Today’s episode highlights the beauty in artistic collaboration - creating something greater than the sum of its parts, as well as the beauty of art as a means to process emotion and get through life’s challenges.

The quartet of rapper Teller Bank$, and producers Killer Kane, q no rap name, and Philth Spector joined forces to create one of the best albums of the year, DRUG$$$.

They joined the show to deep-dive into the jazz-like improvisational creative process for the album, the therapeutic effect it had on Teller Bank$ in soundtracking his own personal story of triumph through adversity, and the serendipitous nature of the entire creative journey.

Some wise words from some incredibly talented minds, you will not want to miss this.

Finally, for folks in Toronto, I have a special treat for you... I will be hosting an evening of amazing hip-hop and experimental music featuring cross-country acts that include: Wave Generators, jesse the Tree, NAHreally, GhostboyRJ, and bridge of sand.

Join us on October 16th at BSMT 254 - tickets on sale now, buy here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rmpp-presents-wave-generators-jesse-the-tree-nahreally-live-in-toronto-tickets-1672174632339?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Plug (1:05).

The Interview (2:50).

The highly positive reception to DRUG$$$ (3:16).

The genesis of the collaboration (8:00).

The Flip a Beat Club between the DRUG$$$ producers (13:23).

The recording process for the production of DRUG$$$ (17:34).

Executing the musical vision of DRUG$$$ (21:47).

The overarching narrative behind DRUG$$$ (27:38).

The sound signature of DRUG$$$ (32:56).

Teller’s emotional mindstate while recording DRUG$$$ (38:44).

Short song structure of DRUG$$$ (57:28).

The freedom that the DRUG$$$ instrumentals afforded to Teller (1:03:22).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (1:15:27).

The impact DRUG$$$ had on Teller’s life (1:24:51).

Buy/stream DRUG$$$ here: https://tellerbanks.bandcamp.com/album/drug

Follow Teller Bank$ on Twitter here: https://x.com/Teller_Banks357

Follow q no rap name on Twitter here: https://x.com/qnorapname_

Follow Philth Spector on Twitter here: https://x.com/Philth_Spector

Follow Killer Kane on Twitter here: https://x.com/killerkanebeats

Follow Teller Bank$ on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/teller_banks/

Follow q no rap name on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/qnorapname/

Follow Philth Spector on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/philth_spector/

Follow Killer Kane on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/ourleaderkane/

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

What makes a rap duo special is more than just the quality of beats and rhymes. It’s more than even the stylistic fit between the two elements. The secret sauce lies in a personal bond that extends beyond the music

That’s what today’s guests, New York-based duo Gabe ‘Nandez and Preservation, have in common.

With Gabe’s track record of sharp lyricism and a distinct voice, I knew that pairing him with a musical savant like Preservation would yield strong results (said producer has created masterpieces with yasiin bey, billy woods, Ka, Marci, and more). But even with that said, they completely blew me away, exceeding the lofty expectations I had for them on their new collaborative album, Sortilège.

In this episode, we dive into their personal relationship, their musical chemistry, the magic of the late great Ka, myth-making through rap, and the creative process behind their stellar new record.

Finally, for folks in Toronto, I have a special treat for you... I will be hosting an evening of amazing hip-hop and experimental music featuring cross-country acts that include: Wave Generators, jesse the Tree, NAHreally, GhostboyRJ, and bridge of sand.

Join us on October 16th at BSMT 254 - tickets on sale now, buy here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rmpp-presents-wave-generators-jesse-the-tree-nahreally-live-in-toronto-tickets-1672174632339?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Plug (1:11).

The Interview (3:05).

The genesis of the Gabe x Preservation collaboration (4:50).

The spiritual connection between Sortilège & Aethiopes (8:04).

What made Ka special (12:23).

The recording process for Sortilège (17:50).

The influence of mythology on Gabe’s writing (22:58).

The idea of transformation explored on Sortilège (29:48).

Gabe’s ‘surfer dude’ vibe (34:00).

