DISGRACELAND
Double Elvis Productions
You know the myths. You’ve seen the biopics. But if you’re the kind of music fan who craves the rest of the story—the stuff they buried or cleaned up for streaming and theaters—this is your podcast. DISGRACELAND is the award-winning show that reveals the deeply human, highly dramatic, true crime–fueled chaos behind legendary musicians like Amy Winehouse, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sean “Diddy” Combs, the Grateful Dead, Blondie, and more. While we dig into the dark side, we do so with reverence for the artists—and an understanding of the extreme highs, lows, and personal costs that come with fame and making great art. This is music history like you’ve never heard it—edge-of-your-seat stories exploding with drama and the kind of information that’ll make you dangerous at dinner parties.New, fully scripted and sound-designed episodes drop every Tuesday. On Thursdays, we hand the mic to you—and feature listener voicemails, texts, and emails in our interactive bonus episodes. And on Fridays, we revisit the wildest stories from our 250+ episode archive with “Rewind” drops that’ll transport you back into music history’s most entertaining moments.DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast—it’s an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are occasionally fictionalized for dramatic effect, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at www.disgracelandpod.com.To hear every episode ad-free—and get access to exclusive monthly episodes, weekly bonus content, and stories too wild for the main feed—become a Disgraceland All Access member at www.disgracelandpod.com/membership.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 10, 2023 • 37min
Ol’ Dirty Bastard (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 8): An Attempted Murder Rap, Bloodthirsty Rottweilers, and Self-Immolation
Ol’ Dirty Bastard once saved a four-year old girl who was trapped under a Ford Mustang. He took a limo with an MTV news crew to collect his welfare check. He was charged with attempted murder of an NYPD officer. Chased by bloodthirsty Rottweilers. Shot by men in ski masks. His fame led to an addiction to cocaine, and that addiction led to ten arrests in the span of a few months. He was granted a weekend furlough from a rehab facility but went AWOL and wound up on the lam. Before long he wound up in Dannemora, aka Clinton Correctional Facility, aka Little Siberia, a maximum security prison in upstate New York, where he had to go to extreme lengths just to stay sane – and to survive.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 5, 2023 • 35min
Bonus Episode: Finding Great Music, Boston and NY Hardcore, and I Want Your Skulls
The Wu-Tang saga continues in DISGRACELAND, and it's got Jake wondering about the most memorable ways that you’ve discovered great music in your lifetime. Plus, top fives, your correspondence, and the questions: What's your favorite Disgraceland Halloween episode? What are your top five Halloween songs? Your top five Halloween music videos? Get in touch at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 3, 2023 • 37min
U-God (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 7): Police Raids, Vengeance, and Mopping Floors at the Statue of Liberty
U-God was raised by the streets of Staten Island, where getting beaten up was a rite of passage that made you stronger. He was busted for driving a stolen car and assaulting a police officer. He dealt crack, and narrowly avoided a police raid on the apartment building he dealt from. He also dealt vengeance – he once came within seconds of killing a rival dope peddler. And when he finally put the violent life behind him and found freedom and joy in the music he made with Wu-Tang Clan, the ghosts of his past returned and placed his two-year old son in the crosshairs.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 28, 2023 • 37min
Cappadonna (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 6): Someone Else’s Crack Rocks, Turning State’s Evidence, and a Rat in the Inner Circle
Cappadonna may have taught a lot of the guys in Wu-Tang Clan how to rhyme, but he wasn’t around when the group first formed and released their incredible debut album. Because Cappadonna was in Rikers Island, doing time for someone else’s crack rocks. When Cap was released, the Clan welcomed him as the honorary tenth member of the group. But he brought someone else into the fold, too. A shady character who, unbeknownst to Cap and the rest of the guys, wasn’t what he seemed … a federal informant testifying in two major cases, one involving the mob.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERSupport our Advertising Partners:Fabric: meetfabric.com/disgracelandFactor: factormeals.com/disgraceland50Code: DISGRACELAND50ZBiotics: ZBiotics.com/DISGRACELAND Code: DISGRACELANDLiquid IV: liquid-iv.com/disgracelandCode: DISGRACELANDFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 26, 2023 • 35min
Inspectah Deck (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 5): Running Scams, Doing Time, and NYC’s Ongoing War Against the Drug Trade
At just 15 years old, Inspectah Deck had to learn how to hold his own against older, more dangerous convicts when he was sent to jail for selling crack to an undercover cop. It wasn’t the first time he did hard time. Multiple stints behind bars gave him nothing but time – to reflect, to strategize, to learn how to rap, and to take that new skill and use it to turn his life around on the outside. But years later, the bad decisions of his youth were just some of the reasons why the the NYPD, the ATF, and the FBI were so interested in his groundbreaking hip-hop group.To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTERFollow Jake and DISGRACELAND:InstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan GroupTikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 21, 2023 • 25min
Bonus Episode: The Delfonics, the Ringo Connection, and Major Criminal Organizations
The After Party returns this week while DISGRACELAND takes a break from our full season on the Wu-Tang Clan, and Jake is talking the Wu's influences, Ringo Starr, Bruce and Brandon Lee - and of course your voicemails, texts, and DMs. What other artists are worthy of a full season in Disgraceland? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod, and come join the After Party. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 14, 2023 • 38min
Ghostface Killah (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 4): Angel Dust, an Unlicensed .357 Magnum, and Attempted Robbery
Ghostface Killah, member of the Wu-Tang Clan, shares controversial stories of robbery, shootings, and his challenging upbringing in Staten Island. The podcast explores his experiences with PCP, revenge, and the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan. It also delves into Ghostface Killah's time in Rikers Island prison, where he finds solace amidst harsh conditions.
Sep 12, 2023 • 37min
Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 3): Dice Games, Dodged Bullets, and Murder in the Street
Method Man, former crack dealer turned rapper, shares his journey from winning big in dice games to dodging bullets. He reflects on the competitive drug trade, the success of Wu-Tang Clan's albums, and the tragic death of Ernest Seon. The chapter also explores the dangers faced by the Wu-Tang Clan and the need for protection.
Sep 7, 2023 • 39min
Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 2): Dealing Crack, Caught in the Crossfire, and the NYPD Goes TNT
Former hip-hop street culture addict Raekwon shares his experiences of dealing drugs, surviving a near-death encounter, and the impact of an anti-drug task force in 1980s New York City. The podcast explores his involvement in the drug trade, finding a sense of self through the 5% nation, and the mistreatment of the Wu-Tang Clan by the police.
Sep 5, 2023 • 38min
The RZA: (Wu-Tang Clan Chapter 1): Kung Fu in Times Square, Weed on Wall Street, and Attempted Murder in Ohio
Bobby Diggs, aka the RZA, grew up on kung fu movies and hip-hop. He hung out in Times Square, sold weed on Wall Street, and survived a life-threatening shooting. The podcast explores his tough upbringing, music career, and the crack epidemic's impact. He later forms Wu-Tang Clan and catches the attention of the law enforcement agencies.
