Jay Smooth

Two former WBAI DJs discuss leaving the station after the hiring of former WNYC host Leonard Lopate. 

Watch Rebecca Carroll in conversation with writer Eve Ewing, singer Madison McFerrin, The New Yorker's Alexis Okeowo, cultural commentator Jay Smooth and artist Jamal Lewis. 

One of the most difficult conversations we can have in our society has to do with race. In some ways the conversation is complicated by recent milestone events in racial equality like the election of President Barack Obama. But, Jay Smooth says that milestones like that are exactly the reason why we need to think and communicate more effectively about race as such milestones can obfuscate the real inequalities that still remain in our society.

On today’s Soundcheck Smackdown we’re asking the question: Who is the best MC of the new millennium? Our guests are pitting two MCs currently in the spotlight against each other: Kanye West and Pusha T. Though they may be collaborating together on West's upcoming album, we look at the questions on fans' minds: Who has the best flow? Whose lyrics have the most poetry? Whose rhymes best match the beats? Amos Barshad of New York magazine’s Vulture blog, and Jay Smooth of illdoctrine.com square off.