From “Lonely” to “Locked Up” and beyond, Akon has provided a consistent soundtrack of hit songs throughout his 30+ year career. The Senegalese-American singer (“not a rapper,” in his words, though he writes raps for others) grew up in New Jersey & honed his musical craft through exposure to artists like his percussionist father and the Fugees.Akon explains how the loneliness of jail helped him write his first hit songs and tells the story of Lil’ Zane discovering him and leading to him signing a record deal in 1995. He breaks down his A&R approach, including lessons he learned from Steve Rifkind and why he knew Lady Gaga would be a star from the moment he first worked with her.Akon’s new album, Beautiful Day, is out now.Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button and leave a comment letting us know what you thought about the show!Email thetruthhurts@powmag.net for sponsorship opportunities. The Truth Hurts is hosted by Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic, & FreeFollow The Truth Hurts on all PlatformsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthhurtspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthhurtspodcastTwitter: https://x.com/Truth_Hurts_PodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BjMCTIiweZdCyT3DyseJtApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-hurts-w-jeff-weiss-rosecrans-vic-and-free/id1813226752

Gashi joins Jeff Weiss and Free at Gold Diggers in LA on The Truth Hurts Podcast to talk about his new independent album The Killah Whales of Gotham. Born in Libya & raised in an Albanian-American family in Brooklyn, Gashi was a garbage man before he started making music. He breaks down his story of how he ended up signing with Roc Nation, making a country album before Post Malone, and finding success as an independent artist.

He also touches on nostalgia, loving the 80s, copying Drakeo’s voice tone on a song, blocking people, hating Sea World, going through Hell, being passionate and sensitive, his parents kicking him out when he told them he wanted pursue art, being homeless, meeting Kanye at age 13, trying to sign Chappell Roan, doing a song with Sting, and much more. Plus, he explains why he’s the Albanian Bad Bunny.

Nothing Personal founder Blazzy joins Rosecrans Vic & Jeff Weiss to tell the story of his come-up from Paramount, CA to designing best-selling shirts for Lil Wayne & products for artists like MoneySign Suede. He breaks down the night in 2017 w/ Desto Dubb & 03 Greedo that changed the face of LA hip-hop, how his Perc 30 jersey went viral and why he followed it up with a ‘Fentanyl Kills’ shirt, how Dallas’ creative community inspired him, and why “we don’t need anymore t-shirts.”Blazzy also shares his thoughts on topics impacting design and journalism, like working for free, paying your dues, the value of tunnel vision, using AI, social media’s destructiveness, and working with intent. Shout out to https://www.gold-diggers.com for hosting the show!

00:00 Intro

1:45 How Blazzy & Vic Met

4:15 The Night in 2017 that Changed LA Hip-Hop

8:35 What his life was like in 2016

11:12 When his life changed

15:28 Nothing Personal

16:19 Perc 30 Jersey

18:20 Fentanyl Kills shirt

19:30 Pro Choice shirt

20:40 Intention & Inspiration

25:28 Why we don’t need anymore t-shirts

32:00 MoneySignSuede

43:30 Dallas artists

47:28 Doing things for free

52:30 The value of tunnel vision

54:09 AI graphics

1:05:13 Lightning Round Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button and leave a comment letting us know what you thought about the show!Email thetruthhurts@powmag.net for sponsorship opportunities. The Truth Hurts is hosted by Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic, & FreeFollow The Truth Hurts on all PlatformsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthhurtspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthhurtspodcastTwitter: https://x.com/Truth_Hurts_PodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BjMCTIiweZdCyT3DyseJtApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-hurts-w-jeff-weiss-rosecrans-vic-and-free/id1813226752

Legendary hip-hop icon Shyne joins Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic & Free at Gold Diggers in LA to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his self-titled debut album & his first U.S. tour in over two decades.He talks about working with producers like Hit-Boy, Swizz Beats,Timbaland, RZA and Dre, and breaks down the young artists he’s listening to today. He touches on Pop Smoke and Jay-Z’s legacy, and how escaping the warzone of Brooklyn Vietnam made him feel like he could do anything.Shyne revisits the making of “Bad Boyz” and other classics, and touches on his reaction to the Diddy documentary, his incarceration & return. He shares his spiritual journey from Orthodox Judaism to what he now describes as “enlightenment,” and explains how he’s involved in Belize politics in order to give a voice to the people.

Shout out to https://www.gold-diggers.com for hosting the show!

