KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Beyonce

Hot Boys and Girls

Fresh and Confucius talk about the impact that this year’s record heat is having on live music in Austin. Then, inspired by Asian Doll’s comments about not wanting to rap at 30, they debate the merits of older rappers.

You’ll learn Hip-Hop Facts about how Andre 3000 lived in Austin, why Dr. Dre turned down opportunities to work with Michael Jackson and Prince, what Missy Elliot song contains Beyoncé’s first solo outing and more.

Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that people don’t actually separate the art from the artists, but instead just decide what bad behavior they will or won’t tolerate.

Confucius talks about Trump’s mug shot,  the recent Republican Party presidential debate, the Biden Administration’s new student loan repayment plan, and more.

Tours from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are big for local economies

COVID cases in Texas rise by almost 25% in a week as concerns mount over a new variant. Although the vast majority of Texans have given up masks and social distancing, health officials say they’re still important tools as cases pick up and students return to the classroom. Dr. Catherine Troisi of UTHealth Houston joins us with an update.

Young plaintiffs in Montana score a high-profile victory in a fight to force their home state to take climate change more seriously. Could a similar approach work in Texas?

And: Tours from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are generating huge spending on everything from concert tickets and merch to spillover effects on travel, clothing and more.

Texas’ top musical moments of the year

From the highlights to the blue notes, what happened in the world of Texas music in 2022. A Texas country music legend says goodbye to the road that goes on forever; our conversation with Robert Earl Keene. Also a renaissance for one of the best know Texas artists of all time: the impact of Beyonce’s 7th album, an homage to house and disco music. And Adrian Quesada turns up the volume on a rediscovered musical genre with his Boleros Psicodélicos. A lonestar-studded review of the year, today on the Texas Standard:

Megan v. YoungBoy: Who Commands a Bigger Crowd?

Megan Thee Stallion and NBA YoungBoy both have plenty of pull in their own right, but what about head-to-head? Confucius and Fresh kick off the show with a debate on crowd density, taste demographics, and more.

As part of their ongoing discussion on once-important vehicles in the digital age, Fresh and Confucius compare viewpoints on the seemingly diminished power of music videos nowadays.

On Hip-Hop Facts you’ll learn about producer Teddy Riley, some behind-the-scenes anniversary facts for Aquemni, KRS-One’s lack of control over Criminal Minded, early Screw tape appearances, and more.

Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion puts a pessimistic spin on the voice of Native Black Austinites while Confucius Reads the News about Coolio’s passing, a recent Biden rally, A$AP Rocky’s mosh pit despair, and the latest legal updates for Gunna.

Texas Standard: September 1, 2022

Employees of Child Protective Services quitting over the state’s policy to investigate families providing gender affirming care to transgender teens. Reports say the agency charged with protecting children in Texas is on the brink of collapse, we’ll hear more. Also, a small voyage for a boat, a giant leap for the long leaky Battleship Texas. We’ll have more on plans to save an historic ship. And two of the most prominent pop stars in the world, both hailing from Texas, both deciding to remove an offensive word from their lyrics. One critic says it elevates the conversation about ableism. Those stories and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 4, 2022

On the witness stand, Alex Jones admits the Sandy Hook shooting was 100% real as a defamation trial against him goes to the jury. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking: a big win for supporters of abortion rights in Kansas sends up red flags for republicans and boosts hopes for democrats. Clues about how the issue could play out here in Texas? We’ll take a look. Plus a rare bipartisan bill to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. Could it also boost Texas’ hopes of becoming a bigger high tech hub? And what a Dallas music writer calls Beyonce’s new album: a love letter to Queer Black music. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Hip Hop’s Holdouts on House Music

Does the act of Beyonce and Drake putting their feet into the house music pool hurt the momentum of hip hop? Confucius & Fresh discuss the implications and ramifications of that argument, then react to Chris Brown’s comment that hip-hop’s dominance has made R&B obsolete.

Confucius’ Hip Hop Facts include an interaction between Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur on the set of Juice, Jay-Z’s still-unreleased Tupac diss track, and Grant Hill’s direct connection to ‘Pac’s footwear on All Eyes on Me liner photos. Fresh talks about how Wu-Tang Clan inspired Wyclef Jean’s “Maria, Maria”, how Moby got his start as a hip-hop DJ at legendary NYC venue Club Mars, and how the game-changing M1 Mixtape was actually preceded by the lesser-known Zoo York Mixtape.

Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion has a message to hardcore fans of all kinds: stop ruining the experience of your beloved series or franchise for yourself by setting personal expectations!

At the tail end, Confucius and Fresh share their thoughts about the FDA’s Marketing Denial for JUUL Vape Pods.

Stand Up Comedy and Juneteenth

In the first segment of this episode, Confucius and Fresh interview comedians Rochelle Genivive Clinton, Dasharae, Daniel West, and Jordan McDonald.

For Hip Hop Facts Fresh talks about Nick Cannon’s pre-Wildin’ Out backing by Will Smith, the myth that Naughty By Nature’s Treach left a reptilian surprise for Tommy Boy Records CEO Tom Silverman, and DJ Premier’s unexpected discovery of Travis Scott through his church community. Confucius discusses why Ice Cube passed on what later became Tupac’s role in the John Singleton film Poetic Justice, how Tupac invented the Humpty Dance, and what Master P said to Snoop Dogg after Snoop recorded an “F Death Row” album for Mack10’s label Hoo-Bangin’ Records.

Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion covers how he doesn’t care how people choose to celebrate Juneteenth, nor the notions of corporations pandering to black consumers, especially if you’re not from Texas!

Confucius wraps things up with the announcement of Beyonce’s album Renaissance: Act 1, Anthony Fauci testing positive for COVID-19, and the granting of additional humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Sliding Into 2021 Like…

On this episode of The Breaks:

The Breaks are on every Saturday 10pm-1am on KUTX 98.9.

You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.

 

Nelly vs Ludacris

This week on The Breaks Confucius and Fresh discuss:

      • The most recent Verzuz battle between Nelly and Ludacris
      • Their own verzuz style battle on Saturday, May 23rd at 8pm when they face off about which was a better year in hip-hop — 1998 or 1999. Watch on the Instagram on the @KUTX account or the @TheBreaksKUTX account.
      • How history was made when Doja Cat’s “Say So” remix featuring Nicki Minaj reached number one on the Billboard charts, and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” remix featuring Beyonce reached number two. This is the first time that four black female solo artists have held top two spots on the chart.
      • In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh defends the Netflix show Black AF and tells us why he thinks the show’s critics are being too harsh.
      • In his Confucius Says segment, Confucius argues that the music industry in the United States and the Austin music scene in particular need to accept hip-hop and R&B as mainstream and not hold them to a higher standard than artists in other genres.
      • The Local Song of the Week is “Do You Mind” by Nayome

Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, Spotify or Stitcher

The Breaks are on every Saturday 10pm-1am on KUTX 98.9.
You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.
 

The Breaks: 1996 vs 1997

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

    • Talk about Megan Thee Stallion’s new Savage remix featuring Beyoncé.
    • Touch on Drake’s new record Dark Lane Demo Tapes. 
    • Discuss their Instagram versuz battle between hip-hop of 1996 vs 1997.
    • In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh defends 1997 as a better year for hip-hop than people give it credit for.
    • And in his Confucius Says segment, Confucius urges everyone to accept other people’s experiences even if you weren’t a part of them.

Listen to this episode of The Breaks

Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, Spotify or Stitcher

The Breaks are on every Saturday 10pm-1am on KUTX 98.9.
You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.
Listen to the music featured in the 1996 vs 1997 battle
 

Lone Star Playlist

Texas has inspired many a singer-songwriter. So if you’re traveling across the state, you might consider listening to what others have seen on those wide-open roads. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Texas Standard: December 26, 2018

Some observers say the Lone Star State is experiencing a moment: we’re turning it into an hour as we go deep in the art of Texas on a special edition of the Texas Standard. From a major face lift at Houston’s museum of fine arts to a renaissance of Texas music spreading far and wide beyond the stereotypical frontiers, a famous film director returning to his roots, a photographer giving us a new perspective of our home state from a mile in the sky, to kids in the valley turning their lives into verse…we’re getting creative on this special edition of the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 6, 2016

We’re checking in with polling places from one end of the Lone Star State to the other as Texans cast their ballots on decision day 2018. How are the lines looking at the polls? If you’re not in line, you’re about to find out as we touch base reporters statewide for the latest. Also, who actually counts all those ballots and without a paper trail, what then? We’ll explore how the sausage gets made on election night. And in other news, the famous Texan who’s remixing black feminism. You’ve heard of Beyoncé? You’ll wanna hear this. Plus the rare bird returning to the Texas gulf coast. All of that and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 21, 2018

The president didn’t like the optics, he said, so he signed an executive order. Smoke and mirrors? We’ll take a much closer look at the presidential directive to end family separations and explore what its does and likely does not do. Also the impact of family separation on kids, and how this major story in the U.S. is playing in papers south of the border. And Texas democrats gather for their convention, we’ll have a preview. Plus a look over our shoulder at what the Texas GOP just did. A major change of position on the question of marijuana. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 11, 2018

Bitter rivals have started launching rockets at each other, raising concerns among experts about the world’s next big war, we’ll explore. Also, as investigations continue into possible presidential collusion with Kremlin insiders, we’ll hear how the Russians tried to turn Houston’s Beyonce into a weapon of mass distraction. Plus the self taught scientist who gather more data from inside a tornado than anyone else before or since, but in the chase for data lost his life. Also, what could keep a new oil boom from taking hold in west Texas? Would you believe a sand lizard? Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Lemonade Anniversary Live Show Celebration (Ep. 8)

DaLyah and Jackie celebrate the two-year anniversary of Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade with their first live show at the Tiny Texas Podcast Festival. They speak linguistics and Southern identity with Alexis McGee. McGee is a doctoral candidate in the University of Texas at San Antonio Department of English studying black feminist theory, black women’s language & rhetoric. Two&Fro also hosts their first live lip sync and “Who Bit Beyoncé” debate.

Texas Standard: February 11, 2016

The Supreme Court sides with Ken Paxton- what does the ruling really mean efforts to get Texas to clean the air? We’ll explore. Also a journalist is killed in Mexico. The government suggests it’s her own fault. The blame game and the ongoing drug war. And the new American divide luxury cities—versus Texas…we’ll explain. Also how does the saying go? With friends like these who needs…Facebook? Our digital savant explores who his real friends are. And the lingering culture of Johnny football—what’s really going on at Texas A&M?
All that and more today on the Texas Standard:

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