Stories About Songs with Kevin Beacham

S2 Ep. 10- New Music Seminar MC Battle For World Supremacy Part 2: 1993 + 1994

In part two of New Music Seminar MC Battle For World Supremacy, our last episode for season 2, we focus on the years; 1993 and 1994! I recount the stories I heard about

S2 Ep. 9-New Music Seminar MC Battle For World Supremacy Part 1: The Road To The Seminar

From approximately 1985 until 1994, the New Music Seminar MC Battle For World Supremacy was one of the most exciting and inspiring things for an upcoming MC, especially t

S2-Ep 8 - A Conversation with Jay-Z Circa 1997

From 1995-2002, I hosted/produced Time Travel Radio on WNUR FM in Evanston/Chicago. One part of the show was regularly doing theme shows telling the history of various ar

S2-Ep 7-The Jaz & Jay-Z pt. 2

For part two of The Jaz & Jay-Z special, we continue to take a look at the greatness of The Jaz with his second album, and the follow-up EP, and as he transitions into th

S2-Ep. 6-The Jaz & Jay-Z pt. 1

The Jaz and Jay-Z are certainly each worthy of their own stories being told, but one of my favorite things is peeling back the layers of how various stories tie things to

S2-EP. 5-Sha-Key + Earl Blaize (of Anti-Pop Consortium)

I was lucky enough to do street promotions in Chicago for Sha-Key's debut album, produced largely by Earl Blaize, as I was, and remain a big fan of that album, "A Head Na

S2-EP. 4-The Coup

From doing street promotions in Chicago for Wildpitch Records in the mid-90s, I got to work with some of my favorite artists of the time, and of all-time in some cases; i

S2-Ep. 3-Kool Keith + Godfather Don + Dan the Automator

I'm a huge fan of all three artists who this episode focuses on, and if you are a fan of them as well, you already know some of the connections. This episode breaks down

S2-EP. 2- 1980's NYC Radio

Many people, especially in the time before the internet, depended on the radio to hear new music, or any music for that matter, for the most part. For me, growing up on m

S2-EP. 1-Big L

Big L is regarded by many as one of the greats of his time, and rightfully so. This episode talks about Big L's skill as an MC, and how we first met, which included me be

Season 2 Trailer

StoriesAboutSongs, now part of the Stony Island Pod family, explores Hip Hop history from the vantage point of my decades as an artist, radio host, promoter, event organi

EP. 10- Wild Style Soundtrack + Return Of The Jedi

The season one finale takes us right back to the days I spoke about in Episode #1. It’s 1983, and my final days living in Germany are upon me, before permanently moving b

EP. 9-The Day Rudy Ray Moore Met Tragedy The Intelligent Hoodlum

Admittedly, putting the names (Rudy Ray Moore and Tragedy) in this episode title feels a bit like giving away the punchline to the joke, but also sometimes the power of t

EP. 8-The Legend of Medusa

If you don’t know about the legend of the Medusa, I'm hoping this episode can change that. Although there is a career spanning many decades, with a trail of great songs,

EP. 7-3 Wisemen Records (The Label That Never Was)

As we entered the new millennium in 2000, I started to seriously think about finally starting my own record label. From doing my Time Travel Radio Show, being Co-Owner of

EP. 6-Rhyme Warrior's Ink Demo (1995)

Up to this point, I would guess that most anyone interested in listening to this podcast has thus far been aware of all the artists I’ve covered, but Rhyme might be the f

EP. 5-The Excellence of DJ Pooh

Personally, DJ Pooh was one of my biggest inspirations as a producer in the 1980s. Additionally, his career clearly showcases that he is one of the most intriguing, creat

EP. 4-Kool G Rap Poison (1988)

For anyone who is an attentive listener and has a grasp of understanding the merits of lyricism, it should be clear that Kool G Rap is one of the most skilled rhyme write

EP. 3- Common Sense vs Ice Cube ('95-'96)

In 1995/96, rap icon Ice Cube ignited a feud with rising talent Common Sense from Chicago. Though the situation was short-lived, it made a lasting impact, and the story h

EP. 2-Ice-T Colors (1988)

With rap music being born in New York, and quickly spreading throughout the upper East Coast in areas such as Philly and throughout New Jersey, that section of the world