Pop the Trunk Presents: Knock 'Em Out the Box — Bonus Episode (Ep. 206)

This is not a Pop the Trunk episode — this is the one the Knocker Nation has been asking for. After a long hiatus, Vinnie and Brendan are back in their corners for a bonus round of Knock 'Em Out the Box, the boxing podcast that started it all. No guests, no hip-hop detours — just straight boxing talk, picking up at Episode 206 right where they left off. On tap: Boots Ennis vs. Xander Zayas at Barclays Center, Bivol's mandatory defense, the sanctioning body circus, Vito Mielnicki Jr. at Boardwalk Hall, the state of UK heavyweight boxing, and a thorough breakdown of why Barclays Center needs this fight more than it lets on. These bonus episodes will live on the Pop the Trunk feed and will drop when the fight calendar demands it — this one was too good to skip.

Pop the Trunk is officially in the building! Episode 8 marks the first time the show records in-studio, and the crew is joined by Philadelphia legends Outerspace — Planetary and Crypt the Warchild — for a conversation 28 years in the making.

They go all the way back: Puerto Rican families landing in Philly, finding each other in East Oak Lane, older brothers as the cheat code into hip hop, and the G-Rap moment that made Planetary pick up a pen. From there it's Footwork open mics, cassette tapes in the trunk, Super Regular Records, Army of the Pharaohs, and the grinding East Coast tours that built everything. No filter. No holds barred. This one runs deep.

The guys pick up where they left off, with Vinnie settling the record on some yellow journalism that's been circulating since last episode — and Brendan may or may not be heading to HR for a pre-show text that nearly ended the whole thing before it started. From there, the crew sits down for a full Pop the Trunk Pause, watching and breaking down the music video for "Cheese Steaks" off God of the Serengeti in real time. Billy directed it, and the behind-the-scenes stories are as raw as the footage — zero budget, gorilla-style, GoPro on a barbershop floor, Vinnie being dragged out of Liberty Bar every twenty minutes to shoot scenes he didn't want to do.

Vinnie opens up about the sophomore slump anxiety going into God of the Serengeti, how the Beat Nuts beat became an anthem, and why at this point in his career, making videos painless is non-negotiable. The episode closes with listener mail, a full Brendan Long roast courtesy of the comments section, a tease of upcoming boxing content, and Vinnie going to war with the podcast's email address.

In this episode of Pop the Trunk, the boys dive deep into the unwritten rules of backstage etiquette, the lack of respect for hip-hop's architects, and the chaotic reality of life behind the curtain.

The boys open up the Pop the Trunk Mailbag! From the "unintentionally funny" rise of Nu-Metal to the crossover of 90s skateboard culture. The guys also dive deep into the legendary Chung King Studios, sharing a classic (and chaotic) story about Foxy Brown "wildin" over a missing turkey burger. Plus, we pay tribute to the late, great Bob Power, the sonic architect behind A Tribe Called Quest and D'Angelo.

In this landmark episode of Pop the Trunk, Vinnie and Brendan welcome their very first guest to the show: the legendary MC Esoteric (Czarface, Army of the Pharaohs, 7L & Esoteric).

Spanning over three decades of friendship and collaboration, this conversation dives deep into the "cheat codes" of discovering hip-hop culture as outsiders and the relentless "delusion" required to build an independent empire. From the early days of mailing cassette tapes between Philly and Boston to the global success of Czarface and AOTP, this is a masterclass in staying power and creative evolution.

In this episode, the boys dive deep into the monumental release of Wu-Tang Forever. Vinnie breaks down the sheer impossibility of the group's lineup, comparing the collective brilliance of the nine members to finding "ten John Lennons and McCartneys" in a single project.

Vinnie also shares personal stories of hearing the record in real-time while guest-hosting with Bahamadia on Philly radio and watching the culture shift in an instant.

Write to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailbag@popthetrunkpod.com Follow us on Instagram @popthetrunk.pod Subscribe to the Youtube page @jmthiphop. Remember to like, subscribe, comment and review the show!!!

The boys are back for Episode 2 of Pop the Trunk! Vinnie and Brendan take a deep dive into the bloodbath that is the music industry, reflecting on Vinnie’s 30-year journey from 1996 to the present day.

In this installment, Vinnie breaks down his "no plan B" mentality, detailing how an obsession with hip-hop culture and the "unmitigated gall" to do things independently kept him on a mission when major labels were looking for a gimmick. The discussion hits everything from the golden era of the East Coast to the "nefarious" hustle of selling demos like punk bands just to buy a beat machine.

Write to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mailbag@popthetrunkpod.com Follow us on Instagram @popthetrunk.pod Subscribe to the Youtube page @jmthiphop. Remember to like, subscribe, comment and review the show!!!