Ryan is one half of the podcast Bodega Box Office, a podcast about movies and the rappers who made them. He created this guest post about his time on the University of Dope Game Show Season 1.
It was summer. Quarantine was in full-swing. I had a glass of Soju and a cooler of beer next to my desk. I was mildly buzzed, getting roasted for not ever seeing the classic film DEAD PRESIDENTS, and it was my first time on an honest-to-god gameshow.
And I won.
But let’s rewind a bit. My friendship with the University of Dope masterminds started three years ago, when A.V. was a guest on our rap movie podcast Bodega Box Office. We discussed the film DOPE (aka the film that takes place in the same cinematic universe as THE WOOD aka the film where Tyga has a monologue about drone strikes), and played a few rounds of the OG University of Dope card game.
We at Bodega Box Office are definitely the ideal target market for a brilliant game like UDope. We both have suspect rap opinions, and we love the sound of our own voices almost as much as we love excuses to drink. So our podcast and UDope definitely felt like kindred spirits, and we’ve kept up that connection ever since.
Fast forward a few years and one earth-shaking global pandemic. When Skinni and AV hit us up looking for contestants, my co-host had just had a baby so he was out, but I was more than happy to represent. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a weeknight. It was an opportunity to do what I loved most - drink and pretend like I’m smarter than I am. That’s all I expected, but damn I got so much more.
The actual process of the show was extremely professional - I was adequately briefed beforehand on what would be happening, it started on time, and technically it was incredible. Not only were we switching camera views and voting on answers in real time, the “studio audience” had chances to weigh in and there was even a moment to shout out the sponsors.
The actual game play was hot take after hot take (like “Lauryn Hill is not a legend”, for example), freestyles about cauliflower, imagining what it would be like to road-trip with Dame Dash, and repeated roasting of your boy for not having seen DEAD PRESIDENTS.
Yet somehow, despite my filmic handicap, I won. I think it was a sympathy vote. But it didn’t really matter, because the point of the game is the freedom to express your most unpopular opinions and to drink when no one agrees with you. It’s a microcosm for adult life, honestly.
So I proudly took my W and it remains a true bright spot in my career as a rap fan. And oh yeah, the first thing I did after my win? A whole podcast episode about DEAD PRESIDENTS. And as A.V., Skinni, Ron, Durante, Will and anyone with any sense already knows - it’s a masterpiece.
by Ryan from Bodega Box Office.
To Check out Ryan’s full episode of The University of Dope Game Show, click here.