what he’s learned from some sales books he’s been reading into Ten Lessons that anybody should be able to run with. If you fear or suck at sales, like most of us do, don’t sleep on this episode.
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