Podcast Summary: Joe and Jada – Wu-Tang's Raekwon & Mobb Deep's Havoc on '36 Chambers,' Prodigy & REAL Hip Hop

Host: Fat Joe & Jadakiss
Guests: Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan), Havoc (Mobb Deep)
Date: September 9, 2025
Podcast: Joe and Jada Show

Episode Overview

This episode reunites two monolithic figures of East Coast hip hop: Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan and Havoc from Mobb Deep. The hosts—Fat Joe and Jadakiss—guide a nostalgic, raw, and deeply insightful conversation about hip hop lineage, the lived experience of legendary rap neighborhoods, stories behind icons like Prodigy and Old Dirty Bastard, the making of classic albums, and a fiery debate on what “real hip hop” means today. Along the way, listeners get world premieres of new music and a window into the unfiltered perspectives of true culture-shapers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Queensbridge, Brooklyn, and Staten Island: Neighborhood Royalty

(Timestamps: 04:44–13:00)

• Fat Joe calls Queensbridge “the most royal projects in hip hop,” asking Havoc about the pride and inspiration of seeing legends like Roxanne Shanté and MC Shan up close.
  • Havoc: “That was the type of shit that made you proud to be from QB. You go to school, n****s be like where you from? I'm from Queensbridge, you know what I'm saying? Cause we got the song. The bridge. You know where I'm from.” (06:15)
  • Recollections of seeing pioneering artists—MC Shan with his “different Pumas,” Marley Marl, and Roxanne—pulling up in BMWs. This proximity instilled confidence to “be somebody.”
• Fat Joe and Jadakiss riff on parallels with other legendary boroughs and their own upbringings; there’s reverence for the inspiring, “superhero” presence of block stars and the circle of cross-neighborhood respect.

2. On Old Dirty Bastard and Early Hip Hop Crime

(Timestamps: 14:02–17:25)

• Old Dirty Bastard (ODB) is remembered as “the illest”—a wild, magnetic figure. Anecdotes abound, such as ODB chugging an entire bottle of Tiger Bone on 125th St, which left everyone in awe.
  • Jadakiss: “He was more like a thief than a crook. See, it's a difference…a crook got attitude all the time. He just funny and like the steal.” (16:20)
  • Fat Joe shares, “You want to see a superhero? That’s Ghost (Face),” underscoring how the Wu Tang members still elicit visceral, childhood-style awe.
• The street-level stories highlight the blurred lines between early rap, hustling, and bold authenticity.

3. Steve Rifkind & Industry Loyalty

(Timestamps: 19:50–22:09)

• Heavy praise for Steve Rifkind, founder of Loud Records and central figure in East Coast hip hop’s ‘90s boom.
  • Fat Joe credits Rifkind for changing lives: “He bought my mother's house. He made me move out the projects.”
  • The camaraderie among Loud’s alumni—“every artist he ever had showed up, performed”—reflects genuine loyalty within the often cutthroat industry.

4. Meeting and Evolving with Prodigy

(Timestamps: 22:09–26:36)

• Havoc describes meeting Prodigy in high school, initially unimpressed with his bars—but witnessing a transformation into an “animal” on the mic.
  • “If I wasn't there to witness it, I would've thought somebody else wrote P's rhymes.” (23:18)
  • This theme of “witnessing greatness up close” recurs, with Fat Joe and Jadakiss marveling at peers’ lyrical jumps and the competitive pressure each era’s new classics created.
  • Jadakiss: “I had a tough job. I was rapping next to Michael Jordan.” (25:17)

5. Classic Album Process: ‘36 Chambers’ and Wu Tang Chemistry

(Timestamps: 35:36–37:57)

• The making of Wu Tang Clan’s early music is laid out:
  • RZA’s “little hole in the wall” studio, sessions with everyone cramped together, and ODB serving as an internal “general” and motivator.
    • “He was very boisterous... It's almost like you write a bar, you gotta come over there and get his approval.” (36:53, Jadakiss)
  • The group’s early hustle and shared hunger are palpable throughout the stories.

6. Legendary Producers: Alchemist & DJ Premier

(Timestamps: 39:01–41:24)

• How Havoc and Mobb Deep connected with Alchemist, who was then just a “white kid from LA with the fire beats”—and how Al’s work has come to define New York’s sound.
• Reflection on DJ Premier’s Houston origins and the interconnected pipeline of hip hop talent.

7. On What “Real Hip Hop” Is—and Isn’t

(Timestamps: 67:00–74:00)

• The episode climaxes with a nuanced, passionate critique of hip hop’s current state:
  • Raekwon uses the metaphor of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” to speak to trends and “scammers” in the industry, saying people are “sold into something that wasn’t real.”
    • “Stop calling everything hip hop, man. Because everything ain't hip hop.” (72:05, Raekwon)
  • There’s respect for the next generation’s hustle but a call for gatekeeping and clearer definitions, echoing the separation in rock: “punk rock, hardcore metal, etc.”
  • Concerns about the dilution of culture and the proliferation of people calling themselves rappers or part of the industry without having truly earned it.

