loud records

On Thursday (June 15), iHeartPodcasts and Will Packer Media announced the limited series IDEA GENERATION’S All Angles. The series’ two-part debut will give listeners an inside look at the rise of Steve Rifkind’s Loud Records, home to hip-hop icons including Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and Big Pun.

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“There is a greater intensity in interest around not just the ‘who’ but the in-depth answers to the ‘why,’ ‘how’ and ‘when’ of American success stories,” says Will Packer, CEO of Will Packer Media. “This podcast gives listeners that specificity they crave.”

Centering on a conversation between IDEA GENERATION founder Noah Callahan-Bever and Rifkind, the episode delves into the trials and tribulations faced by the Loud Records team during their journey, and details exactly how the then-22-year-old entrepreneur jumpstarted his career and created a mega-label that broke some of the most influential acts to ever touch hip-hop, alongside co-founder Rich Isaacson, who also appears on the podcast.

The episode’s other interviews include A&R representatives Matt Life and Sean C, and Mobb Deep’s Havoc. In addition to Mobb Deep, the label also signed and broke the Wu-Tang Clan. During the episode, Isaacson and Rifkind recall the moment they realized the impact the group would have.

“We’re about three blocks away from Webster Hall, and all the streets are closed off,” Isaacson remembers. “We think there’s like a police issue, so we get out of the cab and we say let’s just walk because we’re going to be late for this [Wu-Tang] party. We come around the block and we see the line wrapping around the corner and look at each other and we’re like, holy shit. This is for our event.

“We’re just looking at each other in disbelief. We knew Wu Tang was happening, but we had no idea what a big sensation it was going to be until that night.”

The podcast also digs into Rifkind’s musical family history, including his father Jules Rifkind who founded Spring Records, a label that played an important role in the funk and soul movement of the 1970s, and the influence of his family’s legacy on his own path.

All Angles will be available on June 22 across platforms and on the iHeartRadio app, with new episodes airing every Thursday. The podcast joins iHeartMedia and Will Packer Media’s iHeartPodcast slate deal, which also includes the two recent seasons of the dark comedy, The Lower Bottoms.

Listen to the trailer below.