Slow Burn: Live – Party & Bullshit (March 18, 2020)

Host: Joel Anderson
Guests: Reverend Conrad Tillard, Eazy Mo B, Nasheem Myrick, Dan Smalls, Ben Westoff

Overview

This special live episode of Slow Burn—titled "Party & Bullshit"—serves as a prequel to Season 3's deep dive into the intertwined stories of The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) and Tupac Shakur. Recorded in front of a live audience, the episode explores the early friendship between these two icons, their first meetings, pivotal moments in their artistic careers, and the cultural landscape that drove both unity and division within hip hop. The episode features first-hand stories from collaborators and journalists, and a roundtable discussion about the period’s music, violence, and transformation of the hip hop industry.

Early Career and the Origins of "Party and Bullshit"

[00:00–06:41]

• Setting the Stage in 1992:
  Joel Anderson recounts Christopher Wallace's (Biggie's) transition from hustling to focusing on music, aided by Sean "Puffy" Combs, who signed him to Uptown Records.
• The Last Poets’ Influence:
  The titular phrase "party and bullshit" originally came from the Last Poets’ poem "When the Revolution Comes", which Biggie repurposed to reflect the reality of distraction and survival in Black America.

  "When the revolution comes. But until then, you know and I know niggas will party and bullshit and party and bullshit..." —Reverend Conrad Tillard [04:57]

• Biggie’s First Recordings:
  • Debuted on remixes for Mary J. Blige and Supercat
  • "Party and Bullshit" is written and recorded, reflecting Biggie’s neighborhood life:

    "...all we wanna do is..." —Ezmo B [05:30]
    "...Party and Bullshit came out in the spring of 1993. It was part of the soundtrack for the movie Who’s the Man?" —Joel Anderson [06:52]

• Chico Del Vec:
  Biggie's old friend, describes being in the studio for the recording and triggering a fight captured on the track.

Biggie & Tupac: First Meeting and Early Friendship

[07:08–14:58]

• Promo Trip to LA:
  Biggie, sent by Puffy to LA for radio promotions, is accompanied by Dan Smalls, who recalls Biggie’s lack of interest in self-promotion compared to his excitement to meet Tupac.
• Mutual Admiration:
  Tupac is at the cusp of stardom, coming from humble Bay Area beginnings and starting to act. The two artists' first meeting is set up accidentally via a weed dealer’s overlapping clientele.

  "Tupac had played party and bullshit over and over again... Their mutual admiration made it easy for them to connect." —Joel Anderson [09:42]

• Legendary Hangout at Tupac’s House:
  Biggie and Tupac quickly bond in Tupac’s home:
  • There’s plentiful weed ("He pulled out so much trees, it was ridiculous..." —Dan Smalls [11:15])
  • Pac cooks lunch for everyone
  • There’s an impromptu freestyle session
  • Pac shows off a bag of guns, signifying trust

  "You not giving strangers guns in your house unless you feel... it's deeper than rap." —Dan Smalls [12:22]

• Biggie’s New Resolve:
  The LA trip stokes Biggie’s ambition for music, marking a turning point in his life.

  "So Biggie went back east with a new drive for music, and he had Tupac to thank for it." —Joel Anderson [14:58]

Roundtable: Artists, Conflict, and Hip Hop Community

[17:00–43:21]

On Early Predictions, Biggie’s & Pac’s Stardom

• Initial Impressions:
  Nasheem Myrick and Eazy Mo B discuss Biggie’s skill and his star potential.

  "Nah, not like Big. Nah." —Nasheem Myrick [18:13]

Peace-Keeping Amid Turmoil

• Reverend Conrad Tillard, 'Hip Hop Minister':
  Describes his role mediating conflicts, including the infamous Rex-N-Effect vs. Zulu Nation beef—solved with a marathon negotiation at the mosque [22:56].
• Hip hop's Communal Roots:
  Emphasis on how hip hop grew organically from street/community efforts before becoming an industry.

