Hip-hop culture was a dominant force during the '80s and '90s, and inspired language, fashion, film, and music. Yes, that includes plenty of alternative music. But that's not what we're talking about today. Instead, we explore the inverse - how influential was alternative music in the world of hip hop? While perhaps not quite as pervasive, it did exist - whether it be through the use of sampling recognizable songs, a cross-pollination of styles and artists coming together, or perhaps just an overall attitude or spirit.

Our Third Lad this week, Lemoyne Alexander, is a man who has bridged both the hip-hop and alternative worlds and then some. He played in family bands throughout the ‘70s & ‘80s including the Fascination, who had some dance club hits like 1986’s “Why Are You Always Complaining?” before settling in as a hip hop producer both solo and with the production team 3 Da Hard Way, working on records by the likes of Aalyiah, DMX, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and for labels like Jive and Motown. Lemoyne left the rap game to return to his earliest passions - the guitar and rock n’ roll, releasing Solitude in 2019 and Perfect World in 2023. 2024’s indie rock single “Insecurity” is an earworm that once you hear that infectious chorus, it’s going to take up residence in your head for all your days. With a new single "Claustrophobia" (which you will hear during this episode!) and LP Alone on the horizon, Lemoyne is poised to continue making his mark on alt rock.

Oh, and on top of that, we've got a brand new O3L game for y'all: Off Da Chartz (aka Rap Draft), in which our contestants draft five albums that they believe will appear on Boombox's list of the Top 50 Alternative Rap Albums of all time. Plus, Uncle Gregg rants aplenty. Oh, the rants. Yo!

Thanks to Laura Bissett from the MyWhy Agency for the introduction and coordination.

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Only Three Lads: Top 5 Alt-Rock Inspired Hip-Hop Songs (with Lemoyne Alexander)