for you, a story:
I get a google alert this morning informing me that larry was mentioned in a hiphopdx article. I assume it's to do with pusha t, whose dope interview with LK garnered a bunch of pickup last week, but instead it's this:
"Larry King was fond of saying that nothing is dead, everything is new, and 2 Chainz embodies that maxim so fully you imagine him as a Rap star painfully sculpted over two decades to take the world by ad-lib fueled, fun-as-hell storm."
(Andre Grant, Hiphop DX)
this tickles me. in part because it may seem bewildering to some why larry king - an 80-year-old broadcasting icon - merits mention in a hip hop album review, and also because I totally get it. (it reminds me, too, that we need to book 2 chainz, but that's another can of worms.)
we've had a number of rappers on the show - snoop, wiz, 50 cent, TI, and most recently pusha, to name a few - and there's always something magical that happens. they might seem like an unlikely pairing with larry - indeed, LK's more likely to be found listening to sinatra than kendrick - but sitting across the studio table from each other you sense a mutual understanding. larry respects hustle, and rappers - perennial hustlers - respect larry (to wit, nelly infamously told me in our pre-interview, "I want to be like larry when I grow up."). it's all candor and easy rapport.
for my part, I relish the opportunity to produce interviews with guests who are passionate, honest, and open to discussing just about anything. not for nothing, the rappers we've had on LKN have been among the kindest people to walk into this studio.
check out some of my favorite moments below, or watch the entire interviews if you're jonesing - each is available online, anytime on ora.tv. just enter larry king and the guest's name (pusha t, t.i., snoop lion, 50 cent, wiz khalifa, the game) in the search field. and feel free to let me know who else you'd like to see on LKN. I'm all ears.
serena
editorial producer, LKN
T.I. Sounds Off On Gun Control:
Pusha T on "best friend" Pharrell:
Snoop Lion on Gay Rappers:
Larry and 50 Cent on Losing a Parent at a Young Age:
Wiz Khalifa on the Power of Weed:
Nelly and Larry Face Off:
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.