S1: Hey , hey , hey. What's happening ? This is Parker Edison. We're a couple weeks away from the official start of season three of the p p on KPBS. And to get you warmed up , we're releasing two bonus episodes. I started both of them when we were wrapping up season two , and they kind of got stuck in this limbo. So I'm super geeked that you'll get to hear them. They're deep connected to my real life. One of them is sort of dark and the others a little lighter. So with no further ado , this is Bonus EP number two. It's me and some friends discussing rap , and then I'm talking with a brilliant , wise , intelligent.
S2: I'm not including like these smoke and people currently , but there's something specifically about the 80 seconds cadence and the 90 seconds cadence of of LA Oakland vocal sound , just vocal cadence on a track that I still dislike.
S3: You are now tuned to the Park Edison Project.
S1: But before we get into that , I got a couple of friends on Zoom right now. We're just talking rap music. Hey , you guys , introduce yourselves.
S2: I'm Angie. Angie Chandler. I'm a lover of music curated experiences and programming around that and help artists to feel supported within that industry. I just love hip hop. I am like the lady in Brown Sugar at your.
S4: Also known as DJ Gaga. I mean , I do have a 9 to 5 at UC San Diego , but who I am is I'm a musician , DJ , producer.
S1:
S4: Again , I'm a Dre. Stan So 2001 is up there. Ooh , low end theory has to go up there. That's fine. Fair.
S1: Fair. Fair.
S4: And life after death. I'll stop there. I mean , if I have to pick one out of those , I got to say 2001 because I'm getting biased to Dre.
S1:
S2: I got to say Queens. So New York City. For people listening who are not familiar , we are a city of five boroughs. Those boroughs are Brooklyn , Queens , the Bronx , Manhattan , Staten Island. Just a little geography for the people.
S4: Because borough I mean , let's just if I'm just going to go the very cliche answer. Right. You've got in Brooklyn , it's Jay de Big Kane. Yeah. Kane Queens has Nas Tribe.
S5: Tri J.
S2: Mobb Deep. Yeah , I was gonna say Mobb Deep. So you say part of my Divas ? Queens. My Babies Queens. Um , Staten Island's only the one. I mean.
S4:
S1: Yeah.
S5: Yeah.
S2: Whole thing. A whole strong , full. A whole strong.
S4: But my. My initial reaction was going to be Brooklyn.
S1: But , yeah , Queens. Queens get.
S5: The money. But I'm going to say this. Mine goes Jersey , then Queens , then Jersey.
S1: All right. Remember I said I had that great interview I wanted you to hear ? Well , it happens to be one of Jersey's own.
S6: I serve the people for a living. You know , my background , of course , is most notably known for music for the legendary poor righteous teachers group , 1990s rap group out of Trenton , New Jersey. That's the background respect.
S1: I got to put this out. Me , me and my guys are always having this conversation.
S5: About the best spots that they yield rap and always say queens and Jersey. Those those are two in the Long Island because you know Rakim , Chuck D , all of those heads. But Jersey has like so many like top tier emcees Redman , Latifah , Wyclef Budden , stretch yourself. What do you think it is that Jersey has ? It gives such quality emcees isolation.
S6: Maybe Jersey doesn't have any major radio stations , major record companies , anything like that. Not a lot of major events going on in Jersey in terms of music conferences and things of that nature. So emcees , artists from Jersey normally had to migrate to other areas , other states , other cities to participate in the broader scope of hip hop. So that isolation allowed us to hone our skills in a unique way. We wouldn't really every day in the spaces where other artists were like New York , you know , New York had its thing. You know , New York has its thing , Jersey had its thing because it was isolated. We had to develop it in that isolation. I think that that gave us the ability to to develop without too much of an overwhelming influence. You know , as in hip hop , we're all influenced by other emcees , other artists , you know , in the culture. But for the most part , it allowed us to develop a uniqueness. My biggest influences as an emcee were more local arts. I mean , I was carrying records for T-Bone at like 13 years old , 12 , 13 years old would carry breakfast to his parties when he was , you know , even with breakdancing and graffiti art. You know , I was doing graffiti art for a long time , doing big ass murals , like on the wall , like burners , you know , even the reggae influence that exhibited in our style , it was it was more local than anything else , you know ? You know , Job Pops and his family , you know , would have dub sessions in the basement , you know , and roots , you know , roots , rock , reggae from the local artists , you know , they were. Because they were different to me. They would they didn't sound like anybody from New York. They didn't sound like anybody from Philadelphia. You know , we were between New York and Philadelphia.
S1: Fair enough.
