Can't Knock the Shuffle

Dante Ross isn't an artist in the traditional sense, but the music industry exec/A&R/producer/engineer had a hand in dozens of classic records and is responsible for helping to cultivate the careers of some of hip hop’s biggest names. In the 90s, Dante was hired by Elektra Records as the first hip hop A&R man – not just Elektra’s first, but the record industry’s first. Dante signed artists such as Brand Nubian, KMD, Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, to name a few. Along with his friends John Gamble and Geeby Dajani, Ross was also one third of production group Stimulated Dummies, who worked with many of those acts behind the boards as well. Dante played a significant role in crafting the sound and songs on House of Pain leader Everlast’s breakthrough solo album, 1998’s Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, and would later co-produce the Everlast and Carlos Santana song “Put Your Lights On,” on the latter’s Grammy-winning smash album ‘Supernatural.’ Dante is still active in the business to this day, and has signed and worked with more recent artists like Lil Dicky, Made in Tokyo, and Marlon Craft. And this fall he will release ‘Son of the City,’ a memoir detailing his life as a crucial player in hip hop’s Golden Era. In this episode, we discuss: 3rd Bass "Kick 'Em in the Grill" feat Chubb Rock ('Derelicts of Dialect,' 1991) Del the Funky Homosapien "Ya Lil Crumbsnatchers" ('I Wish My Brother George Was Here,' 1991) Ol' Dirty Bastard "Brooklyn Zoo" ('Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version,' 1995) Everlast "Tired" ('Whitey Ford Sings the Blues,' 1998) De La Soul "Me, Myself, and I" ('3 Feet High and Rising,' 1989) Pete Rock and CL Smooth "All Souled Out" ('All Souled Out,' 1991) Brand Nubian "Step to the Rear" ('One For All,' 1990) Dante Ross: danteross.com cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit  twitter.com/seandammit  Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a member of the Newark, New Jersey group Artifacts alongside Tame One and DJ Kaos, El Da Sensei is responsible for some bona fide 90s hip hop classics, including "C'mon with the Git Down” and "Wrong Side of da Tracks," the group’s homage to the art of graffiti. After Artifacts split up following their second album 'That’s Them' in 1997, El went on to have a prolific solo career, releasing nearly a dozen projects and consistently touring the globe on his own as well as with Polish hip hop duo The Returners. El’s a true working class emcee, and his dedication to his craft as a writer and as an independent artist has granted him a pretty unique experience that we uncover throughout this conversation. We also talk a little bit about the impromptu Artifacts reunion in 2009 that brought El and Tame together and set the stage for their upcoming third Artifacts album, produced entirely by Buckwild and carrying the torch for DJ Kaos, who unfortunately passed away in 2019 ; the album is scheduled to be released later this year. In this episode, we discuss: "Speakin'" ('Relax, Relate, Release', 2003) "Live Noise" feat. Akrobatik (w/ The Returners, 'GT2: Nu World', 2010) "Wrong Side of Da Tracks" (Artifacts, 'Between a Rock and a Hard Place', 1994) "It Takes Two" (w/ Sadat X, 'XL,' 2018) "Money" feat Roc Marciano and Reef the Lost Cause ('The Money EP', 2009) "Got Fire" (w/ The Returners, 'Global Takeover', 2008) "31 Bumrush" (Artifacts, 'That's Them,' 1997) El Da Sensei: instagram.com/senseifromnj cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit  twitter.com/seandammit  Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I’m joined by Sage Francis, a rapper who was independent before claiming indie was cool. A veteran of the underground battle scene in which he won the Scribble Jam emcee battle in 2000, Sage was early in adopting a tour-heavy business model that found him relentlessly doing shows and hitting smaller markets in the 2000s. From the jump, Sage has never been afraid to occupy his own unique space in the landscape of rap music, incorporating influences from different genres of music, a rotating cast of collaborators, and a writing style that ranges from the fiercely