Romesh Raganathan’s love letter to Hip Hop breathes life into a moribund movement…
In this new feature I will attempt to recommend a new podcast every week until I run out of podcasts or get bored or die. Lets get on with it.
I have always been a casual Hip Hop fan. Albums by Eminem, Dr Dre, Tupac, Jay-Z, Kanye and ahem… ICP, interspersed with tracks from Snoop, Nas, Busta Rhymes, DMX and many more of the usual suspects you would expect a white lad from Yorkshire to have listened to. In short, there is a lot still out there for me to learn in terms of rap music. The problem I have had when trying delve a little deeper is that so much of it is, quite frankly, shit. I have needed a guide to take my pasty hand and lead me through the valley of the shadow of Hip Hop and show me the best that that world has to offer. Romesh Raganathan is that guide. Hip Hop Saved My Life is that podcast.
The great thing about this podcast is that you don’t need to have an in depth knowledge of rap music to be able to enjoy it. Indeed, some of the guests don’t even have much knowledge in this area themselves but host Romesh Raganathan makes both guest and listener feel at ease with his welcoming and easy going style.
I suppose the highest praise I can lavish on HHSML is that it has inspired me to download a bunch of Hip Hop albums that I otherwise would never have heard. The sheer scope that is covered is particularly impressive with conversations spanning decades, genres and borders to ensure that even the darkest corners of rap music are covered. There is also plenty of time given over to the more mainstream Hip Hop artists however. This podcast is in no way elitist or inaccessible.
Hip Hop Saved My Life is funny, informative and compelling. For those who have seen Raganathan’s other work and enjoyed it, or if you have even a passing interest in Hip Hop, this podcast is a must listen. I would highly recommend the episodes featuring Frankie Boyle and Adam Buxton as a starting point.
For my initial Geek Guide to all things podcast, click here.