Empty Crates: A Music Podcast with D Gut and K1NG ELJAY

Today on Empty Crates, the guys roll the dice on their 75th episode to discuss Baby Keem's new album, "Ca$ino" (49:38). There's more to it, such as Gut bringing a new party anthem to the beginning of the podcast, T.I.'s recent interview on the Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show, general goofiness in entertainment, the "hot take" of music today actually being good, and blog era ponderings with The Cool Kids and Pac Div. We couldn't fit it all into the previous sentence, so you'll have to just lock in with us and see where it goes! Enjoy the episode. If you're watching/listening on YouTube, be sure to subscribe, like and comment! Turning on the notification alerts you to our drops immediately. Thank you for being here.

There's a special brand of chaos that you can only get when friends forget the microphone is on, and that's the best way to explain this week's episode of Empty Crates. The guys do a quick elimination round featuring five great Hip-Hop/R&B collaborations (57:47) before diving into the album of the day- TLC's "CrazySexyCool" (64:44). As always, those are the main topics but the episode contains much more, such as the guys addressing the 50 Cent vs T.I. beef and the regional biases that still exist in music, Game being added to Mt. Capathon alongside Lupe Fiasco, Ron Browz' production resurgence, and TLC turning down CLASSIC songs you may not know was associated with them. Bring some snacks and lock in with us! Heads up, all of the episodes are now on YouTube! Search for "EmptyCratesPod" and give us a sub!

Today's episode has that classic feel written all over it. The homie Hashim crashes the pod just in time to talk one of D Gut's favorite albums for Black History Month- Public Enemy's "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" (62:57), but not before the guys take time to address a few of the long-running narratives in the previous episodes. Not to spoil the randomness for today, but Ja Rule, Tony Yayo, T.I., 50 Cent, Chris Rock, and A$AP Rocky all make appearances before the grand finale; Hashim and Gut finally circle back for clarity concerning one of the pod's earlier, more controversial moments... thanks to Ice Cube's "Death Certificate." Enjoy your time with Empty Crates!

Welcome back to Empty Crates! TwentyEight Flavors crashes the podcast IN PERSON and the chaos is evident from the beginning. In honor of Black History Month, the guys decide to dive into a special review of an all-time classic album, Sade's "Diamond Life" (64:12). They also recap a couple of highlights from the Grammy winners in a way that only they can (39:47). There's more topics here, such as playing Taboo with Durand Bernarr, LJ learning about SPM's offenses live, Styles P's craftsmanship, and... Brian Pumper's "opportunistic" musical endeavors. Enjoy your time with us today, and share the pod if you enjoyed it!

Sometimes, you have to crank out some content. On today's special episode of Empty Crates, the guys (and 28) discuss the double-disc release of J. Cole in length. From thoughts about if he's really retiring, to random hip-hop checks, to the overlay that stretches throughout the entire album, the guys bring their notes, quotes, and jokes for this one. Enjoy. Disc 29 (25:05) and Disc 39 (73:58) timestamps for you to jump ahead if you desire!

Ladies and gentlemen, Episode 71 is active for your ears! On today's episode of Empty Crates, the guys discuss the latest album from A$AP Rocky with "Don't Be Dumb" and give their overall thoughts on the music (64:55). The guys also discuss the worst artist names of all time - at least the ones they can think of on the spot (23:47), another elimination chamber they probably shouldn't do since it's Black History month (60:20), and much more randomness that can't fit in this description. Enjoy the episode, and be sure to connect with us!

Episode 70 and counting is a beautiful thing. On today's episode of Empty Crates, the guys take some time to address J. Cole's return (32:29) and if the "apology" disqualifies him from being one of the bests (no, it doesn't, but the here's the timestamp anyway - 54:36). They also get hung up on who had the best debut album (81:39), and much more. From talking about the DMX anomaly with his white fans, to Seaworld haters and the recently cancelled Vince Staples show, it's a full docket! Thanks for rocking with us.

On today's episode of Empty Crates - and officially the first NEW episode of 2026 - the guys decide to dive into what they think is ScHoolboy Q's BEST album (58:39) and inadvertently discover their thoughts on a couple had changed- for better or for worse. The guys also get some steam off about OutKast's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame issues, the details of Fiascogate, honing in on the levels of "headass", the Drake RICO, the worst joke Gut's ever said on pod, and much more... including the reason for the artwork (39:39). But we don't want to spoil that realization. Welcome back to Empty Crates!

One of the most discombobulatedly fun episodes we've ever recorded finally surfaces. From Nickelodeon red flags to if Ab-Soul's had a three-album run, to honing the definition of "headass" from previous narratives, there's a lot happening here. The guys also make space to talk about one of the more pleasant surprises of the year with De La Soul's newest project, "Cabin In The Sky" (54:56). Enjoy the ride. It's a wild one.

The copyright issues with Pokeballs. The Rory and Mal BS. Gut being hustled again by gas station artists. Wale's new album. The LeBron Deluxe album invention. It's all a lot, but yet... feels just enough. Enjoy this episode of Empty Crates.

Gut has a new view on life now (1:46) and it leads to more jokes and narratives on today's episode of Empty Crates! The guys also discuss Drake refusing to just take the L (3:51), the Vince Staples show, Desiigner's new (old?) style (8:09) and a surprise call in from the homie Phrasure (51:57). Enjoy this week's episode.

Enjoy this episode of Empty Crates! No synopsis this time... enjoy the ride.

Another re-upload! The homie Paul tags along for a spirited discussion (and narrative) concerning Omar Gooding's "Overstand Me". The guys also continue to troll the guest with wholesome rap lyrics, which sends them down memory lane for a moment on how they originally met. JaY-z also makes a guest appearance, somehow. Enjoy the madness!

On today's episode (reuploaded after some technical difficulties), the guys talk about the No Limit vs Cash Money Versuz battle (8:04), the wildest Kay Ivey clip ever, KevOnStage's latest book, and much more. The guys also give praise to Juicy J for his amazing jazz album, "Caught Up In This Illusion" (62:56). Thank you for your patience. Rest in peace, D' Angelo.

EMPTY CRATES is back to a normal schedule! The "main" topic is Mick Jenkin's latest album (59:20), but there's much more to discuss. Including: Diddy's sentencing, Chucky (like, the doll), The Game, RootBeer(dot)com, the long back of Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj's fall from "grace", the "Not Like Us" aftermath, Jeezy's new mixtape (52:46), Juicy J(azz)'s latest album, Killer Diller Roscoe Miller, the new Versuz everyone's been waiting for (kinda), and the best football coach ever. That covers about half of the topics... so yeah, lock in for a good one!

Welcome to the Splash Zone! In today's episode of Empty Crates, one of the co-hosts had some life happening, so we subbed in a special guest for the shenanigans. Phrasure brings his own elimination chamber for the best posse cuts (13:08) before getting into the special topics for today's episode... favorite Alabama projects. The guys take time to give roses to Annise Courtney's debut LP, "Rituals" (59:27), Ozu and Akil Pratt's criminally underrated "Akileez Heal" (82:42), Phrasure and Akil's "Dad Raps" (99:36) and K1NG ELJAY's project with Inkline, "Kintsugi" (115:02). It's a spotlight episode for some of the best music to come out of Alabama in the last few years, but there's way more happening here than what we can fit into a description box, so lock in and enjoy today's episode!

On today's episode of Empty Crates, the guys finish up their bracket run for 2025 with the hardest one yet. Deciding the best sophomore albums is a tough task (51:14) that may come down to one single moment...and the title of the episode doesn't spoil that in any way, shape, or form, probably. Outside of that, it's more random moments not limited to Gut's adventures in the kitchen, a particular #NotThatPod moment, a Petey Pablo sighting, Missy Elliott blindspot, and much, much more. Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode of Empty Crates, the guys fire off another bracket to discuss, starring Eminem. This one was actually more difficult than last week's JAY Z bracket, but we'll let you see why. In addition, the guys give their takes on Freddie Gibbs latest "diss" track, a quick eliminator "1 Gotta Go" with legendary music artists, and a cool follow-up / update from the Brother Ali story a couple episodes ago. Enjoy the episode!

