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PODCAST

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era

with Chad and Big Absoloot - Gen X Talking Hip Hop

Grown Man Bars is where two Gen X MCs turned opinionated Uncs break down rap culture with no filter. Chad, your resident rap nerd, with Big Absoloot, your OG"s OG dive into Golden Era storytelling, lyricism, GOAT debates, classic producers, and the moments that shaped hip hop. From Slick Rick to Scarface, Nas to J. Cole, DJ Premier to RZA. Old rap and new hip hop. If you came up on mixtapes, Tims, and bars that mattered, this is your spot for real hip hop talk. We"ll bring you up-to-date on the new

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All Episodes

00:28:14

The Quiet Power of Hip Hop in 2025

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/12/30

In 2025, hip hop didn’t move loud — and that was the point.If you were waiting on the album of the year to explain what happened, you already missed it. The biggest moments in hip hop didn’t come with rollouts, release dates, or apology videos. They came with presence.Jay-Z didn’t drop off. He just existed.Dr. Dre didn’t need an album.LL Cool J trended off reputation alone.On this year-end episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot step back from “best of” lists and viral moments to talk about

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00:40:43

From MC to Mogul: How Rappers Built Power Beyond the Mic

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/12/23

Hip hop has always celebrated success —but what happens after the rap career peaks?In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down the 9 rappers who successfully transitioned from artists to moguls, ranking them based on business impact, longevity, ownership, and cultural power — not record sales alone.This episode explores:Why Jay-Z redefined what winning after rap looks likeHow Dr. Dre built infrastructure, not just hitsIce Cube’s shift from artist to executive

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00:30:55

T.I. vs Ludacris: A 9-Round Southern Rap Debate

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/12/16

Was T.I. vs Ludacris ever really a beef — or was it just competition done the right way?On this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down the catalogs round by round, putting T.I. and Ludacris head-to-head in a structured 9-round battle.Each round focuses on a different lane:Early breakout recordsHood vs club anthemsFeature killsBar-heavy deep cutsEmotional storytellingCultural moment recordsTimeless classicsNo hype. No revisionist history.Just grown-man perspective, real

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00:33:49

The Six MCs Who Bent the 90s

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/12/08

90s hip hop laid the groundwork for everything that came after it — but who really bent the decade?In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down their real top six MCs of the 90s based on impact, not sales:Ice Cube – the West Coast political hammer and war reporterRakim – the lyricist who rewired the entire rhyme bookScarface – the Southern storyteller who put the South on his backNas – the street poet who turned albums into moviesSnoop Dogg – the cool gangster who made G-funk

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00:17:03

The 5 Most Disrespectful Diss Tracks in Hip Hop

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/12/02

Most people talk about diss tracks like they’re memes. Funny moments, quick jabs, something to repost. But the real ones—the truly disrespectful ones—did more than win a beef. They changed careers. They shook regions. They rewired the power structure of hip hop.In this episode of Grown Man Bars, I’m breaking down my five most disrespectful diss tracks ever and why they still matter:• DJ Quik – “Dollaz & Sense” (surgical disrespect)• Nas – “Ether” (a spiritual cleanse disguised as a diss)• Ice

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00:52:41

RAP DIDN’T FALL OFF… YOU DID

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/11/25

Let’s stop pretending.If you’re over 35, you’ve said it: “Rap fell off.”But in this episode we’re putting the nostalgia goggles in the trash and grading hip hop before 2005 vs after 2005 with real criteria:• Lyrics• Production• Cultural ReachChad and Big Absoloot break it down the only way grown hip hop heads can:Rakim, Nas, Black Thought and 16-bar architecture vs Kendrick, Cole, Future, Wayne, Lupe, Killer Mike and the algorithm era.Did lyricism die… or did we stop doing the work to find it?Why

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00:37:36

The Battle for the 90s Rap Crown: East Coast vs West...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/11/18

