The Super Empty Show

This week on the Super Empty Show, we talk to a friend who has been in the Triangle music scene for more than twice as long as any of us, an authoritative voice on hip-hop culture in North Carolina, and a highly opinionated Durhamite ever since attending NCCU grad school in the early 2000’s, Eric Tullis. We cover a number of topics that should be near and dear to any hip-hop fan in the RDU area: Eric’s start at Indy Week in 2004 and how that period, around Little Brother’s rise to prominence, compares to today; DJ Merlin’s early passing; working at the NC Central student paper with Phonte; the prospects of a Little Brother reunion; his squabbles with the way we conducted our interview with a major radio DJ; and Urban Lou, an artist he may or may not be managing, who may or may not be real.

In a new profile with Esquire, Donald Glover draws a comparison between himself and Tupac Shakur. With the second season of Atlanta kicking off in just a couple weeks, Justin, Alex and Ryan explore the merits of that comparison, as well as the actor/musician/superhuman’s similarities to Kanye West. Then Durham rapper Danny Blaze drops by to give us some of his renowned work stories, explain his 30-tweet diatribes from his jobs, how he met 9th Wonder and what his goals are for this year. The show closes with a group discussion about the newest Jamla release, a single from Elzhi and Khrysis for their upcoming album, Jericho Jackson.

After previewing a groovy new collaboration between Durham producer Treee City and our guest from last week, rapper Ace Henderson (2:50), and then quickly perusing the tracklist on the newly unveiled, TDE-curated Black Panther soundtrack (3:50), Ryan and Justin sit down with K97.5 radio host Miriam Tolbert a.k.a. Mir.I.Am to talk about the genesis of Carolina Waves radio (10:15), the most common feedback she gives to indie artists (17:00), and not getting discouraged by criticisms (23:15). Finally SE. contributor Jimmy Branley joins the show to defend his assertion on the site this week that “Drake is bored” (33:30).

Following a week in which Migos released its third album in nearly three years on the same day that L.A. producer/rapper Evidence dropped his first album since 2011, Justin, Ryan and Holland consider just how much has changed in seven years (5:00); Raleigh rapper Ace Henderson drops by to discuss the eternal quality vs. quantity debate that spans from international to local art (19:30); South Carolina cultural curator and SE contributor KJ Kearney calls in to discuss his new piece for the website (44:00).

Along with special guest Pat Junior, Ryan and Justin react to the news that Kooley High and 9th Wonder’s long-awaited full-length album, “Never Come Down,” is finally coming this March (0:00), Pat voices his concerns about the future of SoundCloud (0:00), and Justin and Ryan investigate whether the moment for U.K. Grime has passed in America (0:00). If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, and subscribe. Long Live LimeWire!

Super Empty editor Ryan Cocca and Runaway's Justin Laidlaw explore the fake “Kendrick vs. Trump” halftime show story and other shortcomings of the hip-hop media establishment (2:45), encyclopedic rap scholar and SE. contributor Jonathan Smith stops by to add some context to the disappointing, homophobic comments made on Instagram by Nipsey Hussle (13:35), and the group discusses the latest installment from the TDE-produced Black Panther soundtrack, “King’s Dead,” which awkwardly doubled as the lead single for Jay Rock’s new album (22:30).