DISGRACELAND

Part two of the N.W.A story finds the group dead center in America’s crosshairs, due in part to their own violent behavior, and at a crossroads creatively. Death Row’s Suge Knight, Public Enemy’s Chuck D., and a young hustler from the east coast all ride shotgun to Dre, E, Cube, Yella and Ren as the group finds itself having predicted yet another one of America’s darkest moments. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠. This episode was originally published on September 26, 2019. <...

N.W.A, the self proclaimed “most dangerous group in America,” were seen as violent, thuggish, profanity-spewing criminals, but they had nothing on those who were sworn to serve and protect them in South Central Los Angeles. The group’s hard hitting beats and reality rhymes launched a “gangsta rap” trend in music that still thrives today, and their album Straight Outta Compton predicted one of the most notoriously violent events in American history. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠. This episode was originally published on September 26...

The Grammy are most interesting when they mess up—snubbing NWA, the Grateful Dead, Metallica and others. We get into all of it plus some extra awards show hijinks in the exclusive All Access section, and as always Jake takes your voicemails, text, emails, and more. For more wild stories from the world of music and true crime, check out these Disgraceland episodes: ⁠U2⁠ ⁠Bob Dylan⁠ ⁠Whitney Houston⁠ ⁠Bob Marley⁠ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/priv...

This is the story of five teenage girls who used rock ‘n roll to escape their lives, their names, and their futures—only to find themselves trapped in a nightmare of fame, exploitation, and identity turned inside-out. From the Sunset Strip to a jail cell in England, from David Bowie fantasies to Kim Fowley’s real-life horrors, this is how the Runaways reinvented what rebellion could be—and paid the ultimate price in the process. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault and suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are wor...

MC5 embodied revolution in a way most bands only pay lip service to. The Detroit cops sent riot squads and even a tank to break up their shows, and even raided their house. They were the only band to play at the infamous protest outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Their radical manager, John Sinclair, wrote manifestos allying with the Black Panthers and declaring rock ‘n’ roll THE vehicle for revolution. But by the 1970s, all that idealism curdled into the classic story of broken record deals, drugs, crime, and jail, with redemption only possible through personal, not political, revolution. <...

Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead has passed, and we celebrate his unique brand of American awesomeness on this episode and dig into the long, strange weirdness of his affiliation with the secret society at Bohemian Grove. We also talk Johnny Thunders. You guys talk more Orion and Elvis Presley and of course we play your voicemails, texts, and more. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and hear more about the Bohemian Club, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠⁠⁠⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for our newsletter and get the insid...

A punk junkie nightmare in a New Orleans hotel. A turf war with Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers. A poisonous friendship with Dee Dee Ramone and a doomed alliance with Wayne Kramer. Missing cash, hotshot rumors, and a body in Room 37. Listen to find out how Johnny Thunders’ death went from an open-and-shut overdose case to a sadder, stranger rock ‘n roll myth. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠⁠⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on even...

The New York Dolls were one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time. They came to life when their hometown of New York City was coming apart at the seams in the midst of rising murder, rape and burglary rates. Their drummer drowned. Their bassist was nearly murdered. Their guitar players despised their singer and the only thing their singer loved more than Archie Bell was himself. This of course was all part of the act. The self-destruction, the violence, the intra-band squabbling, but it was of course also part of the band’s reality. They were t...

Chet Baker, with his natural talent, unique voice and beautiful looks was known as “the James Dean of Jazz.” He was also a savage junkie and part time criminal. A one of a kind musician, his soft singing style and romantic playing enraptured Hollywood, the jazz world, and Europe. However, violence, crime, and drugs led to numerous prison stints and to one of the most mysterious deaths in music. Who or what killed the great Chet Baker? This episode was originally published on September 29, 2020. To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠...

What do Lady Gaga and Elvis Presley conspiracies have in common? Maybe the story of the mysterious Sun Records artist known as Orion will help us understand. This story and your voicemails, texts, and more in this bonus episode of Disgraceland. (14:26) - Pokerface: The Rise and Rise of Lady Gaga 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

In this special bonus episode of the show, Jake and Zeth take you behind the scenes and into the editorial room to give you an exclusive preview of some of the brand new episodes coming your way in the first few months of 2026 – featuring subjects like Johnny Thunders, the Runaways, and Mia Zapata of the Gits. For the full list of contributors, visit ⁠⁠disgracelandpod.com⁠⁠ To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠⁠. Sign up for our newsletter and...

Hank Williams defined the genre we now call country with a guitar in one hand and a bottle of booze in the other. In between stints in the local drunk tank, he cultivated a knack for blue-collar blues that would spread far beyond the backwoods South Hank called home. His self-proclaimed “hillbilly music” logged him more than 30 hit songs and membership at the Grand Ole Opry, fulfilling Hank’s lifelong dream. But his frequent bouts with the bottle would ultimately strip him of that membership, sending him from the Ryman Auditorium to the sanatorium – and ultimately, an early grave. Thi...

From Ozzy to Tina to the Chili Peppers, hope springs anew each New Year’s and has led to some of the most dramatic stories of redemption from music history. We dig into these stories in this bonus episode as we gear up for a new year ourselves and of course, dive into your voicemails, texts, DMs and more. Happy New Year from Disgraceland! 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.co...

Skip James’s most famous lyric was “I’d Rather be the Devil” and he put his money where his mouth was. He is believed to have shot a man dead, spent time as a pimp and a bootlegger, and womanized up and down the United States. Skip may have eventually found religion, and even recognition as the last great bluesman to be discovered by white America, but all that devilish living–and a possible hex–would bring his lifestyle to a brutal end. To view the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠www.disgracelandpod...

In 1960s London, for young guitar enthusiasts, believing that “Clapton is God” was practically the 11th Commandment. In 1970 he lent his big, sticky tone to yet another band: Derek and the Dominos. The group’s white-hot blues burned bright for barely more than a year, but their impact was massive. Guided by drug, alcohol and heartbreak free-fall, Eric Clapton created one of rock’s most recognizable guitar riffs, while drummer Jim Gordon contributed God’s great piano coda. Except Gordon was guided by something far more sinister — something that started with incessant voices in his head, and ended with a hammer, a...

Lou Reed blurred the lines between fact and fiction when it came to his past. To him, it was all a walk on the wild side anyway. After exploring his life in Part 1 through his lyrics for the Velvet Underground songs “The Gift”, “Waiting For My Man”, “Heroin” and “The Murder Mystery”, Part 2 continues through the songs “Rock And Roll”, “Sweet Jane”, “Run, Run, Run”, “Venus In Furs”, and “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” because tall tales and music led Lou all the way home. This episode was originally published on March 28, 2023. For a full list of contributors, see the show not...

Lou Reed is one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll characters of all time, one known to lie and exaggerate his own mythology during interviews about his past. In this special 2-part episode, Lou’s origin story with the Velvet Underground runs straight through Manhattan transgressions, murder mysteries, drug abuse, and all the other crimes, criminals, and antisocial behavior depicted in Lou’s legendary lyrics. This episode was originally published on March 28, 2023. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get weekl...

This week in the After Party, Jake takes a look at all the disgraceful deeds committed by rock stars during the holiday season. Plus, your emails, calls, and DMs! In the exclusive portion of the After Party, Jake and Dr. Zeth Lundy further examine the Christmastime nightclub shooting that allegedly involved Diddy. You can become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. 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...

Elvis Presley loved the Memphis singer Johnny Ace. Johnny died long before Elvis’ became the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll and the way in which Johnny Ace died was as tragic as it was violent. It involved a game of Russian roulette, a greedy and dubious rock ‘n’ roll impresario, BB King, Big Mama Thornton, Little Richard, and a killer conspiracy and music history myth in desperate need of busting. Buckle up for a Christmas story like no other. What are your favorite rock 'n' roll myths? Which ones need busting? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, ⁠disgraceland...

We couldn't get enough of the podcast Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, so to celebrate the show's finale, we're sharing another episode. As you might remember, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is Jad Abumrad's true tale of one of the great political awakenings in music. In this episode, we hear about Fela’s club, The Shrine. It was an oasis of freedom amidst a brutal dictatorship. Once inside – and on the dancefloor – the music intoxicated, enraptured and, ultimately, inspired resistance. You can binge the entire series now at https://link.mgln.ai/disgraceland To learn...