political to the vulnerably personal. He was the first hip hop artist signed to legendary punk rock label Epitaph, and he would later go on to launch his own Strange Famous Records, where he continues to release his own projects as well as the works of other artists. Songs discussed: "Jah Didn't Kill Johnny" ('A Healthy Distrust', 2005) "Grace" ('Copper Gone,' 2014) "Doomage" feat. Brother Ali and Slug (prod. MF DOOM) (Non-Prophets "Damage" single, 2004) "Whoremonger" ('Still Sickly Business,' 2005) "Underground For Dummies" ('Human the Death Dance', 2007) Sage Francis: strangefamousrecords.com cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit  twitter.com/seandammit  Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simply put, Tre Hardson aka Slimkid3 is a legend. Hip hop was forever changed in 1992 when his group the Pharcyde emerged onto the scene with their classic debut album 'Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde.' The group brought a decidedly animated and imaginative element to their songwriting and presence on the microphone – and Tre definitely stood out with his distinct melodic voice; you could really even say that a lot of these rappers who sing owe a bit to Slimkid3. The Pharcyde’s second album Labcabincalifornia sported a darker sound (and early contributions from the great Jay Dee aka Jay Dilla) that reflected the frustration the group was going through with both the industry – and internally. Tre did one last album with the group (2000’s Plain Rap) before embarking on a solo career that also has seen him team up with DJ Nu-Mark from Jurassic 5, Ozomatli, and occasional reunions with various members of his Pharcyde brethren. Here are the songs we break down in this episode: "Groupie Therapy" (Pharcyde 'Labcabincalifornia', 1995) "Trust" (Pharcyde 'Plain Rap', 2000) "King" feat Diamond D and K-Natural ('Slimkid3 & Nu-Mark', 2016) "Life is Love" ('Liberation', 2002) "Pick It Up" feat Dillon Cooper (TRDMRK, 2019) "4 Better or 4 Worse" (Pharcyde 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde', 1992) Slimkid3: slimkid3.com cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with the rest of the conversation with singer/songwriter Esthero. In this episode, we talk about her work with Kanye West on his 808s and Heartbreak album, the making of her classic debut Breath From Another, and how she decided to only release a trailer of her new music on streaming services rather than put the whole thing online – a seriously revolutionary move that definitely caught the media’s attention in 2019. Songs discussed in this episode: "Streetlights" (Kanye West, '808s and Heartbreak', 2008) "Amber and Tiger's Eye" ('We R in Need of a Musical Revolution!', 2004) "Breath From Another" ('Breath From Another,' 1998) "Gimme Some Time" (2019) Esthero: esthero.net cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit  twitter.com/seandammit  Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the release of her debut album Breath from Another - which she co-produced with producer Doc McKinney in 1997, Esthero has definitively held the title of “your favorite singer’s favorite singer,” inspiring audiences and artists alike with the seamless blending of musical styles in her music as well as her captivating, incredible voice. Her second album Wikked Lil Grrls continued to explore different genres and found Esthero steering the ship by herself; by this point, she was fast becoming a frequent collaborator with many hip hop artists, including Goodie Mob, Black Eyed Peas, Andre 3000, and Kanye West, whose 808s and Heartbreak album featured a few songs that she co-wrote. She also provided the voice to Kanye’s spaceship on his groundbreaking Glow in the Dark Tour in 2008, which is a pretty cool flex if you ask me. In this episode, we break down the following songs from her catalog: "O.G. Bitch" (2003) "Junglebook" feat Andre 3000...kind of ('Wikked Lil Girls,' 2005) "Everything is Expensive" ('Everything is Expensive', 2012) Esthero: esthero.net cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit  twitter.com/seandammit  Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After first making noise on a national