S5: Fair enough , man. Just and just actually , just just like for the record , can just get maybe , maybe two cats there in your top five. They don't got to be Jersey. They could be from anywhere.
S6: That top five is solid. I mean , no particular order. Rakim , Harris one , Chuck D , Brother Jay Z , Lauryn Hill. That's it. That's that's my all day.
S5: Big shout out , man. You know , but it's hard.
S7: It's hard to have a top.
S6: Five or top ten or top 20 in hip hop , you know , because the platform is about self-expression. Each artist is expressing themselves in a very unique way , especially from our era. So you can't be a better than Chuck D , you can't be a better rock him and rock him. You can't be a better care rest. Want to care less. You can't be a better Lauryn Hill and Lauren Hill. So kind of gauge my top five is kind of based on the the needle move , how they move the needle in the culture impact to the culture.
S5: You got a wild , deep catalog man.
S6: So when I do , when I'm throwing back and you know , I do the throwback thing , I'll go back , I'll listen to some music and I'll hear a song. I'm like a lyric , you know , it could be two four bars. And like I actually said that.
S8: You know.
S6: So I don't necessarily have a favorite. You know , I've never written a piece of music with the intent of making money or gaining fans. I've always wrote music from the vantage point of 50 years from now when they questioning hip hop and they're listening to the music , you know , my music can represent a lifestyle. And that attitude that mainstream media is not ready to represent , you know , when they say , okay , hip hop was on lean , they were lean drinkers , they were drug sniffers , pill poppers , gang bangers and shooters and murderers. You know , they'll have this time capsule and they can say , wait a minute , is this not hip hop ? Right.
S8: So right.
S6: They can hear us pushing back. You know what I mean ? They can hear that , you know , the culture was pushing back. You know , mainstream doesn't define what hip hop is , you know , So I'm writing from that vantage point. I'm going to control this narrative for the historian that's looking back 50 years from now.
S9: See you all up.
S1: Right ? God. Hey , stick around. I'm gonna hit this commercial. We're coming right back with more of the P.
S3: Stay tuned for more of the pep. Pep.
S10: In 2023. Hip hop is turning 50 years old , and there's no better way to celebrate this monumental anniversary than by playing the question's hip hop trivia game. Based on the acclaimed live event turned online show and podcast of the same name. The questions hip hop trivia features 300 cards to challenge and entertain everybody from casual listeners to the most diehard liner note reading rap nerds. The questions , hip hop trivia available wherever you get games and books or order yours at questions hip hop. Com.
S1: What's your favorite play that you've seen Wrapped show up in fashion and the aesthetic and commercial , the sports realm , media.
S4: I'm a sucker for like in a movie or a TV show when you know , there's it could be something happy. It could be something intense , it could be something sad. And then the beat drops at the exact right moment to match the visual. And then , you know , even better than that , when , like the lyrics , they find the snippet of the song where like , the lyrics match the visual. That's like my favorite application of hip hop of rap.
S11: And now back to the peppy. The peppy.
S1: All right. We're about to get into the second half of this interview with Wise , Intelligent. I've been a huge fan of his music since the 90 seconds , and a big reason for that is his approach to balancing the music and the business.
S5: And I got to ask this personally , you know , purely for myself. Then the outro to your 1996 New World Order album with Pure Righteous Teachers , which features Lauren on Ally's Man and the Fugees. We got a skit where you essentially describe the signing of the Patriot Act like six years before it occurred.
S1: Man Do you know that the outro that I'm talking about.
S8: Yeah , I do.
S6: Eight Executive orders. Right.
S12: Right.
S5: How are you so on point with those predictions ? Because it's a few of those that came right into existence like 5 to 10 years after you did that.
S6: You know , we studied a lot. You know , we we paid attention to what was going on , not just in our hood , but around the world. Global politics , you know , the geopolitical reality. You can see certain patterns , you'll see certain things. And they don't put laws into effect that they're not going to implement , you know , at some point. You know what I mean ? It's like they're not writing it just for the sake of writing it , You know , it's all connected to trajectory. You know , it's all agenda driven. So when when I first learned of the orders , you know , the whole the. Horse.
S13: Horse.
S14: That book.
S6: You know , and a couple others inroads in route to global occupation.
S7: Looks like that.
S6: Started you know just they just accented what I was already studying in real time. You know , like I say , there's no such thing as a secret society , but there are societies of secrets. You know what I mean ? You know , is not a secret. They're right in front of you. They are plain sight. You know , it was always about just knowing what was going on in the world and responding accordingly. You know what I mean ? Doing what I feel I needed to do to make people aware and at the same time put myself in a better position , you know , because my thing is that has been , you know , as I'm mature , you know , my understanding , my growth and development , I realize that we don't have to fight against these systems. These systems are wired in a way where they're going to implode.
