Larry Mizell Jr. revisits 2008, a pivotal year in the rise (and fall) of Kanye West. As a standout producer and Black icon, his gradual alignment with far-right ideologies has affected how we talk about hip-hop, Blackness, and mental health. 

Joining the conversation are Martin Douglas, Stas THEE Boss, DJ Yaddy, and Christy Karefa-Johnson (DoNormaal). 

Audio engineering and production by Roddy Nikpour. 

Support the podcast: kexp.org/50hiphop

Larry Mizell Jr. revisits 2008, a pivotal year in the rise (and fall) of Kanye West. As a standout producer and Black icon, his gradual alignment with far-right ideologies has affected how we talk about hip-hop, Blackness, and mental health. 
Joining the conversation are Martin Douglas, Stas THEE Boss, DJ Yaddy, and Christy Karefa-Johnson (DoNormaal). 
Audio engineering and production by Roddy Nikpour. 
Support the podcast: <a href="https://kexp.org/50hiphop">kexp.org/50hiphop</a>

Kurt Cobain’s influence went beyond just the music he created with Nirvana. He also put the masses on to some of his own favorite artists. One particular document from his journals has been instructive to many fans – his top 50 albums. Each week, The Cobain 50 podcast digs into albums from this famous list and how they may have influenced Cobain and Nirvana. While learning the individual histories of the different albums on the list, we gain new insights into artists on the fringes as well as some of the biggest groups of all time. The podcast takes us through the legacies of acts like Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Breeders, Public Enemy, PJ Harvey, Black Flag, Mazzy Star, The Shaggs, Shonen Knife, and more. Episodes drop weekly starting January 10, 2024.

Kurt Cobain’s influence went beyond just the music he created with Nirvana. He also put the masses on to some of his own favorite artists. One particular document from his journals has been instructive to many fans – his top 50 albums. Each week, The Cobain 50 podcast digs into albums from this famous list and how they may have influenced Cobain and Nirvana. While learning the individual histories of the different albums on the list, we gain new insights into artists on the fringes as well as some of the biggest groups of all time. The podcast takes us through the legacies of acts like Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Breeders, Public Enemy, PJ Harvey, Black Flag, Mazzy Star, The Shaggs, Shonen Knife, and more. Episodes drop weekly starting January 10, 2024.

The Cobain 50

50 Years of Hip-Hop - 2008: We Need to Talk About Kanye West

This episode marks the end of The Cobain 50 and El Cancionero de Kurt. After going through all 50 albums from Kurt’s list, we celebrated with an event in KEXP’s Gathering Space with a packed house of fans of Nirvana and the podcast to reflect on the series, what it’s meant to us, and what we’ve learned going through all of this music.

Below find translations of the Spanish and Portuguese clips aired throughout the episode.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our podcasts. We love you so much, it makes us sick.

CLIP #1:

Luis Carlos Calanca: “Maybe it made him explode, again in Brazil and worldwide it was Kurt Cobain when the band Nirvana came here. Months later, when Kurt Cobain saw them here, he started saying that the band was sensational. And then all the kids wanted to know about Os Mutantes.

Lucinha Barbosa: “That’s how, word of mouth, I think, until '98, the big ones started to pay attention because there was no one to stay, no major record company that advertised didn't have that exactly through the fans themselves, word by word.”

CLIP #2:

José Bellas: Yes, that's right.The next day interviews were scheduled. I had to interview Dave Grohl. and I spent some time before the show at the house of one… one of the two managers of Los Brujos that was Alejandro Almada and he gave me a record for them. I took it there and

I gave it to him (Dave). Anyway, another thing that was going around was that, during Los Brujos' soundcheck, Grohl showed up  and went to backtages singing the song, people were saying that before Nirvana went on.

CLIP #3:

Jorge Francisco Soto Flores: Seattle could be any city in Chile. Seattle is a remote place, a rainy place, a place of forests. We (Chileans) are the end of the world, we are the outsiders. We have barriers that could be the Andes Mountains, the desert, the ice, the Pacific Ocean… It happened at a specific time in the 90s. We were returning to a pseudo-democracy. There is also something about representation with the lyrics in every aspect from pessimism now knowing what is going to happen next and also added to to the fact that Chileans love rock music. They are fans of rock and metal. What reason is there for people to be so fanatical about Chris Cornell that here is a god? About Cobain who is a god; that Eddie Vedder, who is a god; Mark Lineman who is a god. I think that’s the only explanation. I don’t see any other, honestly.

 

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Recorded by: Brandon Fitzsimmons
Audio Produced by: Julian Martlew and Dusty Henry

Mixed and Mastered by: Matt Martin
Special thanks to: Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr.