8. New Music, Upcoming Tours, and the Mass Appeal Alliance

(Timestamps: 60:11–66:37, 87:46–93:16)

• Havoc shares details on the upcoming posthumous Mobb Deep album (Oct 10) and tour kickoff (Nov 12).
• Raekwon discusses his new project “Emperor’s New Clothes” under Mass Appeal—designed as a supergroup “Juice Crew” style alliance with Slick Rick, Nas, and more.
  • "It was like, I'm getting ready to go like this (indie), but I'm telling them before I go...if they could do this, that, I'm down—but here's the catch: it gotta happen in 24 hours" (~62:00, Havoc)
• The hosts premiere a new Mobb Deep song ("Deep Against the World"), eliciting live reactions and massive excitement in-studio.
  • “This shit is like, when it come on, this shit is scary. Like, it feel like he (Prodigy) here...he got this like premonition thing going on.” (66:17, Havoc)

9. Legacy, Support, and Gatekeeping the Culture

(Timestamps: 96:11–98:17)

• Rhapsody joins, celebrated by the hosts as someone “from the cloth”—conscious, lyrical, and a torchbearer for authentic rap.
  • “Whatever she do...she special. So we gotta make sure...we can help you win as much as we can. Because, you know, you talking your shit. Everything we complaining about, you're not.”
• The elders champion mentorship, mutual uplift, and the need for experienced voices to keep hip hop’s artistic core intact.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Raekwon on ODB:
  “He chugger lugged a whole bottle with Tiger Bone. I don't think nobody in the world…I knew he was human, because if he would've did nothing…” (15:04)

• Havoc on Prodigy:
  “I was rapping next to Michael Jordan and still had to cook in the kitchen and still lay a verse.” (25:17)

• Fat Joe on Steve Rifkind:
  “He bought my mother's house. He made me move out the projects.” (19:51)

• Raekwon, on today’s hip hop:
  “If we don't feel that way, you can't sell me that…a lot of times we get sold on shit because it's a vanity move for everybody. It's yo, I did it first or yo this or whatever, or putting a lot of shit to be shit that it ain't. It really ain't.” (68:49)

• Jadakiss:
  “But stop calling everything hip hop, man. Because everything ain't hip hop.” (72:05)

• On Mobb Deep’s new work:
  “When it come on, this shit is scary. Like, it feel like he (Prodigy) here, like…he got this premonition thing going on.” (66:17, Havoc)

• Jadakiss on Rhapsody:
  “She rhyme and she rhyme like. And she do. She doing exactly what you said. She stay in the lane. She do what she love to do. I don't feel like every girl needs to be oversexualized and all that. She wants Brahms and beats. That's it.” (97:20)

Timeline & Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Speaker(s) | Timestamp | |-------|---------------|---------| | Intro banter, setting up the episode | Joe Budden, Jadakiss | 02:21–04:44 | | Growing up in Queensbridge and Brooklyn | Joe Budden, Havoc, Jadakiss | 04:44–13:00 | | Wu-Tang as superheroes, early days | Joe Budden, Jadakiss, Raekwon | 13:00–17:25 | | Stories of Steve Rifkind and label loyalty | Joe Budden, Jadakiss | 19:50–22:09 | | Origins and evolution of Prodigy | Havoc, Joe Budden, Jadakiss | 22:09–26:36 | | Studio process, making 36 Chambers | Jadakiss, Joe Budden, Raekwon | 35:36–37:57 | | Meeting Alchemist, hip hop producers | Havoc, Joe Budden, Jadakiss | 39:01–41:24 | | Hip hop’s changing definition, gatekeeping | Raekwon, Jadakiss, Joe Budden | 67:00–74:00 | | Mobb Deep & Wu-Tang new projects/tour details | Havoc, Joe Budden, Jadakiss | 60:11–66:37, 87:46–93:16 | | Introduction and praise for Rhapsody | Jada Kiss, Joe Budden, Jadakiss | 96:11–98:17 | | Song premiere: "Deep Against the World" | Joe Budden, Havoc, Jadakiss | 89:19–93:16 |

Closing Thoughts

This episode provides a masterclass in hip hop history, a cautionary critique of the genre's present, and a celebration of authentic artistry. Legendary stories, irreverent humor, vulnerability, and a shared sense of legacy make this a must-listen for anyone who cares about the culture. Listeners are left hungry for the new music, energized by tales of true rap royalty, and challenged to consider what hip hop really means—and who gets to define it—in 2025.