Grown Man Bars: From Golden Era to now — no cap, no filter.
Grown Man Bars is where two Gen X MCs turned opinionated Uncs break down rap culture with no filter. Chad, your resident rap nerd, with Big Absoloot, your OG's OG dive into Golden Era storytelling, lyricism, GOAT debates, classic producers, and the moments that shaped hip hop. From Slick Rick to Scarface, Nas to J. Cole, DJ Premier to RZA. Old rap and new hip hop. If you came up on mixtapes, Tims, and bars that mattered, this is your spot for real hip hop talk. We'll bring you up-to-date on the new hip hop trends, the ones our gen cares about, and hit you with hip hop from the best era ever.
Episodes
Grown Man Bars dives into 1996 in hip hop—a year stacked with all-timer albums and larger-than-life moments. We unpack how Tupac’s Death Row run turned him into a myth, why ’96 vs ’06 might be a draw if you only judge the pen, and how Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown rewired mainstream expectations from Brooklyn.
In this episode
Album wave: All Eyez on Me, The Score, Reasonable Doubt, It Was Written, ATLiens, Ridin’ Dirty, Beats, Rhymes a...
Run-DMC x Aerosmith changed the game. Tonight we unpack the true story behind “Walk This Way,” how MTV turned rap from underground to unavoidable, and why crossovers—from Fat Boys & Chubby Checker to Jay-Z & Linkin Park, Nelly & Tim McGraw, and Lil Nas X—keep reshaping the culture. Plus: BA’s Absolute Truth, a Lyrical Autopsy of “Peter Piper,” our Top 5 Hip Hop Crossovers, and a quick rap news rundown.
Chop it up with th...
Mixtapes built more legends than radio. Chad & Big Absoloot unpack the mixtape economy that beat the industry: 50 Cent’s rise, DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz, DJ Clue, K Slay, Green Lantern, Dipset, Jeezy’s Trap or Die, Big KRIT, Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & OJ, Fabolous, J. Cole’s Friday Night Lights, Meek Mill Dreamchasers. We debate Lil Wayne’s Dedication/No Ceilings vs the Carter albums, perform a Lyrical Autopsy of Pimp C’s “High L...
Chad (your favorite rap nerd) and Big Absoloot pull up the barber chairs to answer a simple question with a messy history: did the South take over rap—and did it ever give the crown back? We trace the shift from ’88 foundations to the 1995 Source Awards “South got something to say” moment, then ride through the club/strip club/skating-rink circuit that broke records across Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, Memphis and beyond. We get i...
1994 changed everything. In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down why 1994 is the most important year in hip hop history. From Nas’ Illmatic and Biggie’s Ready to Die to Outkast putting the South on the map, 1994 was the year rap went global. East Coast, West Coast, and the Dirty South all dropped classics that shaped the culture, while MTV and worldwide tours took hip hop from the streets to the world st...
The summer of 1988 wasn’t just another season — it was the moment rap music grew into hip hop culture as we know it today. In just 90 days, the genre went from underground blocks to global stages.
Join Chad (the resident rap nerd) and Big Absoloot (the OG with first-hand knowledge) as they break down why ’88 is still called the greatest year in rap history.
We’re talking:
Rakim’s “Follow the Leader” and the new rules of lyricism
Pu...
Some rappers got the spotlight, others got forgotten. In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and BA pull up the barber chairs to salute the underrated MCs of the 80s and 90s — the ones who had bars, impact, and style, but never got their flowers.
We’re talking AZ, MC Ren, K-Solo, Vin Rock, Fife Dawg, Masta Ace, Craig G, Lord Finesse, Grand Puba, Mr. Cheeks, Young Bleed, and more. These are the voices that defined the golden era fro...
What happened to the story in hip-hop? On this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down the greatest storytellers in rap history – from the Golden Era to today. We’re talking Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story,” Nas’ “Undying Love,” Ghostface’s “Shakey Dog,” Ice Cube’s “Ghetto Vet,” Scarface’s “Mind Playing Tricks on Me,” and even J. Cole’s “Lights Please.”
We dig into what makes a great rap storyteller – vivid imager...
How Public Enemy's 'It Takes a Nation' Redefined Hip Hop | Grown Man BarsWelcome back to the Barbershop with Grown Man Bars, where Chad and Big Absoloot dive deep into the impact of Public Enemy's groundbreaking album 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.' This episode celebrates and examines how the 1988 album brought political consciousness to hip hop, changed the industry's perception of the genre, and influenced major...
What Was the Best Rap Album of 2000?In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and B.A. dive into the iconic rap albums of the year 2000. They discuss standout records like Ja Rule's 'Rule 3:36', The Lox's 'We Are the Streets', Outkast's 'Stankonia', Ludacris's 'Back for the First Time', and Eight Ball & MJG's 'Space Age 4eva'. The hosts explore the influence and legacy o...
What Does It Take to Become a Rap Legend? | Grown Man Bars Elite CriteriaIn this episode of Grown Man Bars, the premier hip hop show for adults, hosts Can't Get Right and Big Absolute delve into the key criteria that define a rap legend. They break down eight essential elements: lyrical skill, cultural impact, song making, presence, performance, longevity, peer respect, and catalog. Using examples from iconic rappers like Tupac...
In this episode of Grown Man Bars, hosts Can't Get Right and B.A. dive into the best rap love songs ever made, offering a mature perspective on hip hop for old heads. They explore tracks like 'Porch Light' by Big K.R.I.T. and Anthony Hamilton, 'Candy' by LL Cool J featuring New Edition, 'All I Need' by Method Man and Mary J. Blige, 'Ghetto Love' by Da Brat featuring T-Boz, 'You Got Me' by...
Join Chad and B.A. at Uncle Willie's Barbershop as they dive into an unforgettable year in hip hop, debating the best rap album of 1996. They explore iconic albums like Tupac's 'All Eyez on Me', Jay Z's 'Reasonable Doubt', OutKast's 'ATLiens', UGK's 'Riding Dirty', Nas' 'It Was Written', and many more. Along the way, they share personal anecdotes, discuss the cultural impact of these albums, and, ultimately, each pick their choice ...
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