DJ Drama: The legendary 'Gangsta Grillz' creator has his very own Audible podcast

You know the game is changing and the culture is thriving when the legendary DJ Drama has his very own Gangsta Grillz podcast streaming for the world to embrace. The hip-hop producer has massive bragging rights with the launch of his very own Audible show.

DJ Drama’s ‘Gangsta Grillz' Audible podcast is officially here

Whether you’re there for the culture or just want to geek out with everyone from Tyler, the Creator and Fabolous to 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne pulling through on episodes, it’s clear Drama’s podcast flex is here for the long run.

Grammy-winning hip-hop producer, record executive, and tastemaker DJ Drama’s captivating Audible Original, DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz Podcast, premieres today, July 20, on Audible. Presented by Kenya Barris' Khalabo Ink Society, each episode of the podcast features DJ Drama and a legendary guest artist, including luminaries such as Lil Wayne, Tyler, The Creator, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Pharrell, T.I., Jeezy and Fabolous. DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz Podcast is part of Audible’s slate of original programming honoring Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary.

Audible · DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz Podcast Audio Trailer

Before rap music made its way onto the radio, mixtapes reigned as the primary means of distributing the genre. It was in 1996 that a young and talented DJ Drama made his debut in the mixtape scene with "Iladelph," a remarkable release that showcased Black Thought of the legendary Roots. Fast forward 25 years, and DJ Drama has transformed into a Grammy-winning hip hop producer, record executive, and tastemaker, earning himself the well-deserved moniker of "King of the Mixtape." Throughout his illustrious career, he has released a series of groundbreaking mixtapes that have not only disrupted the music industry but have also featured some of the greatest hip hop artists of all time.

Enter the world of DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz Podcast, a captivating Audible Original presented by Kenya Barris' Khalabo Ink Society. Each episode of this highly anticipated podcast features DJ Drama and a legendary guest artist, including luminaries such as Lil Wayne, Tyler, The Creator, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Pharrell, T.I., Jeezy, and Fabolous. Together, they delve into the intricacies of Drama's revered mixtape series, exploring its inception, production process, and enduring impact on the music landscape. Whether you're an avid fan of hip hop or a lover of modern music, DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz Podcastis an absolute must-listen, offering invaluable insights and enthralling conversations with the trailblazers of the genre.

Listeners can also visit https://www.audible.com/50AndForever for more information on Audible’s slate of programming celebrating Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary.

Fabolous reminds us how fast time flies by on his mixtape's 13th anniversary

New York rapper Fabolous is making sure the world knows it’s always best to cherish the day especially on the 13th anniversary of his unforgettable There Is No Competition 2: The Funeral Service mixtape.

Fabolous celebrates going 13 years strong

While he has over 20 years in the rap game alone, Fab hit up his Instagram page to geek out over an unforgettable anniversary. Loso shared the project’s cover art and tooted his own horn.

‘THERE IS NO COMPETITION 2
w/ @djdrama

MARCH 4th 2010

Happy 13th Anniversary’

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21 Savage and Shaq have NBA All-Star Weekend goals on lock

As if you needed more reasons to head out to Utah for the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities, right? Turns out Atlanta rapper 21 Savage is pulling through with everyone’s favorite Gangsta Grillz trendsetter DJ Drama and Shaquille O’Neal for some non-stop Salt Lake City events.

It’s all about 21, 21, 21 during NBA All-Star Weekend

Whether you’re pulling through for one day or have the urge to stick around for the entire 72 hours, it’s plenty of activities going down to keep you turning up until Sunday night’s tip-off.

This week, Salt Lake City Live will team up with Park City Live for a series of NBA all-star weekend shows at The Union Event Center on Friday, February 17th and Saturday, February 18th to present SLC Live All Star 2023, the hottest after-party destination during this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City. SLC Live will kick off the weekend series with Grammy-winning rapper 21 Savage’s ‘Official All-Star Weekend Party’ with DJ Drama + surprise special guests(February 17th) followed by a night with DIESEL aka Shaquille O’Neal and DJ IRIE (February 18th). With over 100,000 visitors coming into town to see the star-studded games, Salt Lake City Live will keep the fun going off the court and all night long.

