N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode, we chop it up with the legendary group 3rd Bass!
MC Serch and Pete Nice from Third Bass join us to share their hip-hop journey!
This episode was straight-up a time machine into the golden era, a look at the grind, the struggle, and the evolution of hip-hop as we know it today.
The Roots of a Movement
From the jump, the N.O.R.E. & DJEFN made it clear—Drink Champs ain’t just about getting faded and talking wild. Nah, it’s about giving flowers while these pioneers can still smell ’em. And 3rd Bass? They ain’t just some regular cats; they were part of that first wave that proved hip-hop wasn’t just for one kind of person. Before Eminem, before Action Bronson, before G-Eazy—there was 3rd Bass, breaking barriers and spitting realness.
They chopped it up about their early days—grinding in New York, doing graffiti, DJing, rocking mics before the industry even knew what to do with white MCs who weren’t Vanilla Ice. They mentioned La Scotch, an old-school graffiti legend, and how those street connections played a role in their come-up. It wasn’t just about music; it was about the culture.
The Hustle Was Real
Before the fame, before the money, before they were rocking shows, 3rd Bass was out here grinding like any real hip-hop head trying to make it. They told stories about working regular jobs, delivering food to shelters, and hustling just to survive. Hip-hop wasn’t an easy road back then, especially when the industry wasn’t even sure how to handle them.
A standout moment in the convo was when they touched on their performances. Back in the day, performing in front of thousands wasn’t just about putting on a show—it was about survival. Censorship was a real thing, and cats were getting arrested just for speaking their minds on the mic. Imagine spitting bars and then catching a case because some authority figure didn’t like the truth you were telling. That’s real.
The Industry Game
You already know the industry been shady from the jump, and 3rd Bass had their fair share of struggles navigating the business side of hip-hop. Contracts were trash, deals were shady, and getting paid what you deserved was a whole battle. They spoke on how early hip-hop artists were getting robbed left and right, and if you didn’t have your paperwork right, you were gonna end up broke no matter how hot your records were.
One of the biggest gems dropped in this episode was how hip-hop as a machine started moving. They broke down how the term itself got cemented with Rapper’s Delight and how corporations started seeing hip-hop as a money-making tool rather than a raw, grassroots movement. Once the big labels got involved, everything changed. And while that opened doors for many, it also shifted the culture in ways that weren’t always positive.
Almost Hollywood
Here’s a wild one—imagine 3rd Bass being in Malcolm X, the classic Spike Lee joint. That almost happened! One of them auditioned, ran lines with Samuel L. Jackson, and nearly got a role in the movie. That’s the type of untold hip-hop history that makes Drink Champs dope. These cats weren’t just about rapping; they were connected to the culture in all kinds of ways.
The Tupac Philosophy
Every hip-hop conversation gotta touch on Pac at some point, right? 3rd Bass had a deep moment where they talked about a convo with Tupac. He schooled them on why he didn’t rock heavy gold chains—his mindset was that rocking gold while people around you were struggling didn’t sit right with him. That’s the type of wisdom that made Pac different. He wasn’t just about the flash; he was about the message, about uplifting people. And that’s the kind of talk that makes you see hip-hop as more than just beats and rhymes—it’s about impact.
The Evolution of Hip-Hop
Fast forward to today, hip-hop’s been running the game for 50+ years. But what’s crazy is seeing how the new generation connects to the old. They brought up Boldy James, an MC who’s keeping that raw, gritty, lyrical side of hip-hop alive. It’s dope to see artists still carrying the torch, staying true to that essence while pushing the genre forward.
Giving Flowers
At the end of the day, Drink Champs did what it does best—gave legends their respect while they can still hear it. 3rd Bass came through, dropped knowledge, shared history, and reminded everybody that hip-hop ain’t just music—it’s a movement, a lifestyle, a culture that ain’t going nowhere.
So next time you bump a 3rd Bass track, remember—you’re not just hearing some old-school rap. You’re hearing the foundation of a genre that changed the world. Salute to the pioneers, the risk-takers, and the ones who kept it real when the industry wanted them to fold. That’s hip-hop. That’s legacy.