Hard2Earn

In this NBA Playoffs episode hosts Torae and Bonsu Thompson gather in front of a live audience to revisit Kanye West’s THE COLLEGE DROPOUT album for the 20th anniversary. Recorded during the last NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis our hosts had a blast running through this classic for a Midwest audience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s been a lot of J Cole talk as of late and with a new 12 song project out the guys will delve into the good, the bad and the blasphemous with the latest episode of #HARD2EARN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 kicks off with Buffalo’s Benny The Butcher! He is back with his highly anticipated Def Jam debut. What better way for Torae and Bonsu to set off a new partnership with the Revolt Podcast Network than with a brand new album from one of today’s best spitters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is common belief across the globe that the greatest rap group of all-time is the Wu-Tang Clan. The Killer Bee reign began with a gritty posse cut and transformative debut album Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers. On Black Friday 2023, HARD2EARN commemorated the 30th anniversary of Wu's 1993 intro with a live conversation at Brooklyn's historic Billie Holiday Theater (The Billie). Special guests Matty C (the man who discovered Wu-Tang) and Mathematics (Wu producer and DJ) add to the convo with a few historic gems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South got something to say and you can't celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th without celebrating the Aquemini Anniversary Live from Stankonia Studios ATL! Hard2Earn sits down with Special Guests Michael Williams and Kawan Prather to break down their most memorable moments from Aquemini and the legacy of Outkast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Give it time, we'll see who's still around a decade from now" - Aubrey Drake Graham A decade later I don't think there's any denying Drake's massive impact and staying power in music. For the latest episode of #Hard2Earn Torae & Bonsu get into Drake's 3rd album NOTHING WAS THE SAME. With so many questioning what is Drake's "classic" album, if any, let's get into this project and see if it's stands the test of time & if this could in fact be the one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Torae & Bonsu gather in front of live audience in New York City to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of Lauryn Hill's classic debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the success of their debut album THE WAR REPORT Capone-N-Noreaga had the hip-hop world on notice and the anticipation for their follow up LP was high. There was only one problem, Capone was locked up and he would be for a while. Instead of letting that momentum go to waste Noreaga took matters into his own hands & enlisted some of the hottest artist in the game to come along for the ride on his solo album N.O.R.E. The result was a 13 track project with certified bangers, tap in with the latest episode of #Hard2Earn as Torae and Bonsu revisit Nore's freshman effort. Press play and have a drink, champ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's been some talk about 2023 not producing a hip-hop album with any substance. Some think things are too mundane & other feels the genre is on a decline. Well much like the infamous 1995 Source Awards....the south got something to say! Enter Killer Mike and his latest solo offering MICHAEL, lots of fanfare & acclaim, but let's put it to the #Hard2Earn test & see what the guys have to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of your favorite MC's brag about how many summers they have ran, but 20 years later Beyonce is currently on a sold out world tour. She might have them all beat! On the latest episode Torae and Bonsu take us back to 2003 to a fresh out of Destiny's Child Beyonce hoping to find success as a solo act. For her solo debut she brought in a lot of heavy hitters, but did she knock it out the park? Tap in, see what the guys had to say & leave your feedback as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DMX has a story unlike any other. From his upbringing and life in the street, to his rise into superstardom and ultimately his passing in 2021 it seems like the Dark Man X had literally done in all. But before he was walking red carpets, he was stalking the streets and serving any MC that dared challenge him. After a few false starts DMX finally got his chance to bark with the big dogs in 1998 when his Ruff Ryders/Def Jam album IT'S DARK AND HELL IS HOT was released. This week the guys take us back to '98 when X dropped his first of two chart topping multi-platinum releases to break down his stellar debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surprise!! Jack Harlow is back with his 3rd major label project JACKMAN. just as his first feature film is about to be released. Great timing and a great time for Torae & Bonsu to drop a new episode of #Hard2Earn. With the success of "What's Poppin" & "First Class" off his first 2 albums respectively, where does JACKMAN. take us? Tap in & check what the guys had to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1998 Big Pun released his groundbreaking debut album CAPITAL PUNISHMENT to critical acclaim and commercial success. He became the first latin solo rapper to go platinum and was Grammy nominated. 25 years later Torae & Bonsu revisit CAPITAL PUNISHMENT track-by-track to see how one of the most lyrically gifted MC's freshman effort holds up today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many years the soundtrack has been a great way to break artist, try out records & utilize motion picture studio budgets in the music space. The Who's The Man soundtrack does all of the above. From promoting known Uptown/MCA acts like Mary J. Blige & Jodeci to breaking newer acts the BIG (later known as The Notorious B.I.G.) this soundtrack was the perfect setting for some amazing music to be showcased. 30 years later Torae and Bonsu run it back to see how these records have stood the test of time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the run that Hit-Boy has been on and with Musiq Soulchild's pedigree of creating brilliant ballads & bops, Torae and Bonsu felt it was necessary to get to VICTIMS & VILLAINS the new collaborative project between the two. Can Hit-Boy truly set himself apart from the crop of producers he's grouped in with? We know Musiq has classics under his belt, but what can his pen and voice do in current times? Only one way to find this all out, tap in to the latest episode of #Hard2Earn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To close out Women's History Month, Torae and Bonsu delve into the second half of SZA's 23 track body of work. Fan favs like "Shirt" & "Good Days" are discussed as well as Torae's personal connection to "I Hate U". Don't fret though, you'll love this convo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SZA returns with her highly anticipated sophomore album SOS. Already doing record breaking numbers on the charts & just days before her sold out tour, Bonsu & Torae give SZA the #Hard2Earn treatment with a 2 part dissertation on the voice of a generation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming off his critically acclaimed role of Roland "Bishop" in the now cult classic film JUICE, 2Pac's sophomore album STRICTLY 4 MY N.I.G.G.A.Z. was highly anticipated. 30 years later Torae and Bonsu revisit the album and get into the complexity of where Pac was upon it's release and ultimately how telling it was for his fate. Tap in now for this very special episode of #Hard2Earn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 2000's there was no one or nothing bigger than 50 Cent & the G-Unit in the streets. 50 Mania reached peak levels when "Wanksta" dropped which set the stage for his major label debut. On February 6, 2003 powered by Dr. Dre's Aftermath, Eminem's Shady & Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records 50 Cent released a certified classic with GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN'. 20 Years later Torae & Bonsu tap back into that 50 Mania for the 1st episode of #Hard2Earn season 3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode Torae and Bonsu review Mase's debut album HARLEM WORLD alongside the album's executive producer, special guest Deric 'DDot' Angelettie in front of a live studio audience in Harlem , NY. DDot details how the album came to be, Mase's importance to Bad Boy & what magic he and the Hitmen brought to the table. We had to give you this special live episode celebrating 25 years of M-A-$-E cause it Feels So Good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices