Wu-Tang Clan turned a $60,000 record deal into nine separate solo careers spread across eight different labels — and it all started with Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). On this episode of 50 for 50, hosts Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales break down RZA's legendary Five-Year Plan, the business genius…
Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales talk about their love of physical media — vinyl records for both of them, and 4K DVDs for Garrett. They get into why owning beats licensing, how physical purchases send a bigger cut to the artist, and vinyl's comeback in recent years. Physical media, vinyl…
Six days after coming out on Tumblr, Frank Ocean dropped Channel Orange and rewrote the rules of R&B. On this episode of 50 for 50, we trace Christopher Breaux's journey from a Subway sandwich maker to a Grammy-winning genre-bender — the Odd Future years, the Bieber and Jay-Z/Kanye writing credits,…
Garrett and Mike rank their top five favorite Boyz II Men songs — and it gets debatable fast. "On Bended Knee," "Motownphilly," "Water Runs Dry," "Please Don't Go," and "Thank You in Advance" all make the list. Plus we play Rock With It / Stop With It on "End of…
They're the best-selling R&B group of all time, and just finished being out on the road with New Edition and Toni Braxton on The New Edition Way Tour. We're doing a Cool Check-In on Boyz II Men — covering their origin story, the Michael McCary situation (going from four to…
Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales go head-to-head on their Top 5 favorite A Tribe Called Quest songs of all time — and they don't agree on everything. From the explosive closing verse on "Scenario" to the jazz-soaked groove of "Check the Rhime," the politically charged punch of "We The People,"…
A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory didn't just top best-of lists — it rewired what hip-hop was allowed to sound like. On this episode of 50 for 50, we break down one of the most important albums in music history: ATCQ's 1991 masterpiece, The Low End Theory. Q-Tip,…
What are the greatest Brandy songs ever recorded? Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales go song-by-song and put their rankings on the line. First up: a Rock With It/Stop With It round forcing hard choices on two of Brandy's biggest — "The Boy Is Mine" and "Baby." Then the full Top…
Brandy Norwood's memoir PHASES is finally here — and we're breaking down her full story, all seven studio albums, and the legacy of one of R&B's greatest voices. From a church choir in McComb, Mississippi to signing with Atlantic Records at 14, becoming the first Black Cinderella on screen, dropping…
What are the greatest Luther Vandross songs ever recorded? Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales go song-by-song and put their rankings on the line. First up: a Rock With It/Stop With It game that forces hard choices on cuts like "Power of Love/Love Power," "Here and Now," and "Superstar." Then they…
Luther Vandross didn't just sing — he transformed a song into a feeling. We're diving deep into Never Too Much, the 1981 debut album that launched one of the greatest voices in R&B history, and tracing every chapter of his career that followed. Before Luther was a solo star, he…
New Kids on the Block changed pop music forever — and Garrett and Mike are breaking down the full story from Boston to the blockbuster comeback. In this episode of The Cool Check-In, we cover the NKOTB origin story, how Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood, and Jon…
#50For50 #MusicHistory #MusicPodcast #TurningFifty #AlbumDeepDive #MusicReflection #50thbirthday Both Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales have officially hit 50 — and we're celebrating with the most personal Cool Check-In yet. We look back on the first 20 episodes of 50 For 50, the music history podcast where two lifelong friends dig into…
#WhitneyHouston #Top5Songs #MusicReview #50For50 #Diva 🎤 What Are the Absolute Best Whitney Houston Songs of All Time? In this episode of 50 For 50, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales count down their definitive Whitney Houston Top 5 tracks and debate her legendary musical legacy. From infectious 80s dance-pop anthems to…
#WhitneyHouston #ILookToYou #50For50 #MusicHistory #WhitneyHoustonLegacy #2009Music Dive deep into the legendary legacy of Whitney Houston as we unpack the powerful and heartbreaking story behind her final studio album, I Look To You. In this episode of 50 For 50, hosts Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales break down her historic rise…
#MaryJBlige #RnBMusic #50For50 #HipHopSoul #GreatestHits #MusicPodcast What are the best Mary J. Blige songs of all time? In this episode of 50 For 50, hosts Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales countdown their definitive Top 5 Mary J. Blige tracks to celebrate the undisputed Queen of Hip-Hop Soul! 🎤✨ From her…
#MaryJBlige #WhatsThe411 #90sRnB #HipHopSoul #50For50 #1992Music How did Mary J. Blige completely shift the landscape of modern R&B with a single debut album? In this milestone episode of 50 For 50, hosts Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales break down the legendary 1992 release 'What’s The 411?' and explore why 1992…
#ArsenioHall #ArsenioMemoir #90sNostalgia #TheCoolCheckIn #50For 50 #LateNightTV #BookReview #EddieMurphy #dogpound Is Arsenio Hall’s new memoir the ultimate backstage pass to 90s late-night TV? Today on The Cool Check-In, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales dive deep into Arsenio: A Memoir to see if the book captures the electric energy of the…
#NeYo #RandB #50For50 #MusicReview #2000sNostalgia #Top5 What are the absolute best Ne-Yo songs of all time? In this episode of 50 For 50, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales count down their Top 5 tracks from the R&B gentleman himself, diving deep into the hits that defined an era. Ne-Yo didn't…
#NeYo #YearOfTheGentleman #2008Music #RnB #50For50 #Songwriting #Stargate #musicanalysis Is Ne-Yo’s Year of the Gentleman the peak of 2008 R&B? Today, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales break down the "Rat Pack" evolution of one of the industry's most prolific songwriters-turned-superstars. In this episode of 50 For 50, we take a deep…
#MichaelJackson #KingOfPop #50For50 #MJFam #Thriller #MusicRanking #pophistory What are the best Michael Jackson songs from his most iconic era? In this episode of 50 For 50, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales count down their Top 5 Michael Jackson songs, spanning the legendary run from Off The Wall (1979) to Dangerous…
#MichaelJackson #OffTheWall #MJ #MusicHistory #50For 50 #QuincyJones #ClassicAlbums #1979Music Is Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall actually the perfect pop album—even better than Thriller? In this episode of 50 For 50, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales dive deep into the 1979 masterpiece that redefined MJ's career and set the stage for…
The music is legendary, but the movie is a mess. In this episode of The Cool Check-In, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales explain why the Michael biopic succeeds as a theater experience while failing as a film. 🕺🎶 While the Michael Jackson Estate ensured every song and dance move hit…
#JayZ #KanyeWest #HipHopDebate #50For 50 #TheBlueprint #TheBlackAlbum #RapTop5 #MusicPodcast Is The Blueprint actually better than The Black Album? Or is it the other way around? Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales break down the ultimate Jay-Z vs. Kanye West debate, ranking their Top 5 songs and deciding which legendary run reigns…