scale through early collaborations with Danny Brown, Quelle Chris kicked off a prolific solo career of his own, including acclaimed albums such as Innocent Country with producer Chris Keys, his 2018 album ‘Everything’s Fine’ with his wife and fellow polymath Jean Grae, production work for some of indie rap’s finest, and most recently contributing to the score for the film Judas and the Black Messiah. Songs we discuss in this episode: "Ohsh" feat. Hannibal Buress (w/ Jean Grae, "Everything's Fine', 2018) "Sickum" ('Lullabies for the Broken Brain', 2016) "Birthdaze" (prod. by Swarvy) ('Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often,' 2017) "Walk By Faith" (Homeboy Sandman 'Don't Feed the Monster', 2020) "Nothing Moves" (w/ Chris Keys, 'Innocent Country', 2015) "Another Blunt" ('Shotgun and Sleek Rifle', 2013) "Black Twitter" feat. Mosel and Nelson Bandela (w/ Chris Keys, 'Innocent Country 2', 2020) Quelle Chris: quellechris.bandcamp.com cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit  twitter.com/seandammit  Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally hailing from the Netherlands, Nicolay launched his career as we know it in the early 2000s, when he was sharing files over the Internet with Phonte Coleman from Little Brother. Their remote international collaboration resulted in the group Foreign Exchange, an ahead of its time side project that eventually brought Nicolay to the states and would lead to several albums, consistent touring around the globe, his own Foreign Exchange Music record label, and a Grammy nomination for the group’s second album Leave it All Behind – and they’ve done it all independently and playing by their own rules. Nicolay has also released his own albums – both instrumental and with other vocalists – and has built his brand around a refusal to conform to one sound or style. In this episode, we break down these songs: "There's No Guarantee" ('City Lights Volume 1.5', 2005) "Nic's Groove" (Foreign Exchange 'Connected', 2004) "A New World" ('A New World', 2020) "Behind Your Door" (w/ The Hot At Nights, 'Glaciers', 2018) "Laughing At Your Plans" (Foreign Exchange 'Authenticity', 2010) "What It Used To Be" feat Wiz Khalifa ('Here', 2006) "Asking For a Friend" (Foreign Exchange, 'Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey', 2015) Nicolay/Foreign Exchange: foreignexchangemusic.com cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Houston rapper Fat Tony popped onto my radar in the early part of the last decade from his appearances on mixtapes by both ASAP Rocky and Das Racist, and since then he’s had a wildly prolific career, dropping albums at a steady clip and constantly tweaking his sound. His most recent album – 2020's Exotica – finds Tony embracing the role of the griot with a concise collection of storytelling songs. I first connected with him when he appeared on an episode of my hip hop game show The Questions last year, and we had such a good time that I knew we had to reconnect and get even more in-depth on some music talk. In this episode we break down these songs: "Through the Storm" ('10,000 Hours', 2018) "What Wake You Up" feat Bun B ('Exotica', 2020) "Get Out My Way" feat Sophia Pfister ('Wake Up' w/ Taydex, 2020) 'Legal Weed' ('MacGregor Park,' 2017) "Take A Sip" (Charge it to the Game 'House with a Pool', 2018) "U Ain't Fat" ('RABDARGAB', 2010) "Full Circle" feat. J Kelr ('Full Circle', 2018) Fat Tony: anthonyobi.com instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit cantknocktheshuffle.com questionshiphop.com Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Masta Ace is one of hip hop's greatest storytellers. After making his debut on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut "The Symphony," Ace has many amazing accomplishments throughout his 30+ year career, including membership in hip hop supergroup Crooklyn Dodgers, classic concept albums, full album collaborations with producers like MF DOOM and Marco Polo, and so much more. In this episode we break down the following songs from his catalog: "Think I Am (feat. Big Daddy Kane and MF DOOM)" ('MA_DOOM: Son of Yvonne', 2012) "Crooklyn" (Crooklyn Dodgers) ('Crooklyn' soundtrack, 