Shows / Rhythm and Rhymes
Rhythm and Rhymes
Rhythm & Rhymes is your global hub for all black music. From discussing new releases and trends to exploring the business side of music, we provide dynamic & enlightening perspectives. Join us as we explore the connections between the past and present, unearthing the stories that have profoundly shaped our diverse musical landscape. Get ready to embark on a rhythmic journey that celebrates black music's powerful legacy and evolving influence worldwide.
Episodes
- Rhythm and Rhymes
Juan Atkins: Detroit Techno’s Black Roots and Global Legacy
How did a sound created in Black Detroit become so closely associated with Europe? In this solo R&R episode, AJ remembers techno pioneer Juan Atkins and…
- Rhythm and Rhymes
A 9AM Party, Spotify Superfan Shows, NoCap & Asake
What happens when a party starts at 9AM? AJ recaps 9AM Banger, from the music and open bar to the ticket prices and the crowd. He and Antonio also talk about…
- Rhythm and Rhymes
The Hip Hop Police, Where Conscious Rap Went & Tiakola's WpointM
Listen everywhere: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio go from COINTELPRO to the hip hop police to rap lyrics on trial, and ask who decides what gets…
Rhythm and RhymesAfrobeats, the CIA & the Politics of Popular Music
Is Afrobeats’ global rise a story of talent, label investment, political influence, or overlapping forces? AJ and Antonio debate the Chocolate City/CIA claim…
Rhythm and RhymesUMG's AI Remix Deal, Jay-Z In 8, Jhené Aiko & Unknown T
Antonio breaks down UMG's licensing deal with ElevenLabs for a fan remix platform, what it could mean for DJs, and whether AI is a boost or just ease. Then…
Rhythm and RhymesAfro+ Fest, Kanye’s Reunion & Beyoncé’s B’Day at 20
Join the R&R newsletter: https://open.substack.com/pub/rhythmandrhymes We wanted to be at Afro Plus Fest. Then we saw how the weekend unfolded. AJ and Antonio…
Rhythm and RhymesThe House Whitney Built: Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston & “I Will Always Love You” | EP 150
Subscribe to R&R on Substack: https://substack.com/@rhythmandrhymes Dolly Parton refused to give Elvis Presley’s team half the publishing rights to “I Will…
Rhythm and RhymesNotting Hill Carnival Turns 60. Can London Keep It Alive?
What allows Black music and cultural institutions to last? AJ and Antonio discuss Notting Hill Carnival’s 60th anniversary, Machel Montano’s new Brooklyn…
Rhythm and RhymesDoes Music Really Have No Borders?
Does Afrobeats still describe a musical genre, or has it become an umbrella for nearly every globally visible African artist? AJ and Antonio discuss Ayra…
Rhythm and RhymesWho Owns the Music No One Preserved?
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio dig into who really owns African music that Western labels and collectors traveled in to digitize and…
Rhythm and RhymesMood > Genre: Why Music Is Becoming Genreless
See where music's going, and why: https://substack.com/@rhythmandrhymesGenres are getting harder to define.Artists like Don Toliver, Rico Nasty, Playboi Carti…
Rhythm and RhymesJermaine Dupri and the Hidden Math of Royalties
Modern radio for global Black sounds
Rhythm and RhymesShake It to the Max, the Grammy Rules, and Who Gets to Bet on Africa
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio dig into why the "Shake It to the Max" remix — a billion streams, the first Ghanaian video past…
Rhythm and RhymesTop 10 Albums of 2026 (So Far)
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio run their ten favorite albums of the year — Tierra Whack, Drake, Vince Staples, Jules, Uncle Waffles…
Rhythm and RhymesGovernment Plants: From CIA Jazz to Today
📩 Join the R&R newsletter: https://open.substack.com/pub/rhythmandrhymes 🎧 Listen everywhere: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR If the State Department once used…
Rhythm and RhymesThe Fine Print: Suno's Grant Program, Ghost DJs & the Jay-Z Rollout
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio break down Suno's new "Spark" grant program for unsigned artists — including the "good vibes…
Rhythm and RhymesChristian Rappers vs. Christians Who Rap
📩 Join the R&R newsletter: https://open.substack.com/pub/rhythmandrhymes 🎧 Listen everywhere: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio get into Christian rap…
Rhythm and RhymesAsake's Money & the Afrobeats Monotony Debate
📩 Join the R&R newsletter: https://open.substack.com/pub/rhythmandrhymes 🎧 Listen everywhere: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio break down Asake's new…
Rhythm and RhymesIs Music in Better Hands with Private Equity?