S5: When you when you say stuff like that , man , and share these types of knowledge is on your records , I could see where that could be perceived as being controversial. Have you ever had to deal with pushback for this type of honesty ? Absolutely.
S8:
S7: The record label itself , you know.
S6: We would have questions from staff members at the record company about certain things we'd say and views. You know , and this is the thing about institutional control. Power is exercised at the institutional level , right ? If you don't control institutions , you don't have power. I don't care how much money you have because people depend on life sustaining institutions to sustain their lives. They they they depend on these institutions like schools , schools and institutions , you know.
S7: Banks , their institutions , financial institutions.
S6: So people depend on them. You know , if you control these institutions , record company , in effect , is an institution. So the pushback , they hear something we say and then they'd be like , oh , these , these your views. What do you mean by this ? You know what I mean ? We feel like , you know , some people have questions about it , you know , So when you explain it to me , okay , okay , okay , okay. We get it. We get it , we get it. But then they'll tighten up the marketing dollars and not promote your records. You know what I mean ? Not promote your records because they control the institution regardless to.
S7: How real and historical , historically factual.
S6: What you're saying is , you know , is not the point. The point is they have the power to impede it because it's an institution. I know. Remember one time we had some pushback in Ohio. We want a radio , a Christian organization. They came to the radio station to protest something that said on the radio it was the black man is God. You know , I said , the black man is God.
S7: I mean , but that's that that was some pushback that we got. And then later I received pushback from the Killing for Fund album.
S6: No Fun album , because the cover had the burning of the brother. As a guy in Coatesville , Pennsylvania , Walmart wouldn't sell it.
S5:
S6: My commercially defective rap aesthetic needs an edit just so white folk could get it. You know , don't make music for that. So the business of rap for me is finding an audience. You know , it's like it's like if you're looking for green tea in a grocery store , you know , you in the grocery store , you drink green tea , you're going to go to green tea , you're going to ask about your where's the green tea ? It's over and out. Whatever the kid is looking for. Soda pop. Soda pop is over.
S7: There you go get the soda pop.
S6: You know what I mean ? But this is green tea. It's premium. I'm not trying to compete with in the commercial spaces that mainstream rap is functioning in. Yeah.
S7: You ask the question.
S6: A lot , you know , What do you think ? You know , what's the difference between hip hop in your era and hip hop now ? Do you think that it's changed ? Do you think hip hop is. Worse.
S7: Worse.
S6: Or better off ? Do you think hip hop ? You know , my response is.
S7: Always think hip hop is exactly the way it was.
S6: When it began. The mainstream is just highlighting a particular narrative.
S7: You know what I mean ? It's like that narrative is controlled by.
S6: Mainstream , but.
S7: There's still a plethora of conscious hip.
S6: Hop artists. They just can't see the light of day on in the mainstream , whereas an era.
S7: They could.
S6: Because there was over 200 record.
S7: Companies , you know , now was only five , there were over.
S6: 2000 radio stations , but now they're all owned by one.
S7: That's what the problem is.
S6: The problem is not hip hop.
S7: Hip hop is still there's still breakdancers. There's still graffiti artists. There's still people still there , still emcee Spitting something other than sex , money and murder.
S6: It's just that we don't control the institutions for the dissemination of the hip hop. We don't control the major platforms for it.
S7: So it creates.
S6: This perception that.
S7: Hip hop , this.
S6: This one thing that you.
S7: Hear from these ten emcees that the program director is playing 40 times a day.
S5: Talk that talk wise. Talk that talk and don't want to keep you. I appreciate you giving me this amount of time to two more really quick questions.
S7:
S6: I've been doing a series.
S7: Called Back to School.
S6: You know , and the back to School.
S7: Series started with period one. First period. First period was the talented Timothy Taylor did up to five periods so.
S6: Far , and I just.
S7: Finished sixth. Period.
S6: Period. I'm releasing that next.
S7: It's called Wise. Intelligent is poem. Chomsky The.
S6: Poem Chomsky Project is going to be an NFT project , and.
S7: You get every drop you get , every video you get every song , and.
S6: You get bonus. Freestyles.
S7: Freestyles. NFT Nfts of me just spitting verses. And.
S6: And.
S7: This , this side.
S6: Project one , this one is going to be NFT project.
S7: As well. You buy.
S6: The poem Chomsky project , you automatically get.