1994) "Sunken Place" (feat. Pav Bundy) ('A Breukelen Story' w/ Marco Polo, 2018) "Type I Hate" (feat. Leschea and Rah Digga) ('Disposable Arts', 2001) "Bklyn Masala" (feat. Leschea) ('A Long Hot Summer', 2004) "SlaughtaHouse" ('SlaughtaHouse', 1993) "Mathematics" ('The Falling Season', 2016) Masta Ace: https://www.mastaace.com/ instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit questionshiphop.com Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It isn't exaggeration to say that Sean Daley – better known as Slug – has played a pivotal role in the evolution of underground hip hop since the turn of the century. His group Atmosphere truly carved their own lane out in the indie scene dating back to the '90s with the DIY-approach of his label Rhymesayers Entertainment and the vulnerability in the group's songs. Over the years, Slug's style as a writer has also evolved, from the "underground battle rap" space to his development of the silly-sounding-but-somewhat-useful "emo rap" and "dad rap" descriptors. He's always been a great writer and an excellent storyteller, and so it was an absolute pleasure to go under the hood of these seven songs: "Sleep Apnea" ('The Day Before Halloween,' 2020) "Get Fly" ('You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having,' 2005) "Everything" ('Fishing Blues,' 2016) "Felt Chewed Up" ('Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez,' 2009) 'Get It to Get Her' ('Strictly Leakage,' 2007) "One of a Kind" ('God Loves Ugly,' 2002) 'Sunshine' ('Sad Clown Bad Summer,' 2007) Atmosphere: atmospheresucks.com nstagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nikki Jean is a hip hop artist through and through, but her music may not always appear that way from a distance. A singer/songwriter who got her start in the extended family of the legendary Roots crew as a member of the band Nouveau Riche, Nikki’s big breakthrough came when she wrote and sang the hook on Lupe Fiasco’s hit single “Hip Hop Saved My Life” in 2007. She’s collaborated with Lupe throughout his career ever since, but that was only the beginning for her. Her debut solo album ‘Pennies in a Jar’ put her in the co-writing chair with over 30 members of the American Songwriting Hall of Fame, including Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Lamont Dozier, Carly Simon, Thom Bell, and Barry Mann, and she’s kept busy ever since, most recently releasing her Beautiful Prison on her hometown of Minneapolis’s powerhouse indie label Rhymesayers Entertainment. Songs covered in this episode: "Hands Up" ('Champagne Water,' 2014) "Hip Hop Saved My Life" (Lupe Fiasco 'The Cool,' 2007) "Red Black & Blue (2012 Tulip St. Demo)" ('Beautiful Prison,' 2019) "People and Planes" ('Beautiful Prison,' 2019) "Madonna (And Other Mothers in the Hood)" (Lupe Fiasco 'Tetsuo & Youth,' 2015) "How To Unring a Bell" ('Pennies in a Jar,' 2011) "Take You Out" (2013) Nikki Jean: nikkijean.com instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blueprint is someone who knows a thing or two about multitasking. The producer/emcee played a pivotal role in the emerging underground scene in the Midwest during the late 90's/early '00s, with his own Weightless crew and also amongst the artists that would eventually comprise the rosters of indie juggernauts Rhymesayers and Definitive Jux. He's continued to put out a steady clip of music since then (both as a solo artist as well as one half of Soul Position with RJD2), but music isn't where his journey ends. He's become a film/video director, a published author with four books under his belt, and the host of his own 'Super Duty Tough Work' podcast. But no matter what the medium, he's essentially a storyteller, and so it was great to hear the stories behind these seven randomly selected songs from his catalog: "The Jerry Springer Episode" (Soul Position '8 Million Stories', 2003) "Alchemy" (Aesop Rock, 'Daylight', 2002) "The American Dream" ('Deleted Scenes,' 2012) "Great Eyedeas Never Die" ('King No Crown,' 2015) "Fresh" ('1988', 2005) "Arms Too Short" ('Chamber Music', 2004) "Overdosin'" ('Respect the Architect,' 2014) Lots of great conversation here, too: reflecting about the rise of the scene he