00:00 Intro

1:33 Returning to America from Belize

5:00 Timing of success

7:17 Working with Legendary Producers

7:45 What he’s going to be doing differently

9:36 The evolution of his life and hip-hop

13:00 Global view of music

15:42 Pop Smoke

17:20 Moving to Brooklyn1

19:30 His mom wanting him to go to college over rapping

20:40 Meeting Jay-Z

24:10 AI

26:45 “Bad Boyz”

35:28 Diddy documentary

39:22 Incarceration & Return

43:55 Orthodox Judaism & spiritual journey to enlightenment

48:47 Returning to Performance

52:10 Belize Parliament

1:00:22 Politics vs. Hip-Hop

1:01:49 Belize independence history

1:04:30 Unpopular Truth: Manifest Your Own Destiny

1:11:30 Best Life AdviceMake sure you hit that like and subscribe button and leave a comment letting us know what you thought about the show!Email thetruthhurts@powmag.net for sponsorship opportunities. The Truth Hurts is hosted by Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic, & FreeFollow The Truth Hurts on all PlatformsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthhurtspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthhurtspodcastTwitter: https://x.com/Truth_Hurts_PodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BjMCTIiweZdCyT3DyseJtApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-hurts-w-jeff-weiss-rosecrans-vic-and-free/id1813226752

Mickey Avalon joins Jeff Weiss on the Truth Hurts podcast to look back on 20 years since the release of his cult classic self-titled debut album. He reflects on how social media has changed since he first emerged as one of the preeminent artists in the Myspace era, along with Simon Rex, Dirt Nasty, Andre Legacy and Dyslexic Speedreaders. He talks about his upbringing in West Hollywood where he wrote graffiti, sold weed with his mom and got his first porno from The Alchemist. He tells stories about working with Perry Ferrell, Dr. Luke, and Bruno Mars, being in a Boost Mobile commercial with Young Jeezy and Jermaine Dupri, accidentally eating 10 grams of mushrooms in Mexico, and why he never really cared about legacy.

Shout out to https://www.gold-diggers.com for hosting the show!

Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button and leave a comment letting us know what you thought about the show!

Email thetruthhurts@powmag.net for sponsorship opportunities.

00:00 Intro

00:30 Social Media

9:00 Growing up in West Hollywood

13:20 Jane Fonda and My Dick

18:11 Painting

21:00 Meeting Simon Rex, forming Dyslexic Speed Readers and recording his first album

28:28 Drugs

30:00 Living in Bali during COVID

33:45 Selling weed with his mom

36:00 Music that influenced him

40:00 Interscope deal & Early Myspace era

43:00 Dr. Luke, Bruno Mars & Kid Rock

45:01 Second record and label problems

49:10 Boost Mobile commercial with Young Jeezy and Jermaine Dupri

51:00 The Simple Life

54:00 Unpopular Truth

56:00 Mushrooms story

58:00 Lightning Round

The Truth Hurts is hosted by Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic, & FreeFollow The Truth Hurts on all Platforms

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthhurtspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthhurtspodcastTwitter: https://x.com/Truth_Hurts_PodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BjMCTIiweZdCyT3DyseJtApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-hurts-w-jeff-weiss-rosecrans-vic-and-free/id1813226752

This week on The Truth Hurts podcast Jeff Weiss & Free are joined by the man, the myth, the legend, the Garden State New Jerusalem’s finest, the Rahway Rampager: Fatboi Sharif. He shares his thoughts on Britney Spears and N’Sync, grunge music, Blind Melon, Lil Wayne, and hero worship. He also gives an in-depth breakdown of his favorite movies, across all genres but especially horror. He explains how he has recurring nightmares and makes music by listening to beats in his sleep. Hear him defend his unpopular truth: “Art can be bad.”Listen to Fatboi Sharif: https://powrecordings.org/fatboi-sharif/Shout out to https://www.gold-diggers.com for hosting the show!00:00 Intro 1:26 Autotune & T-Pain2:15 Britney Spears4:13 N’Sync5:30 New Jersey 8:37 Early musical influences & grunge10:40 Lil Wayne & Hero Worship14:20 Navigating social media15:20 Jim Carroll & Basketball Diaries 16:30 What his parents thought of him becoming an artist17:20 Poetry, Rap & refining his craft19:30 Horror movies26:48 The Shining37:10 His creative process40:09 Comedy 43:44 David Lynch 46:00 Guilty pleasures 50:32 Recurring Nightmares54:40 Natural Born Killers57:05 Lightning RoundMake sure you hit that like and subscribe button and leave a comment letting us know what you thought about the show!Email thetruthhurts@powmag.net for sponsorship opportunities. The Truth Hurts is hosted by Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic, & FreeFollow The Truth Hurts on all PlatformsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthhurtspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthhurtspodcastTwitter: https://x.com/Truth_Hurts_PodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BjMCTIiweZdCyT3DyseJtApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-hurts-w-jeff-weiss-rosecrans-vic-and-free/id1813226752

