#138 - 2025’s Beat Tape Treasures Revealed [Part III]

We dig into part three of our Best Beat Tapes 2025 series, stacking seventeen producers who push tone, texture, and community forward. From Baelei’s serene craft to Johnny U’s closing blitz. We trace khow beat scenes and collectives, keep beat culture thriving.

Intro Music: Tuamie “That’s Not Salsa” from To Be of A Greater Instrument 

• Zawati Moon “Divine Feminine” from The Metaphysical Wonders of Zawati, Vol. 1
• Baelei “Peace” from balance.
• Bugginout “Space or Time” from Bugginout’s Basement Batch 5
• Takeo Watanabe “Wave Motion” from Piece of My Scape
• Dr. Mistalow “Document 370” from The Extract Volume 1 from Jersey Produce
• T3MPO! “Time Flies” from The Extract Volume 1 from Jersey Produce
• Chop The Head “Dirge for Sun Ra from You’re All Cowards
• Phdirac “HOMAGE [87.5]” from vignette
• Nawab.hi.go “inflmmmmation” from Tape 1
• Theory Hazit “Zoinks” from Boombap is my love language.
• Kershawn Tha Don “Melancholy” from Mood Swing
• King John-iLL “whuteverittakes” from iLLfLips(tape10)
• Devin Burgess “Balloons In The Sky” from HEAUX [OST] (instrumentals) co-prod. Josh Jessen
• Gldnmnd “Yang” from Kobu - Codeword: Bumps
• illingsworth “ruffles your feathers” from pressed 2
• El. From Mightyrecordings “Nina” from STILL BEAMIN’
• Jonathan UniteUs aka JohnNY U. Feat. DFNS (5 Boro RMX) prod. Ray Robinson from COAGULATE [side b]

Subscribe to the YouTube, hit the 🔔 drop a like. Leave a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ wherever you listen so we can climb the charts. Official Podcast T-shirts available via our linktree. If your beattape should be included in the last episode of this series, text the show with your artist name, beat tape, link, and socials.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome To Retro Podcast
• 2:27 Series Setup And Artist Roll Call
• 8:03 Spotlight: Zawadi Moon’s Metaphysical Wonders
• 8:03 Correction: Start The Beat Set
• 8:05 Bele’s Peace And Visual Aesthetics
• 11:04 Bugging Out To Takeo Watanabe
• 18:05 Jersey Produce: Dr. Mr. Lowe And Tiempo
• 24:05 Dirge For Sunra And Trunk Jazz
• 29:23 Fredrac’s Vignette And Cover Art
• 33:39 Nawab High Go Turns Up The Levels
• 35:35 Salute To Big Sto And Theory Has It
• 39:48 Ladies Love Loops And Kershawna Don
• 44:00 King John Il’s L Flips Tape
• 49:19 Devin Burgess OST Heat
• 56:06 Host’s Track: Yang From Kobo
• 1:00:34 Illingsworth Bonus And Support
• 1:04:10 L’s Nina And Drum Mastery
• 1:08:13 Finale: Johnny U x DFNS Remix
• 1:14:03 Closing CTAs And Community Invite

Transcript

SPEAKER_09: 0:57

Yo yo yo yo peace peace peace peace what's good everybody you're locked into a brand new episode of the Retro Podcast. This is where beat culture lives. We you know I mean we start with the record We recognize the beats man We count blessings and not problems over here too man so you know I'm saying before we dive in just a quick rerind You know I'm saying episode 136 was part two of the best beat tapes of 2025 was a heavy one man pure texture, raw intention, and a reminder that instrumental music is still evolving in real time. So it was no fillers, just producers carving out their own lanes and letting the music speak, man. So today we keep that momentum moving in part three. You know what I'm saying? This features, this episode featured 16 incredible artists, each bringing a distinct sound, a different perspective, and their own version of what beats are supposed to feel like in you know I mean this this day and age, you know what I'm saying? So we're talking about Bele, we're talking about bugging out, we're talking about Takeo Otanabee, we're talking about Dr. Mr. Lowe, we're talking about Tiempo, we're talking about um Fidrak, we're talking about Nah High Go, we're talking about Dairy Hazard, we're talking about um, you know, I mean, we talking about Kershawna Don, King John Il, Devin Burgess, uh, myself. We're talking about Ellingsworth, we're talking about L, Johnny, Johnny U, Jonathan Unitis. Yeah, man, we got some, you know, I mean, we got some dope some some dope joints on this joint, man. So I need y'all to just sit back, relax, smoke them if you got them. You know, I mean, if you're at home, open up that that that wine, open up, you know, I mean, whatever you sip, put this on and just chill. Yeah. It's that twamey right here, yeah. That's not salsa to be of a greater instrument is uh what this is on man, so y'all check out twami man support the homie. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so listen, man. I heard uh I heard some dope some dopeness today. Um not today, but a few weeks ago, man, from somebody named Zawadi Moon. And if y'all don't know who Zawadi Moon is, y'all about to get familiar, man. This is a incredible music producer, man. She came out with an album, The Metaphysical Wonders of Zawati Volume One. Um I need y'all to tap in and just listen to this and lie with Disney. Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Now we can get into this set. Um we're gonna go to check out Bele from the Balance album. The name of this joint is called Peace. Um yeah, I don't know. Yo, like his his style is so unique, man. And I the artwork that he puts for every single album is so dope, man. Like, man, I will I I would wanna I wanna pick his brain, man, and just see the artistic, like what he sees when he makes the music, but then also when he makes the the art as well, man. So true creative, man. True creative. Let's get into uh this melee joint, alright? And then we'll be back with the only thing. Let's get into this uh bugging out space of time from bugging out the basement batch volume five, you know? I'll be trying to give y'all a little bit of the next joint. A happy mistake is what do we call that, yeah? Yo, let's get into this uh Takeo Watanabi, man. Um he came out with a joint called Peace of My Skate. The name of this joint is called Wave Motion Jordan Smith. Oh my Japanese, my Japanese listener. Yeah. Thank you for listening. Album, yo, I think y'all need to tap into that joint, man. Link will be in the description of the show. You already know how we do at the Rec Show Podcast. Let's get into this next joint from Dr. Mr. Lowe. From the extract, volume one from the uh compilation that Jersey Produce put out, man. The name of this joint is called Document 370. Y'all tap in, man. Shout out to Jersey. What up? Yo, this uh this album the extract volume one album was so good, I had to play a second one. The second joint is from Tiempo and um Yo, it's super dope, man. Time flies.

unknown: 19:52

Oh baby.

SPEAKER_10: 19:54

Let's go.

SPEAKER_09: 22:55

Wow. Spazzed on that shit, bruh. You spazzed on that, bruh. Wow. Oh my gosh, man. So we gotta we're gonna keep it moving, man. We're gonna get into this um dirge for Sunra from You're All Cowards, man. This a uh trio from 16 Q no rap name, chop the head, man. Yeah, he uh man, he did his thing on this joint too. I like this, I like this joint, man. Even I'm not like a hard rock type of person, but even at the end, it didn't like throw me for like throw me off to be like, nah, I don't like the entire song. Like, I like what they did with it. So y'all tap into this joint, enjoy it, man. Let me know what you think. Text the show. Subscribe to the YouTube on the road to 100k, y'all. I mean 100k, 1000, 1K subscribers. Y'all know what it is. Text the show. Uh buy a coffee, buy a t-shirt. Yo, shout out to uh chop the head, first of all. Um man, for the for the cover art on this joint. It's crazy. It's it's crazy. Um Chop the Head, Q no Rap name, and uh 16. Man, man. Um what'd I say the name of this joint was? This was um this was Dirge for Sunrise. So, yeah, Chop Their Head is the one that produced this joint, man. Tracks one through seven. I think they all took um some of it and you know, and and did their thing on this, man. Trunk jazz is the future. Shout out to Philly, man. Shout out to everything y'all doing out there, man. Follow y'all, you're all cowards on uh bandcamp, man. It's a trunk jazz trio, alright? But yo, let's get into this next joint. Um from Frederick? Uh Fridrak. I can't say that I can't say the name right, but I know it's from the album Vignette. Um homage 87.5. So I do know that. Um let's see. Where were we, man? Like I'm I'm sitting here just listening to this joint, and uh Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We good. We good. Let's let's listen to this joint real quick, yo. Real up. Let's start that all over, man. And um give it the proper the proper start that you're supposed to have. You feel me? There we go. Damn, Oakland, California. What up, yeah? What up, man? This cover art for uh vignette is also amazing too, man. Uh I've been I was trying to see where that is exactly, but it's gotta be somewhere, somewhere, man. It looks beautiful, and it's in black and white, man. So, yo, check out my man, my man, um Fredrac. I hope I'm saying that right, man. If you doctor, let me know, man. Because I don't want to disrespect you earn that, yo. You feel me? Alright. Yo, let's get into this next joint. Actually, you know what, man? I owe my man uh Yeah. Yeah, man. I owe I owe you. I owe you one of them, man. Actually, yo, why is the b yeah, why is the volume so low, bro? You gotta get this volume. There you go. Come on, man. Come on, man. Yo, get my level yo. Come here. Come here, son. Smack fire out your ass, man. Get my levels right, man. Alright, let's keep it going, man. Yeah, I mean, I yo, I'm I apologize for that, man. I just yo, my bad, y'all. Anyway, yo, we going to this um tape one from Nawab High Go. And the name of this joint is called Inflammation. All right. So let's get into this joint and see what we and see what we talking about. You feel me? Let's go. Man, man, that joint was fire, yo. That joint was fire. Yeah. You're in one of them. Yo, man. Let's keep it, let's keep it moving. Um man, so this is man, like the creativity from this next artist is incredible. Um the homie Big Stow. If y'all don't know who Big Stow is, smack yourself one time. Um Big Stow is like, he's uh he's like uh he's like a powerhouse, man. He does it all, man. He helps people with rollouts, he helps people with um you know social media reach outs. He does uh he does he does biographies, he does everything, man. So look up Big Stow on um IG and uh and X, man, and uh talk to that man, yo. He got he got services and he working, man. He doing he's doing incredible things, giving y'all crazy, yo, millions of dollars worth of game, yo. He giving all every time, man. So, yo, Big Stow, we appreciate you, man. But Big Stow said, um, you know what I mean? Like theory has it. He's one of he's one of the the greats in my book, man. So I ain't even I ain't even uh going against that, man, because he is one of them greats, yo. Theory has it. Zoinks from the Boom Bab is my live my love language. Let's get it, man.

unknown: 37:49

Somebody's gonna be a little bit more.

SPEAKER_09: 37:56

Somebody rapping to this joint right now, yo. Keep going, yo. Thirty seconds left in the joint. Huh? The raps show up in this joint.

SPEAKER_10: 38:15

We don't want no man, yeah.

SPEAKER_11: 38:27

You kids, mom! What gives with those crazy costumes? We're dressed up for the big masked ball we're having tonight. Everyone will be there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 38:39

Yeah, man. Yo, shout out to Theory Has It, man. Yeah, he's he's one of them, man. Shout out to you, man. Salute, man. Yo, let's go all the way to the LBC, man. Shout out to the homie Kershawn of Don. Um, ladies love loops. They're about to have an event. I cannot remember the details of it right now. Um, actually, you know what, man? Let me not be lazy, man. Don't be don't be lazy when you don't have to be. Let's check out uh let's see. Ladies love loops. Ladies and uh see when this event is. Let's see. Um looks like they're having an event on I know I saw, I know I saw an event happening, but I know they having an event, man. So if you want to check out ladies, if y'all got beats, you create beats. I don't care if it's live music, I don't care if it's electronic music, you sing, you rap, you dance, whatever it is. Contact Ladies Love Loops, contact Kershaw and Adon, man, ladies love loops. It's just a movement of empowerment. Empowerment. Check out uh Ladies Love Loops. They've been it was born in 2022, man. It's 2026, and they still going, man. Let's go. LA music community champion women as leaders and innovators. Come on, man. Let's go. Clap it up for them, man. Yeah. I like that, man. So yo, let's check out this Kershawna Don joint. Um, the name of this joint is called Melancholy Melancholy from Mood Swing. And she got a I told y'all on the last one, man, she got a joint with Najee Hair coming out this year. That's all I'm gonna say. It's tough. It's tough, bro. That's Kershawna die, man. Yo, get the name right, man. Get the name right, yo. So, yo, we're gonna take it back to NY, man, and uh kick it with King John L, man. Whatever it takes from the L Flips tape 10. Man, my man, yo, he cooked up some uh Ceno IG the other day, man. I was like, yo, bruh. Yo, y'all be cooking up so much, I'm like, I wanna include all of it. But um Yeah, man. I gotta be selective. I gotta be selective in what I'm playing what I'm giving y'all, man. Cause I can't give y'all everything, man. Go tap in, go tap into these artists' pages and buy the albums and just buy what I'm in. I'm telling y'all, you buy an album It's more juice. So they can keep doing what they doing, man, what you like. It's it's basic is that science? Is that is that is that human nature? Is that what what is that? I don't know what it is, but just fucking do it, man.

SPEAKER_13: 44:06

I always draw anything my baby, my last time I won't learn.

SPEAKER_12: 44:22

There's nothing like the joy.

unknown: 44:27

I wonder about what happens.

SPEAKER_13: 44:32

If you trust me, I make you believe I make a sea. So let me heal your pain.

unknown: 45:18

Whatever, it's just a cube.

SPEAKER_13: 45:41

Your baby goes to me. Your hurricane.

SPEAKER_09: 45:50

King John il.

SPEAKER_13: 45:52

But I get a headache. Holy gold, just say something. Oh, love her life. I won't show you after. I'll take your face.

unknown: 47:24

Whatever it changes to make you be a baby. I'll be around.

SPEAKER_02: 47:36

She, she, she, she, she, she.

SPEAKER_10: 47:38

She come on, man. Come on. Come on, man. Come on, man. Listen, King John, ill, man.

SPEAKER_09: 47:56

You still ill, man. Like, come on. Come on, man. You know what? We're gonna take it to um I don't think I've ever featured a homie, this next homie, Devin Burgess. Um, this joint is called Balloons in the Sky from the Heavy Oaks OST instrumentals co-produced by Josh and Jesse. When I say this shit is crazy, bruh. I'm not playing around with y'all, man. This shit is crazy, man. Let's get to it, you know. Oh, make sure you subscribe to the YouTube, man. On the road to a thousand and uh you know, give a thumbs up wherever you listening to this at, but you know, give a review. Uh you know, all that text the show, man. Let us know if you're liking this or not, man. Tell us, you know, what you wanna what you wanna hear. If you digging uh what we doing right now. This is just what I'm feeling in the moment right now, man. So I'm doing this, alright? Hey, but I appreciate y'all, man. I hope everybody's cutting busins and not problems. Let's get to it, yo. Man, that shoe was so crazy. Devin Burgess Balloons in the Sky from Hawks OS T instrumentals co-produced by Josh Jensen. Yo, man. Yo, yo be putting it. Oh man, y'all be playing on so much dope shit. Let's go to this next joint and I you know what I was going to play. You know why? Because why not? Why not? Um the name of this joint is called Yang from the Kobo Cold Bombs album I put out early in 2025. Yeah, your man makes beats as well. Um so yeah, I'm gonna just rock this and then we're gonna go into this next last three. Actually, I got another uh fourth one too. I've gotta add to this right now, but while um while I'm doing this. But yeah, let's listen to this yang, though, yo. Yeah, man, so shout out to everybody that just loves lube, man. And uh you know, when I s when I hear a lube, I'll I'm like, do it does this even need drums or can I just let it ride by itself? And that was one of those ones, man. So check out Kobo's on Band Camp, man. Um Cold War bulbs by the by the homie, by myself, me, me and I. I I is he I him, him is me. I was playing right, alright, it was work, man. Ruffles, your feathers from press two. Let's get into that joint, alright? Yeah. Yeah, man. Yeah, Ellingsworth, man. Yo, if y'all don't know, y'all not been paying attention to socials. I mean, I'm I'm kinda in it, but I'm kinda not. Um, listen. Uh the homie just got into an accident, man, so if you buy an album, man, it's gonna help. Alright, buy an album on band camp or you know what I mean. Wherever you can. So he can uh get back on his on his wheels. You feel me? Um, but he's okay. He's doing alright, um, according to according to social media. So shout out to you, Illinsworth, man. Anything I can do, let me know. DM me mail Ig or X and uh we'll we'll we'll chop it up, alright? That's how we do it, man. But this is gonna be a bonus one, man. That um I forgot that I had to add this to it. This is uh just a bonus one, man. I'm gonna add this to it right now, alright? And um this is from Magnus Andretti. So Okay. Um baby's telling me I gotta go eat. So so uh let me get this off real quick. Um Yeah, we're gonna play let's play one for three and see what that see what we're doing right there, all right? Yeah, I'm gonna go. Magnus Andretti. Shout out to Merlin, man. 404 MPC Chops alive from the DOV area. Yeah. I like leftovers part one too, man. But uh leftovers part two too?

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:20

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_09: 1:04:23

Yeah. That's a jazz gale, too, man. I like this. Yeah, that was a that was just a little bonus joint, man. A little bonus joint from Magnus and radio. Um man, let's get to this uh L from uh Mighty Recordings. The name of this joint's called Nina from the Still Beaming album. B tape, whatever you want to call it. Listen, this joint is amazing. I had to include this in the joint. Stop playing, man. Stop playing, yeah. Let's go. I hope I'm I hope I'm on the right uh let me make sure I'm on the right joint too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shout out to L, man. This drum work is crazy, bro. We got one more after this, and then we're gonna close it out.

SPEAKER_06: 1:07:15

I never scared. I'm gonna thread in a still key spinning. I ain't never scared.

SPEAKER_05: 1:07:24

Like, what you fearful?

SPEAKER_11: 1:07:27

What you hear for? What you fearful? What you here for? What you fearful? What you here for?

SPEAKER_05: 1:07:34

What but the money, my soul getting hungry?

SPEAKER_09: 1:07:39

Come on, man. What you fearful? What you here for? What you fear for? What you here for? Come on, man. Come on, man. Yo, yo. Yo, what my sound effects, man. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Come on, man. Come on, man. Listen. Alright, man. We're gonna get to this next joint. The last joint, man. I had to include this. Um man, Jonathan United, aka Johnny U. John N Y U. Featuring DFNS. Five Bro remix produced by Ray Robinson. Cy B. I had to include this. I don't care what you think. This is what we ended it on. I hope y'all enjoyed the show. If you're listening to this on YouTube, subscribe. We on the road to a hundred, I mean a hundred, yeah, one day a hundred thousand to one thousand right now, man. Alright, we climbing up the ladder right now. We're gonna get there, man. But I need your help. Hit that subscribe, hit that bell, hit the like. And uh, if you listen to this on Apple or anywhere else you get podcasts, man, go ahead, leave a you know, a review, a five stars, you know what I mean, so we can climb the charts, man. That's and you know, just keep it moving like that. Also, there's t-shirts available for sale if you want to support that way. If you want to rock the Rec Show Podcast T. I know it's cold outside. I know Texas is about to get this storm this weekend. I know it's cold outside, but when it's when it's not, you gonna need something to put over you. So go ahead, grab a shirt and uh you know I mean, and wear it proudly, man. Wear it proudly, alright? Go to yeah, everything's in the link tree, man. If you want to drop give us a cup of coffee, you can do that too. Alright. Yeah, let's get into this, Jonathan uh United, aka Johnny U featuring DFNS. Alright?

SPEAKER_01: 1:10:01

Once over ain't nowhere clean. Ripped button with the iron on the steam. I wire with the barb on my barb in the weed. Don't make the first move, take a lot, like a lock. I gon' beat the earth, I caught the dog. I was leaving out with dogs, that was dark. When you overlook me anymore. If I got it, then you got it, therefore. Keep it solid to my dog. Yo, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_07: 1:10:38

But I've been let's make it break it, make it level on the lesson, click on my own screen because I've taken that you're on time, rapid chip, bobby.

unknown: 1:10:49

Wait a while to give it all I'm leaving the road to stand a microphone in my clip. Fuck a friend, we really vermin.

SPEAKER_07: 1:10:54

I've took a video from the brooch dead like then it's wild. I'm still climbing.

unknown: 1:11:00

I ain't dropping that all the jobs we get.

SPEAKER_07: 1:11:03

How about rights without breaking the sweat?

unknown: 1:11:06

I'm the RC I'm out of feet. But you know, I can't believe so fucking my defeat.

SPEAKER_07: 1:11:15

What a run of the bridge. I'm still living bits with the laser focus on winning. I don't really get it making messenger. Walk around and make two lines of men's sense. Everything you know is what's the picture on the land. So my following friends, oh, you might even finish up never work. I keep mentioning clutch.

unknown: 1:11:54

I put in real pain. I was born in it like pain, don't for me like a pain.

SPEAKER_07: 1:11:58

People still smoking the brain on me. I'm back in my pay, right? Full be stocking the cells, thank you. I'm a lad without brain in my ankle. Yo, time, dumb, go, uh shit, black up, uh yeah, uh, uh, yo, uh, time shit, like yo.

SPEAKER_09: 1:12:39

Johnny, you D F N S, what up, yo?

SPEAKER_07: 1:12:47

Now right, now right, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo.

SPEAKER_09: 1:12:55

Yo, shout out to Ray Robinson, man. This shit was crazy, bruh. This this shit was crazy, bruh. So listen, man. Yo, that's the end of this episode. Part three of the best beat tapes of 2025, man. And we got one more to go. You know what I'm saying? We got one more to go. If you if yours should be included in this last episode, this last episode of this series, text the show. That's the only way you're getting in. Is if you text your show, the your info, your artist name, the B tape, where it can be found, like a link or something like that. Uh, you know, where we can find you on Instagram, X or wherever. And uh, yeah, man. And I'm gonna put you in there, yo. No, don't worry. Females, I know y'all making peace, man. Come on, come on, stop playing, man. Come on out, come on out, man. We yo, yo, you this is this is a safe space for everybody, yo. Let's go. I don't care what you make, I don't care what you make, I don't care what type of level you think you on. Come on, man. Come on out, yeah. Let's go. Let's go. Alright, y'all. Big peace and love, y'all. Everybody stay safe this weekend. And um, yeah. Count blessings, not problems. Call your loved ones. Yeah. Alright. Yeah, that's that's that's that's all I got, man. I got one. Let me go eat dinner, man. Don't hit me. Peace, y'all.

SPEAKER_06: 1:14:49

I ain't never scared. I ain't never scared.