helped build, the forces that caused that machine to slow down years later, his approach to songwriting and recording, and so much more. Enjoy! Blueprint: www.weightless.net instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bahamadia has been captivating listeners with her unique style and lyrical skills since the 90's, when she released her major label debut 'Kollage.' Philadelphia's Hip Hop Queen has kept busy since then, releasing projects via indie labels, collaborating with some of hip hop's greatest practitioners, touring the world, hosting her own radio show, and forming her own record label B-Girl Records LLC. Self-describing herself as shy, Bahamadia rarely does interviews. So when she agreed to come on the show after appearing on my hip hop game show The Questions, we had to make it happen. In this episode, we explore the stories behind the following songs: "Innovation" ('Kollage', 1996) "Transcend" (King Britt, 'Adventures in Lo-Fi', 2003) "Proceed III" (The Roots, 1994) "Dialed Up 2" ('Dialed Up 2', 2017) "Thank You" ('Good Rap Music', 2006) "One-4-Teen (Funky For You)" ('BB Queen', 2000) "Here" (2015) Bahamadia: www.bahamadia.bandcamp.com instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the past decade and change, rapper Homeboy Sandman has built a career that's been defined by marching to the beat of his own drum. He's released albums on labels like Stones Throw and Mellow Music Group, and has collaborated with artists for full projects such as Aesop Rock, Edan, and most recently Quelle Chris, who produced the entirety of Sandman's latest album 'Don't Feed the Monster.' The Ivy League-educated emcee also had a stint as a blogger, publishing a series of essays and think-pieces for Huffington Post and Gawker, which raised eyebrows and caught the attention of the blogosphere due to his strong opinions and provocative perspective. This episode is an interview with someone who identifies themselves as Visitor or Angel, but there is no one else in the world better equipped to dive into the stories behind Homeboy Sandman's songs, which in this episode include: "Nuts" ['Nourishment (Second Helpings)', 2007] "Lightning Bolt, Lightning Rod" ('Actual Factual Pterodactyl,' 2008) "Trauma" ('Don't Feed the Monster', 2020) "Heaven Too" ('Hallways', 2014) "Always" ('Dusty', 2019) "Unforgettable" ('Subject: Matter', 2012) "Fat Belly" ('White Sands', 2014) Homeboy Sandman: https://homeboysandman-mmg.bandcamp.com/music instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly two decades, producer/musician RJD2 has put his own unique spin on the genre of instrumental hip hop. RJ's music has always been a compelling listen, with or without vocals – but he's also collaborated with a gang of artists, including rapper Blueprint (under the Soul Position moniker), as well as projects with singer Aaron Livingston (pka Son Little) and underground legend Aceyalone. Along the way, RJ has produced songs for commercials and TV shows – in fact, an instrumental of one of his songs was used as the theme to AMC's smash hit show 'Mad Men.' RJ's most recent project is 'The Fun Ones,' released on his own record label RJ's Electrical Connections. Songs we explore in this episode: "Indoor S'mores" ('The Fun Ones', 2020) "A Beautiful Mine" ('Magnificent City', 2006) "Wander" (Icebird 'The Abandoned Lullaby', 2011) "Someday" ('The Third Hand', 2007) "The Stranger" ('The Colossus', 2010) "Ring Finger" ('Since We Last Spoke', 2004) "Saboteur" feat Phonte Coleman ('Dame Fortune', 2016) RJD2: www.rjd2.net instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Open Mike Eagle has never been shy about getting personal with his music. After emerging from LA's Project Blowed collective, the rapper/producer released his first solo album in 2010 and has been dropping projects at a steady clip ever since. With a comedic wit and quirky eclectic nature to his songs, Mike has also been equally proficient in the worlds of comedy and television. He co-created comedy and music showcase 'The New Negroes,' first as a live event and later as a show for Comedy Central, which we discuss in this episode. He's also no stranger to podcasts – from his own Secret Skin