Old-School Hip-Hop Interviews Episodes

Between 1990 and 1992, Michael Small interviewed more than 60 heroes of old-school hip-hop for his book Break It Down: The Inside Leaders of Rap. He still has all his photos, notes, and tapes of his audio interviews, which have never been shared. It's hip-hop history. But it's just sitting there in a box. Should he keep it all? Or toss it after all these years? Well... before doing anything drastic, he's sharing his audio interviews on I Couldn't Throw It Out -- so you can help him decide. (Coming up: Rap's female pioneers Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Monie Love, and Bytches with Problems)
42
Sept. 30, 2026

How Cool is Vanilla Ice?

Surprises about Vanilla Ice's music and his life are revealed in two never-heard 1990s interviews with the "Ice Ice Baby" rapper
Guest: David Browne
36
Nov. 5, 2025

Salt-N-Pepa: We Talked About Sex

1991 flashback: Hear candid talk about female rappers, obscenity, sexism, and more with Salt-N-Pepa, 2025's newest members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Guest: Clover Hope
27
Aug. 30, 2024

Ice-T: Never-heard 1991 interview

Hear the rapper and actor talk about crime, Hollywood, racism, and more -- before he was a Law & Order SVU detective and just after he created the metal band Body Count
17
Oct. 20, 2023

2Pac's 1991 Interview: Kindness and Rage

Tupac Shakur talks about his violent arrest for jaywalking; his Black Panther family; Hollywood hypocrisy; and his program for poor urban kids. Plus, special guests discuss his contradictions (explicit)
Guests: Dr. Dre , April Beezer
7
Nov. 5, 2022

Gangsta rapper Eazy-E: My Compton Interview [Explicit]

Compton's rap mogul and NWA founder Eazy-E hanging out with me? Unlikely. But it happened in 1991.  Hear Dr. Dre (former Yo! MTV Raps co-host) explain Eazy's huge cultural impact, then hear Eazy's candid interview.
Guest: Dr. Dre
8
Nov. 5, 2022

Gangsta rapper Eazy-E: Our Final Meeting [Explicit]

Rap mogul Eazy-E's death from AIDS complications in 1995 was a shock. Hear reactions at the time from  Wu-Tang's Method Man and others. Plus, hear my 1992 talk with Eazy while driving in Compton during the L.A. riots. (Part 2 of 2)