Who really ran 90s hip hop?Grown Man Bars breaks down the decade coast by coast — East Coast (1990–1994), West Coast (1994–1997), and the South (1998–2000) — to finally crown the true winner of the 1990s rap era.We dive deep into the golden era of New York lyricism (Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Rakim, Tribe, De La, Big L), the West Coast G-Funk takeover (Dre, Snoop, Tupac, DJ Quik, Ice Cube, Death Row Records), and the rise of the South (OutKast, UGK, Scarface, Three 6 Mafia, Cash Money, No Limit, Dungeon

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00:54:34

Who Can Beat Hov? Catalog Wars: Jay-Z vs LL, Nas,...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/11/11

Jay-Z said, “Nobody can stand on that stage with me.” Tonight we test it for real—Verzuz rules: 20 songs, 20 rounds. In classic barbershop fashion, Grown Man Bars lines up the catalog kings across eras and asks who actually has the ammo to beat Hov: LL Cool J, Nas, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Drake, Kendrick, Scarface, Rakim, Kane, KRS-One and more. We break down why 20-for-20 is a different sport than “best career,” how crowd, city, and sequencing decide close rounds, and why Wayne and Drake are Hov’s

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00:34:48

The Voice, The Pens: CeeLo Green & Battle Rap’s Blue...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/11/04

Welcome back to Uncle Willie's Barbershop — where Gen-X hip hop heads still rewind with a pencil and argue like it’s ’96. Today, Chad (resident rap nerd) and Big Absoloot break down CeeLo Green — from Dungeon Family roots to Goodie Mob, solo “Soul Machine” brilliance, and global takeover with Gnarls Barkley. Why did his voice and versatility (yeah, take a shot every time we say it) make him one-of-one?Then we get into the underrated battle rappers who never needed a record to be dangerous: AV

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00:35:19

The Soundtracks That Built Hip Hop — And Why They...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/10/28

Grown Man Bars (Chad & Big Absoloot) dive into the golden era of rap soundtracks—from Krush Groove and Wild Style to Above the Rim, Menace II Society, Belly, and the Straight Outta Compton score. We break down why 1988–1996 changed hip hop, how soundtracks launched careers, why labels (Def Jam, Death Row, Loud) used them as hit factories, and why the streaming era killed the format. Then: Book It or Cook It on producer legacies (Mannie Fresh, Organized Noize, Mike Dean, Pimp C, T-Pain, Lil Jon)

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00:29:39

1996 in Hip Hop: The Year That Changed Everything

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/10/21

Grown Man Bars dives into 1996 in hip hop—a year stacked with all-timer albums and larger-than-life moments. We unpack how Tupac’s Death Row run turned him into a myth, why ’96 vs ’06 might be a draw if you only judge the pen, and how Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown rewired mainstream expectations from Brooklyn.In this episodeAlbum wave: All Eyez on Me, The Score, Reasonable Doubt, It Was Written, ATLiens, Ridin’ Dirty, Beats, Rhymes and Life, Ironman, Hell on Earth, Muddy Waters, Hard Core, Ill Na Na, and

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00:48:36

Run-DMC x Aerosmith: How “Walk This Way” Rewired Hip Hop

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/10/14

Run-DMC x Aerosmith changed the game. Tonight we unpack the true story behind “Walk This Way,” how MTV turned rap from underground to unavoidable, and why crossovers—from Fat Boys & Chubby Checker to Jay-Z & Linkin Park, Nelly & Tim McGraw, and Lil Nas X—keep reshaping the culture. Plus: BA’s Absolute Truth, a Lyrical Autopsy of “Peter Piper,” our Top 5 Hip Hop Crossovers, and a quick rap news rundown.Chop it up with the old heads in the barbershop—Grown Man Bars. Smash that like &

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00:45:49

Bodegas, Barbershops & DatPiff: How Mixtapes Beat the...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/10/06

Mixtapes built more legends than radio. Chad & Big Absoloot unpack the mixtape economy that beat the industry: 50 Cent’s rise, DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz, DJ Clue, K Slay, Green Lantern, Dipset, Jeezy’s Trap or Die, Big KRIT, Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & OJ, Fabolous, J. Cole’s Friday Night Lights, Meek Mill Dreamchasers. We debate Lil Wayne’s Dedication/No Ceilings vs the Carter albums, perform a Lyrical Autopsy of Pimp C’s “High Life,” and run Era vs Era (2000s mixtape circuit vs modern streaming)

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00:52:16

The South Got Something to Say: How the South Took...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/09/29

Chad (your favorite rap nerd) and Big Absoloot pull up the barber chairs to answer a simple question with a messy history: did the South take over rap—and did it ever give the crown back? We trace the shift from ’88 foundations to the 1995 Source Awards “South got something to say” moment, then ride through the club/strip club/skating-rink circuit that broke records across Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, Memphis and beyond. We get into crunk’s explosion, chopped & screwed’s influence, the rise of

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00:39:53

1994: The Year Rap Went GLOBAL

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/09/22

1994 changed everything. In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down why 1994 is the most important year in hip hop history. From Nas’ Illmatic and Biggie’s Ready to Die to Outkast putting the South on the map, 1994 was the year rap went global. East Coast, West Coast, and the Dirty South all dropped classics that shaped the culture, while MTV and worldwide tours took hip hop from the streets to the world stage. Tap in for the stories, the music, and the legacy of the year

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00:45:00

The Summer of ’88: When Rap Changed Forever

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/09/15

The summer of 1988 wasn’t just another season — it was the moment rap music grew into hip hop culture as we know it today. In just 90 days, the genre went from underground blocks to global stages.Join Chad (the resident rap nerd) and Big Absoloot (the OG with first-hand knowledge) as they break down why ’88 is still called the greatest year in rap history.We’re talking:Rakim’s “Follow the Leader” and the new rules of lyricismPublic Enemy’s “It Takes a Nation of Millions” shaking up politics and

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00:24:42

Underrated Rappers of the 80s & 90s

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/08/19

Some rappers got the spotlight, others got forgotten. In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and BA pull up the barber chairs to salute the underrated MCs of the 80s and 90s — the ones who had bars, impact, and style, but never got their flowers.We’re talking AZ, MC Ren, K-Solo, Vin Rock, Fife Dawg, Masta Ace, Craig G, Lord Finesse, Grand Puba, Mr. Cheeks, Young Bleed, and more. These are the voices that defined the golden era from the shadows.If you grew up with the tapes, this one’s for you. If

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00:28:41

The Art of Storytelling in Rap – From Slick Rick to...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/08/13

What happened to the story in hip-hop? On this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and Big Absoloot break down the greatest storytellers in rap history – from the Golden Era to today. We’re talking Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story,” Nas’ “Undying Love,” Ghostface’s “Shakey Dog,” Ice Cube’s “Ghetto Vet,” Scarface’s “Mind Playing Tricks on Me,” and even J. Cole’s “Lights Please.”We dig into what makes a great rap storyteller – vivid imagery, emotional honesty, lyrical structure – and why some MCs like

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00:16:46

How Public Enemy Made an Album That Shook Up Rap and...

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/07/01

How Public Enemy's 'It Takes a Nation' Redefined Hip Hop | Grown Man BarsWelcome back to the Barbershop with Grown Man Bars, where Chad and Big Absoloot dive deep into the impact of Public Enemy's groundbreaking album 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.' This episode celebrates and examines how the 1988 album brought political consciousness to hip hop, changed the industry's perception of the genre, and influenced major rap artists like Nas and Kendrick Lamar. From the album's powerful

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00:21:00

Who Had the Best RAP ALBUM of 2000??? Part 1

Grown Man Bars: Remember the Rhyme, Respect the Era ·

2025/03/14

What Was the Best Rap Album of 2000?In this episode of Grown Man Bars, Chad and B.A. dive into the iconic rap albums of the year 2000. They discuss standout records like Ja Rule's 'Rule 3:36', The Lox's 'We Are the Streets', Outkast's 'Stankonia', Ludacris's 'Back for the First Time', and Eight Ball & MJG's 'Space Age 4eva'. The hosts explore the influence and legacy of these albums, reminiscing about the unique sounds and unforgettable

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