podcast, as well as 'What Had Happened Was,' his acclaimed interview series with the legendary producer Prince Paul, all on his own Stony Island Audio podcast network, which is also home to 'Can't Knock the Shuffle.' Here are the songs that we dive into in this episode: "Sounds Like Rap" (Thirsty Fish, 'Watergate,' 2011) "Art Rap Party" ('Unapologetic Art Rap', 2010) "Single Ghosts" ('What Happens When I Try To Relax', 2018) "Woke As Me" feat Phonte Coleman ('The New Negroes' Season 1 Soundtrack, 2019) "Leave People Alone" ('Hella Personal Film Festival', 2016) "Overland" (Cavanaugh, 'Time and Materials', 2015) "Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss" ('A Special Episode', 2015) We also discuss the increasing difficulties for indie artists trying to navigate the music industry, the lessons Mike learned in creating a show (and accompanying music videos) for a cable network, and how his writing has evolved over the years. Open Mike Eagle: www.mikeeagle.net instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J-Live is unparalleled as a writer in the craft of hip hop. He first got his start in the mid-90s with 'The Best Part,' a classic debut that was shelved and eventually bootlegged to the masses. Since then, he's also developed more as a DJ and producer over the course of a dozen independent projects that he's since released. A true student of the game, J-Live's attention to detail makes him the perfect candidate to dive into the stories behind songs in his catalog. In this episode, we explore: "Ya Momma So Black" (How Much is Water?, 2015) "Braggin' Writes (Revisited)" (12-inch single/'The Best Part', 1996/2001) "The Upgrade" feat Oddisee + Posdnuos ('Then What Happened?', 2008) "Like This Anna" ('All of the Above', 2002) "Watch Sun Watch" feat. YC the Cynic ('S.P.T.A. Said Person of That Ability', 2011) "Walk Like" ('Around the Sun', 2014) "Anotha Hip Hop Song" ('At The Date Of This Writing', 2019) Learn how J-Live's trademark part of his stage show was created somewhat by accident, the story behind the delay and shelving of his classic first album, what motivates him to self-produce vs. working with other producers on his albums, and the process by which he constructs so many of his intricately-conceived songs. J-Live: www.realjlive.com instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email me: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Murs has been consistently releasing music since the late 90s, repping his home of Los Angeles the entire time. He's incredibly prolific, with a catalog ranging around 600 songs, and he's worked with practically everybody in the business, from Kendrick Lamar to El-P (Run the Jewels) to Snoop Dogg to Slug from Atmosphere. In this episode, he shares the stories behind these songs: "My Story" (Good Music, 1999) "Are You Ready?" (Sweet Lord, 2008) "Doing Me" (Melrose w/ Terrace Martin, 2011) "Signs" (3 Melancholy Gypsies, Grand Caravan to the Rim of the World, 2005) "Freak These Tales" (Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition, 2004) "Hot Bars" (Felt, Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci, 2002) "Wifey" (The White Mandingos, The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me, 2013) ...and reveals why he thinks his fans don't love his favorite albums, the origin of his partnership with producer 9th Wonder, the album that *almost* became his major label debut, and the model who snubbed him on a 5-hour flight across the country. Murs: www.mursraps.com instagram.com/seandammit twitter.com/seandammit instagram.com/thequestionshiphop Email me: cantknocktheshuffle@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://smarturl.it/8rjx39 As some of you may know, Can't Knock the Shuffle host/creator Sean Kantrowitz also hosts a live hip hop trivia game show called The Questions – and now that show is available in podcast format. Each week, Sean connects with hip hop's biggest fans – rappers, DJs, producers, writers, comedians, actors, and everything in between – to test their rap trivia skills, discuss their careers, and talk about how the music changed their lives. Subscribe/follow wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices