After reacting to Apple Music’s recent “100 Best Albums” list, Pause/Play producer and co-host Miles Bloxson joins Confucius and Fresh to talk women’s safety in a genre once run by abusers. Catch that alongside Hip-Hop Facts and Confucius Reads the News, plus an Unpopular Opinion on the modern equivalent to What’s Going On? in this episode.
Lil Jon
Officially the Best Radio Show
After so many consecutive nominations, Confucius and Fresh reflect on their first ever ‘Best Radio Show’ Austin Music Award before discussing why longtime Austinites are jaded to good opportunities. And in between Hip-Hop Facts and Confucius Reads the News, Fresh dishes a particularly Unpopular Opinion on why the music industry actually doesn’t need to change.
The GOAT Rap Album / SXSBreaks 2024
What’s the greatest rap album of all time? Confucius and Fresh weigh options before revealing this year’s SXSBreaks lineup. Also, Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion makes a compelling point about how extensive familiarity with a city’s culture diminishes interest in its scene.
Cappin’ for Unhinged Creatives
Kanye West has made more than his fair share of outrageous headlines this past week, leading Confucius and Fresh to wonder…why continue to cap for unhinged creatives past their point of no return?
And when it comes to the current generation of younger rappers who seemingly can’t dress themselves, is it generational taste, or just objectively gaudy?
Hip-Hop Facts features tidbits on DJ Premier, Lil Jon, and Frank Ocean plus anecdotes on 8 Mile, Men in Black, and more.
Fresh’s latest Unpopular Opinion makes it clear: put Nicki Minaj alongside her rapper peers instead of atop the pop pedestal.
Finally, Confucius Reads the News on Steve Bannon’s prison sentence, Nick Cannon’s latest kid, Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase, and Rihanna’s new single.
R&B’s Diminishing Dominance
In this episode, Confucius and Fresh break down what happened to R&B as a dominating force before debating whether or not Austin City Limits Music Festival has “gotten better” at showcasing rap in recent years.
On Hip-Hop Facts you’ll hear about Lil Jon’s double distribution of the “Yeah” instrumental, birthday boy Ginuwine’s real name, and the first of many Belly film trivia tidbits.
Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion goes meta when he defends the significance of The Breaks itself for playing local artists.
And no news from Confucius this week; Instead he talks up his headliner comedy gig this Wednesday at The Pershing, hosted by Fresh!
The Breaks’ Mt. Rushmore of Rap
The week on The Breaks:
- Fresh is out, so Confucius answers the question put forth by Rap Caviar — Who are the 4 best rappers of the 2010’s? For Confucius it’s Drake, Kendrick, Future and Nicki Minaj.
- Confucius puts forth that of his top 4 hip-hop artists, Drake is hands down the biggest artist of them all.
- Confucius discusses the release of DMX’s posthumously released record “Exodus.”
- In this week’s installment of Random Hip-Hop Facts you’ll find out info about Lil Jon, the writing of “Still D.R.E.,” why Jay-Z skipped the Grammys and what the most bootlegged album of all time is.
- In his Confucius Says segment Confucius encourages listeners to be honest with themselves about who they are so that they can be true to themselves.
You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.
The Breaks: Beat Battle Edition
This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius
- Talk about the recent live-streamed beat battles, including Mannie Fresh vs Scott Storch and Lil Jon vs T-Pain.
- Touch on the cultural significance of Mannie Fresh.
- Discuss the deep production credits of Lil Jon and T-Pain.
- Address Tekashi 6ix9ine’s release from prison and speculate about how people will react.
- In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh defends Nas as a good beat selector.
- Confucius reminds us that just because you’re sheltering in place, doesn’t mean that you have to transform yourself or learn a new skill — simply surviving right now is enough.
Listen to this week’s episode of The Breaks
Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, Spotify or Stitcher