The stylistic fit between Gabe & Preservation (38:48).

Specific musical choices Preservation made to complement Gabe’s style (43:07).

Importance of current events on war-focused lyrics on Sortilège (47:18).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (52:18).

Buy Sortilège and merch here: https://backwoodzstudioz.com/collections/preservation-gabe-nandez-present-sortilege

Follow Gabe 'Nandez on Twitter here: https://x.com/GabeNandez

Follow Preservation on Twitter here: https://x.com/mondieumusic

Follow Gabe 'Nandez on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/champiyawn/

Follow Preservation on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mondieumusic/

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

How I’d describe my tastes in music would be such that, I don’t care too much about what emotion is conveyed, I just care that there IS an emotion being shared to begin with.

Whether it be portrayals of depression, bliss, and everything in between, I want my music to make me feel something. On top of that, I’m partial to more intense displays of emotion, because I’m a dramatic emotional guy, what can I say?

That’s why the music of today’s guests, Sunmundi and Sasco, really speaks to me, because what they created on their latest album is a wondrous achievement in putting true heartfelt passion on to wax.

The young and talented New York-based duo joined the show to discuss how their relationship formed, their natural creative chemistry, and the artistic approach behind their incredible new collaborative album, Contacting.

I was pleased to co-host this conversation with friend of the show, an accomplished journalist with pieces in Pitchfork, The Guardian, Bandcamp, and more.

So listen on to hear about how one of 2025’s essential records was created, and why you need to have Sunmundi and Sasco firmly on your listening radar from here on out.

The Plug (0:38).

The Interview (2:30).

Reactions to the strong positive response to Contacting (4:20).

How Sunmundi and Sasco connected (7:49).

How Contacting came to be (9:31).

The musical direction for Contacting (13:18).

Sunmundi & Sasco’s shared intuition that conceptualized Contacting (17:46).

Sunmundi’s hyper-expressive rap style (21:27).

Creating music as ‘a vessel’ (28:49).

Future music from Sunmundi & Sasco (33:00).

The post-production work for Contacting (35:54).

The core statement Contacting is communicating (38:33).

Buy/stream Contacting here: https://sasco.bandcamp.com/album/contacting

Follow Sunmundi on Twitter here: https://x.com/sunmundi

Follow Sasco on Twitter here: https://x.com/sascomusic

Follow Sunmundi on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sunmundimusic/

Follow Sasco on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sascomusic/

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

Photo credit used in episode artwork by @suchi__mane on Instagram

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Some people are just born to be in front of a mic, blessed with such charisma, cultural intellect, and communication prowess. That immediately makes listeners hang on their every word.

That’s the kind of guy who is joining us for the 200th episode of The Rap Music Plug Podcast, none other than Richmond Virginia’s own, $ilkMoney.

$ilk’s commanding mic presence, impossibly malleable flow, and artistic vision has made him one of rap’s rising stars from the moment he burst on to the scene as a member of Divine Council. Now firmly in the spotlight as a solo artist, he’s given such dense rewarding work, album after album, and has outdone himself with his latest opus, WHO WATERS THE WILTED GIVING TREE.

In this episode, we discuss recent comments he’s made about Tyler, the Creator and André 3000 that have caught some attention, his free-form psychedelic approach to rap, and the inspiration behind his electric and deeply thoughtful new album.

Also, I’d be remiss not to share a quick thought about this milestone of 200 episodes. Because as much as I’ve run this thing as a one-man show… I did not get here alone.

I wouldn’t be here without the patrons whose kind support and engagement in the RMPP community have powered me through many nights burning the midnight oil brainstorming or editing an episode. I wouldn’t be here without all the artists who trusted me to discuss their work and points of view. And I wouldn’t be here without everyone who’s ever listened to even one episode of this show.

I’ve had the opportunity to have real conversations with people who I feel make some of the greatest art I’ve ever heard. It’s been an unexpected journey so far, and a legitimate dream come true.

This is my baby, and I’m blessed to share their 200th day of existence with $ilkMoney, who made for one of the most entertaining episodes ever on the RMPP.

