Listen to The Travis Scott Burger Pod

Doing a four-part podcast about that time last year when McDonald’s collaborated with rapper Travis Scott for a limited-time-only meal — complete with a “Travis Scott Burger,” which was just a Quarter Pounder with bacon — may sound like an odd, even absurd, thing to do. And yet that’s exactly what writer-producer-host Michael Kaplan did with OneHandClap’s The Travis Scott Burger Pod, which debuted last month. Once you listen to it, you’ll discover how it’s not only a chronicle of Scott’s ascension from struggling mixtape MC to life-saving, taste-making, fast-food-shilling rap god. It’s also a study of the contemporary relationship between art and commerce, particularly in regard to how music stars collaborate with corporations and major brands. As this podcast reveals, selling out isn’t seen as a bad thing in the pop world anymore. And considering how Scott made $20 million off that deal, he’d be the first to tell ya so. Stream it via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. CRAIG D. LINDSEY