Podcasts Education Self-Improvement Conversations with Tyler Ben Westhoff on Synthetic Drugs, Dive Bars, and the Evolution of Rap

Ben Westhoff on Synthetic Drugs, Dive Bars, and the Evolution of Rap

Published: Oct. 9, 2019, 12:13 p.m.

Ben Westhoff has written some of Tyler\u2019s favorite books on everything from dive bars to the evolution of American rap music to how fentanyl is driving the opioid epidemic. So how does he get it done? Not from the outside in, by finding exotic experiences as he originally thought. Instead he found that it comes from the inside out: eating right, exercising, getting sleep, and journaling. Do those things, Ben says, and you\u2019ll be in a much better position to notice the good stories happening all around you.

He joined Tyler to discuss those many stories, including the proliferation of synthetic drugs, China\u2019s role in the crisis, the merits of legalization versus decriminalization, why St. Louis is underrated, New Jersey hip-hop, how CDs changed rap, what\u2019s different about Dr. Dre, whether the entourage is efficient, the social utility of dive bars, and more.

Read a\xa0full transcript\xa0enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded September 11th, 2019

Other ways to connect