The Library

Top 5 of 2025

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:43:15 GMT

DJ Smithsonian and Bosko discuss how important 2025 was to hip-hop culture and list their Top 5 album releases of the year.

00:00 - Welcome Back The Library

00:09 - The Library Intro Theme

00:44 - Smithsonian Intro

02:13 - What happened to the show?

04:30 - Releasing The Library's "Lost Tapes"

06:35 - What you bangin' / How you feel about 2025?

14:45 - What wasn't on the Bingo card

18:00 - What 2025 releases did we miss?

20:55 - Lupe & Digital Release Frustration

25:25 - How we're doing the Top 5

27:40 - Bosko kicks it off

47:17 - Are we going to agree on #1?

54:20 - Honorable Mentions

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Top 5 Instrumentals

Sat, 24 May 2025 15:36:09 GMT

Today we're going to the beats! Smithsonian and Bosko debate their top 5 hip-hop instrumentals and what makes for a dope beat.

In this episode, we talk:

Jay-Z 'Dynasty'ed' Jay Electronica

You just gonna say that while Kendrick is dropping Negro spirituals. Can't rap trash on a good beat.

"Seeing Green" was a missed opportunity

Investment firms from Vermont suing for copyright infringement.

Is that Sweet Caroline? I'm snitching

I'm in my 35+ rec league era of making music.

Your favorite emcee's gotta go in.

Condo DJs playing Shook Ones

I don't think everyone can rap on Grindin

SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheUnderdog

0:00 - Pre Show

0:42 - The Library Intro Theme

1:18 - Check In

2:58 - What you bangin?

10:24 - What makes a beat good/great/valid?

16:43 - Samples or no samples?

23:48 - Sample snitching

32:31 - Introduction to the Top 5

34:16 - Paid In Full

37:06 - Last Days (Onyx)

39:31 - Nas is Like

41:31 - Shook Ones Pt 2

47:01 - Slow Jamz

49:26 - Final Order

49:56 - Honorable Mentions

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Top 5 Hip Hop Class of 95

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 17:29:16 GMT

Was 1995 the best year for hip-hop ever? DJ Smithsonian & Bosko bring back Rello and Cunda to talk about their new show Circle the Block and debate if rap's Class of '95 was better than any other. This episode, everyone gives their INDIVIDUAL Top 5 of their 5 greatest albums from that year.

SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheUnderdog

0:00 - 95 Hip Hop

0:40 - The Library Intro Theme

1:16 - Intro to Rello & Cunda, Circle the Block

4:40 - What you bangin?

9:27 - Tone Loc was in a bunch of sh*t

15:57 - What is the impact of 1995?

21:47 - Could any other year beat 1995?

29:47 - 03 over 95?

31:42 - Start the Top 5

1:13:07- Honorable Mentions

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Top 5 Illegally Downloaded Songs

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 20:17:25 GMT

DJ Smithsonian and Bosko go back to the days of downloading music from Peer to Peer (P2P) sharing sites like Napster and Lime Wire and list the top 5 songs that needed to be illegally downloaded

00:00 - A Stack of Blank CDs

00:24 - The Library Intro Theme

02:30 - What you bangin?

03:52 - Topic of discussion: Top 5 Illegal Downloads

06:17 - Our history of illegal downloads

11:32 - What albums/artists did NUMBERS

14:09 - What songs now would go platinum on Lime Wire?

22:42 - Going into the Top 5, reminder of the rules

29:47 - Lil Wayne "Sky's the Limit"

32:02 - 50 Cent "In Da Club"

33:01 - Dem Franchize Boys "White Tee"

34:47 - Eastside Chedda Boyz "Oh Boy"

37:02 - DJ Drama ft. Lil Wayne "Cannon"

41:30 - Bosko locks in the list

42:11 - Honorable Mentions

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Episode 1 - 2024 Wrapped

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:55:25 GMT

To start season 3 and the new year, DJ Smithsonian and Bosko cover their personal hip-hop highlights from 2024 and their Top 5 "Wrapped" albums and genres.

0:00 Made It To Season 3

0:57 The Library Intro Theme

2:39 - What you bangin?

10:30 - Will we ever have a moment like Jay-Z & Linkin Park again?

14:15 - Not on the 2024 Bingo Card

14:30 - "Official Submission" of "Not on my bingo card" for ATP

16:46 - Spicy take: Drake benefited from the algorithm, was justified in suing

17:20 - We forgot what it was like for a song to be infectious

19:40 - We just talked about Murphy Lee, and now they (St. Lunatics) are suing Nelly

25:30 - I DID NOT EXPECT JR WRITER TO DROP IN 2024

30:30 - Top 5 "Wrapped"

32:30 - I was disappointed, and then he came back and all is right in the world

38:30 - The Heart Pt 6; Kendrick Lamar shouted out Ab-Soul, sounded like "lyrically I could be Talib Kweli" (Jay-Z)

42:15 - Lower Midwest Drug Dealer Rap

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The Library: Trailer

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:33:33 GMT

The Library is your go to podcast to take a deep dive into the relationship rap and hip hop have with language, how rap and hip hop manipulate language, and how rap and hip hop creates their own language. Join DJ Smithsonian, Bosko, and music guests as they share all time top 5 lists, hip hop samples, dissect lyrics, and more.

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