Heat Rocks
Scorching guests and sizzling records: join music writer Oliver Wang and music supervisor Morgan Rhodes each week as they invite their favorite artists, critics and scholars for in-depth conversations about the albums that shape our lives. Each week our special guests will take you deep into their heat rocks from the world of hip-hop, soul, dance, jazz, funk and more. Get with us!
Episodes
Bassist/producer/rapper Patrick Paige II joins Oliver and Morgan to discuss Biggie's debut studio album Ready To Die. We get into Big's knack for storytelling, Patrick's very cool math teacher, and what Biggie's career might've looked like if he were still with us today.
More on Patrick Paige II
Musician/producer/minister Steve Arrington sits down with Morgan and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Heatwave's debut scorcher, Too Hot To Handle. We talk about the music scene in Dayton, Rod Temperton's prolific career, and Heatwave's ability to meld various genres into one cohesive and funky record.
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Rapper/producer Pell sits down with us to talk about N.E.R.D's "In Search Of..." We get into the sex, drugs, rock & roll of it all, The Neptunes' prolific career, and N.E.R.D's influence on Pell's own work.
More on Pell
More on N.E.R.D.
It’s #MaxFunDrive and if you like what we’re doing here on Heat Rocks, please consider supporting us and our network and help keep the show going!
Director and screenwriter Kemp Powers sits down with us to discuss De La Soul's sophomore effort, De La Soul Is Dead. We get into DLS's shift in image and tone, the growth of Prince Paul as a producer, and Kemp's very , ahem, special connection to the song "Le...
It's #MaxFunDrive and if you like what we're doing here on Heat Rocks, please consider supporting us and our network and help keep the show going!
Drummer and producer Karriem Riggins sits down with us to discuss a bonafide classic, A Tribe Called Quest's third studio album Midnight Marauders. We get deep into the samples used on this record, Q-Tip's growth as a producer, and how Bob Power helped shaped ...
In honor of Computer World's 40th anniversary (!!!) we decided to rerun our episode with Nite Jewel discussing this classic album.
[show notes from the original post]
When we invited L.A.’s own Nite Jewel to join us, it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise that she picked Kraftwerk’s Computer World; after all, she’s toured the world performing the album. In sitting down with us, NJ (aka Ramona Gonzalez) broke down how she first b...
Bassist/composer Joshua Abrams sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Arthur Verocai's underrated self-titled debut record. We discuss the rediscovery of this album via sampling, the texture of Arthur's synth work, and why we connect with the album even though our Portuguese is, uhh, a bit rusty.
More on Joshua Abrams
Writer and musician Jason King sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss the Sylvester live album Living Proof. We talk about Sylvester's vision of wholeness and sharing good vibes, the countless gorgeous moments captured in the live setting, and the medley of genres he blended together.
Please stick around to the end of the episode to hear a snippet of our past conversation with Shea Serrano about DMX. Rest ...
Producer and DJ The Twilite Tone sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Stevie Wonder's 1980 comeback album, Hotter Than July. We get into Stevie's foray into country western and reggae, his return to All I Do, a song he cowrote over a decade prior as a teenager, and the impact Disco Demolition Night had on black music.
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Multi-instrumentalist & songwriter Xenia Rubinos joins Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Abbey Lincoln's underrated jazz LP, Abbey is Blue. We discuss Abbey's melancholy voice, her work in the civil rights movement, and how her work has influenced Xenia's own music.
More on Xenia Rubinos
More on Abbey Lincoln
This week marks the 17th anniversary of Madvillainy and we invited A&R man and producer Dante Ross to discuss working with KMD, Dumile's move from Zev Love X to MF DOOM, and the stories behind the production of Mr. Hood and Black Bastards. Buckle up, we go deep on this one.
Rest in power, Villain
More on Dante Ross
More on DOOM
DJ and record collector Megan Pattison AKA DJ Mamabear sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss Teena Marie's It Must Be Magic. They get into Teena's growth as an artist and producer, the growing rift between her and Motown Records, and how roller skating was the best way to get into new music
More on Megan Pattison
Mor...
Writer and DJ Sheila Burgel sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss The Ronettes' Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica. We talk about impact of girl groups through the decades, the "wall of sound" formula, and the influence of girl groups across the globe.
More on Sheila Burgel
- Check out Sophisticated Boom Boom on WFMU
- Sheila's astonishing record collection (Dust & Grooves)
- Website
More o...
It doesn't get much more classic than this, John Coltrane's A Love Supreme is a bonafide heat rock. Musician/DJ Jeff Parker sits down with Oliver and guest co-host Jocelyn Brown to discuss this truly iconic album, it's unexpected gospel leanings, and the intentionality behind every aspect of this album.
More on Jeff
Singer/songwriter Samm Henshaw sits down with us remotely to discuss Kirk Franklin's gospel masterpiece, The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin. The blending of secular music and gospel, Kirk Franklin's role in the gospel music scene, and how his own work has been influenced by Kirk's work.
More on Samm Henshaw
- Check out Samm's new single All Good
- Instagram | Website
More on Kirk Franklin
We wrap up another edition of Take Two and discuss Mary J Blige's debut album What's The 411? We get into Mary's role in hip-hop soul, the story of Uptown Records, and Mary's image at the time.
More on Naima
- Check out #MusicSermon
- Naima’s chat with the National Museum of African American Music
- Twitter | Instagram
More on What's the 411?
Take Two is back again with another couple of iconic albums from an iconic artist. This time, Morgan is talking about Mary J Blige's album "Mary" with music industry vet Naima Cochrane. We get into Mary's shift in tone on this album, the production and talent behind the scenes, and what Mary means to New York.
More on Naima
In honor of J Dilla's birthday, we've put together a medley episode featuring our conversations on Donuts and Fantastic, Vol. 2 with Nate Patrin and Dan Charnas, respectively. Happy Birthday Jay Dee, we miss you.
If you like these snippets, please check out our full episodes in the archives!
Show Tracklisting
- J Dilla: Two Can Win
- Pharcyde: Drop
- Slum Village: Players
- Erykah Badu: Kiss Me On My Neck
- J Dilla: One For Ghost
- Pharcyde: She S...
In January 1960, 22 year-old Etta James began recording her debut album, At Last! It would go on to be her best selling record and the title track is undoubtedly one of the greatest songs ever to be put on wax. Etta lived the blues and effortlessly moved through pop, R&B, and rock. She went on to release countless more records, but never reached the commercial success of At Last, partially due to the changing musical landscape an...
There's a certain lo-fi feel to Jungle Brothers' debut effort, Straight Out The Jungle. The group made the record at home using early sampling technology, but its influence is undeniable. It brought together house music, jazz, and hip-hop, and marked the beginning of the Native Tongues family. Groups like De La Soul and ATCQ would become the biggest members of the collective, but don't sleep on this heater.
Record producer Salaam...
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