Today's episode of Empty Crates has the guys (and Paul) getting into the spirit of March Madness with the return of the music brackets! Today's tourney analyzes some of the best JAY-Z songs and pits them against each other to determine the "best" (43:27). That's the main pillar, but as always, there's much more to discover, such as a live reaction to Benny The Butcher's latest viral photo, a desperate request for our dedicated listeners, and the origins of the greatest biscuit in the Tennessee/Kentucky area. Enjoy the episode!

Welcome back to another content-filled episode of Empty Crates! The main topics for today? The Alchemist, Larry June and 2 Chainz' "Life Is Beautiful" (55:10), and Drake / PARTYNEXTDOOR's "joint" project "$$$4U" (74:03)... but there's a bit more to address with the latter than the former. Gut also takes some time to find out why Baka isn't nice, while ELJAY all but comes apart at the seams when a "worst rapper of all time" list is thrown into the mix before the pre-cap. It's a great episode, and we hope you rock with us.

[Note: this episode was slated for release on 2.7.2025]On today's short(er) episode of Empty Crates, the guys talk about the impressive haul of hardware that Kendrick Lamar brought home, along with other notable awards from the Grammys this year. LJ also doubles down on his gripe with one of the worst verses from Busta Rhymes, and an important message from Silkk The Shocker makes an appearance. Enjoy today's episode!

Episode 50! It's a milestone that we don't take lightly here at Empty Crates, and the guys decide to hit FULL SEND on the chaos by inviting Hashim and TwentyEight Flavors back on the show to celebrate and talk music. Outside of checking on LJ and Latto's (imaginary) status and Gut's disinterest in Kanye West's upcoming album made with "handchopped beats", the guys take time to truly dive into the latest posthumous release from Mac Miller, which brings out varying degrees of opinions from the roundtable (71:05). There's also a random deep dive into the Bring It On movie franchise, a retroactive review of Will Smith's "Born To Reign" (since someone messed up last time), and thoughts on the sickos speedrunning the old-school Lion King game, but that's only touching the tip of the iceberg for this minimally edited, two and a half-hour pod that's full of jokes and fake rap beef among friends. Enjoy today's episode, and let us know your favorite parts!

Today's episode of Empty Crates has our unofficial third member, Hashim, bringing us one of his favorite albums from Will Smith to review (56:30). There's one problem, however... and the full-time listeners might have an idea what it is beforehand (53:42). Nevertheless, that doesn't stop the show, as the guys address a chaotic elimination chamber (35:44) and an edited music session towards the end that you have to hear to believe. Enjoy your time with Empty Crates!

It's cold outside today, so how about some warm back-and-forth rap banter to keep you warm? Today's main topics on Empty Crates include impressions on Redman's latest album, "Muddy Waters Too" - that's not a typo (75:03) and a revisit to Slum Village's "Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 2", inspired by an interaction from Episode 47 (52:39). Of course, there's much more to address, including the "meh" Joey Badass verse that inspired some West Coast responses from Ray Vaughn and Daylyt, a Doechii crashout on Azalea Banks, an infamous repeated freestyle from another West Coast artist, a horrible submission for our eventual "worst album" bracket, and much, much more. Enjoy your time with us. As a sidenote, as mentioned on the episode, a friend of ours had to have his dog put down after years, and is asking for help for the costs. If you rock with us, consider hitting his cashapp and let him know we sent you. His Cashapp and Venmo: $InklineUno Link for info: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEkurvKRkUY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link---Be sure to follow our IG page: @EmptyCratesPod!

You know, we haven't seen you here since last year! Welcome back to Empty Crates! Jokes aside (never), the guys get right back to catching up on the microphone before hitting the main topics on the docket. First off, Skyzoo shows off his chops as a flawless rapper with his newest release, "Keep Me Company" (69:31). The guys then focus their attention on a different position thanks to Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's "Missionary" (85:11) before giving a rundown on their favorite projects of 2024 (2:04:48) with one of the guys unintentionally having a whole TDE block in on his list. What a year for the West, right? Be sure to hit the socials to interact with us, and feel free to message/shoot us voice notes to play on the pod!

