Breaking Atoms: The Hip Hop Podcast

Like they always do, Sumit and Chris take a trip down memory lane. 21 years ago, the late, great Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. released his second and final album, 'Life After Death' on Bad Boy Records. As we all know, Biggie didn't live to see the album stop time and push the culture forward because he was tragically gunned down just two weeks before by some bad mind parasite. Whilst the dates, times and places may be hazy for some, Sumit and Chris time travel back to March 1997 and recount - with stunning accuracy - some of the key points around this cutting-edge double album. Themes such as sound, content, featured artists and favourite songs are explored. Like typical Hip Hop heads, they also pick apart all the subliminal shots sprinkled throughout the 24 track opus. Your favourite rapper likely caught a head shot. It was a competitive time. Shrug... Why didn't Biggie ever learn to drive? Did he dig his own grave with his own mouth? Who killed the best rapper of all time? These are the questions... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The big 3-0. Not episode thirty but the actual age. There is something about reaching the age of thirty that has people shook. Cowardly heart type shook. Just thinking about the end of the third decade on Earth has some of us running for cover like Putin just pressed that button. Once again, Sumit and Chris gather around the imaginary campfire and discuss some of the ways that life changes when you reach thirty. From career aspirations to all the weddings, christenings, baby showers and other unnecessary parties you're expected to attend - it all gets dissected without a trace of decorum and no broughtupsy. How can thirty-somethings grow old gracefully? Why do we feel like we must have our lives figured out by this age? Who came up with this stupid rule in the first place? These are the questions… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's all about momentum. They say time flies when you're having fun and Sumit and Chris have officially lost track of time. Life is good. In episode eight, the boys discuss all things social media related. The good, the bad, the ugly and the annoying get picked apart like meat off the bone. From the lengths some of us go to for likes and shares to the pursuit of the seemingly perfect life - Sumit and Chris cast six analytical eyes at your favourite social media platforms. As usual, there is no filter. Pun intended. Is social media really bringing us closer together or is it some hairbrained government plot to kill us all? Why is social media making us less social? Who are YOU to tell US not to debate YOU?* These are the questions... *You don't have clout like that fam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When God created the Earth, he rested on the seventh day. That’s God though. There’s no rest for Sumit and Chris because they were in the lab creating the seventh episode of ‘Breaking Atoms’. The two anonymous nerds have a chinwag about peer pressure and the many forms in which it raises its ugly head. They reminisce about their young, hard-headed days when they were told to say no to drugs and not to play with firearms. They also have a grown folk natter about peer pressure on social media and in the workplace. To wrap things up, they bring their experiences right up to the present day and wax lyrical about how their own parents struggled with peer pressure when raising them. Never accuse these boys of not being real. Even Mum and Dad can get it... How did we go from sniffing glue to smoking crack? What kind of idiot plays on the train tracks? Why do our parents lie to each other how well their kids are doing? These are the questions... Follow The Breaking Atoms Podcast Facebook: @breaktheatoms Instagram: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Soundcloud: @breaktheatoms Twitter: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Recorded, mixed and mastered by Man Like Darnell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week’s episode, Sumit and Chris head straight from the cinema to the studio to share their thoughts about the new Black Panther movie. As per usual, they get down to the nitty gritty of all things Wakanda. Tough subjects like racism, colonialism and slavery get the collar and elbow treatment with no remorse. Word on these Wakandan streets is that Sumit got teary eyed when watching the film. On the other hand, Chris is considering growing an Afro and getting a DNA test to find out what tribe he’s from. It’s that serious. Was T’Challa really sipping lean after his scuffle with M’Baku? Who is Killmonger’s barber? What happened to N’Jobu’s side piece? These are the questions... Follow The Breaking Atoms Podcast Facebook: @breaktheatoms Instagram: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Soundcloud: @breaktheatoms Twitter: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this week, the Breaking Atoms crew reached their first milestone. Congrats to the man dem for getting 1000 plays across the first episodes. So, as a special thank you gift, here's a bonus episode to kick off your weekend. Heads up though, because this one is heated. Using the recent Nike London advert as a muse, Sumit and Chris tackle