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandR AJ and Antonio dig into Harborview Private Equity quietly amassing 41,000+ songs and $3.8B in catalogs — from Quincy…
Rhythm and RhymesThe Harvard Report That Decided Who Owns Black Music
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandRAJ and Antonio pull up the 1972 Harvard Report — the study that taught major labels to see Black music as supply chains —…
Rhythm and RhymesJazz, Propaganda, and the Government Plant Theory
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandRAJ and Antonio trace the CIA's Cold War Jazz Ambassador Program — where Black artists were sent abroad as freedom symbols…
Rhythm and RhymesMiami Bass, Baile Funk & the Labels That Won't Die
AJ and Antonio trace the direct line from Miami bass record shops to DJ Marlboro's Funk Brasil (1989) — the origin story of baile funk — then pivot to the…
Rhythm and RhymesIs Drake One Away from Michael? Breaking Down Drake Week
Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/RealRandRAJ and Antonio break down Drake's surprise triple release — Iceman, Made of Honor, and Habibti — tracking the bars, the…
Rhythm and RhymesThe Artists Are Talking, But Are You Listening?
Subscribe for weekly conversations on Black music, culture, and the diaspora: https://www.youtube.com/@realrandrLucki has been hiding his influences in plain…
Rhythm and RhymesWho Owns the Michael Jackson Story?
Subscribe to Rhythm FM: https://www.youtube.com/@realrandr AJ went to see the Michael Jackson biopic — and left with more questions than answers. Not about…
Rhythm and RhymesWhy Afrobeats Is More Profitable Abroad Than at Home?
Is Afrobeats being extracted from Africa the same way natural resources are? AJ and Antonio break down why the sound is more profitable in the West than at…
Rhythm and RhymesUsher vs. Chris Brown, Bill Ackman Targets UMG & Rap's Next Problem | R&R Ep. 132
Bill Ackman targets Universal Music Group — and it might change your Spotify bill. We break it down, then go record-for-record on Usher vs. Chris Brown. Plus…
Rhythm and RhymesThe Producer Who Built the 90s, Omah Lay's Return & The Spotify Docuseries
This week AJ and Antonio go deep on Teddy Riley, the man behind New Jack Swing, Don't Be Cruel, Remember the Time, and No Diggity — and why he still doesn't…
Rhythm and RhymesWhy Erykah Badu & D'Angelo Reject Neo Soul Entirely
Subscribe to Rhythm FM: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dr43zvte AJ and Antonio Hughes discuss how Motown executive Kedar Massenburg coined “neo-soul” as a marketing…
Rhythm and RhymesTop 10 R&B Songs of All-Time
🎧 Rhythm FM — DJ Sets & Mixes:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvQ6HdlN59e5fRIcs4E_kSzDh0spqw2o3We tried to guess the Top 10 R&B songs of all time by the…
Rhythm and RhymesWho Are the REAL New Leaders of Hip-Hop? Spotify's List vs Ours
🎧 Tune into Rhythm FM: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvQ6HdlN59e5Na-MNTaYUPeb8pmhGOpkLSpotify dropped a "New Leaders of Hip-Hop" list — and…
Rhythm and RhymesWillie Colón & The Origins of Salsa | R&R 123
Subscribe to Rhythm FM: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dr43zvteOn this episode Hosts AJ Hughes & Antonio Hughes discuss The Legacy of Willie Colón, the origins of…
Rhythm and RhymesWhat Really Happened to Shyne?
🎧 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrA Exploring global music, culture, and power through conversation. Most people know the…
Rhythm and RhymesIs 2026 About to Feel Like 2016 Again? + J. Cole Fall Off
Subscribe to Rhythm FM: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dr43zvteRadio for the global diaspora. Is 2026 about to feel like 2016 all over again?-Revisiting the legendary…
Rhythm and RhymesModern Radio: Why the Playlist Era Failed Global Music | R&R 120
Subscribe to Rhythm FM: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dr43zvteRadio for the global diaspora. New mixes every week.
Rhythm and RhymesWhen Music Became Too Cheap
Streaming gave us access to everything — but at a cost. In this episode, we explore how music became more available than ever while being valued less than…
Rhythm and RhymesBlack American Culture Wasn’t Lost — It Was Interrupted
Are we seeing the results of a 400-year propaganda campaign designed to keep the African diaspora disconnected?