This episode marks the end of The Cobain 50 and El Cancionero de Kurt. After going through all 50 albums from Kurt&rsquo;s list, we celebrated with an event in KEXP&rsquo;s Gathering Space with a packed house of fans of Nirvana and the podcast to reflect on the series, what it&rsquo;s meant to us, and what we&rsquo;ve learned going through all of this music.
Below find translations of the Spanish and Portuguese clips aired throughout the episode.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our podcasts. We love you so much, it makes us sick.
CLIP #1:
Luis Carlos Calanca: &ldquo;Maybe it made him explode, again in Brazil and worldwide it was Kurt Cobain when the band Nirvana came here. Months later, when Kurt Cobain saw them here, he started saying that the band was sensational. And then all the kids wanted to know about Os Mutantes.
Lucinha Barbosa: &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how, word of mouth, I think, until '98, the big ones started to pay attention because there was no one to stay, no major record company that advertised didn't have that exactly through the fans themselves, word by word.&rdquo;
CLIP #2:
Jos&eacute; Bellas: Yes, that's right.The next day interviews were scheduled. I had to interview Dave Grohl. and I spent some time before the show at the house of one&hellip; one of the two managers of Los Brujos that was Alejandro Almada and he gave me a record for them. I took it there and
I gave it to him (Dave). Anyway, another thing that was going around was that, during Los Brujos' soundcheck, Grohl showed up&nbsp; and went to backtages singing the song, people were saying that before Nirvana went on.
CLIP #3:
Jorge Francisco Soto&nbsp;Flores: Seattle could be any city in Chile. Seattle is a remote place, a rainy place, a place of forests. We (Chileans) are the end of the world, we are the outsiders. We have barriers that could be the Andes Mountains, the desert, the ice, the Pacific Ocean&hellip; It happened at a specific time in the 90s. We were returning to a pseudo-democracy. There is also something about representation with the lyrics in every aspect from pessimism now knowing what is going to happen next and also added to to the fact that Chileans love rock music. They are fans of rock and metal. What reason is there for people to be so fanatical about Chris Cornell that here is a god? About Cobain who is a god; that Eddie Vedder, who is a god; Mark Lineman who is a god. I think that&rsquo;s the only explanation. I don&rsquo;t see any other, honestly.
&nbsp;
Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas Recorded by: Brandon Fitzsimmons Audio Produced by: Julian Martlew and Dusty Henry
Mixed and Mastered by: Matt Martin Special thanks to: Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr.

Come As You Are: A Live Finale Episode

On our penultimate episode—and the final album on Kurt Cobain’s list—Martin Douglas dives into Yip/Jump Music by Daniel Johnston. Johnston rose from obscurity by self-recording (and self-dubbing) his own tapes and handing them out at McDonald’s, eventually finding a massive audience after Cobain was repeatedly spotted wearing a t-shirt featuring the cover of Hi, How Are You.

Live in Seattle? Join us in the KEXP Gathering Space on April 26, 2025, for our Come As You Are live finale event. Details here.

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Written & Produced by: Martin Douglas
Mixed & Mastered by: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour
Special thanks to: Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr.

On our penultimate episode&mdash;and the final album on Kurt Cobain&rsquo;s list&mdash;Martin Douglas dives into&nbsp;Yip/Jump Music&nbsp;by Daniel Johnston. Johnston rose from obscurity by self-recording (and self-dubbing) his own tapes and handing them out at McDonald&rsquo;s, eventually finding a massive audience after Cobain was repeatedly spotted wearing a t-shirt featuring the cover of&nbsp;Hi, How Are You.
Live in Seattle? Join us in the KEXP Gathering Space on April 26, 2025, for our Come As You Are live finale event.&nbsp;<a href="https://kexp.org/events/kexp-events/come-as-you-are-a-live-finale/" data-stringify-link="https://kexp.org/events/kexp-events/come-as-you-are-a-live-finale/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Details here.</a>
Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas Written &amp; Produced by: Martin Douglas Mixed &amp; Mastered by: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour Special thanks to: Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr.

Daniel Johnston – Yip/Jump Music (1983)

Janice Headley chats with frontman and co-founder Jad Fair for this in-depth look at the Half Japanese album We Are They Who Ache with Amorous Love. Plus, KEXP presents the world premiere of “Lemonade Sunset,” the first single off the next Half Japanese album coming out this July via Fire Records. 

Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas
Written & Produced: Janice Headley
Mixed & Mastered: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour
Special thanks to Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr. 

Janice Headley chats with frontman and co-founder Jad Fair for this in-depth look at the Half Japanese album&nbsp;We Are They Who Ache with Amorous Love. Plus, KEXP presents the world premiere of &ldquo;Lemonade Sunset,&rdquo; the first single off the next Half Japanese album coming out this July via Fire Records.&nbsp;
Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas Written &amp; Produced: Janice Headley Mixed &amp; Mastered: Matt Martin and Roddy Nikpour Special thanks to Isabel Khalili and Larry Mizell Jr.&nbsp;

50 Years of Hip-Hop - 2008: We Need to Talk About Kanye West

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