(Note: this episode was recorded the week of December 9th, 2024) It's a good time for some Empty Crates! In today's episode, the guys talk about Smino's 'Maybe In Nirvana' (51:00) and Cordae's 'The Crossroads' (70:25). They're both interesting conversations that may not go the way you think. Outside of that, there's some food talk, some game talk, and an emergency addendum to the episode that might make Gut look like a genius when it's all said and done. Enjoy the episode!

(Note: This episode was recorded the week of December 2nd, 2024)The guys are right back to it in today's episode of Empty Crates! The main topics? Samara Cyn's incredible EP that they accidentally renamed (51:57), the worst of the OutKast albums (67:48), and a Billboard article concerning the Top Pop Stars of the 21st Century the guys didn't entirely hate (1:42:15). There's more, as always (including a Nick Cannon vs Tyrese debate no one asked for) but that's the fun part about the podcast; you never know what's going to happen on a playthrough of Empty Crates.

We've got a lot to talk about before we're done today with Empty Crates. Here's the major topics: Marlon Craft has some music you need to pay attention to (79:27), Kendrick Lamar's bombshell of a surprise music project, GNX (95:35), and the guys have a third thing they do first that we won't spoil here (58:13). There's more, of course (including the Young Money victimization angle that one host isn't going for, the back-to-back lawsuits from Drake, the unfair requirements around Young Thug's probation, and an absolute shot sent to a specific Pitchfork writer), but... you see the run-time. Lock in, get some food and water, and enjoy today's episode!

What's this? A normal upload time for Empty Crates! On today's episode, the guys talk about two good/great albums to drop this quarter, with Freddie Gibbs' surprise LP "You Only Live 1nce" (60:33) and Ab-Soul's "Soul Burger" (81:36). As far as other things mentioned, here's a list in no order; Snoop and Eminem on Fortnite, Ari Lennox, A$AP Ferg, the dangers of the 1-Train, Jamie Foxx, a verbal history of the Mistah Fab / Royce Da 5'9 beef, and a Fort Wayne reference that you either get or you don't. There's more, but we can't spoil everything inside this episode, so lock in and enjoy.

It's probably wise to stick to one main topic today, considering the homies are with us for today's episode of Empty Crates. And it makes sense that today's topic centers around one of the better/best projects to drop this year, depending on who you ask. Tyler, The Creator has come a long way, and his newest project, "Chromakopia", is plenty to talk about (50:25). There's much more chaos here, including a double back to a rapper that claims to be able to throw fireballs out of his hands... but we'll leave that up for you guys to discover on Empty Crates. Thanks to Hashim and TwentyEight for hopping on this episode with us.

On today's episode of Empty Crates, the guys get back into their normal routine for reviewing music and talking trash, to a degree. The main pillars of the episode revolves around the artwork (43:37), GloRilla's album, "Glorious" (56:22) and Blu and Exile's "Love (the) Ominous World" (89:27)... ...but the real ones know there's so much more. From addressing the dysfunctional family tree of house sparrows, to a quick clarification on last week's episode, to bad takes on Eminem, to the slander list (T-Pain's not on it), to a journalism interaction from LJ's review days with an up-and-coming rapper who's career stalled out in the blog era... Enjoy this one.

On today's episode of Empty Crates, the guys (and the unofficial third podcast member Hashim) come in with a short list of things to discuss, but as always there's much more outside of the pre-cap... which is like the recap... but done at the very, very beginning of the show. Outside of musings on Preacher Pat, the failed mascots of Burger King, and how a certain top-tier lyricist is a liar, the guys tackle The Alchemist's latest drop, "The Genuine Articulate" (53:47) and Ice Cube's classic LP, "Death Certificate" (75:46)... well, until Hashim offers his takes. You'll have to hear it to believe it, so lock in for another pass through Empty Crates!