I hope you enjoy. Thank you so much.

The Plug (0:41).

The Interview (3:09).

$ilkMoney’s non-music interests (4:22).

The inspiration behind $ilk’s unique song / album titles (9:37).

$ilkMoney on his recent comments towards Tyler, The Creator and André 3000 (16:17).

How rap gave $ilkMoney gave him a sense of purpose (25:22).

Maintaining creative freedom and authenticity in the music industry (29:35).

$ilk’s desire to be ‘as free-form as possible’ in rap (34:35).

Psychedelia in $ilk’s art (38:30).

$ilkMoney’s viscerally elastic flow and songwriting (44:54).

How the idea of ‘the giving tree’ inspired $ilkMoney on his new album (53:31).

The degree of vulnerability from $ilkMoney on WWTWGT (1:00:17).

The sonic world of WWTWGT (1:08:45).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch from $ilkMoney (1:11:31).

Buy/stream WWTWGT here: https://silkmoney.bandcamp.com/album/who-waters-the-wilting-giving-tree-once-the-leaves-dry-up-and-fruits-no-longer-bear

Follow $ilkMoney on Twitter here: https://x.com/CUUMMONEY

Follow $ilkMoney on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/silkbooty/?hl=en

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

In a society as broken as today’s, where the power gap between regular working people and the ruling class is expanding on a daily, finding a way to navigate your life and career is challenging. Particularly, when you aim to live your life according to your moral compass, in a way that shows solidarity with those in need, and combats oppressive systems. That’s one of the reasons why artists like today’s guest, DJ Haram, are important… because they pave a different path that takes the power back.

This is the kind of impact that would be vital on its own, but is amplified when in the hands of an artist as skilled as Haram, who blends club, dance, hip-hop, electronic, and noise into a uniquely electrifying mixture.

She’s been responsible for some of the most cutting-edge music in recent years, as 1/2 of 700 Bliss with Moor Mother, lacing experimental rappers like E L U C I D and billy woods with wildly creative beats, and is now fully coming into the spotlight as a solo artist with her fantastic debut solo album on Hyperdub, titled Beside Myself.

This was a very fascinating and fun conversation that hopefully demystifies one of the most interesting figures in all of music.

The Plug (1:17).

The Interview (3:25).

The initial response to Beside Myself (5:47).

DJ Haram’s affinity for defying convention and norms (10:03).

How Haram engages in ‘media manipulation’ (19:25).

The role of an artist (27:41).

Blending Middle Eastern sonics with experimental dance, electronic, hip-hop music (40:33).

DJ Haram’s inspiration to use her voice more on Beside Myself (46:45).

The central statement behind Beside Myself (53:37).

The dynamic sound of Beside Myself (1:02:11).

The connection between Armand Hammer and DJ Haram (1:07:41).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch (1:11:25).

A recent sign of hope for DJ Haram (1:12:30).

Buy/stream Beside Myself here: https://djharam.bandcamp.com/album/beside-myself

Read DJ Haram's Substack here: https://substack.com/@punchlinemaiden

Follow DJ Haram on Twitter here: https://x.com/premiumharam

Follow DJ Haram on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/djharam/

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Today’s guest, Open Mike Eagle, is the most multi multi-hyphenate you will ever come across.

The Chicago native, now LA-based rapper has compiled a legendary catalogue of uniquely idiosyncratic rap and has followed his passion to other mediums as well. TV, YouTube, Twitch streaming, and podcasting are all forms of expression Mike knows well.

His career has been deeply inspiring to myself and other creatives, showing what you can accomplish if you empower yourself to pursue your passions to the fullest extent.

In this episode, you will learn about Mike’s take on making a living as a creator and the mission statement that has informed his artistic journey, authenticity in rap music, the ambitious idea inspiring his new album, Neighborhood Gods Unlimited, and much much more.