some loaded subject matter such as diversity, inclusion, cultural appropriation, social anxiety, peer pressure and lots more. Sumit ups the ante by airing out his own community for what he calls, their inherent racism. He blacked out. Pun intended. The conversation closes with some reflective insight into why we as people sometimes become threatened, angry and uncomfortable when faced with the truth. What is it about the truth that makes us want it so bad but run away from it when we get it? How thin is the line between constructive criticism and hate? Why is yo ass so sensitive? These are the questions... Follow The Breaking Atoms Podcast Facebook: @breaktheatoms Instagram: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Soundcloud: @breaktheatoms Twitter: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quincy. Jones. Is. Wilding. Following on from last week’s trip down R&B memory lane, it only makes sense to pow wow about one of the genre’s cornerstone contributors, Quincy Jones. Damn right, we respect the architect. Your man Quincy has been on the media trail as of late and he’s dropping gems, saying names and spilling all kinds of tea. Sumit and Chris link up to discuss some of the key themes from Jones’ recent interviews like stealing music, developing your craft and exposing the dirt of dead people. Be a Pisces. Jam. Did Prince really try to run over Michael Jackson’s mother? How did Ivanka Trump shoot her shot? Was Ringo Starr’s drum game really that trash? These are the questions… Follow The Breaking Atoms Podcast Facebook: @breaktheatoms Instagram: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Soundcloud: @breaktheatoms Twitter: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Recorded, mixed and mastered by Man Like Darnell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode three already? Time is flying like your Mama's underwear at a Babyface concert. This week's episode finds Sumit and Chris reminiscing over 90s R&B. The list of names and faces is long. Longer than the OJ Simpson trial but everything from New Jack Swing to Quiet Storm gets covered here. Old school legends are showered with praise and the young bucks are put in the position to pay it forward. Much of the debate focuses on the changes in the genre and examines why we don't sing about love anymore. Things do take a violent turn when Sumit threatens the well being of a world-renowned producer. Multiple shots were fired. Things get pseudo-friendly again when the two homeboys also have an impromptu soundclash and play R&B bangers from yesteryear. If you like your slow jams, then get ready to drop the knickers and pop the snickers. How did Al B. Sure get away with having one single eyebrow across his forehead on his first album cover? Was Mary J. Blige a better singer when she was drunk and high? Can you really get pregnant to a Frank Ocean riddim? These are the questions... Follow The Breaking Atoms Podcast Facebook: @breaktheatoms Instagram: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Soundcloud: @breaktheatoms Twitter: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Recorded, mixed and mastered by Man Like Darnell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode two, Sumit and Chris get animated and chop it up about the cartoons they watched as kids growing up. Fan favourites like 'Thundercats' and overlooked cult classics such as 'Ulysses 31' all get a mention and are remembered fondly. As per usual, our hosts break it down and analyse these cartoons with finely tuned hindsight and a mature perspective. Were cartoons used a slick way to perpetuate racist and sexist stereotypes? Was the beef between Optimus Prime and Megatron worse than Biggie and Tupac? Will Gummi Bear juice ever be sold in shops? These are the questions... Follow The Breaking Atoms Podcast Facebook: @breaktheatoms Instagram: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Soundcloud: @breaktheatoms Twitter: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Recorded, mixed and mastered by Man Like Darnell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the very first episode of ‘Breaking Atoms’, you have the pleasure of a ringside seat as our hosts engage in a head-to-head battle for TV supremacy. In the red corner, we have made man Sumit representing ‘The Sopranos’ and in the blue corner, we have Chris; live and direct from the towers waving the flag for 'The Wire’. They deep dive into what makes each show great and how both shows explore themes such as family, violence, feminism, hyper-masculinity, homosexuality and much more. It’s not all serious convo though. There are lots of laughs to be had as they pick characters from their favourite respective show for a fantasy five a side football face off. Would Tony Soprano beat the brakes off Avon Barksdale in a fistfight? Can Stringer Bell easily outsmart the likes of Christopher Moltisanti with a swift Jedi mind trick? These are the questions... Follow The Breaking Atoms Podcast Facebook: @breaktheatoms Instagram: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Soundcloud: @breaktheatoms Twitter: @breaktheatoms / @hiphopchronicle / @iamkinetik Recorded and mixed by Man Like Darnell Mastered by Imperial (@imperialbeatsuk) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.