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What Had Happened Was: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Stony Island Audio & Talkhouse
Season 4 of What Had Happened Was features host Open Mike Eagle in conversation with legendary drummer, band leader and Oscar winner Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson. Throughout the course of the season, Questlove shares the stories behind the first four albums of the Legendary Roots Crew. Along the way, we hear Questlove’s personal rise alongside legends like Black Thought, Dilla, D’angelo, Jill Scott and many more.
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- Jan 29, 202651 min
What Had Happened Once: IDK on his new project Even The Devil Smiles
In this conversation, IDK and OME discuss his latest project, 'Even The Devil Smiles,' exploring the distinction between mixtapes and albums, the impact of his prison experience on his music, and the evolution of rap during his incarceration. He reflects on his influences, the challenges of navigating the music industry independently, and the importance of authenticity and significant collaborations with legendary artists (MF DOOM, Black Thought and more) and the journey of self-discovery and accountability in his life and career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Aug 22, 20241h 1m
What Had Happened Once: Dr. Todd Boyd on 'Rapper's Deluxe'
Between WHHW seasons we're introducing What Had Happened Once, one-off interviews showcasing the history and legacy of rap music. This is a live conversation with Dr. Todd Boyd aka The Notorious PHD from the Chicago Humanities Festival 2024 on his new book Rapper's Deluxe, a full flavored re-contextualization of hip hop history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Jan 3, 202449 min
Season Finale: What is a Soulquarian?
In our season 4 finale we conclude the story of The Roots' 4th studio album Things Fall Apart. In discussing the release and reception of that album we hear the story of the infamous Soulquarian photo shoot for Vibe magazine featuring Questlove, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Dilla, Erykah Badu and more. Where it may have looked like the start of a movement to fans of these artists, according to Questlove himself it was really the end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Dec 27, 202346 min
Things Fall Apart Part 3
In this episode of our season-long sitdown with Questlove we dig even deper into the creation of Things Fall Apart starting with the conclusion of the You Got Me sage then unpacking album highlights like Act Too (Love of my Life) featuring Common and Doube Trouble featuring Yasiin Bey fka Mos Def. The latter story containing a retelling of the moment Questlove knew he needed to level-up his production following a link-up with Dilla, Q-Tip, DJ Premier and The Alchemist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Dec 20, 20231h 4m
Things Fall Apart Part 2
In this episode of our season long interview with Questlove, we continue the story of Things Fall Apart. We hear the stories behind Table of Contents, Step into the Realm, Adrenaline featuring Beanie Siegel and the difficulty in constructing the hit single You Got Me. In the story of the latter we hear how The Roots encountered Jill Scott and the factors that led to her replacement on the song by Erykah Badu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Dec 13, 20231h 2m
Things Fall Apart
In this episode we arrive at The Roots' breakthrough album 1999's Things Fall Apart. With the success of the single and video for What They Do positioning them for stardom they begin to put together the Philadelphia open mic scene that would attract talents like Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild and more for legendary jam sessions. Plus a superproducer from Detroit emerges as the guiding light for a new sound as Questlove is introduced to Dilla by way of a very expensive phone call. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Dec 6, 202353 min
Illadelph Halflife Part 3
In this episode Questlove concludes the story of The Roots' third studio album Illadelph Halflife with the fallout from the release of the single and infamous video for their breakthrough single 'What They Do'. The song's success was everything they wanted but the cost was unimaginable. This episode contains one of the greatest stories in What Had Happened Was history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Nov 29, 202352 min
Illadelph Halflife Part 2
We're deep into the creation of The Root's third stuudio album Illadelph Halflife. In this episode Questlove shares the story behind legendary underground single Clones plus how Chicago's Common became a fixture in the budding post-Native Tongues scene. Around this time The Fugees emerge as friendly rivals as the two groups share stages all over the country. Hear how one live hip-hop band pushed the other to excellence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About What Had Happened Was
Season 4 of What Had Happened Was features host Open Mike Eagle in conversation with legendary drummer, band leader and Oscar winner Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson. Throughout the course of the season, Questlove shares the stories behind the first four albums of the Legendary Roots Crew. Along the way, we hear Questlove’s personal rise alongside legends like Black Thought, Dilla, D’angelo, Jill Scott and many more.
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