Mavi, the future Mayor of Charlotte, joins Jeff Weiss & Free at Gold Diggers in LA for an unfiltered conversation on The Truth Hurts podcast. He opens up about getting sober after drinking too much in Amsterdam, learning from touring with Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist about how dedication & pursuit of excellence can pay off into your 30s/40s, and what rebellion means in art & culture in 2026.

He also breaks down why Drakeo the Ruler is his favorite rapper/villain and how they both are in lineage to Rakim. He explains why he thinks rap is like Pro Wrestling, calls Adam22 a heel & Jeff a Pitchfork babyface, rants against millennial nostalgia, lists his all-time Charlotte Hornets lineup & unleashes a roast of the Lakers franchise history.

Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button and leave a comment letting us know what you thought about the show!

00:00 Cold Open

00:19 Intro for the Mayor

00:52 Living in Charlotte

1:38 Howard University

2:18 Musical upbringing

5:32 Being rebellious & getting sober

10:34 Touring with Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist

13:00 Drakeo the Ruler is like Rakim

15:47 Influences

17:44 Jazz

20:11 Commercialization of Hip-hop

22:29 Rebellion

28:29 Rap media is wrestling

38:52 First in Flight album

41:00 Charlotte Rap Scene

43:30 Millennial Nostalgia

46:22 LaMelo’s tattoos

47:07 Lightning Round

Shout out to https://www.gold-diggers.com/ for hosting the show!Email thetruthhurts@powmag.net for sponsorship opportunities. The Truth Hurts is hosted by Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic, & FreeFollow The Truth Hurts on all PlatformsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthhurtspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthhurtspodcastTwitter: https://x.com/Truth_Hurts_PodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BjMCTIiweZdCyT3DyseJtApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-hurts-w-jeff-weiss-rosecrans-vic-and-free/id1813226752

HoodTrophy Bino joins Jeff Weiss & Free at Gold Diggers in LA for an unfiltered conversation on The Truth Hurts podcast. Bino opens up about growing up in a big & religious family in Palmdale, witnessing his father and uncles cycling through jail and prison, and trying to break the generational curse.

He tells the truth about his latest public drama, including his relationship with Chrisean Rock, his role on Now That’s TV’s ‘Deja Vu,’ and why he and Soulja Boy aren’t the best of friends right now. In Bino’s words, “[Soulja Boy’s] a legend… but he’s a bitch.”

This interview shows HoodTrophy Bino in a different light than what you may have seen on reality TV or the internet. He, Jeff & Free also touch on his album with Hit-Boy, but get derailed with a debate about whether men or women are more toxic in relationships, and why Bino likes getting his toes sucked like Quentin Tarantino.Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button and leave a comment letting us know what you thought about the show!

00:00 Intro

1:29 Growing up in Palmdale

5:18 Moving to LA

8:05 Soulja Boy

10:30 Boosie

13:12 Chrisean Rock

15:50 Now That’s TV & ‘Deja Vu’ & Chasing Clout

28:44 Future, Toxic Relationships & Loving Women Too Much

40:04 Working with Hit-Boy & Lefty Gunplay

43:25 Why he left LA for Miami

45:30 Touring with Rio Da Yung OG

47:00 Breaking the Generational Curse

51:01 Unpopular Truth

52:30 What his legacy would be

54:22 Lightning roundShout out to https://www.gold-diggers.com/ for hosting the show!Email thetruthhurts@powmag.net for sponsorship opportunities. The Truth Hurts is hosted by Jeff Weiss, Rosecrans Vic, & FreeFollow The Truth Hurts on all PlatformsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthhurtspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@truthhurtspodcastTwitter: https://x.com/Truth_Hurts_PodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1BjMCTIiweZdCyT3DyseJtApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-hurts-w-jeff-weiss-rosecrans-vic-and-free/id1813226752#hoodtrophybino #bino #chriseanrock #souljaboy #riodayungog #future #toxic #relationships #nowthatstv #dejavu #hitboy #leftygunplay #boosie #rapper #rap #russrapper #la #hiphop #palmdale #miami #music #interview #podcast #larussell #jayz #drakę