The Breaks

Respect Andre 3000

This week on The Breaks, Fresh is flying solo while Confucius is out:

He talks about Young Thug’s reasons for not wanting to work with Andre 3000.
He unpacks Kevin Hart’s conversation with his fans on the Clubhouse app about comments he made about his daughter in his latest standup special.
In the wake of many people’s dismay following the latest release of the Grammy nominations, Fresh states his Unpopular Opinion that Black music deserves to be represented accurately in the Grammy Awards

VOTE!!!

On this episode of The Breaks

Hosts Confucius and Fresh talk about how they have already voted
They both talk about D.J. Funkmaster Flex’s recent comments about T.I., and discuss how they feel like his opinion is just another expression of New Yorkers’ disdain for Southern hip-hop.
Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that Bryson Tiller is overrated.
In his Confucius Says segment Confucius encourages all people, especially Black people, to exercise their right to vote in this election.

Busta Rhymes vs. T.I.

On this episode of The Breaks”

Hosts Confucius and Fresh discuss Busta Rhymes desire have a Verzuz battle with T.I. and T.I’s consistent refusal to do so. Plus they discuss the upcoming Verzuz battle between T.I. and Jeezy.
Both hosts point out that no one from the Austin City Limits Festival has reached out to them about to talk about the lack of hip-hop on this year’s virtual ACLfest.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh states that homecoming means much more in college than it does in high school, especially if you attend an HBCU.
In his Confucius Says segment, Confucius makes it clear that any artist accused of physical or sexual assault against a woman will no longer be supported by The Breaks

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No Rap at ACLfest?!?

Confucius and Fresh share their thoughts on the glaring lack of hip-hop acts on the virtual Austin City Limit Festival Lineup.
Both hosts debate whether or not Gucci Mane is the greatest A&R rep in recent hip-hop history.
Fresh and Confucius express their surprise at learning that Big Sean’s first advance from Kanye after signing to G.O.O.D. Music was $15,000.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh argues that Sauce Walka does not get enough credit.
In his Confucius Says segment, both Confucius and Fresh implore everyone listening to go out and VOTE!

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Don’t Argue with Stupid

This week on The Breaks Fresh and Confucius:

Discuss the success of Cardi B’s new song “WAP” featuring Megan the Stallion.
Talk about the recent arrests of two men for the 2002 murder of Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay.
Theorize as to why Akon might be hanging out with Tekashi 6ix9ine.
Debate whether Kim Kardashian’s involvement in the effort to free C Murder will be make an impact.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh hopes that Jay-Z can let go of any lingering pettiness he might feel towards Nas.
In his Confucius Says segment, Confucius says that it’s not worth it to try to understand other people’s baffling decisions.

WAP!

This week on The Breaks Fresh and Confucius:

Talk about why they love “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan thee Stallion and explain why they’re frustrated by the backlash surrounding the song.
Celebrate the birth of hip-hop on on August 11, 1973. That’s when DJ Kool Herc threw the “Back to School Jam” at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, NYC.
Debate what it means for a song to be “a hit.”
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh states that the XXL Magazine Freshman Class is still relevant.
Confucius encourages people to rethink what closure means in his Confucius Says segment.

Master P is King

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

Touch on the influence and enduring legacy of Master P as laid out in the No Limit Chronicles.
Discuss Jaguar Wright’s sexual assault allegations against Common.
Talk about Zonnique’s pregnancy announcement to her stepdad T.I. on her new show The Mix.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh argues that Austin artists are not entitled to support just because they are from Austin.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius warns intelligent people to not weaponize their smarts to demean others.

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Leave Megan Alone!

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

Discuss Megan Thee Stallion’s latest IG live post about rapper Tory Lanez shooting her in both feet.
Talk about Snoop Dogg’s appearance on The Breakfast Club.
Touch on the emerging conflict between Lil Baby and Migos.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh argues that Jack Harlow is overrated.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius reminds us that other people’s behavior is often about survival, so we shouldn’t take their actions too personally.

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Kanye, Megan and Nick

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

Discuss Kanye West’s rally in South Carolina and his recent erratic behavior.
Talk about Tory Lanez’s arrest on gun charges after police find Megan Thee Stallion in his car suffering from gunshot wounds.
React to Nick Cannon’s anti-Semitic comments on his podcast.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh argues that Black music executives are also complicit in the exploitation of Black musicians.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius argues that you can still respect someone without respecting every one of their decisions.

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Kanye for President?

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

Discuss Kanye’s West’s announcement that he is running for president.
Touch on the impact of COVID-19 on Austin’s live music venues.
Talk about ACL Radio’s Blues on the Screen curated by Jackie Venson.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh urges the biggest Black artists in Austin to speak out about their experiences of racism in the Austin music scene.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius explains that loyalty is a two-way street.