Dustin Esson, founder of Salt Lake City Live, and Kathryn Burns, CEO and founder of Park City Live (PCL) are excited to be partnering for this series of NBA All-Star Weekend shows, continuing in SLC Live’s pop-up summer series and PCL’s tradition of over a decade of legendary shows. Dustin Esson says, “The intermingling of these two brands will bring a world class VIP experience and a new face to The Union for this exciting series of NBA all-star weekend shows in Salt Lake City.”  Kathryn Burns says, “PCL is excited to be working with Salt Lake City Live and the Union Event Center for our unique event celebrating one of the biggest moments in sports. We look forward to putting on an incredible party with special performances that will make the weekend one to remember. We’ve set a high bar producing world-class concerts and events in Park City and are excited to continue the tradition in Salt Lake City.” 

Located at 235 N 500 W in the growing industrial-arts district of Salt Lake City, the Union Event Center is a modern warehouse with a welcoming feel. The high-capacity venue (3,000 max) features three full-service bars and an upper area with VIP services. The venue is a convenient location near downtown with public transportation close by. 

General admission and VIP tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, February 10th at 9am PST/ 12pm EST which include a variety of hospitality levels. Ticket prices for Friday evening range from $105-$180 and tickets prices for Saturday evening range from $49-$125. Table hospitality and ticket packages can be purchased online at https://www.saltlakecitylive.net/#buyNow

J.I.D. keeps his presence buzzing on J. Cole's new 'Stick' anthem

Dreamville is back at it and standout hip-hop artist J.I.D. shines the brightest on the new ‘Stick’ anthem from the label’s new D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz mixtape.

J.I.D. keeps his presence buzzing on new Dreamville anthem

The Georgia native doesn’t just shine bright on the must-hear ‘Stick’ record. The rap slinger also makes his presence felt on ‘Barry From Simpson.’

Dreamville rapper and Atlanta innovator J.I.D, has two new songs out that appear on the rap collective come label’s mixtape: D-Day: A Gangtsa Grillz Mixtape (2022, Dreamville/Interscope Records). J.I.D’s track“Stick” with J.Cole, Sheck Wes and Kenny Mason leads the dynamic project while “Barry From Simpson”interrupts the tape halfway through for a braggadocious rap performance featuring 2 Chainz and Young Nudy.

The D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz mixtape is packed with heat

The new album is stacked with collaborations. In addition to Dreamville hitmakers, the studio effort comes packed with guest artists including 2 Chainz and A$AP Ferg.

J.I.D.’s non-stop grind isn’t slowing down

With just a few months into the new year, J.I.D. has remained busy-busy. From collaborations to gearing up for music festivals, there’s no slowing down the Atlanta rap lyricist.

J.I.D’s 2022 has been jam packed with the release of his first official single “Surround Sound” receiving wide acclaim from press and fans while also celebrating his biggest Billboard chart movements with the Imagine Dragons collab track “Enemy” — the song is currently #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Billboard Global 200. Fans will be able to catch J.I.D perform all the new songs including faithful favorites this weekend in Raleigh, NC at Dreamville Festival as well as in Indio, CA at this year’s Coachella Music Festival in April.

Jim Jones diagnosis of NY Hip-Hop right now, new music and more with DJ Drama on Apple Music

Dipset’s Jim Jones has plenty to talk about right now with his new Gangsta Grillz: We Set The Trends album streaming everywhere. The hip-hop veteran and producer DJ Drama chop it up with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1 to dish on their first collaborative album in nearly 20 years, coming together and even digging into the state of Big Apple hip-hop.

Jim Jones chops it up with Apple Music 1

Jimmy and Drama linked up to talk about their newly released studio effort. Jones made sure to spend some energy talking about how music is feeling from the Empire State.

“I feel like we coming back wholeheartedly with the Fivios and all the young energy that they're putting out there. With the drill music and how the drill music is starting to move further down south into the west coast. We took something from Chicago and made it our own. Now it's New York drill. It's a sound that we known for, it's just so much going on. So I like the way that the music industry is going in as a whole. The money is better, the stream's work in our favor, and New York we back on the rise. No disrespecting nobody else, but we been in a black hole for a long time and people have been throwing stones at us. So now to see us rising above that black hole makes me feel very good.”

Jones isn’t falling back after the new release. He’s already gearing up to put out a handful of more albums.

“I got six albums done, completed already. So now we going to start with the Gangsta Grillz. Then we going to go into the Lobby Boys, from Lobby Boys, we going to go into the Yung Berg album, from the Yung Berg album, we going to go into the Latin album I got, after the Latin album I got, I'm going into the Byrdgang Compilation. After the Byrdgang Compilation, I'm going to the Scram Jones project that I have. And then I'm going to do a whole Jim Jones project that I'll be working on during this year while all these projects are coming up.”