In part two of this episode of Empty Crates, the guys dive into three more classic funk albums, or rather, albums that show the evolution of it to varying degrees. Starting with "Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!" from Bootsy Collins (1:02), the guys then jump to George Clinton and The Parliament's "Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome" (20:16) before ending with a well-regarded project you might've heard of from Prince (36:30). This episode took a while to edit, so hopefully you enjoyed your time with us here at Empty Crates! (To learn more about Funk That: A Visual Exploration of the Groove, co-hosted by some of Atlanta's finest visual artists and running from October 4th - 6th, you can follow and message Fabian on IG at @TwentyEightFlavors)

On today's special episode, we have the homie TwentyEight Flavors on to talk all things Funk, which ties into his art exhibit he's co-hosting in Atlanta on October 4th-6th (55:24)! But even that isn't without its technical difficulties and mishaps as someone misread the albums they were supposed to listen to, leading to a much... much longer conversation at the benefit of the content. It's a win-win for you guys, basically. Tying together the funk with some classic album reviews, the guys talk about Isaac Hayes classic album, "To Be Continued..." (105:47), which is ironic because, well... you'll see when you listen to today's episode of Empty Crates! (To learn more about Funk That: A Visual Exploration of the Groove, co-hosted by some of Atlanta's finest visual artists and running from October 4th - 6th, you can follow and message Fabian on IG at @TwentyEightFlavors)

We always say it's a good episide on Empty Crates (and we haven't been wrong yet), but today's episode is a great episode that was incredibly fun to record. There's plenty to talk about, but it's only right the guys acknowledge the madness that's playing out that would involve over a thousand bottles of baby oil (20:45). After that, the guys turn to their focus for today's episode... LL Cool J. They first go back to one of his earlier albums, "Mama Said Knock You Out" (45:26) before talking about "The FORCE", his newest drop... and the big issue that holds it back (78:51). Here's a hint; it's not the raps. Enjoy today's episode, and be sure to send us your hot takes so we can play them on air!

Two episodes for the price of one, due to technical difficulties! On this episode of Empty Crates, ELJAY's the one bringing a game for the pod to play (4:34) before the music reviews kick in. Juicy J's "Jazz Album" gets a quick convo (51:29) before the pod finally dives into Doechii's latest mixtape, "Alligator Bites Never Heal" (75:16). There's as many jokes in this one as there are serious topics, so lock in with Empty Crates for the good stuff...

Empty Crates returns with more content for you and yours to enjoy. On today's episode, Gut discusses (sort of) his recent side gig (22:30) before talking about Benny The Butcher's "Summertime Butch" project (42:42). Afterwards, they iso for a fan-made hot-take about the cover art that spawns more chaos (71:27). Of course, there's much more for the 100 Percenters (including a callback to a flub from the previous episode), so lock in for a good one!

Today's episode of Empty Crates is a fun one, as the guys spin the block on the previous Fugees issues and live react to a... diss track? (33:55) The guys then tackle the latest projects from Larry June (50:15) and Hiatus Kaiyote, respectively (68:38), and their opinions might surprise you. It also 100% might not surprise you, so there's that. Heads up, don't forget to SEND US YOUR HOTTEST TAKES ABOUT ANYTHING so we can read them next week on the show! Thanks for rocking with Empty Crates, and if you enjoy us, give us a follow and five stars (it really does help the growth)!

We've got a fun episode today for the 100 Percenters. On this edition of Empty Crates, the guys talk about the recently released Killer Mike album and disagree concerning the reworks within (46:00), they champion Phonte's latest four-track EP (70:47), laugh about a certain group's tour cancellation (87:03), and debate who belongs on the "Worst Sidekick" eliminator and who doesn't (92:08). There's more here, from dunking on Karl Malone to appreciating Alabama music from 20+ years ago, so lock in and enjoy your time with Empty Crates.

Today's episode of Empty Crates is full of content and randomness, so in short, it's a 100 Percenter's dream. Or something like that. The main three topics for today? Mustard's new album, Faith of a Mustard Seed (36:16), Rakim's new album (70:56), and a fond recollection of the G.O.O.D Friday from two completely different perspectives (88:42). Enjoy your time with Empty Crates, and be sure to follow and rate us 5 STARS!

Oh look, the guys remember how to make longer episodes! Empty Crates returns with the guys addressing Eminem's shenanigans on "The Death of Slim Shady" (48:00). They then pivot to give flowers to Freeway and Jake One in multiple arenas, one being their return to working together with "Stimulus Package 2" (90:36). Outside of that, the guys bounce all over the place with topics, from JasonMartin and DJ Quik, to Sauce Walka's energy, to trying to place Jamariquai into a genre. They even address how great of a "storyteller" Jadakiss is. There's far more for the 100 Percenters, so lock in and enjoy today's episode!

