Liner Notes | J. Cole's Middle Child

The final 4 Lessons Episodes of Season 1! Like we've said over and over, these are more fun to listen to with the song right after, but we want these in your ears regardless! Transcripts and bonus material at https://www.hiphoptaughtmeeverything.com/ Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Check out the Season 1 Playlist. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.

The first 4 Lessons Episodes! Like we've said over and over, these are more fun to listen to with the song right after, but we want these in your ears regardless! Transcripts and bonus material at https://www.hiphoptaughtmeeverything.com/ Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Check out the Season 1 Playlist. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.

In this episode Kris and Devin discuss Kendrick's DNA. - the making of the beat by Mike WiLL Made-It, how the chaos and aggression we hear after the beat switch affected the making of the Lesson episode, where the term "album" comes from and whether we still need it, and who, in all of Hip Hop, has the best alter ego. Full transcript, video links and more on the Episode Page.  Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Check out the Season 1 Playlist. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.

In this episode Kris and Devin discuss Check The Rhime, the first single from A Tribe Called Quest's classic The Low End Theory. They get into how the project changed the landscape of sampling, Phife coming into his own, and how a classmate stealing Kris's art in high school might have contributed to him writing Tribe off after their first album.  They answer the impossible question: Low End Theory or Midnight Marauders, and we find out their picks for the most ridiculous exaggeration they've heard from a rapper.  Full transcript and more on the Episode Page.  Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Check out the Season 1 Playlist. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.

In this episode Kris and Devin discuss Jay-Z's return to his hustling roots with the song Blue Magic from American Gangster. Fun Facts, Best Bars, and more, including appearances from Yung Joc and a dive into Pharrell's 4 count starts.  Full transcript and more on the Episode Page. Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Check out the Season 1 Playlist. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.

In what is almost certainly our best Liner Notes yet, Kris and Devin go deep into the song and what Doomtree has taught Kris about family through many albums and shows with his daughter and wife. They go down a rabbit hole of how memories are affected by photos, what that means for legacy, why you shouldn't wait to put out the things you create, and more.  Full transcript and more on the Episode Page. Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.

Kris and Devin discuss master wordsmith Aesop Rock's song Lotta Years from the album The Impossible Kid. Fun facts about the album, favorite bars, and more. Watch the live video.  Watch the whole album video. Full transcript and more on the Episode Page. Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.

Devin and Kris discuss Ski Mask The Slump God's Foot Fungus - the making of it by producer Kenny Beats, what 90's smash it interpolates, lyric snobs, AND MORE.  Full transcript and more on the Episode Page. Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio. Watch the Kenny Beats Genius video. Watch the Snoop Pocket Like It's Hot video.

Kris and Devin sit down together for a chat about Ms. Lauryn Hill's Lost Ones. Who played the role of the teacher? Is there an heir to the throne Ms. Hill left behind? What are the best bars from the song? AND MORE! Full transcript and more on the Episode Page.  Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio. Listen to DJ Quik's Dollaz + Sense. Listen to Eminem's The Sauce. Listen to Chapter 6 of The Black Girl Songbook. Watch the Trailer for Why is We Americans? Read an interview with Ras Baraka about the making of Miseducation.

Kris and Devin sit down together for a chat about J. Cole’s Middle Child and the recent episode J. Cole Taught Me Mentorship. Fun Facts, Best Bars, and more. Full transcript and more on the Episode Page, including all of the video and bonus materials mentioned in the episode.   Watch Dreamville Presents: Revenge  Watch the Tracklib video about the sample  Watch the Rap Music Generation Gap Debate  Tell us what you learned from your favorite song at MY STORY. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We are a proud member of Plug Tone Audio.