Spin Class

Episode #6: A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End TheoryBefore they had status and before they had pagers, or smart phones, Andy Derer and Tyler Kahl were simply fans of hip hop music. With Spin Class Podcast they get to take that fandom and use it to create a conversation, not only about a classic hip hop album, but about the politics, culture and lifestyle of the genre. This week they tackle A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 landmark opus The Low End Theory. Did the Tribe create the first successful fusion of hip hop and jazz? Has the lighthearted lyrical back and forth of rappers Q-Tip and Phife Dawg ever been matched in the 24 years since the album’s release? Were A Tribe Called Quest always destined to be relegated to be listened to by hip hop connoisseurs and not the mass public? All these questions and more answered on this episode of Spin Class. Check the podcast!AndyDerer.com

Episode #5: Jay-Z - Reasonable DoubtYou can’t knock the hustle of Spin Class Podcast, as Andy Derer and Tyler Kahl bring you another episode of hip-hop based conversation. This time it is the 1996 debut album from Jay-Z, Reasonable Doubt. This album was actually the product of a decade of selling tapes out of his trunk and bouncing from record label to record label. Frustrated with the music industry, Jay-Z aka Shawn Carter decided to do something unthinkable at the time… Start his own record label Roc-A-Fella Records. The man would finish the 1990′s as arguably New York City’s most credible rapper. Ten years later he would be considered one of the world’s most savvy businessmen, a move that no one could have foreseen, except maybe Shawn himself. This album remains a fascinating listen, obsessed with Italian/Mafia culture and nimble wordplay. Thanks for checking out Spin Class! Check it out, tell a friend and witness two podcasters coming of age…AndyDerer.com

Episode #4: 2pac - All Eyez On MeTwo of America’s most downloaded, Andy Derer and Tyler Kahl are back with a fresh new Spin Class podcast! Tackling the monstrous 1996 double-album All Eyez On Me by 2pac, the boys sift through the late rapper’s crowning achievement and the last album he released during his short lifetime. Was this the height of the east coast vs west coast feud? Did the high quantity of music here also maintain a high quality? Did joining the ranks of Death Row Records take 2pac down a dangerous road from which he would never return? Tyler and Andy answer all these questions and more on this episode of Spin Class. Check it out, tell a friend and spread some California love!AndyDerer.com

Episode #3: The Fugees - The ScoreKilling you softly with a brand new episode of the Spin Class Podcast, Tyler and Andy tackle the 1996 blockbuster The Score by The Fugees. This multi-genre masterpiece started the careers of both Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean and it’s samples-meets-live instrumentation approach is still used all over the hip hop landscape. Was Lauryn and Wyclef’s romance the reason for the album’s chemistry? Was it also the reason this group would never release another album together? What made The Score stick out like a sore thumb amidst the inter-coastal gangsta rap wars of 1996? All this and more answered on this episode of Spin Class.

Episode #2: The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To DieDon’t call it a comeback! The boys are back with their second episode, this time dissecting the 1994 debut album from The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die. How did this overweight rapper become an unlikely sex symbol? Who was to blame for the inter coastal rap wars of the mid 90s? Did Puff Daddy use Biggy’s tragic passing as a way to put the spotlight on himself? All these questions and more are answered on this episode of Spin Class!

Episode #1: Genius/Gza - Liquid SwordsFor the premier episode of Spin Class, Tyler and Andy tackle the 1995 classic Liquid Swords by Genius/Gza. The Wu-Tang affiliated rapper created an immensely detailed masterpiece based on his love for both kung-fu flicks and the game of Chess. Tyler and Andy decide if Liquid Swords still stands up twenty years after it’s release.