Uproxx has just concluded a two-week run of People’s Party with Talib Kweli at New York’s legendary Blue Note Jazz Club (home to greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Robert Glasper and so many more) and will begin rolling out episodes this week. The marathon run saw Kweli linking up with all sorts of fellow New York legends and icons, from Mobb Deep’s Havoc, to Juelz Santana, Large Professor, Jon Stewart, and SNL’s Sam Jay as well as a handful of other notable artists and comedians.
First up from the Blue Note run is Smoke DZA, who joined Kweli for a deep conversation that covered the entirety of the rapper’s career, from his beginnings to where he is today and most importantly, where he’s going next. Expect to hear about the origins of the Smoker’s Club, stories about linking up with Mac Miller, the making of Full Court Press with Girl Talk, Wiz Khalifa, and KRIT, and leave with some insight into Smoke’s unparalleled run of mixtapes. Smoke also goes deep on the personal significance of the Blue Note Jazz Club to his life and aspirations, and reveals why he made the Polo Rugby look part of his signature style.
The vibe of the interview constantly bounces between deep and personal to light and funny with two artists who are clearly big fans of each other’s work chopping it up. The energy is infectious in this special presentation of People’s Party, which was filmed in front of a live audience.
The full roster of guests from the Blue Note run includes Cormega, Masta Ace, Buckshot, Jon Stewart, Pink Siifu, Sheek Louch, Bob James, David Cross, Sam Jay, Styles P, Havoc, Juelz Santana, Large Professor, Jim Jones, and Clinton Sparks. Watch the Smoke DZA episode above and subscribe to Uproxx’s YouTube channel to catch the full rollout.