The Album: Ol Dirty Bastard: Return to the 36 Chambers (1995)

"Ain't no father to his style." That's how Ol Dirty Bastard was introduced to the world on 1993's Enter the 36 Chambers by hip-hop's posse supreme, the Wu Tang Clan. At the time, we got an inkling of ODB's eccentricity but on that first Wu album, so overloaded with personalities, it was hard to pluck him out of the stream and think "he might be the Clan's most memorable talent" but two years later, sandwiched between a stream of solo efforts by Method Man, the GZA, Raekwon and Ghostface, ODB put the world on notice with Return to the 36 Chambers. Here was Big Baby Jesus aka Dirt McGirt in all his weird, wonderful glory, with a raspy, rumbling voice that was like no other, singing and rapping in a way that was either wholly unhinged, creatively brilliant or perhaps, both.

These are the part of the mysteries that we tried to unpack with the help of Open Mike Eagle. He's no stranger to Max Fun listeners as OME is half the team behind Tights and Fights, when he's not also helping host the Secret Skin or Conversation Parade podcasts. He also, of course, is a prolific MC himself, with well over a dozen EPs and LPs to his name including last year's What Happens When I Try to Relax. As you'll hear, Return to the 36 Chambers wasn't just OME's intro to Dirt Dog, it was how he discovered the Wu and he, and hip-hop, would forever be changed.

More on Open Mike Eagle

• "Open Mike Eagle on the Economics of Being an Indie Rapper" (Pitchfork)
• Interview with Billboard about What Happens When I Try To Relax
• Website | Twitter |Bandcamp

More on Return to the 36 Chambers

• "Return To The 36 Chambers reinvented the solo record in its eccentric creator’s image" (AV Club)
• Album review (Focus Hip Hop)
• "9 Things You Probably Didn't Know" about Return to the 36 Chambers (Highsnobiety)

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Return to the 36 Chambers unless indicated otherwise):

• Shimmy Shimmy Ya
• Intro
• Brooklyn Zoo
• GZA: Investigative Reports
• Hippa to da Hoppa
• Thelonius Monk: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
• Cuttin' Headz
• Raw Hide
• Brooklyn Zoo
• Shimmy Shimmy Ya
• Goin' Down

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

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Open Mike Eagle (Tights and Fights, What Happens When I Try to Relax album) joins Jordan and Jesse for a discussion of Mike's popularity on the Hip Hop Heads Reddit despite his lack of face tattoos, why Jesse went big and bought a signature Ricky Henderson batting glove on eBay, and how Mike found himself in an actual professional wrestling match after a Twitter feud with a rapping wrestler.

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You could call Open Mike Eagle an up-and-coming rapper, though his rise has been anything but typical. Mike currently lives and makes his living in Los Angeles, but he was born in Chicago. He was a teacher for the first part of his adult life, and he actually didn't release his first album until he was almost 30.

Mike's known for crafting humorous and clever rhymes, which isn't altogether uncommon in rap. But his style is weirder, left of center, and even self-deprecating at times. For example, the first album he released was titled "Unapologetic Art Rap."

Things are looking up for Mike these days. Mike's latest album dropped a couple weeks ago, called Brick Body Kids Still Daydream. Outside of rap, he co-hosts Tights and Fights, a wrestling podcast on Maximum Fun. Also, he and comedian Baron Vaughn just got their own Comedy Central show that's currently in development, called "The New Negroes."

You can stream and buy Mike's album on Bandcamp.

Click here to listen to Open Mike Eagle's interview on YouTube!

Also, Paula Poundstone joins us to talk about a movie she wishes she made.

Paula's been doing standup comedy since 1979. She's appeared on pretty much every talk show, has had recurring roles on TV and a bunch of specials. And you almost definitely know her voice from the NPR quiz show Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!

These days Paula's keeping busy with a bunch of new projects. She hosts a new NPR podcast called Live from the Poundstone Institute where she interviews experts and academics in front of a live studio audience. She also has written a new book called The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness. In it, she tries pretty much every trick in the book to live a happier life, including taekwondo, reorganizing her house, and driving a fancy new car.

We asked Paula if there was any TV show or movie she wishes she made, and she was ready with an answer: 2011's smash-hit comedy, Bridesmaids.

Check out Paula's new podcast, Live from the Poundstone Institute on NPR One or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Click here to listen to Paula Poundstone talk about Bridesmaids!

In the world of baseball card collecting, some of the most rare and highly coveted cards are those with printing errors. In this week's Outshot, Jesse talks about an error card to top them all: a 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken card, number 616.

Click here to listen to Jesse's Outshot on the 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken card!

Jordan and Jesse are joined live on stage from the Angel City Brewery in Los Angeles by Elliot Kalan from The Flophouse podcast and Open Mike Eagle from the Tights and Fights podcast. Plus, bonus stand up sets from Riley Silverman and Danielle Radford.

Rapper Open Mike Eagle joins Jordan and Jesse for a discussion of everyone's favorite pies, Jordan's upcoming trip to Alaska, Jeff Goldblum's attractiveness and Jesse's growing VHS collection.