S7: The this project.
S6: Is called the Mandrill. Project.
S7: Project.
S6: It's it's me. When drill beats all drill.
S7: Beats and , you.
S6: Know , a grown man on drill.
S7: Beats man drill , I'm looking to release that on.
S6: My own platform.
S7: It's called Digital Dope , Digital , digital Dope Audio.
S6: Then , you know , I'm the president of the Raps Next Foundation. You know , I've been developing entrepreneurship and financial empowerment programs for youth , for young people , for students at HBCUs. Uh.
S7: Uh.
S6: Students in the community. We had a community can teach the community.
S7: So Stock Boss Up is an app that we developed to teach how to invest in the stock market so that you'll.
S6: Get a handle on how the economy works. You know , all the companies that drive the economy and you'll see from investing in the stock market , you learn immediately how the culture influences commerce.
S7: We support these.
S6: Brands every day , you know , learn how they work , and then we can create our own platforms , create our own brands and do similar , you know , within our communities.
S7: Then we have a backspin program.
S6: Backspin is a music program. We're going to do projects with the youth from our platform , from back spins.
S7: We'll pull a student producer , a student writer and.
S6: A student emcee or singer and build an NFT project around them , release it , let them build the community and and see how the and then they can learn the learning how to.
S7: Monetize the the intellectual property. That's what it's about.
S6: Intellectual property ownership and monetization.
S7: Because it we are the bag we don't have to get a. Bag.
S6: Bag. We'd a bag if we're going to secure anything , we need to secure ourselves right.
S7: Because we're a resource.
S5: That's how you're doing the next level or the next level right there. Don't give them no more. I'm gonna put this. I'm gonna put the whole the whole interview on a website so you can listen to it for free. I hope you got , like a lecture series coming along. Like a little master class that can just tap in , tune in and get this type of knowledge from you. Bruh.
S7: So appreciate you.
S5: And just for the record , how can how can cats find you on the internet ? Where's the. Place to go to to find you.
S6: IG wise intelligent spell how you find a dictionary wise , intelligent. You know , I got dope merch. Yeah. So in the book is out , you know , so you can get the book from the website. 3/5 and mic manufacturing of a dumbed down rapper.
S7: Woof is available now.
S5: Thank you , brother. Thank you so much for your time.
S8: Appreciate you. Fire.
S1: Fire. Right. Big thank you to wise intelligent for taking the time. If you're not familiar , look up poor righteous teachers and start their big , smart , pro black gems on gems on gems. Matter of fact , I'm gonna run something by him right now. Why wait ? This is from his 2018 solo album , Ponzi is called On Everything.
UU: All right. What is rap , though ? What does any of that matter if we unable to answer why these ? I'm just klepto. What a mess. Me aligning with my baby sitting behind me while I'm driving.
S6: And that bullet kiss her window.
UU: Up from the get go. That depends on who you asking. Some be praying , others fasting. Something emphatically. Yes. Some say she No. I guess all life is a struggle. How you live or die. Determined by how you see.
S15: Yourself inside of that set. But when you don't control perception and your enemies aggression , use your culture as a weapon. You accept that manufactured narratives and dangerous single.
UU: Story crackers package to disparage hate you subjugate the captive. So we. Now , Brogan.
S15: Gets pretty intense on some talk show corporate. That's like my mascot. Tell him be mortal. If not for black love and hip hop , I would be heartbroken. From the bottom up. We lining up , We honey cut. We band blues and plus state music suck starstruck singing. But that's what he loses touch. I see these wasters on the covers of these magazines. They call us haters , but we save these two new Negro pins.
UU: I'm burning this down. Put that on thing. Put that away. I swear on anything. My black , white , black , white seeds and anything in my pocket. I write anything on anything. Probably on some southern thing. On everything I own. Everything on everything. I put that on everything. My black light , black , white seats and everything. What is gray straps ? How does any of that matter when.
S15: These manufactured rappers literally.
S16:
S1: Parker Edison Project is produced and hosted by yours truly , Parker Edison and the Good People at Platform Collection. Be sure to subscribe and catch the next episode on Apple , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you have any comments or questions , visit the Parker Edison Project. And please , please leave a review so people can see what you think of the show. My guy , Chris Reyes , is our head editor. Adrian Villalobos is media production specialist. Lisa Jane Morris said his director of audio programming and operations and John Decker is senior director of content development. This programming is made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund. I love saying that because it reminds me of Sesame Street. And special thanks to my roundtable guests AGC and DJ Gaga. Seriously , y'all stay safe out there.
UU: Keep Hip-Hop alive.
