Playmaker HQ Expands Its Playbook With Let’s Rap About It Deal by NWO Sparrow

Let’s Rap About It and Playmaker HQ Signal a New Era of Hip Hop Media

The event already felt intentional before anyone touched a microphone. Season two of Let’s Rap About It was introduced inside RTA, a space that lives by the phrase respect the artist. That detail mattered. Complimentary drinks were provided by Mott Haven Spirits, conversations bounced from corner to corner, and the attendees reflected the weight of the moment. Media voices from AllHipHop.com, The Daily Mail, Complex Magazine, and Vice Hip-Hop were all in the building. This was not just another podcast press run. It felt like a turning point , and thats before anything was even said.

At the center of it all sat Fabolous, Maino, Dave East, and Jim Jones. Four artists from different lanes of New York hip hop, now aligned around a shared voice. As they addressed the room, the theme that kept surfacing was chemistry. Not the manufactured kind that gets pitched in meetings, but the natural connection that exists when people stop performing and start being themselves. They spoke about how the conversations viewers see on camera are not altered versions of who they are. The same energy exists off screen. The same jokes land. The same disagreements happen. The same respect carries through. That honesty has become the foundation of the show, and it is the reason the podcast has resonated beyond algorithms, trends and chaos. What works is simple. They are not trying to fit into a format. The format bends around them.

Jim Jones offered one of the most memorable moments of the night when he described the group through a basketball lens. He compared Fabolous to Michael Jordan, himself to Kobe Bryant, Maino to LeBron James, and Dave East to Steph Curry. Each name came with intention. Different styles. Different strengths. One shared goal. The analogy landed because it spoke to balance. No one is asked to dim their light. Each personality brings something specific to the floor, and the collective only works because of that contrast. This is who they are on and off screen , and we as consumers are being getting the most authenticy in the hip-hop podcast space right now.

The biggest announcement of the evening came when the group revealed their new partnership with Playmaker HQ. The deal places Let’s Rap About It within a network that already hosts major voices across sports and entertainment. The network host content from Shannon Sharpe , Tom Brady , Angel Reese , and more. For a podcast that grew through grassroots support, this move represents validation without compromise. They did not abandon their foundation to reach this moment. They carried it with them.

Maino broke down what the partnership means in practical terms. Increased visibility. Access to larger rooms. Credibility that opens doors. He spoke about how alignment with Playmaker HQ creates opportunities for sponsorships, branded collaborations, and broader reach. Not in a way that dilutes the message, but in a way that amplifies it. The show now sits in a position where brands must meet them at their level rather than the other way around.

Fabolous reflected on timing. He acknowledged how the podcast gained momentum organically and how this deal now places the platform in a stronger lane for entertainment partnerships. There was clarity in his voice, but also pride. Growth does not mean losing touch with the audience that built you. It means giving that audience something bigger to tap into. This move does exactly that.

The conversation naturally turned toward what comes next. With Playmaker HQ backing the show, the possibilities stretch far beyond weekly episodes. Festival partnerships feel within reach. Live tapings. Culture driven activations. Appearances in spaces that shape how hip hop is presented on a global stage. Events like Rolling Loud, Governors Ball, and ComplexCon no longer feel aspirational. They feel aligned. The podcast is built for those environments because it speaks the language of the culture without translation.

What separates Let’s Rap About It from many voices in the podcast space is authenticity. There is no performance of credibility here. These are artists who lived the industry from different angles and survived long enough to speak honestly about it. When they talk about business, it comes from experience. When they discuss mistakes, it comes from reflection. When they laugh, it feels earned. That authenticity hit home throughout the night. You could feel it in the way the room leaned in when certain topics surfaced. You could hear it in the way the artists spoke about one another with respect rather than competition. There was no need to overstate importance. The moment spoke for itself.

Hip hop media is evolving. Audiences are no longer satisfied with surface level takes or recycled opinions. They want truth. They want perspective. They want voices that sound like the culture they live in. Let’s Rap About It understands that responsibility, and this new partnership gives them the infrastructure to carry it further.

What I took away from the event that night, it was clear this was not just a celebration of a deal. It was a recognition of growth. A reminder that when artists trust who they are and protect their voice, the industry eventually meets them where they stand. Season two of Let’s Rap About It begins with momentum, purpose, and a future that feels wide open.

Fabolous and Maino Talk Ownership, Podcasting, and the Playmaker HQ Deal With Let's Rap About It