Amazon Music announced today the premiere of “The First One,” a new podcast hosted by one of the most prolific hit makers of the 21st century, DJ Khaled. Developed by Amazon Music and the Springhill Company, the media conglomerate founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, “The First One” features the mogul and superstar delving into the biggest hits of all-time with his favorite artists to learn about the songs that made them iconic and eventually legendary. To hear the new podcast, simply ask “Alexa, play The First One podcast” in the Amazon Music mobile app for iOS and Android, on Alexa-enabled devices, or visit https://amzn.to/TheFirstOne.
Watch the trailer here (CREDIT: The SpringHill Company)
“Fans everywhere are not only going to love my new podcast series ‘The First One,’ but will have the opportunity to learn about the lives of some of the greatest musicians,” said DJ Khaled. “I’m excited to collaborate with Amazon Music and SpringHill Company to share intimate conversations with my friends to such a large audience, and there are plenty of gems in there. Be on the lookout for every episode of ‘The First One,’ because you never know who’s on next.”
In the inaugural episode of “The First One,” premiering today, Lil Wayne dissects the industry around him during the making of “Tha Block is Hot,” and how his Hot Boys roots taught him to always be ready for the next opportunity. The hip-hop legend reflects on how growing up in New Orleans influenced the song that would eventually change his life and set him on a trajectory to become one of the most prolific and successful musicians and moguls in history.
Lil Wayne, who has appeared on every single DJ Khaled album ever, also discusses his long and storied history with Khaled, including the producer’s debut record, “Holla At Me Baby,” as well as “We Takin’ Over” and the first verse after Wayne’s release from prison, “Welcome To My Hood (Remix).” Elsewhere, Lil Wayne speaks at length about the artists who’ve inspired him throughout his career including Mannie Fresh, Cee-Lo Green, Jay Z and Missy Elliott.
Additionally, the Young Money CEO also explains to Khaled why a song called “Block Burner” from the debut Hot Boys album, Get It How U Live, inspired the otherworldly sounds that would come to define his career. New episodes will be released every Thursday, only on Amazon Music, and will include interviews with artists like J Balvin, Big Sean, Kelly Rowland, Jon Bon Jovi, Rick Ross, T.I., Fat Joe and more.
Excerpts from episode one include:
- Lil Wayne on realizing his dreams and performing for his family – “I always wanted the stage, it ain’t about nothin’ else.”
- Lil Wayne on his mom’s reaction to his growing interest in hip-hop at a young age: “My mom was like, ‘You ain’t no rapper.’ It was school for me. Rap sh*t ain’t gonna go.”
- Lil Wayne on pursuing the chance to work with Birdman – “I was 11 years old. I must have paged [Birdman] at least 10 times a day. That’s how I got from point A to point B. I didn’t let him forget about me.”
- Lil Wayne on the making of “Tha Block is Hot” with Mannie Fresh – “Every time I was in (the) booth with (Mannie) Fresh, he knew exactly what to feed off of. I might’ve just said ‘The Block Is Hot, The Block is Hot’. Mannie would remind me. Hey, you need to throw that (“Ha-Ha”) You need to throw that in there…and that became the hottest part of the damn song.”
- Lil Wayne on “Block Burner” – “’Block Burner’ was my favorite song because I was a kid in a toy store. I wanted to make a sound every line in the damn song, and the only reason why I was doing that because at the time my favorite artist was Missy Elliott. Stunna, not that he didn’t like it, but Stunna is Stunna! He would say ‘say a line, f**k a sound!’ But Missy was into all the sounds so that was the difference.”
Amazon Music recently announced the launch of podcasts in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Japan, across all tiers of service at no additional cost. Amazon Music customers can access a wide selection of podcasts including new Originals such as “The First One” in the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android, on Amazon Echo devices, and at music.amazon.com/podcasts.