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Shutting Down…Again

This week on The Breaks, Confucius and Fresh:

Discuss the uptick in COVID-19 cases in Texas, Texas’ second wave of shutdowns and the impact on the service industry in Austin.
Talk about how Tekashi 6ix9ine finally scored a No.1 on the Billboard charts with his collaboration with Nicki Minaj, “TROLLZ”and debate how important reaching No. 1 really is.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh calls on more R&B artists to put out music that reflects the current moment.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius looks at how people have treated Noname after she released “Song 33” in response to J. Cole’s “Snow on tha Bluff” and encourages people to stop trying to silence Black women.

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J.Cole vs Noname

This week on The Breaks, Confucius and Fresh

Touch on their memories of past Juneteenth celebrations and talk about what this year’s event might look like.
Discuss the criticism surrounding J.Cole’s new song ” Snow on Da Bluff” and the way he appears police the tone used by a Black woman activist (presumably Noname).
Talk about the Black Austin Matters mural and explain why grand public gestures can not replace policy addressing systemic racism.
Explore why Black Austin Artists are no longer willing to stay silent about systemic racism in the Austin Music Scene.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh argues that fans do appreciate Kendrick Lamar and are ready for his next album.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius discusses the integral role of Black women in the struggle for Black liberation.
This week’s local song of the week is “RED” by MALIK.

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No Justice, No Peace

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

Share how they feel about artists putting out music unrelated to the times.
Discuss Miami based rapper Trina’s response to protests against police brutality and Quarterback Drew Brees’s thoughts on kneeling in protest to police violence.
Talk about the controversy surrounding Blackout Tuesday.
Discuss Rush Limbaugh’s appearance on The Breakfast Club.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh argues that top prospects attending HBCUs will not cause significant changes in the way the NCAA operates.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius argues that when we are trying to end police brutality we need to completely rebuild, rather than reform, the system.

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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.

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius talk about the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Mike Ramos in Austin and the resulting protests. They touch on their experiences as black men in America, their frustration with systemic racism and the need for sustained solidarity from society at large, not just during times of tragedy.

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.

Lana del Rey vs The Breaks

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

Respond to Lana del Rey’s comments to the culture following four black female artists topping the Billboard Chart.
Celebrate The Notorious B.I.G.’s birthday and explore his impact on hip-hop.
Discuss Tekashi 6ix9ine’s comments surrounding the rise of “Stuck on U” by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s to Billboard’s No.1 spot.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh defends Lil Wayne as the third in the rap equivalent of the trifecta of Michael Jordan, Lebron and Kobe.
In his Confucius Says, Confucius encourages people to remember what they learned during lockdown as we all come out of quarantine.

Listen to this week’s 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.

Celebrating Friday

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:

Talk about the successful battle between Teddy Riley vs Babyface and a potential battle between Dr. Dre and Diddy.
Discuss the recent conflict between French Montana and Young Thug over Montana’s comments about Kendrick Lamar.
Touch on the lasting impact of Friday on its 25 anniversary.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh defends Drake’s first album Thank Me Later.
In his Confucius Says segment Confucius explains how love is not always enough to get us though the hard times.
This week’s local song of the week is “Happy Hour” by Mélat.

Listen to this week’s 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.

The Breaks: Babyface vs Teddy Riley vs Technology

This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius

Talk about the decrease in streaming during the pandemic and what it means for the music industry.
Touch on the continuing beat battles, including the technical difficulties in the battle between Babyface and Teddy Riley.
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh says that Diddy would smoke Jermaine Dupri in a beat battle and that Dr. Dre would beat, but not annihilate, Diddy in a beat battle.
Confucius reminds people to stick by their values especially in this time.
This week’s Local Song of the Week is TEMPLO by Angélica Rahe.

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.

The Breaks: The Weekend vs Usher + Tory Lanez

This week on The Breaks, Confucius and Fresh:

talk about the Weeknd’s comments about his influence on Usher’s track “Climax.”
discuss the difference between artists who came into their own during the era of physical album sales versus artists who came of age in the streaming era.
explore why Tory Lanez had so much popularity with “Quarantine Radio” but yet hasn’t comparable numbers with his new record “The New Toronto 3.”
break down the recent Beat Battle between RZA and Premiere, and explain why they are excited for the upcoming Beat Battle between Babyface and Teddy Riley on April 18th.
Fresh puts forth his Unpopular Opinion that “All American” is not a great TV show.
Confucius encourages people to be open to the lessons they are learning about themselves in quarantine.
This week’s Local Song of the Week is “ICU” by Kydd Jones.

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.

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

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.

Cancelled! SXSW vs COVID-19

This week on The Breaks:

Fresh talks about the City of Austin’s decision to cancel SXSW due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns and the longterm negative impacts it will have on the Austin economy, especially for the individuals and businesses that rely on the festival for a significant portion of their income. Plus, he tells us why he’s got no time for people who dismiss the impact it will have on the city
Fresh dives into the drama surrounding the release of Megan Thee Stallion’s new EP, “Suga.”
Austin artist Drint joins Confucius and Fresh in Studio 1A to play his song”Don’t Save Me,” and to talk about the making of his new EP of the same name.
In this week’s Unpopular Opinion, Fresh tells us how hardworking Austin musicians will continue to hustle regardless of whether SXSW happens or not
The Local Song of the Week is “Dismissed” by Shiela.

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.