Damn Rhetoricals. On today's episode of Empty Crates, it's a shortlist with Marlon Craft's "Tunnel's End" (48:26), and a rant that's been years in the making concerning ELJAY's "favorite" artist. There's always more for the 100 Percenters, so enjoy your time with Empty Crates!

On today's episode, the guys round out the topics with a final summary on Kendrick Lamar's Pop Out concert (30:10), Kaytranada's latest album (67:33), and NxWorries' "Why Lawd?" (80:49). There's more to it, but that's for you and the 100 Percenters to lock in and enjoy, so... enjoy!

We hope you enjoy chaos, because that's what you're in for with today's episode of Empty Crates. Hashim returns for another go on the microphone, while a special guest crashes the party for redemption from the yet-to-be-released 20th episode of the pod. No timestamps today outside of the mini-game here (36:58); this one's a special run for our 100 Percenters. Enjoy.

You know what time it is when the Empty Crates are...well, empty? Just because there's no official topic doesn't mean this episode is a skip, because the homie Hashim decided to crash the party last minute! Just in time for D Gut to debut a new gameshow titled "You Ain't Hip-Hop" (54:17). For the 100 Percenters, there's much, much more here for you to rock with, so lock in for today's Interlude.PODTRACKS for Episode 28 - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UP926SgWQh2C9Jxt0miH9?si=e42f630e12924111

Welcome back to Empty Crates! In today's episode, the guys put the latest Ghostface Killah album under the gun to "Set The Tone" (18:38). Inspired from Skit 1 on the same album, the guys give their favorite cereals and why normal milk gets a no-fly pass. The guys then magically pivot to pull a "Houdini" out of the topics... the guys talk about Eminem's latest single (49:21), then they rank each one he's ever released (60:45). There's way more for the 100 Percenters, so lock in with Empty Crates and enjoy the unrated conversations! (Apologies on the delay; this episode was originally set to be uploaded a few days ago, but was never auto-published) PODTRACKS FOR EPISODE 27: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2s6T7t2HsdJjewaBeABzJM?si=76e821cbd5464a0d

Empty Crates is back, fresh-faced and more recharged than ever- not really, but we're back anyway! A lot of music's happened in the last couple weeks, so the guys jumped right in with the latest release from Vince Staples (27:00) and Rapsody (45:55). There's 34 other jokes we could make here, but it'll ruin the fun. Let your windows down, protect your beard, and get into the latest episode! PODTRACKS FOR EPISODE 26: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MbaDYGWvLF9fCHioY17uI?si=fb9b62d6c40b4eed

The guys decide to just take it easy for today's episode of Empty Crates... which means, of course they stumble into one of the strongest disagreements they've ever had on air concerning DJ Vlad (5:37). After getting through the mud with that, the guys update their beef standings with Kendrick and Drake (29:55), and decide to ask about certain songs in each other's discography (51:13). Don't worry; it's our music, so we included them here for you for reference. From Spider-Man video game spoilers to Kanye and Kendrick mashups on Youtube, there's much more for the 100 Percenters to explore. Enjoy the conversation and the vibes in today's episode!

When "17 Minutes" ain't enough...In today's emergency podcast episode (recorded the morning of 5.4.24), the guys have to address the moment in Hip-Hop that happened late the night before, with the monumental shots taken from Drake with "Family Matters" and Kendrick Lamar's immediate, pre-loaded response with "meet the grahams." Welcome to Empty Crates. Enjoy the bonus episode, and be sure to leave us a voice message about your thoughts on anything you've heard!Leave a message! - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emptycratespodcast

(Note: This episode was recorded before "6:16 In L.A")It's everywhere, but the guys at Empty Crates would rather take a metered approach to the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake rap feud... 17 minutes to be exact (0:00). After getting that out of the way, they dive into a couple of projects that caught their eye in the last week, including Mozzy's "Children of the Slums" (32:36) and Don Trip's "This Message Will Self-Destruct" (66:26). Enjoy!