DJ Drama digs into his Jim Jones bond

Drama made sure to chime in on their new collaborative effort. The Philadelphia-bred and Atlanta-based deejay explained how this joint effort made more sense than most people would assume.

”Me and Jim, we talk frequently, you know what I'm saying? And discuss music and life and just the game and everything. And we started talking about it, I think probably even about maybe a year ago. Honestly, Jim reached out, we were bouncing around some ideas. He told me about some things he was working on and what have you. And it was around a time when I was working on other projects. Tyler's project was in the making and what have you. And then Jim came to me with the idea of how he wanted to do this project and it showcasing what he's got going on. He's dropping sh*t all the time. So his sh*t is just cracking the streets. And then as well as showcasing some new artists that he's working with, and giving it that platform. Gangsta Grillz has always been that type of platform to break new artists as well. I was hyped because me and Jim honestly haven't done a tape in over a decade.”

Jimmy speaks on linking up with The Migos

One of the biggest standout records off the new album is Jim and Migos’ We Set The Trends.’ Jones revealed how his close-knit relationship with Migos’ Takeoff ultimately sparked the collaboration.

“Me and Take have an incredible relationship; I got a good relationship with all of them. For me... We consider members of the same pressure. But he was in the city one day, he was like, "Yo, where you at?" I was in the midst of doing Gangsta Grillz. I’m at the studio, he pulled up. He just sitting there. He like, "Nah, load one up. Let's get one in. We due for one." We did it. I posted up on the gram being excited. Offset hit me like, "Nah, I got to get on that. Y'all bugging." I went to the studio, he was gambling that night. He ended up doing it. Then posted that up, Quavo seen it said, "Nah, you got two out of three. You can't forget the Cho." But the way Quavo did it was ill because Quavo actually came and did his verse and the video all in the same hour before he went into the plane. So he knocked the verse out. Then we got up and did the video right in the staircase... It was all organic. Like one of the most organic and dope records that I've made, the way it came together. And I actually was there with the artists while they did it. So that doesn't happen too often with all this digital stuff going on. So that was dope. Got all the footage, shout out to Migos, man. I tip my hat to them.”

Jim Jones is dropping a huge project with DJ Drama in the coming days

Could you use a little more Jim Jones in your life? How about with a dab of DJ Drama? Turns out the two hip-hop veterans are teaming up to bless the rap game with their joint We Set The Trends project in mid-January.

Jim Jones and DJ Drama’s new Gangsta Grillz is coming

Jones hit up his Instagram page to break the news to fans. Barring any changes, Capo’s new audio effort is slated to arrive on January 14.

“It’s up and it’s stuck Jan 14 me n @djdrama droppin a #GanstaGrillz #WesetTheTrendz addition @empire #VLrecords/distribution”

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Jim Jones really saved his photographer’s life

These past few days, the hip-hop veteran made all types of headlines courtesy of buzz revealing he really saved his photographer and close friend Jerry ‘Flee Flicks’ Flete’s life. The rap heavyweight’s name started circulating courtesy of coverage from news publication Inside Edition. Long story short - Flete credited Capo for helping him see another day after collapsing.

Rapper, reality star, entrepreneur Jim Jones can now add lifesaver to his resume. The Harlem native and his team were recently down in Florida at a crypto event for his capo coin when his photographer, Jerry Flete, aka Flee Flicks, suddenly collapsed. Jim then stepped in and saved his life. Both men chatted with Inside Edition Digital's Stephanie Officer to re-tell the story. "We was just literally just hanging out on a break from work. Just hanging out," Jerry said. "It just happened so fast. Basically, I woke up, Jim giving me chest compression and telling me, 'Wake up. Wake up.' He basically saved my life. I'm here today because of Jim."

Flete even let the cameras record as he recounted how Jimmy came to the rescue.

Jimmy reminds us he really did the unthinkable

Jones even went to his Instagram page to keep things a buck. He shared the headline of his heroics and even encouraged folks to learn the value of CPR.

“Love u @flee_flicks but u scared th Sh*t out of me God is good who else gone capture me when I b havin th Sh*t on lol 😂 On a serious note I encourage everyone to get cpr lessons for u n th family”