Breaking Atoms: The Hip Hop Podcast

In this week's rap-up, Sumit and Chris get into:Thoughts about Kendrick Lamar's Pop Out show in LAThe new Clipse albumBirdman not viewing reading as fundamental for New Orleans inmatesVerzuz returning to XThere was no time to review new music because it was Chris' birthday, and he had a spa date. But check out the new album, 'Movie', by Your Old Droog, which dropped yesterday. Friend of the show and in real life, K-Nite 13 has produced three songs on the project.Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter

Rappers love a nickname or alias—some more than others. A good alias can become just as renowned as the name on the album cover. Sumit and Chris talk about their favourite Rap aliases - from the appropriate to the silly - and they have some fun with it. By the way, that's Shock G on the cover because his Humpty Hump alias is mad. He rocked a plastic nose and became a whole new person. Please respect the ting. RIP. Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter

For our first weekly rap-up series, we share our views on some of the latest headlines in Hip Hop, Rap and other topical shenanigans. We get into:Young Thug's lawyer held in contempt after claiming the judge was tampering with witnessesActor Malcolm Jamal Warner on J Cole's use of the 'n' wordThe 'secret' Wu-Tang Clan album, the lawsuit against Martin Shkreli, fans being able to invest in the release and listening sessions in New York and AustraliaWe also share some of our favourite new music from this week.Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter

On Wednesday, June 19th, 2024, Kendrick Lamar will grace the stage for The Pop Out, a one-off concert to be held at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Considered a Juneteenth celebration, it will be K. Dot's first major performance after his highly publicised surgical execution of Canadian rapper Drake.Sumit and Chris have a bit of fun and imagine what the anticipated show will look and feel like. They discuss opening and closing tracks, deep cuts, guest appearances, special moments, and more. In typical fashion, they also go off on tangents praising the new Rapsody album, discussing Pete Rock's consistency, DJ Premier's 'evolving' sound, and a few other useless tidbits. As K. Dot so eloquently said, "sometimes you have to pop out"... you know the rest, and if you don't, it's your fault. Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter

We caught up with poet laureate and epithet master Essa to discuss his new album with Pitch 92, working in the legal field and his ever-evolving creative process. We also revisit his classic debut, The Essance, which is 20 years old, highlighting the importance of Harry Love to the UK scene and much more. Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter

A few weeks ago, we linked up to talk about the burgeoning Hip Hop triple-threat match that we all thought was about to go down with Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. Well, a lot has happened since then. J. Cole said "Sorry, nah" and left Drake and Kendrick to it. Bwoy... it's been a mad couple of weeks. Diss records have been made, shows have been fired, egos bruised, tea spilt, business exposed, family members violated and sleep has been lost. We're here to break it down to the very last compound, from the songwriting, strategy, best lines and more. As much as we love the music, we also explore the cultural themes around culture, identity, appropriation and history that remained prevalent throughout what we think will go down as the best battle in Hip Hop history. Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter

The list of legends who have passed through on the show gets even longer. This week, we're joined by the legendary A & R, Dante Ross! If you don't know who he is, check the credits. De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Brand Nubian, Leaders Of The New School, Busta Rhymes, KMD, MF DOOM, Everlast, Carlos Santana and many more. During his quick trip to London, we discussed his new business moves, relaunching Stimulated Music, his love of the UK music scene and why A & R now stands for 'analytics and research'. Stand up and recognise a real don when you hear one.Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter

Are we on the verge of a Hip Hop civil war? We chime in on the hot debate about The Big 3 and add some perspective and inappropriate humour to the mix of bars and 'beef'.Sumit and Chris also reveal who they think will win this battle. Connect with Breaking AtomsInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow SumitInstagramTwitter Follow ChrisInstagramTwitter