All of these interesting thoughts will be shared by one of the art form’s most clear and insightful thinkers. So it goes without saying that this episode is a must-listen for any fan of Open Mike Eagle, and any fan of rap music, period.

This was a true honour to be a part of, so stay tuned for one of the most fascinating conversations hosted on the RMPP to date.

The Plug (0:46).

The Interview (3:03).

The mission perspective for Open Mike Eagle as an artist (3:42).

The most challenging obstacles to making a living as a creator (10:01).

The most ‘successful’ moments of Mike’s career (16:30).

The emotional closeness of Mike’s music (19:50).

Mike’s affinity for vulnerability in his art (23:44).

How Mike found himself as an artist (27:22).

The concept behind Neighborhood Gods Unlimited (32:00).

The personal nature of NGU’s subject matter (36:33).

The intersection of humour and discomfort in Mike’s music (40:38).

The responsibility of contextualizing your own work as an indie artist (46:52).

The songwriting and melodic focus on Neighborhood Gods Unlimited (50:48).

The tranquil soundscape of Neighborhood Gods Unlimited (55:33).

The influence of Mike’s work in Previous Industries on NGU (57:51).

Upcoming creative projects / tour dates / merch (59:46).

Future Cavanaugh music - RMPP patron q from Ajay (1:01:49).

Open Mike Eagle’s legacy (1:02:32).

Buy/stream Neighborhood Gods Unlimited here: https://openmikeeagle.bandcamp.com/album/neighborhood-gods-unlimited

Support all things Open Mike Eagle here: https://linktr.ee/openmikeeagle

Follow Open Mike Eagle on Twitter here: https://x.com/mike_eagle?lang=en

Follow Open Mike Eagle on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/open_mike_eagle/?hl=en

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com

Nothing gets me more psyched than an artist maximizing their potential, fulfilling the promise of their talent. A notable thing about this dynamic is that, in the vast majority of times, these times when I get amped that an artist finally delivered the project they were capable of, typically comes years and years into an artist’s career.

This is precisely what separates today’s guest, shemar, from the pack, as the Brooklyn rapper-producer, still in his early 20s with only a few full projects under his belt, delivered what I feel will go down as not only a defining record of 2025, but a seminal record within this current youth movement of boundary-pushing hip-hop in the New York underground scene.

In today’s episode, we discuss shemar’s poetry background, E L U C I D's influence on his artistic development, and the lyrical and musical inspirations found within his excellent new album, emerge "n" see.

The Plug (1:09).

The Interview (3:05).

The relationship between shemar and Child Actor (4:25).

The importance of this current scene of underground hip-hop (7:53).

shemar’s approach as a rapper (9:57).

The influence of shemar’s poetry background on his rap style (14:40).

E L U C I D’s influence on shemar’s artistic development (19:34).

The personal subject matter of emerge “n” see (26:23).

The mutually beneficial relationship between producing beats and creating raps (28:58).

The development of shemar’s political understanding (31:57).

The inspiration of shemar’s political messaging on emerge “n” see (37:30).

The experimental sound direction of emerge “n” see (41:16).

The challenge of rapping to the experimental beats on emerge “n” see (45:11).

shemar’s consistent boundary-pushing appetite - RMPP patron q from Evan (50:44).

The exploration of gender identity on emerge “n” see - RMPP patron q from Kosey (54:06).

Upcoming projects / tour dates / merch from shemar (58:17).

A shemar x Hester Valentine collab project coming soon? (1:00:34).

Buy/stream emerge "n" see here: https://shemar1.bandcamp.com/album/emerge-n-see

Follow shemar on Twitter here: https://x.com/shemar_aa

Follow shemar on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/shemar.alexander/?hl=en

Intro/Outro beat by: BLOODBLIXING

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Fiending for some more quality rap content? Visit the RMPP website: https://rmpp.squarespace.com/

Want to support and help us grow? Become a RMPP Patron, and gain access to exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/therapmusicplugpodcast

Looking to connect? DM me @rapmusicplugpod on Twitter and Instagram, or shoot me an email at qlctv.podcast@gmail.com