For the debut episode of the Self Made Tastes Better series in 2022, four of the top artists in hip-hop got down for an unprecedented conversation. Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and DJ Khaled return to the roundtable to share their experiences rising to prominence in the business.

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Throughout their lengthy careers, the artists talked about their hardships and the lessons they took away. The rappers described particular incidents that helped to mold their current creative approach. The four have one thing in common: they all want to teach the next generation about the opportunities that lie ahead of them and the mistakes that should be avoided.

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Over the course of nearly three decades, DJ Khaled looked back on the era of vinyl records and cassette tapes and revealed how hip hop gave rise to a number of performers. The conversation revealed Ross and Khaled had a long-standing connection characterized by mutual respect. Ross said, “You’re authentic,” highlighting Khaled’s capacity to relate to people of all backgrounds. You can only win a Weezy or Wiz’s trust in that manner. Do you have any idea how much it would cost to make that call and produce that record at this time?

“I was way too young to understand the size of what it could be,” Lil Wayne said, reflecting on his Hot Boy$ days. At the ages of twelve and eleven, my vision was limited to the city. To me, the world held no significance. Wiz, the group’s youngest member, expressed how much the other musicians had influenced him, saying, “I’m a product of all y’all.” When you first started turning into the Boss, it was during your mixtape era that you went insane and realized how much of a jerk Rick Ross really is. And I was inspired by that crap.and I could say, “You know what, this is what I want to do.”