On this week’s episode of People’s Party With Talib Kweli, the guest is longtime Kweli collaborator and veteran producer 88 Keys, who breaks down working with some of hip-hop’s most talented and celebrated luminaries, including Kanye West, Mac Miller, and Mos Def.
Around the midpoint of the interview, Keys reveals a detail about why the lead single for Mos Def’s breakout debut album Black On Both Sides was changed from “Speed Law” to “Ms. Fat Booty,” crediting a bad review from Jermaine Dupri as the reason for the switch and joking, “He killed my career!”
Later in the interview, 88 details linking up with Kanye through Just Blaze and his work at New York’s Baseline Studios, where many Roc-A-Fella artists recorded at the time. When Kweli asks about 88 remaining close with Kanye through all the controversy, the producer explains, “I feel it’s because people really don’t know him and they don’t know where his heart is… As much as people say he’s changed he’s actually been the same dude since day one.”
Finally, the interview closes with 88 reflecting on Mac Miller and their friendship, which surprised 88 because of Mac Miller’s youth.
Watch the full interview above.
People’s Party is a weekly interview show hosted by Talib Kweli with big-name guests exploring hip-hop, culture, and politics. Subscribe via Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.