Rhythm and RhymesAI Music, Real Feeling & the Missy Elliott vs Nicki Minaj Debate
Is AI actually capable of making real, usable music — or does it still miss the feeling? In this episode of Rhythm & Rhymes, we experiment with AI music tools…
Rhythm and RhymesWhich One Are You? A 2025 Music Review by Vibe | R&R 116
Everyone wraps their year in music the same way:Top artists. Top songs. Top albums.For this episode of Rhythm & Rhymes, we decided to flip it.Instead of…
Rhythm and RhymesMusic Is a Global Sport Now
Music is officially a global sport. In Episode 115 of Rhythm & Rhymes, we explore the growing globalization of music — from major label expansion into Africa…
Rhythm and RhymesWhy Your Spotify Wrapped Is Wrong
Your Spotify Wrapped might not be telling you the truth — and in this episode we explain why. We break down the hidden metric behind Wrapped (weighted…
Rhythm and RhymesHow Did 50 Cent Get the Diddy Documentary?! | R&R 113
Episode 113 — This week, we react to the wild news that 50 Cent is executive producing the new Diddy trial documentary for Netflix. How did he get the footage?…
Rhythm and RhymesTyler’s Artist of the Year + UK Ticket Ban & Juke Revival
Episode 112 | Rhythm & Rhymes This week we get into Tyler, The Creator being named Apple Music’s Artist of the Year — did he really earn it, or were there…
Rhythm and RhymesWale, Summer Walker, & The Return of Hip-Hop&B
Episode 111 breaks down Summer Walker’s Finally Over It, Wale’s Everything Is A Lot, and whether Hip-Hop&B is officially back. AJ & Antonio also talk A…
Rhythm and RhymesGrammy Confusion: Leon Thomas, Doechii, and More | R&R 110
🎧 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrA
Rhythm and RhymesThe Death of the Song of the Summer: TikTok, Concert Prices & Culture Shifts
The Rhythm & Rhymes Podcast is back with another cultural deep dive — this time we’re breaking down why the “song of the summer” doesn’t exist anymore and how…
Rhythm and RhymesDef Jam’s Pivot, Hip Hop at the Vatican & Cardi B’s Album Rollout
In Episode 104 of the Rhythm & Rhymes Podcast, AJ & Tone dive into major cultural stories: – Def Jam’s new CEO Tunji Balogun and the label’s pivot toward…
Rhythm and RhymesWhy YouTube Is the Best Gauge of Artist Popularity
Spotify monthly listeners only tell part of the story. On this Rhythm & Rhymes Episode 101 clip, we dive into why YouTube is a better gauge for true global…
Rhythm and RhymesYoung Thug’s Pain, Gunna Fallout, Amapiano Debates & Drake’s Iceman
🎧 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrAIn Episode 103 of the Rhythm & Rhymes Podcast, AJ and Tone break down some of the biggest…
Rhythm and RhymesHow to DJ in the TikTok Era
This week on Rhythm & Rhymes, AJ and Tone get into DJ culture — from learning how to DJ at home to the rise of TikTok DJs and what it means for live shows…
Rhythm and RhymesEP. 101 – Who Really Runs Music? YouTube vs Spotify, Skepta & Global Artist Stats
In Episode 101 of the Rhythm & Rhymes Podcast, host AJ Hughes explores the global music landscape and asks the question: who really runs it — YouTube or…
Rhythm and RhymesCan Music Really Unite the Diaspora? | R&R 100
🎧 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrAFor our 100th episode, we go big: asking whether Pan-Africanism through music is too…
Rhythm and RhymesEp 99 — Deliberate Misunderstanding: Tyla, South Africa “Coloured” vs U.S. “Colored”
South Africa’s “Coloured” identity and the U.S. term “Colored” aren’t the same. We unpack the Tyla discourse, why first-week sales don’t equal real fandom, and…
Rhythm and RhymesThe House Party is Coming Back | R&R 090
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrA
Rhythm and RhymesWhat Does Drake Owe Other Artists? | R&R 097
00:00 Timestamps02:17 Drake's Influence and Cultural Impact13:00 US Dominance in Global Streaming26:06 50 Cent's Legal Moves27:08 New Music Releases and…
Rhythm and RhymesWhy People Don't Dance Anymore? | R&R 089
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrAThe guys dive into the evolution of music videos and whether anyone actually dances in clubs…
Rhythm and RhymesThe Black British Sound They Tried to Erase
UK Garage wasn’t just music — it was rebellion.Born in the basements and pirate radio towers of London, UK Garage emerged from Black British struggle and…
Rhythm and RhymesFrom the Vault: The UK Report: Concert Tales, Shallipopi & More | R&R EP 088
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrA We recap recent UK concert energy and spotlight Nigerian rising star Shallipopi…
Rhythm and RhymesChris Brown Is Our Stevie Wonder (For Better or Worse) | R&R 096
In this episode of Rhythm & Rhymes, we make the case: Chris Brown is our generation’s Stevie Wonder.We get into:-Why Breezy’s legacy is undeniable-The…
Rhythm and RhymesFrom the Vault: Top 5 Chicago Rappers: Exploring the City’s Imprint | R&R EP 087
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFItqWQx8ts6Fg_yErvXsrA We debate our Top 5 Chicago rappers — from drill to soul to lyrical legends…