In this episode of Written Gems, we dig deep into what’s considered to be one of the most important singles in rap history, “Self Destruction" by The Stop The Violence Movement (1989). This song is a who's-who of East Coast royalty: Heavy D, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, MC Lyte, Kool Moe Dee, Doug E. Fresh, Stetsasonic, and more. This was bigger than just a song. It was a statement.

We're breaking down the history of this classic: why the release date was no accident, how an 18-year-old D-Nice slept under the mixing board for seven straight days, the label beef that kept LL Cool J off the record (and what he did about it), and why West Coast rappers showed up to the video shoot uninvited.

This is the story of a track born out of urgency, and delivered to the world on what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 60th birthday.

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On this episode of Written Gems, hosts Ketch P and Nametag Alexander dig deep into one of the most iconic charity singles ever recorded, "We Are The World" by USA for Africa. Released on March 7, 1985, the platinum-selling, history-making anthem was co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, and brought together nearly 50 of the biggest names in music, from Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder to Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, and Cyndi Lauper, all under one roof, all in one night. Ketch P and Nametag Alexander break down the obscure behind-the-scenes facts you never heard in the history books: why Bob Dylan had a near-meltdown before his solo, how Stevie Wonder's Swahili idea sent Waylon Jennings walking out the door, and the real reason Prince, at arguably the peak of his career fresh off Purple Rain, refused to step into that recording studio. The duo also explores the 2023 Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, which rips back the curtain on everything from Diana Ross fangirling over Daryl Hall to Cyndi Lauper's jewelry crashing the session. If you love deep-dive music history, untold celebrity stories, and gems the mainstream music world overlooked, this is the episode you've been waiting for.

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On this episode of Written Gems, Nametag Alexander and Ketch P pull up the info on one of the most deceptively smooth records of the '90s TLC's "Creep."

Released on Halloween night of 1994, the Dallas Austin-penned classic didn't just top the Billboard Hot 100, it rewired how the world thought about women cheating. Built on a looped Slick Rick sample and a trumpet so lonely it aches, "Creep" was a song the group almost didn't make, by a producer who almost didn't release it, with a member who literally taped her mouth shut in protest.

Nametag and Ketch P bring their songwriter's eye to the hook, the narrative arc, the production choices, and the quiet confidence of T-Boz's delivery that made every word land like a threat wrapped in silk pajamas.

Whether you grew up with this record on repeat or you're hearing the story for the first time by the end of this episode, hopefully this convo sparks some good ol’ nostalgia .

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