Industry Politics and the East Coast–West Coast Divide

• Clash with the Establishment:
  Stories about high-stakes room meetings—including one with Colin Powell, Suge Knight, and other industry figures—highlight the tension underpinning the era.

  "I just felt like in the room...there was conversation and things that could have been said and that could have happened that could have snuffed out what it eventually became." —Ezmo B [21:10]

• Media’s Role in Fuelling Conflict:
  Vibe Magazine’s coverage of East Coast–West Coast beef contributed to escalating paranoia. Eazy Mo B shares discomfort about being cited in an article—simply for having 'no comment' via his lawyer—which inadvertently stoked rumors [33:42].

Sidelined Collaborations and Missed Opportunities

• "Who Shot Ya?" Origin Story:
  Nasheem Myrick recounts how the track was originally created for a Mary J. Blige interlude for Keith Murray—but, after various twists, ended up with Biggie. Tupac believed the diss was aimed at him, but it was recorded before the infamous shooting [28:15–32:27].

  "He said, I leave you leaking like Michael Jordan’s pops… Of course they didn't put it on the album... But Puff was like, don't worry. We're going to make it a record." —Nasheem Myrick [30:38]

• Working with Both Legends:
  Eazy Mo B details a unique recording session for “Running from the Police” where both Pac and Biggie, plus their respective entourages, packed the studio—highlighting their genuine friendship before beef [36:22].

  "I was there and I got a chance to work with these two while they were friends. So one day when you wake up and you see or hear about, you know, they got beef, I was like, what happened?" —Ezmo B [36:38]

Cultural Context: Activism, Industry, and Evolving Values

[43:21–47:42]

• Shift from Culture to Industry:
  Tillard describes how, in early days, hip hop functioned as a community tool for peace and self-expression, but commercialization and industry profit motives eroded those ideals.

  "What I feel happened...it became the music industry. And the music industry, like capitalism, is perverse. It has no value judgment. It just wants to make money." —Reverend Conrad Tillard [45:38]

• Media Amplification & Violence:
  The media helped escalate the violence; loss of two giants (Biggie, Tupac) marked a point of no return for the community.
• Call for Unity:
  Myrick:

  "...we have to look back and realize like, we're all we got, you know, we have to maintain this love and respect for each other, because once that's gone, they don't give a fuck about us." [47:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Biggie & Tupac’s Chemistry:

  "They liked each other and they trusted each other and they thought for at least a year or so that they understood each other like nobody else really could." —Joel Anderson [14:58]

• Pac’s Political Theater:

  "What Big and a lot of the New York rap scene didn’t understand was that [Pac’s] political theater took on a realistic dimension." —Reverend Conrad Tillard [37:22]

• On Music Industry Changes:

  "It became the music industry...it just wants to make money... That’s what happened to hip hop...the media played a part too." —Reverend Conrad Tillard [45:38]

Key Timestamps

• Early influences and “Party and Bullshit”: [00:00–06:52]
• Biggie & Tupac’s first encounter and wild house hangout: [08:12–12:54]
• Roundtable: Biggie’s talent, community organizing, and industry confrontations: [17:00–25:49]
• “Who Shot Ya?” and misinterpreted messages: [27:49–32:27]
• Community mediation and industry critique: [43:21–47:42]
• Call for unity and closing: [47:42]

Conclusion

"Party & Bullshit" shines a light on the overlooked camaraderie, artistry, and complexities at the heart of Biggie and Tupac’s relationship before industry forces and media narratives inflamed hostilities. It features unique personal accounts from those who knew and created with them, while also serving as a retrospective meditation on what hip hop was—and what it could have remained—had community and artistry not been subsumed by commerce and conflict.

For listeners wanting the inside story on Biggie and Tupac’s beginnings—and the root causes of hip hop’s most infamous feud—this live episode is essential.