Making Illmatic - Mos Def 'The Ecstatic' w/ Ali Elabbady

Hear the uncut episode with full music and cues at ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Los Angeles: Pharrell Game Night April 1 The Making Illmatic format is back! Sean Kantrowitz and MidaZ the BEAST welcome writer Ali Elabbady (aka Egypto Knuckles) to do a deep dive into Mos Def's The Ecstatic and attempt to trim the album down to its 10 best songs. How do you trim this LP down to 10 songs and does doing so help or hurt the album? ⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ MidaZ the BEAST: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Ali Elabbady: Instagram

A firsthand account from artist Tufawon and producer Rob Van Vranken about what is happening in Minneapolis and how communities are combatting the presence of ICE in their neighborhoods – and how you can help. ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Direct Funding for Constitutional Observer training: https://linkin.bio/unidosmn/ Direct Funding for Immigrant Advocacy Organizers: https://linkin.bio/mncopal/ Rent Relief Funds: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ Direct Food Distribution: https://www.dhhmn.com/operations Direct Family Funding: https://linktr.ee/smittenkittenmn Direct Funding for Organizers: https://linktr.ee/powwowgrounds Direct support for immigrant activists: https://www.instagram.com/miracmn Press: https://www.instagram.com/onsitepublicmedia https://www.instagram.com/bygeorgiafort https://www.instagram.com/blck.press https://www.instagram.com/sahanjournal https://www.instagram.com/mercadomedia1 https://www.instagram.com/unicorn.riot The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tufawon: ⁠Instagram⁠ Rob Van Vranken: Instagram

Originally broadcast on June 15, 2020. Comedian and hip-hop aficionado Joe DeRosa puts his hip-hop trivia skills to the test and talks about his favorite albums, artists, and songs in this throwback episode from the Instagram Live days of The Questions. ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Joe DeRosa: Instagram

Sean runs through his picks for the 10 most underrated songs in J Dilla's production catalog. (Note: this is an updated take on 2024's 'Making Dill-Matic' episode) ⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

You're posting photos of yourself from 2016, we're spending 2 hours drafting the highs and lows of hip-hop from 2016; we are not the same. Sean Kantrowitz and MidaZ the BEAST are joined by guests Lyric Jones and Optiks to comb through the benchmarks of a year that may not instantly ring a bell for you when it comes to hip-hop history – but trust, there's plenty to dig into here! Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MidaZ the BEAST: ⁠Instagram⁠ Lyric Jones: Instagram Optiks: Instagram

Sean and MidaZ the BEAST welcome back Sha Stimuli (No Bars Off Show) to the pod for a thorough analysis of Canibus' verse on Lost Boyz's 1997 "Beasts from the East." What makes a verse "good"? What impact can a verse have on a career, a culture, and the industry? Rap nerds only for this one. Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ youtube.com/@nobarsoffshow The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MidaZ the BEAST: Instagram Sha Stimuli: Instagram No Bars Off: Instagram

*taps mic* Is this thing on? Taking a break from the hiatus to reflect back on some of the best moments from the podcast in 2025. Happy New Year, thanks for listening, and be sure to join the Patreon to get more episodes, content, mixes, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://beatjunkiesound.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recorded live at the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound, Sean joins the Beat Junkies (DJ Babu, DJ Rhettmatic) for their RPM listening series, unpacking Visionaries 'Pangaea' album. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠http://beatjunkiesound.com/⁠⁠⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Beat Junkie Institute of Sound: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠

Recorded live at the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound, Sean joins the Beat Junkies (DJ Babu, DJ Rhettmatic) for their RPM listening series, deep diving into D-Styles' seminal 'Phantazmagorea' album. ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠http://beatjunkiesound.com/⁠⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Beat Junkie Institute of Sound: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠

Recorded live at the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound, Sean joins the Beat Junkies (DJ Babu, DJ Rhettmatic) for their RPM listening series, this time diving deep into Mobb Deep's classic 'The Infamous' with Rapper Big Noyd, Big Twinz, House Shoes, and Schott Free. ⁠⁠Patreon.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠questionshiphop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/thequestionshiphop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠http://beatjunkiesound.com/⁠ The Questions Hip-Hop: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sean Kantrowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Beat Junkie Institute of Sound: ⁠Instagram⁠